RESTAURANTS | RECIPES | WINES | CULINARY TRAVEL VO T RE E FO ST R Y AU OU RA R NT FAV + M OU OR RIT E.. E .
CELEBRATING THE FOOD & DRINK OF
JANUARY | FEBRUARY
l 2011 | Issue 15-01 | THIS COPY IS FREE
VANCOUVER ISLAND
Best Brunch Exceptional Eats!
READERS’ RESTAURANT, FOOD & DRINK AWARDS
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Voting Begins . . . . . . . . . . . .06 for the 2011 Exceptional Eats! Reader Awards
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Tapas Concierge Desk . . . . . . . . . . 08 Epicure At Large . . . . . . . . . .10 Local Food Hero . . . . . . . . . .11 Top Shelf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Get Fresh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Food Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Good for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
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Care-Free, Gluten-Free . . . .20 A Foodie Year in Review . . .22 Vegetarian Revolution . . . .24 Brunch Recipes . . . . . . . . . .26 Ramen Noodle Houses . . . .29 Master Cooking Class . . . . .30 Mobile Eateries . . . . . . . . . .40
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Restaurant Reporter . . . . . . 16 Eating Well for Less . . . . . . .17 News from around BC . . . . .34 Liquid Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Craft Beer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 The Mixologist . . . . . . . . . . .43 Grenache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Chefs’ Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Valentine’s Day Pairings . . .46
COVER: Best Brunch: Recipes begin on page 26. Photo by Michael Tourigny, Styled by Jennifer Danter.
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Inspirational cooking classes for home chefs of every level. A n evening An e v e n i n g with w i t h us u s will w i l l make m a ke “At “At Home” Home” yyour o ur n new e w ffavourite av o urr i te rrestaurant. e s t a ur ant .
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Stephen Ste phen Quigley Quigley, leyy, International International Bar Bartender tender nder
Canada’s largest restaurant promotion* is back!
We hope you’re hungry! From January 24 to February 6, indulge in your love of food and BC VQA wine at over 210 of Vancouver’s hottest and hippest restaurants with three course meals at $18, $28 or $38 per person††
Not just a Wine Bar
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Eat your way through a full menu of food events, cooking classes and dinner tours! They’re only here during Dine Out! Hotel rates from $68!*
tourismvancouver.com/dov MEDIA SPONSORS
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*By number of participating restaurants ™ Trademark of Tourism Vancouver, The Greater Vancouver Convention and Visitors’ Bureau. †† Exclusive of alcohol, taxes and gratuities. **All rates are for the current month, are per room, per night, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability. Rates subject to change.
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While I’m certainly looking forward (in hungry anticipation) to all the wonderful, new things to eat and drink in 2011, I’d also like to take time to reflect on the year that was. Sometimes in our over-heated, super-saturated media world of entertainment news programs, tweets and nanosecond web blogs, we fail to recognize the places and people who have done the most to enhance our food lives. It’s the modern preoccupation of “news today, forgotten tomorrow�. Hit pause for a minute. Last year I began what I hoped would be an annual celebration of the best food and drink in our area. The idea was to highlight the best and the brightest—not only the top restaurants and chefs—but also the lesser-known shops, farms, local products, and people who made, and are continuing to make, a difference. To my delight, thousands of you voted and the results were published in the March/April 2010 issue. It was time-consuming work to organize and tabulate the results. Why? Rather than having a handful of critics pre-select who you could or couldn’t vote for, we left it to you—the reader—to choose whomever you thought was deserving of an award. Really, who knows best? Often, we nodded our heads in agreement, occasionally we noted someone or someplace we’d been overlooking. Always, the recognition was well deserved. And so we come to year two and the kick-off to the 2nd Annual Exceptional Eats! Readers’ Awards—and the online voting poll is now open. Thanks in advance to all of you for taking a moment to vote, because your voice counts and our businesses will appreciate the effort. Happy New Year and all the best to everyone in the year ahead. —Gary Hynes, Editor, EAT
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Restaurant Dining Events: Don’t Let Your Leftovers Go To The Dogs. A couple of years ago, I was blessed—and cursed—with doing the rounds at some of Vancouver’s finer restaurants—for a week during the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival. Multi-courses for lunch and dinner can do major damage to hips and the digestion. Such a shame though, to leave the better part of a chef’s wonderful efforts on the plate. How could I salvage, tastefully (so to speak) meltingly good foie gras, grilled duck breast, tender lamb chops, succulent seafood, and artisan cheeses? Why not stack and pack a few reusable containers in a small, Harrods’ tote. It was classy and subtle. I handed the bag to the server and asked if perhaps he wouldn’t mind divvying up my vittles among the containers. Initially, I was a little embarrassed. Now I think nothing of it. On a recent media “dine-aroundâ€? of Richmond’s Alexandra Road aka 'Chinese Food Street',â€? my “containerâ€? idea impressed Michelle Dunn, Director of Communications at Tourism Richmond. She made a point of emailing EAT, saying “As with many media dinners oodles of noodles and lots of other delicacies were leftover. Rather than waste the food, Julie fished out her a few reusable containers for take-away. We not only thought it was a brilliant way to minimize food waste and an excessive use of take-out packaging but we also figured it was a great way to share the treats with someone at home. So we created our own Tourism Richmond branded reusable food containers. Now at our hosted media dinners we hand them out, along with the stainless steel reusable, folding chopsticks that we created for all of Richmond’s hotel guests and visitors during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.â€? This year’s Dine Out Vancouver and Dine Around Victoria events are a perfect opportunity for adopting the take-away container idea. Don’t be shy to take the tasty tid-bits left on your plate. Your not wasting food and your post-holiday waistband will thank you. —Julie Pegg • 9th annual Dine Out Vancouver 2011 (January 24-February 6) www.tourismvancouver.com • Dine Around & Stay in Town Victoria 2011 (February 17 - March 6) www.tourismvictoria.com
WWW.CHRLPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 250 588 1826
CHRISTOPHE LAGUIGNÉ PHOTOGRAPHY
ia
9OU AR E WHE R E YOU E AT
welcome to EAT
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WILD FIRE organic bakery & cafĂŠ
Proudly milling Vancouver island grown wheat Using 99% locally grown and certified organic ingredients 1517 Quadra Street Victoria, BC
www.wildfirebakery.ca
250.381.3473
Monday to Friday 7:30am to 6pm Saturday 8am to 5pm
www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
5
A•N•N•O•U•N•C•I•N•G THE 2ND ANNUAL EAT MAGAZINE Victoria & Vancouver Island
Exceptional Eats!
READERS’ RESTAURANT, FOOD & DRINK AWARDS ENSURE YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES GET THE RECOGNITION THEY DESERVE BY VOTING
VOTE ONLINE AT www.EATmagazine.ca
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ABOUT: We’re back. Welcome to the second annual Exceptional Eats! Readers’ Restaurant, Food & Drink Awards. Last year, EAT readers voted in droves, and it was clear that Victoria and Vancouver Island are equipped, enthused and at the ready to observe, fete and comment on the food, the drink, the land and the people who make us hungry and happy to be here. How was this year? Who and what are great? Where do you go now—to shop, to eat, to carouse, to celebrate? Same as last year? Have a think, let us know. Let’s share and commemorate the year’s Exceptional eats, drinks, places and people. You may notice that the questions are not the same as last year. But the year was not the same. There’s no fun in just bleating out the same questions year after year if they no longer reflect what is really going on. At the same time, enduring greats should, and will, always have a place to be celebrated. With both enthusiasm and respect for this local food and drink scene, we bring you the 2011 EE fresh sheet. Let the voting begin.
Exceptional Eats!
The past results and winners for the 1st Annual EE Reader Awards can be seen online at www.eatmagazine.ca/page/awardwinners
AWARD CATEGORIES:
Voting will take place in the following categories: restaurants, wine stores, specialty food stores, beverages, craft beers, coffee, pubs, food writer, street food, best & worst trends, cooking teacher, appetizers, cocktails, desserts, kid-friendly, under $10, take-out, snacks, farm produce, Lifetime Achievement... and more.
HOW TO VOTE: To vote—go online to www.eatmagazine.ca and click on VOTE. You will be taken directly to the poll. Pick your favourites in the categories listed—if you don’t have a favourite in a particular category, just skip it—it’s that easy. At the end, enter your name and email address to be entered in the prize draw. (We take your security seriously. No name or email will be given, sold or otherwise abused and once the voting is over - they will be deleted from our system.) THE RULES • Only one ballot per person • Polls close midnight, January 31, 2011 Awards winners will be announced in the March/April issue of EAT
PRIZES & SPONSORS:
CELEBRATING THE BEST IN FOOD & DRINK
By voting you will become eligible to enter the draw to win one of the prizes gererously donated by our sponsors. Prize winners will be announced in the March/April 2011 Issue of EAT. For more details, sponsor website links and addresses please visit EATmagazine.ca
VOTE AT www.EATmagazine.ca
Acer Fine Woodworking - 2 Bamboo Trays
Devour Food – Gift Certificate
Sips Artisan Bistro - Dinner for 2
Bistro Caché – Gift Certificate
Endless Pawsibilities - Gift Basket
Bubby Rose Bakery – Gift Certificate
Fernwood Inn – Gift Certificate
Sooke Harbour House - 1 Night Stay, Breakfast & Dinner for 2
Butchart Gardens - Admission & High Tea for 2
Lifestyle Markets – Gift Certificate
Carrot on the Run - Gift Basket
Ottavio Delicatessen - Ottavio T-shirt & Apron
Cascadia Liquor – An Expert Guided Wine Tasting at Home for 12 Chef Heidi Fink - A culinary tour of Chinatown for two & one spot in a cooking class
Muse Winery & Bistro - Gift Certificate
Sea Cider - Long Flight & Platter for 2 Silk Road – Group Tea Tasting
Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub - Chefs’ Table for 2 w/ Wine/Beer Pairings Stage Wine Bar – Gift Certificate True Grain Bread - Gift Certificate Wickaninnish Inn - 1 Night Stay, Valet Parking & 3-Course Dinner for 2 Victoria Spirits - Gift Basket
www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
7
Culinary intelligence for the 2 months ahead
the concierge desk
by Rebecca Baugniet
For more events visit www.eatmagazine.ca
January VICTORIA WINTER MARKET
A Local Story. Local fisherman Tim Webster fills our dockside crab cage each Friday, where the crabs thrive in the ocean currents. Look out the window when you order and you’ll see our crew hurrying down the dock to get your dinner. Simple, natural and incredibly fresh. Just one of the stories that make up our plates each day.
The Victoria Downtown Public Market Society will lift your spirits by hosting a Winter Market in Market Square from 11am to 3pm, Saturday, January 15 and February 19. The Winter Market will feature many of your favorite local food producers including Terra Nossa farm with local meats, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, Iron Maiden Seafood, Saanich Organics, Bread by Matt, Vancouver Island Salt Company, Haliburton, Kildara and SunTrio farms plus hot mulled apple juice from LifeCycles, live music, and much, much more.
VANCOUVER WINTER MARKET The Vancouver Winter Farmers Market takes place every Saturday from 10am - 2pm until April 30, 2011, in the East Parking Lot of Nat Bailey Stadium.
TABLE TALK Table Talk is a Plenty Epicurean Pantry/ FoodRoots co-hosted event that takes place the first Wednesday of each month (Wednesday, January 5 and February 2), after hours, 7PM-9PM at Plenty's store located at 1034 Fort Street. These demonstration/interactive sessions are an opportunity to sample wonderful food and engage in lively discussion based on the NorthEast Earth Institutes - Menu for the Future guide. (www.epicureanpantry.ca)
ALL ABOUT EGGS Crack some eggs with Cook Culture house Chef Genevieve Laplante. This class is all about the ever-versatile ingredient: the mighty egg! You will learn how to master: Perfect Devilled eggs, omelet with Brie and basil, and more. January 11, 6 pm. (www.cookculture.com)
TASTE BC 2011
Stunning Views Lunch • Dinner • Sushi • Sunday Brunch
250-598-8555 2 50-598-8555 1327 1 327 Beach Beach Drive Drive at at tthe he O Oak ak B Bay ay M Marina arina www.marinarestaurant.com www .marinarestaurant.com m 8
EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
A Celebration of Local Food and Drink! is the 17th Annual B.C. Children’s Hospital – Oak Tree Clinic Fundraising event. The Liberty Merchant Company's Taste BC Event will be held on January 18th, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, from 4:30-7:30 pm. For more information or to buy tickets visit the Liberty Merchant website (www.libertywinemerchants.com).
1ST ANNUAL OLD WINE IN NEW BOTTLES FESTIVAL The Vancouver Island Symphony presents five days of tantalizing foods, winning wines, palette pleasing parties and a rous-
ing wine competition along with one of a kind visual arts and music. January 19 – 22 in Nanaimo. (www.vancouverislandsymphony.com)
6TH ANNUAL VICTORIA WHISKY FESTIVAL The 6th Annual Victoria Whisky Festival will be held at the Hotel Grand Pacific, January 21-23. (www.victoriawhiskyfestival.com)
WINTER OKANAGAN WINE FESTIVAL Set in January at the alpine setting of Sun Peaks Resort, the annual Winter Okanagan Wine Festival is one of a kind. From skiing and snowboarding, to wine seminars and progressive tastings, this is a unique experience – kind of like their award winning icewines and a hot tub. January 19 -23. (www.thewinefestivals.com)
DINE OUT VANCOUVER 2011 Presented by Tourism Vancouver, Dine Out Vancouver is a citywide celebration of food and British Columbia wine and is the largest restaurant promotion of its kind in Canada. Virtually every type of restaurant in the city gets involved, giving you the chance to taste Vancouver's hot restaurant digs, new hit eateries and neighbourhood favourites all for a reasonable prix-fixe price. January 24 - February 6 (www.tourismvancouver.com)
EUROPEAN WINE CRUISE INFORMATION SESSION January 26th at 7pm Deborah Wickins of Wine Love Wine Lust and Oceania Cruise Lines will host an information session. Learn about the ‘Vineyards and Vignettes’ sailing from London to Barcelona in September 2011. This tour is all inclusive and includes return air from Vancouver, 14 day cruise, all onboard meals, pre-paid gratuities and is hosted by Victoria sommelier Deborah Wickins. For information and to RSVP contact Linda Nelson at Cruise Holidays Pacific. (250-472-2789 or linda@cruiseholidayspacific.com)
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VICTORIA FILM FESTIVAL After a brief recovery period from the holidays, the city jumps right back into festival season. The Victoria Film Festival has a few treats in store for food film buffs, including Nick Versteeg's world premiere of his documentary Food Security. Chef of the South Polar – a narrative about a chef who creates elaborate meals for Japanese scientists
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working in the Antarctic will also be showing throughout the nine day festival, which runs from February 4-13. Three events worth noting are the two Sips ’n’ Cinema soirées; the first, a wine tasting at Legacy Gallery (630 Yates), followed by a film discussion, and the second, a cocktail tasting at Veneto (1450 Douglas St.), also followed by a film discussion. In partnership with the festival, the Superior Café (106 Superior St.) will be hosting Dinner and More Than A Movie on February 3, with a special guest host to guide you through the once a year food/film extravaganza. (www.victoriafilmfestival.com)
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On February 4th, Smoken Bones Cookshack will be launching their new hand crafted menu. Some new additions will be burgers, more bbq sauces, lunch sandwiches, and many more items. Jesse Lee Roper will be offering his musical talents for this evening helping to compliment many free sample items. Get stuffed with BBQ, music and hand crafted ales.
BIGLEAF MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL Visitors are invited to participate in miniworkshops facilitated by experienced maple syrup producers, including tapping demonstrations, presentations, and displays. This year's event features cooking with local maple syrup and maple food will be available.
CHINESE NEW YEAR TEA SAMPLING On Sunday, February 6th, from 11 am to 5 pm, celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with fortune cookies and a selection of rare and precious Chinese teas. Stop by Silk Road (www.silkroadtea.com) anytime throughout the day, to enjoy a sampling of some of China’s very best teas. The Chinese Tea Ceremony will be performed at 2pm and 3pm.
COOKING WITH CHOCOLATE Join chocolate historian and connoisseur, chef David Mincey, at French Mint on February 8th, for a delicious exploration of chocolate. For most of us, chocolate is for dessert only but after this lesson you’ll want to include it in your savory repertoire as well. Explore the fascinating history of chocolate and learn to unlock the magic of the mighty cacao bean. $75. (www.frenchmint.ca)
perience, learn, sample, touch, smell, and inquire by engaging with all the knowledgeable exhibitors at their booths. Purchase your favourite teas and tea-wares at this one-stop shop for all things tea. Speaking of tea, Plenty (1034 Fort St.) has become the first Victoria retailer for Teafarm’s islandgrown selections. (www.teafarm.ca). For more information visit the festival website (www.victoriateafestival.com).
SEEDY SATURDAY VICTORIA Saturday Feb 19th, from 10 am - 4 pm the James Bay Market Society is sponsoring Victoria’s 17th annual Seedy Saturday. This year’s event will be held on Level 2 of the Victoria Conference Centre, 720 Douglas St. Admission is 7$, children 12 and under are free. Keep an eye on the James Bay Market website for more details (www.jamesbaymarket.com).
PARKSVILLE UNCORKED Parksville's finest beach resorts have come together once again to feature the very best wines and gourmet foods from throughout Vancouver Island and British Columbia. Whether you are a novice or an experienced wine lover, enjoy tastings, seminars, featured wine dinners, bubbly brunches and wine inspired spa treatments. February 2527, 2011. (www.parksvilleuncorked.com)
DINE AROUND AND STAY IN TOWN Tourism Victoria and British Columbia Restaurant and Food Services Association’s eighth annual Dine Around & Stay in Town will take place from February 17 to March 6. Over 50 participating restaurants offer three-course menus for $20, $30, or $40 CDN per person and are all paired with BC VQA wine suggestions. To make a good thing even better, some of Victoria's hotels and accommodations will be featuring rates of $79, $89, $99, and $129 CDN. (www.tourismvictoria.com) If you have a food or wine event you would like to see listed in the next issue of EAT, please email editor@eatmagazine.ca and put Concierge Desk in the subject line.
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5TH ANNUAL VICTORIA TEA FESTIVAL The Victoria Tea Festival returns to the Crystal Gardens for its fifth year. This is the largest public tea exhibition in North America. February 12th -13th indulge in a wide selection of teas originating from different regions of the world and prepared in unique ways. Ex-
VOTE AT www.EATmagazine.ca www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
9
epicure at large
— by Jeremy Ferguson
DON’T HOLD THE ANCHOVIES This grandly unapologetic wallop of fish and salt is a symbol of epicurean intensity.
“Oh, and I want no anchovies. And I mean, no anchovies. You put anchovies on this thing and you’re in big trouble, okay?!” –Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 1990 When catsup left its native China towards the end of the 17th century, it was ke-tsiap, a sauce based on fermented anchovies. By the time it reached the U.S. in the 19th century, Heinz-ified, it was a confection of tomatoes and sugar. What gastro-treachery was this? It was a conspiracy hatched by anchovy-haters, that’s what. They’re legion, these people. They detest anchovies. They howl from the rooftops. They bad-mouth the wee fishes all over the Internet. I wouldn’t let one in the house. There are those of us who cherish the anchovy as a symbol of epicurean intensity, a grandly unapologetic wallop of fish and salt. I know a couple who became engaged when they discovered a common passion for anchovies on pizza. In nature, anchovies are kinda beautiful. Individually, the anchovy is greenish with a blue reflection; Picasso couldn’t do better. Collectively, a school of anchovies on the move resembles an undersea tornado whipping across an oceanic plain. See for yourself: Go to YouTube and check out that lyrical clip of anchovies swimming in formation at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Health and fitness fanatics, who see no more than fuel on their plates, have no arguments with anchovies: the fish are especially rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D and excellent for brain development in children (which explains that very absence of development in thems that hate anchovies). Huge schools of anchovies forage the oceans and seas of most of the planet. The anchovy is a staple in Southeast Asia, the base for stocks, soups and sauces, including the Vietnamese nuac mam and Thai nam pla. A few years ago, my wife and I passed through the Vietnamese fishing town of Phan Thiet. The place reeked with fish sauce, courtesy of the local nuac mam factory, in which anchovies and salt are layered in barrels and fermented for six months. Westerners were clearing out as fast as they could, holding their noses. I could have lingered for a week. The coastal Chinese made a fish sauce and added soy to it. Inlanders, without access to fish, were left with the soy. And so soy sauce was born, so they say. Malaysians dry the fish whole and use them as a principal garnish for nasi lemak, the wonderful Malay breakfast of coconut rice drizzled with a rip-snorting sambal, the Malay chili sauce, and served with roast peanuts, sliced cucumber and egg. Burma turns out an anchovy relish using fresh anchovies, tamarind, garlic, curry leaves and chili powder. Koreans stir-fry dried anchovies with garlic, sugar, sesame seed and sesame oil as a side dish. Our Canadian fling with the anchovy connects with Mediterranean tradition. It goes back at least as far as the ancient Romans. Intrepid foodies, they consumed anchovies raw as an aphrodisiac: On route to an orgy, Gaius? Don’t leave home without ’em. I can’t think of Italy without the thought of puttanesca making me drool. This is the greatest of all pasta sauces in my view, a racy concoction of tomatoes, black olives, garlic, capers, chilies and anchovies that the whores of Naples traditionally simmered on their stoves to sate their customers’ other appetite. The French are no slouches, either. In Provence, the purest symbol of anchovy love to this day is anchoyade, a kick-ass tapenade of anchovies and garlic. The French spread it on warm bread and sink their teeth into it with the beatific smiles of Hindu deities. Even the Brits found time for anchovies. In 1661, Samuel Pepys defined a good breakfast as “good wine, and anchovies, and pickled oysters.” Anchovies have always been part of Worcestershire sauce, yet another fish sauce spinoff. There is a small town in Jamaica named Anchovy, but it has no anchovies and is not worth visiting. On this continent, anchovies are considered essential for Caesar salad. Caesar Cardini created the dish in 1924, but the anchovy didn’t enter the mix until a decade later. They’re a catalyst. Once I made the mistake of whipping up a Caesar dressing without them. The flavours collapsed. Anchovy pleasures in Victoria happen in the home. We buy the fish in tins and jars, packed in olive oil and ready to eat. I use a whole tin in a Caesar for four. My wife makes pizzas with tortilla shells as a crust; on go the anchovies and mozzarella. One of my favourite anchovy dishes couldn’t be simpler. Wrap an anchovy in puff or phyllo pastry and bake it until it resembles a toasted pastry cigarette. It’s crisp and soft and salty. I once saw it ignite a feeding frenzy at an Australian food festival, while elaborate dishes went ignored. But then again, there wasn’t a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle in the room.
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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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DAN JASON
The founder of Salt Spring Island Seeds is an island Renaissance man..
It takes several days to catch up with Dan Jason during Seedy Saturday season. The 63-year-old founder of Salt Spring Seeds is, in his words, “going full bore with no signs of slowing down.” He’s a man of few words but a great many actions. Known internationally for his organic heirloom seeds, Dan Jason is a passionate grower, author, activist, teacher, mentor, artist and musician. The subject of two documentary films, Gardens of Destiny and Tableland, he’s also frequently interviewed as a consummate expert on organic gardening. Motivated by a desire to encourage self-reliance in food and medicine, he focuses his energies on growing, sharing and teaching others how to save seeds. Now, 25 years since he began growing plants for seed, his reputation has grown without effort on his part. Salt Spring Seeds sends out 7,000 catalogues annually and receives online orders through an award-winning website designed by Jason’s son, Leif. Countless visitors simply drop by to ask a few questions, pick up seeds or, just as likely, a trowel. Without seeking any accolades, he simply sets his focus on growing plants, and that keeps him fully engaged. Because he is an annual grower, there is fresh excitement each year as the new garden begins to take shape. He is not a landowner; over the years he’s grown his seeds in various locations on the island, at different altitudes and with different soils. Wherever he plants, there is always an abundance of colour and flowers. What does he most enjoy growing? His answer is simple: “Everything!” What does he find most challenging to grow? His answer is just as simple: “Nothing!” One of the more unusual plants he grows is 1,000-year-old tobacco. Seeds for this plant reportedly came from a native burial mound in Ontario. Growing low to the ground, it thrives on the island and is frequently remarked upon by visitors because its enormous leaves make it looks prehistoric. According to Jason, it tastes “powerful.” The garden provides him with plenty of inspiration. The author of several books, his most recent is Saving Seeds As Though Our Lives Depended On It, which explores the urgency of preserving organic seeds from GMO contamination and the role individuals can play in light of pressures from industrial agribusiness. His cookbooks contain recipes that are simple and based on whole foods. West Coast Whimsy and Womance, one of his earliest publications, is filled with songs celebrating his deep love for island life (he can often be spotted playing a flute while on his morning walk through the garden). This father of five and grandfather of four has taught children at a free school, mentored numerous WWOOFers (Willing Workers on Organic Farms), and been involved in other education and community building efforts, include the Seed and Plant Sanctuary for Canada, formed with colleagues in 2002 (www.seedsanctuary.com). This non-profit evolving seed and gene bank provides a repository of viable seeds and plants as well as recordkeeping on how they grow around the country each year. Somewhere amid the planting, growing and tending of the garden, the writing and teaching (gardening and ecstatic dance), the speaking engagements and food activism, he manages to field more than a hundred emails, calls and letters each day. Yet despite the volume of work, Dan Jason appears calm and grounded, nurtured himself with the restorative properties of nature. A garden has tremendous healing power, and through his efforts, countless people are finding it easier to create one.
fresh flavours, casual comfort, genuine service
brunch isn’t dead, it just slept in
ON THE WEB www.EATmagazine.ca BLOGS: A report on a new ice cream delivery service by Katie Fritz; Turn Your Veggies Into a Cocktail by Maryanne Carmack
TRAVEL: Female Chefs to gather for the 12th annual Montreal High Lights Festival; The Taste of Home (Away from Home)by Noah Wheelock; The Nanaimo Bar Trail by Chelsea Barr
REGIONAL NEWS: A weekly round-up of Vancouver events by Anya Levykh DRINK: Wine reviews posted daily by Treve Ring EVENTS: Bistro28-Fairview Cellars Winemaker’s Dinner, Breaking out the BIG GUNS at Araxi, To Russia With Love, Okanagan Style, BC Hospitality Fundraiser.
FEATURES: Web editor Rebecca Baugniet visits Saanich while it snows. BOOKS: In Search of Food Heroes, An Interview with Georgia Pellegrini by Gary Hynes; Cooking with Cory: Inspirational Recipes for the Fearless Cook.
Come in to Haro’s at The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa every Saturday and Sunday beginning at 11 for Chef Sheena’s favorite new brunch creations. The menu includes everything from traditional Eggs Benny to "Haro's Rancheros", plus all of our regular all day menu items. A great day begins at Haro’s. Make your reservation now! Call 250.655.9700 Brunch served from 11am - 2pm every Saturday & Sunday Complimentary Underground Parking • www.sidneypier.com
www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
11
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Rebecca Wellmam
pictured: Jed and Regan Grieve at Cook Culture
CLASS CONSCIOUS
A brand-new cooking school and cookware store in Victoria is planning to stir things up. Cook Culture, Vancouver Island’s largest cookware shop, opened in November in a 2,400square-foot space in the elegant new Atrium building. The store carries an artfully arranged array of high quality, affordably priced cookware, a superb selection of kitchen gadgetry and tools as well as wineglasses, cookbooks, table linens, cutlery and more However, the heart of Cook Culture is its cooking school according to Jed Grieve, who co-owns the business with his wife, Regan, and a silent partner. The kitchen is set in a spacious section of the shop that looks out onto the spectacular undulating wooden walls of the Atrium’s inner courtyard. “The school was the catalyst for the entire enterprise,” says Grieve. “We want to educate people about where their food comes from, spread the word and support the local food movement and local farmers.” Locally grown food will be used in the classes and some will feature Island farmers introducing their products before chef instructors start the class. “Fun is at the top of the list,” says the energetic Grieve. “We have many ideas, but we’re also listening to what people tell us they want on Twitter and our website.” Three types of classes are on offer for twelve to fourteen people: three-hour hands-on classes followed by a multi-course meal in the Atrium, hour-long demonstrations with some hands-on participation, and demonstration classes. Instructors will include local independent chefs and caterers, local restaurant chefs and well-known chefs who are on North American book tours. Grieve, the son of Muffet Billyard-Leake of Muffet and Louisa, grew up in the retail kitchenware business and began cooking from scratch when he was a boy. “My mom was into whole food and sustainable food before it became trendy, and I grew up in a European food culture. The food revolution is now returning to its European roots,” Grieve explains. “Regan and I wanted to become more involved with the local food movement. We’re not chefs or farmers, but what we can contribute is a space where people can gain knowledge of tools and techniques —Sylvia Weinstock Cook Culture is open Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. 1317 Blanshard St. in the Atrium Building, 250-590-8161, www.cookculture.com.
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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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CONSIDER THE CARROT The ravishing root veggie is nothing if not versatile.
Like the top prize in the boyfriend sweepstakes, the carrot is firm, sweet, humble, tender, versatile and always available. Young ones are sweetest, but like the ideal beau, the carrot is a keeper, retaining its shape, texture and flavour until you are inspired to use it (although, it will grow whiskers if it is neglected too long).
1
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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
What other vegetable can canoodle with sweet, spicy or savoury flavours in every part of a meal, from appetizers to desserts, as easily as the carrot? Use it in sunflower seed veggie pâté, roll it into maki sushi, grate it into cole slaw, roast it until it is as sweet as candy, layer it in a root vegetable torte, or bake it into a rich cake topped with a snowy slab of icing. Wok it, juice it, glaze it, make it into ice cream, soup it, muffin or pudding it. Simmer it with rhubarb and glacé ginger to make rhubarb carrot conserve or with oranges to make marmalade. Chop it with mangos, chilies and apricots to make salsa. Slice it into sticks for munching and dipping, or cut it into coins, chunks or julienned matchsticks. Make delicate carrot flowers by ripping five lengthwise ridges on a peeled carrot with a zester, slice it thinly crosswise and float the flowers on a sea of seafood coconut soup. Carrots are essential to mirepoix, the classic French mixture of diced carrots, onions and celery sautéed in butter, which is used to flavour sauces, stews, stocks and soups. I love the orange and green eye candy of carrots and pistachios. Purple carrots would also look gorgeous with the green nuts. To make a scrumptious Moroccan salad, cut 6 carrots into thin coins, boil 2 minutes and drain. Whisk 2 Tbsp orange juice, 2 tsp sherry vinegar and 1/4 cup olive oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 Tbsp each of toasted sesame seeds, finely chopped fresh mint and chopped pistachios. Add 3 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro. Mix in carrots and refrigerate two hours to mingle the flavours. Cashew carrot loaf is a delectable vegan side dish. Steam 6 cups chopped carrots until tender and mash them in a food processor. Finely grind 2 cups of cashews with 3 Tbsp olive oil in a food processor. Mix carrots and cashews with 1 cup finely chopped leeks, 1 cup finely chopped celery, 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour, 1 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp crushed sage, 1/2 tsp thyme and 1 tsp basil. Place the mixture in an oiled loaf pan. Top with carrot flowers for an elegant presentation. Bake 35 to 45 minutes at 350°F. You can’t make tzimmes without carrots. This traditional Jewish slow-cooked dish can be vegetarian—honey-sweetened carrots, sweet potatoes and apples— or a robust meat dish. For the beef version, cut 5 large carrots into thick rounds, 5 peeled potatoes into quarters and 3 peeled sweet potatoes into 1-inch thick rounds. Sear 3 lbs of beef brisket in a large cooking pot, turning frequently to brown evenly. Add vegetables, salt to taste, 1/2 cup sugar and enough water to cover the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, and then simmer on low heat for up to 3 hours, until the meat is tender. Add water as needed during cooking. Don’t stir it; shake the pot if the mixture sticks. Brown 2 Tbsp flour in 2 Tbsp melted shortening and stir in some tzimmes liquid to make a thickener. Add thickener to tzimmes and shake the pot to distribute it. Turn tzimmes gently into a large baking pan. Bake in 350°F oven for 30 minutes until it is brown on top. Almost every country has its unique carrot dishes. Try spicy carrot sambaro from Tanzania, gajjar halva (made with carrots, cardamom, cashews, raisins and milk) and aloo gajar from India, chizu salada and warm carrot lamb salad from Morocco, or colourful Italian pasta primavera. The possibilities are endless. Rekindle your romance with this ravishing root all winter long.
Tea is the perfect antidote to chilly weather and winter colds and flu. Visit www.silkroadtea.com to find out more.
www.silkroadtea.com 1624 Government St. Victoria Chinatown
What’s Old is New Again
Cafe Brio
944 Fort St., Victoria
All menu items priced for half or full portions
Have some fun while you nibble or dine! www.café-brio.com
250.383.0009
www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
13
food matters
— by Julie Pegg
SOUP’S ON
TRI
The word soup derives from “sop,” originally a noun, meaning a piece of bread soaked in liquid. Ever since man came up with a method of boiling liquid in a heat-proof, leakproof vessel, soup’s charms have soothed many a savage breast. What better way, all those years ago, to purify water, stretch the primordial “budget” and comfort cold souls than to boil H2O with a whack of food scraps. Simple gruels, which consisted customarily of stock poured over bread, evolved into rich, sustaining potages according to local ingredients and tastes. Many have become cultural culinary icons. During a chilly European sojourn some years back, three iconic European soups, ribollita, borscht and soupe de poisson, maintained me through days of damp and cold. Now I make them often, riff on them occasionally, seldom follow an exact recipe, but do refer to a broth-stained Old World Kitchen for the basics (Elisabeth Luard, Bantam Books, 1989). I first came upon ribollita (the word means reboiled) in Siena, after a muddy tromp through Tuscan vineyards. I creaked open the heavy door of a tucked-away osteria. The heady aroma alone, which wafted up the stone steps from the kitchen below, lifted my weary spirits. Ribollita is a minestra (soup) boiled and reheated until a blessed trinity of cavalo nero (black kale), fagioli (white beans) and panne (stale bread) collapse in a rich tomato stock. It reaches its apex when slow-simmered in a clay cauldron (or cast-iron Dutch oven), then reheated the next day. That bowl of comfort needs little else but a few Parmesan shavings, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a few glugs of Chianti. Trendier versions sometimes call for pancetta, spicy sausage or Savoy cabbage. I say uh-uh! Although I do like to boost the stock with a chunk of parmesan rind (which is removed before serving). The best borscht I’ve ever eaten was in Shepherd’s Bush, London, after navigating my way through a Dickensian-like fog. More a grandmotherly living room than a dining room, the Polish restaurant (I think it was called The Patio) served up a shockingly red-purple broth—satiny smooth, slightly tart and studded with feathery dumplings—so warm and so satisfying. I make a pretty tasty approximation by roasting beets, grating them on a box grater, then pureeing them with homemade chicken or vegetable stock (heavy on the carrot) and a splash of cider vinegar or lemon juice. Success with dumplings-lite comes up short, but a dense dark rye slathered with unsalted butter subs in just fine. A side of bacony sauerkraut and a dollop of sour cream are nice additions, and the whole lot downed with a crisp lager. Biarritz, on France’s southwest coast, was a luxury town whose meals I could ill afford, with the exception of a saffron-scented soupe de poisson. At a posh restaurant (the name escapes me), overlooking the brilliant blue Mediterranean, a white-gloved waiter set before me a tureen of satiny seafood bisque accompanied by tiny ramekins of garlicky rouille, crunchy croutons and shaved Gruyere for garnish. A simple butter lettuce salad tossed in a light vinaigrette and pichet of straw-gold dry Jurançon wine capped this exquisitely simple repast. Recreating this class act at home required a bit of trial and error. Putting your faith in a trusted fishmonger who is willing to set aside fresh fish trimmings for you (not from oily fish and never, never salmon) and seeking out Spanish saffron is a good start. The trick then is attaining a nice nuance of flavour and texture. A prawn or two and/or a few steamed mussels garnish this velvety bisque beautifully. White gloves not necessary. Wallet-wise, and soul-satisfying, these soups-as-a meal are perfect for slurping solo by the fire and lovely enough to prepare and share with guests on a blustery Saturday evening. Round out the meal with country bread or perhaps a vegetable tart, (Alsace onion or Spanish tortilla spring to mind), a salad (think shaved fennel or Brussels sprouts with pancetta), an artisan cheese board, fig preserves and, of course, a decent bottle of wine or craft beer. And, yes, you may “sop” up your soup with a piece of bread.
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A bowl of hot soup on a cold night has become a cultural culinary icon.
Recommended recipes: Jamie Oliver’s recipe “My Favourite Ribollita”on www.JamieOliver.com. For Diana Henry’s Soupe de Poisson with Rouille, go to www.telegraph.co.uk, September 18, 2009 edition. Julie’s Vegetarian Borscht recipe can be found at www.eatmagazine.ca/recipe.
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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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TRIED AND TRUE
Old favourites are taking their rightful place in the food spotlight. In the past five years, the health-food industry has offered up a dizzying array of exotic new “super-foods” all touted as health-promoting miracles. From acai berries to chia seeds and vegan protein powders, these new foods have garnered a lot of media attention and created a buzz among health-conscious consumers. But thanks to recent research, some familiar old favourites are making a comeback and taking their rightful place in the nutritional spotlight. Here’s four currently taking centre stage.
Oatmeal If you’ve sworn off oatmeal because you have bad memories of choking down the bland mush your mom served at breakfast, you need to rethink your decision. A recent scientific review conducted by a team from the University of Kentucky found that the link between eating oatmeal and cholesterol reduction is even stronger than once thought. In addition, other new studies have revealed that oats contain unique compounds that can help to reduce early hardening of the arteries. Clearly, oats are one heart-friendly grain— and prepared properly, with steel cut or Scottish oats and not the flakes—they are neither bland nor mushy. Surprisingly they are also hip! Steel-cut oats have become the au courant muse of food bloggers worldwide, and the Internet is ripe with innovative recipes featuring the humble grain. Two of my favourites are oatmeal risotto and mango, pine- nut, ginger porridge. Cheese Once vilified for its artery-clogging saturated-fat content, cheese is now being labelled a health food. Why the switch? A new German study suggests cheese is actually a potent cancer fighter. Surprisingly, cheese is a rich source of menaquinones, a type of Vitamin K that switches on genes in the body that knock out cancer cells. And when German researchers tracked the health and diets of more than 24,000 people for up to 10 years, they found that those who ate the most cheese reduced their risk for fatal cancers by 28 percent! But before you pick up that block of Gouda, consider this—the biggest cheese eaters in the study didn’t overindulge—they ate a sensible 29 grams (about one ounce) of cheese per day. Regardless, any suggestion that one can indulge in cheese on a daily basis, with complete impunity, is cause for celebration. And with so many scrumptious artisan cheeses being produced here in B.C., we now have a perfect excuse to sample each and every one of them.
Prunes Ever since researchers from Tufts University in Boston discovered that prunes contain more antioxidants than cultivated blueberries, their nutritional status has increased. It’s about to climb even higher. A recent study from the University of Florida showed that eating 10-12 prunes per day could help postmenopausal women prevent the bone loss associated with menopause. And there is more good news. The wrinkly little fruit contains some unique antioxidants that have been shown to help prevent prostrate, lung and colorectal cancer. And you thought they just helped Grandma stay regular! Prunes are actually sweet, succulent treats that possess amazing versatility in the kitchen. If you have just been stewing them for breakfast, you need to expand your prune repertoire. Savvy chefs are using them in tagines, stews, salads and desserts. You can even use prune puree to replace some of the fat in your baking. You certainly can’t say that about acai berries! Vinegar Vinegar has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. Hippocrates is said to have used it as an antibiotic. Samurai warriors used it as a tonic for strength and power. Now modern medical evidence is confirming its health benefits. In recent years, research has shown that the main chemical in vinegar, called acetic acid, can help control blood pressure and blood sugar. But the news gets even better—studies conducted in both Japan and America have shown that vinegar appears to turn on genes that help fight fat. These studies indicate that as little as two tablespoons of vinegar per day can help you shed those unwanted pounds and keep them off. If you’ve limited your culinary use of vinegar to salad dressings and pickles, you’ve missed out on some tantalizing concoctions as well as an opportunity to get those two slimming tablespoons per day. Some of B.C.’s most innovative and renowned chefs are using locally produced, complex, artisanal fruit vinegars in entrees, sauces and desserts. Visit British Columbia’s Shady Glenn Enterprises at www.loveberries.com for delectable vinegars and recipe ideas. (On Vancouver Island, Spinnakers and Merridale Estate Cidery also make quality vinegars.)
www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
15
restaurant reporter
Rebecca Wellmam
Yo Gen Laplante
Zambri’s | 820 Yates St. at Blanshard | 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 5 p.m. to midnight, no reservations | 250-360-1171| www.zambris.ca
Palotte Abbruzzese at Zambri’s
VICTORIA’S AWARD-WINNING ITALIAN
Zambri’s move to suave digs, the addition of pizza and extended hours is molto bene
I
f Zambri’s were a movie actor, it would be Jeff Bridges, or, in a previous decade, Gene Hackman: an entity that toils in the shadows and garners a continuum of critical praise without forging a huge presence in the public eye, and then, at last, thunders into the mainstream. This is the trajectory of Zambri’s, which spent more than a decade tucked away in an instantly forgettable strip mall, held true to its Italian roots, wowed reviewers and vaulted into the limelight this October as the star tenant in the new Atrium Building at Yates and Blanshard. The move was more than a transfer. Born-again Zambri’s brings Vancouver-style sophistication to a downtown that needed to grow up in a specifically urban way. Zambri’s stays open until midnight seven days a week. Midnight? Now that’s grown-up. In keeping with contemporary style, it’s big and airy—85 seats plus two patios in summer. Its walls are mostly glass. It opens on Yates Street and the atrium, no boite this. Servers wear black, as they do in swank downtown restaurants. They’re sleek and professional, and they know about the food that beelines out of the kitchen. With its high street profile and glowing interior, Zambri’s was packed from day one. After 6:30 p.m., forget about landing a table in the restaurant. A patio setting—a faux streetside—in the cavernous atrium picks up the overflow. But diners who show up around 9 p.m. should have no problem finding tables. Yep, Toto, we’re still in Victoria. Rejoice that the ristorante fills a space between two movie theatres, the Odeon Cineplex and the Empire Capital 6, each no more than a gnocchi toss away. It’s high time moviegoers had a place to dine in style before or after a movie in this town. Dissecting a movie over food and drink, it says here, is one of the great pleasures of modern civilization. The oeuvre of brother-and-sister Peter and Josephine Zambri, the restaurant has always based its reputation on real-thing Italian with oversized flavours. Vancouver Magazine awarded it gold as best Victoria restaurant in 2010. EAT, Saveur and the Vancouver Sun have heaped on accolades. How does this play at the Atrium? A recent dinner confirmed traditional strengths and revealed a kitchen running hard to
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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
accommodate a larger and hungrier public than anticipated. Apps celebrate one of B.C.’s great, underrated resources. Boldly, octopus is on the menu every day, on this occasion ($10), the delicious cephalopod marinated, chopped and tossed with potato and celery. Bravo: It’s the kind of leadership we want from a serious restaurant. Palotte Abbruzzese ($8) brings deep-fried bread dumplings the size of ping-pong balls. Sounds like a one-note, but they’re light and savoury and seasoned with herbs, onion and garlic and plated in a pool of tomato sauce. The carbovore swoons. Mains are bang on target with two house-made pastas: pappardelle ($19) marries flawless al dente noodles with ragout of shredded duck and black olives. Deeee-lish. Spaghetti aglio olio peperoncino ($18) glazes the noodle with olive oil, browned garlic, chilies, parsley and breadcrumbs. Another shoo-in. At lunch, the crowd comes and goes more casually and the kitchen struts its stuff effortlessly. An ordinary gnocchi ($14) gains momentum with sausage ragout and shredded kale, a most agreeable ensemble. But the surprise is pizza. This pizza’s about the size of a hovercraft. Its crust is crisp and fluffy. Such a crust would please were it stark naked. But this is arrabbiata from a slate of eight pizze ($14) and it comes racily embroidered with smoked cheese, hot pickled peppers and chili flakes, plus a side of anchovies ($3). “Arrabbiata” means angry because of its hot peppers, but here, on a brooding winter afternoon, it leaves you shuddering with sudden, sunny Mediterranean delight. –Jeremy Ferguson
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Pig BBQ Joint | 1325 Blanshard St., Victoria |11 a.m.-10 p.m., 7 days a week | 250-590-5193 | www.pigbbqjoint.com People don’t talk about eating at Pig Downtown’s new flash location at The Atrium; they brag or, more often, they confess. “I’ve been eating there three times a week. Pulled pork poutine. By myself. With a side of the Crispy Fried Mac and Cheese … I can’t help it.” And you sort of can’t. The whole thing is too compelling. Pig Downtown’s previous petite inner city location offered a luscious but limited selection. Pig Colwood owned the trophy for fleshed-out menu; flesh being the main character. But no longer. Introducing Pig Downtown at The Atrium. Curved floor to ceiling glass, front-row premier people-watching, a liquor license that facilitates an array of Philips’ brew and a sweet selection of bourbon. Maker’s Mark, anyone? Well, I shouldn’t. But seeing as I have already committed to a beef brisket sandwich, the slaw and a piece of fried chicken, I guess one couldn’t hurt … Pig’s fare is sloppy and tasty and doesn't break the piggy bank and delicious. Go for half a pound of pulled pork with cornbread and slaw or beans. Or maybe the pound of beef brisket and skip the veg. It feels good, doesn’t it? Food is served in baskets or on wax paper, napkins are rolls of paper towel. That’s right. I tried the popcorn shrimp on special, a bit bland. Skip the crustacean. What was I thinking? But, I must say, though it is called Pig, and it may be primarily about the pig, and their kitchen may well be large enough to keep a couple of Wilburs back there for a spell, it is really about the chicken. For me, anyhow. Chef/owner Jeff Heatherington’s chicken is “wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-missing-that-chicken” chicken. Brined in buttermilk and hot sauce, fried and drizzled with rosemary, maple syrup and crème fraîche, the need for it lurks in the dark recesses of my soul. And I am not alone, by any stretch. Off to confess. See you there … at Pig Downtown, I mean. —By Gillie Easdon
WARM UP THIS WINTER WITH OUR HEARTY COMFORT FOOD
EATING WELL FOR LESS — by Elizabeth Smyth
West Coast Waffles | 1235 Broad St. near View | 250-857-3606 This place is true to its name: it offers several variations on waffles with a West Coast twist—health-conscious ingredients like spelt and buckwheat and toppings like smoked salmon. The premise is simple. Choose from three different types of waffle: classic (but made with organic flour); buckwheat, which is gluten-free; and a spelt and rolled oats mixture that is sugar-free. And don’t worry that all this good health stuff takes the fun out of waffles. You can choose a delicious fruit, sweet, or savoury topping for that healthy waffle. My favourite savoury offering was the West Coast Original made with a buckwheat waffle that was nutty and lightly grainy. It had the substance of a good bread with the lightness of a waffle. The cream cheese was mercifully just a couple of dabs on each quadrant,
Great food Good friends Great sports Fabulous features every night of the week! The Sticky Wicket & The Clubhouse at The Strathcona Hotel 919 Douglas Street Victoria BC 250.383.7137 www.strathconahotel.com www.dontmissout.ca
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17
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Classic living is an easy read.
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A comfortable chair. A convenient side table. Ample light. All you need to
Rebecca Wellmam
make your corner of the universe a window on the world. Call or visit our showroom. Or go online. And settle in for a good long read.
589 Bay St, Victoria | 250-384-2554 Visit us online www.gabrielross.com
Smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, red onion on a whole wheat waffle served with greens at West Coast Waffles
Rebecca Wellmam
with the emphasis on the four small mounds of salmon lox topped with capers and chopped red onions. Cleverly, a little hint of maple syrup is added to the cream cheese; the sweet accent plays nicely with the onions. The Johnny Mac is not so much a deconstruction of a classic breakfast as a reconstruction. Instead of fruit salad and bacon on the side, the waffle is topped with thin slices of bacon and Brie, with some spritely slivers of green apple and a sprinkling of basil. The flavours blend well, but I really wanted thicker-cut go-for-it bacon, like the kind they smoke at Red Barn Market, rather than a paper-thin hint-o’-bacon. The fruit waffle we chose was the Strawberry Lemon Flax – hey, health food again! This was beautifully colourful to behold and appeals to children. The atmosphere is cheap and cheerful, but not quite cosy. The food comes quickly; and it’s overall a fun, fast snack for under $10.
WINTER SALE!
December 27 - January 15, 2011 see what’s in-store at; www.muffetandlouisa.com Victoria 1437 Store St. 382-3201 Sidney 2506 Beacon Ave. 656-0011
Rebecca Wellmam
Muffet and Louisa invites you to save 20% - kitchen, dining, bed & bath almost everything in-store is on sale!
Tom Yum Gai soup – thai hot and sour soup w/ chicken and mushrooms and roasted chili paste; and the Pad Thai at Zap Thai. Zap Thai | 1207 Esquimalt Rd. at Fraser | 250-389-1845 There aren’t many restaurants where you can get a little mothering with your meal. Chef and owner Lek Kitzler clearly couldn’t bear hearing my husband’s rasping, hacking cough from the-cold-that-wouldn’t-leave. As soon as we sat down, she put a bowl of Thom Yam soup in front of him with sign language exhortations about its effectiveness in getting Cont’d on the next page
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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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various fluids flowing. Happily, the soup was tasty as well as medicinal, with its chicken stock, roasted chili paste, and tang of lemongrass. While this was good, the knockout soup for me was the Thom Ka, a sweet coconut soup with a pleasantly tart tamarind finish. I am kicking myself for not bringing a pint home. I also appreciate that this chef does not alter the spiciness of her dishes. The Pad Thai is mild, as is the yellow curry, and all the other curries are medium spicy. This tells me that she has chosen the appropriate seasonings for the various dishes and is letting the flavours blend over time rather than throwing in a lastminute splash of heat to meet a customer request. I loved the inch-long chunks of sautéed green onion in the Pad Thai, and the mix of noodles, shredded carrots and bean sprouts that your little sprout is guaranteed to enjoy while you move up the spice scale. And that stop should be the silken, seductive red curry. My husband came out of his stupor enough to robotically chant “love it” after each bite. I kept dipping my spoon into the sauce and then sucking it like a lollipop. Many dishes are $12 or so; the Pad Thai is more, but the servings are huge and you’ll likely bring home leftovers. The atmosphere is stark – think lots of linoleum – but a lot of love goes into the food. Rebecca Wellmam
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Pig Dog | 749E View St. between Blanshard and Douglas | 250-381-4677 If you’re familiar with the Pig restaurants and their focus on locally sourced meats, you’ve probably already guessed this: the “hot dogs” at Pig Dog aren’t really hot dogs. They’re organic sausages from the Village Butcher Shop in Oak Bay and are free of unpronounceable ingredients. But that’s about the only frou-frou detail about a meal (or should I call it a “chowdown”) at Pig Dog. The dogs are served loaded with extras, dripping sauces and chili and pulled pork onto thin white paper plates. But I’m getting ahead of myself. First, the namesake, the Pig Dog. For $6.50, this is your choice of sausage (beef “hot dog,” turkey dog, or spicy smokie) topped with fried onions, pulled pork and, in case you need more protein, bacon. It’s messy and marvellous. I chose the spicy smokie as the base of my chili cheese dog, also $6.50. The brisket-based chili is thick and meaty, so it drapes over the sausage and does not seep through the bun. Who needs condiments? But sides are sure an option. The coleslaw offers a bit of zing to contrast your meat-on-meat-with-extra-meat main dish. It’s a pretty mix of red and green cabbage, with some grated carrot added in, and is all about crunch rather than creaminess. The potato salad is equally attractive, with red potatoes in a light sauce sprinkled with mustard seeds. And for even more fun, try the hot, fresh pretzel. It’s good with the Thai Sriracha sauce they have on hand (which is totally out of context, but who cares?) This is not a place you linger—it has only eight bar stool seats in a funny, narrow space. It’s a place where you shove dogs into your sauce-smeared mouth, moan a couple of times, and carry on your way. CORRECTION: In the Dec/Nov 2010 Issue the phone number for Pure Vanilla Bakery was printed incorrectly. The correct number is 250-592-2896. Our apologies.
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www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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the healthful foodie
—By Kathryn Kusyszyn
CARE-FREE GLUTEN-FREE
Need to avoid gluten? These days, that doesn’t automatically condemn you to a life without baked goods.
Resources The Celiac Scene, a comprehensive listing of celiac-trusted restaurants across Canada, www.theceliacscene.com The Canadian Celiac Association, www.victoriaceliac.org Janice Mansfield, www.realfoodmadeeasy.ca Laura Moore, The Good for You Gourmet, www.wholefoodsvictoria.ca Bonnie Nisbet, www.ez2bglutenfree.com Allergic Living Magazine, www.allergicliving.com
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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
Gary Hynes
Until recently, gluten-free baking typically meant taste-free baking—bland, thin breads, cookies and other goodies whose consistency most resembled sawdust. But with the fastincreasing numbers of people avoiding gluten, businesses are stepping up with innovative offerings. Whether you’re avoiding gluten out of choice or necessity, you no longer have to give up delicious, nutritious food. Gluten-free devotees can now turn to resources such as non-profit organizations, specialty businesses and websites. And gluten-free baked options for various tastes and pocketbooks can be found all over Vancouver Island. For professionally baked gluten-free goodies in Victoria, visit Origin Bakery. Savoury to sweet, each recipe is uniquely created by pastry chef Tara Black. Every single ingredient (some products contain 25) is researched and verified to be gluten-free. Co-owner Marion Neuhauser goes the extra step to educate the eateries that sell their wares around safe handling and serving. Up island? Stop in at Village Bulk Foods in Qualicum Beach, which hosts Silly Yak Bakery in its gluten-free kitchen. Pick up fresh, ready-to-eat breads, muffins and cookies, or stock up on perogies, pizza crusts and pie shells for quick homemade meals. Over on Salt Spring Island, Laughing Daughters Bakery sifts organic ancient grains into favourites like lemon poppyseed loaf, date squares, baguettes and cheese sticks. An entirely gluten-free facility, the recipes are the brainchild of Mhairi Carlyle, who is celiac herself. All recipes are taste-tested and approved by her three celiac daughters, for whom the business is named. Several personal chefs are heeding the call and offering gluten-free items delivered to your home. Janice Mansfield of Victoria’s Real Food Made Easy personal chef services takes weekly orders from her customers for breads, brownies and everything in between. Check her website’s fresh sheet, submit your order via email or Twitter and start salivating. Personal chef Laura Moore of Good for You Gourmet in Victoria caters to gluten-free diets and offers personal cooking lessons. Transitioning to a gluten-free diet can be overwhelming, especially when preparing meals for a family. Enter Bonnie Nisbet, a celiac and mother of two. She provides personal consulting on shopping and meal preparation to support those making this lifestyle change and offers “everything she wishes were available to her when she found out she had celiac disease.” This now includes Bon’s Gourmet Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix. Just 13 minutes from start to finish for two dozen delicious cookies. Several gluten-free mixes on the market offer foolproof results and can be adapted to making pancakes, muffins, cakes and breads. However, if you’d like to bake from scratch, pastry chef Tara Black suggests doing your research and starting with a simple recipe. Use only certified gluten-free ingredients and for maximum nutrition use freshly milled whole grains and seeds. Quinoa, a “supergrain” with high protein and iron content, is quick to prepare and mild in flavour. Buckwheat is another versatile seed rich in magnesium and manganese. Millet, a tiny yellow grain, is a good source of fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals. Select individually packaged items labelled gluten-free over bulk items to reduce the chance of cross-contamination. Blogs, websites and specialty magazines provide unlimited recipes. Even local grocery store have something to offer these days; check the freezer, baking and cookie aisles. Some stores even have dedicated gluten-free sections or special signage to help you locate these items. Gluten-free grocery tours and celiac social support meetings are held at stores with larger gluten-free selections. A diagnosis of celiac disease or a need to avoid gluten for other reasons doesn’t automatically condemn you to a life without baked goods. These days, gluten-free just means doing your research and seeking out healthy, yummy ingredients and goodies, whether you’re eating out, baking in, or getting them delivered right to your door.
Where to get your gluten-free goodies Fresh Origin Bakery, 1525 Pandora Ave. (in Stadacona Centre), Victoria, 250-590-4149 www.originbakery.com Silly Yak Bakery, at Village Bulk Foods, 172 Avenue W., Qualicum Beach, 250-752-2857, www.seniors101.ca/silly-yak.html Laughing Daughters Bakery, 125 Websters Dr., Salt Spring Island, 250-653-2412
Frozen, Mixes and Prepared The Market Stores, Yates and Millstream, Victoria and Langford; online gluten-free list, tours and celiac social support, www.themarketstores.com Lifestyle Markets, Victoria; gluten-free grocery tours, www.lifestylemarkets.com Thrifty Foods, www.thriftyfoods.ca; online gluten-free grocery list Planet Organic, Victoria, www.planetorganic.ca Peppers Foods, 3829 Cadboro Bay Rd., Victoria, 250-477-6513, www.peppers-foods.com The House of Nutrition, Victoria, www.houseofnutrition.com
smile. if you love taste.
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The new Talea. Welcome your customers to a new era of enjoyment with a whole world of coffees always right at hand. A statement in modern coffee technology: Touch2Cappuccino, a digital display with Touch-Ring and Saeco Brewing System SBS. Discover more delights for your business. www.saeco-talea.com
Ideas with Passion
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www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
21
Matt & Cheryl Thompson - proprietors Matt thompson - chef de cuisine www.bistrocache.com 7120 West Saanich Rd., Brentwood Bay
250-652-5044
Return to Good Food
Real Food Local Sustainable
Markus’ Wharfside Restaurant
Vancouver Island’s best kept secret
(250) 642-3596 1831 Maple Ave. Sooke www.markuswharfsiderestaurant.com
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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
A Foodies Year In Review
Another year has come and gone, and what a ride it has been. The year started in high spirits in British Columbia with the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. But by summer, that festive spirit had diminished with the introduction of the HST, and then slumped further with new drinking and driving rules in the fall. Underlying the year was a slow recovery from the economic recession and a hospitality sector feeling more than a little uncertain. But Victoria is full of people who love and are passionate about local food, and in spite of it all went out to restaurants, coffee shops, festivals and events with even more vigor and enthusiasm then ever. Each year, new restaurants open in the garden city and this year saw about a dozen new restaurants open in Victoria. By Melody Wey and Eva Cherneff Here are a few of the news ones that have people talking. Pizzeria Prima Strada opened a second location on Bridge Street in March. The location has a different feel than the Cook Street spot, more industrial, but still serves up delicious pizza baked in a brick wood-fired oven. In late July, Ulla Restaurant opened at the bottom of Chinatown in Victoria in the former home of Tamami Sushi. In a refreshingly modern yet warm setting, owners Sahara Tamarin and Brad Holmes serve up creative yet contemporary west coast menu options. Ulla has received many reviews, from positive to glowing, and have people excited about trying something new again. Christabel Padmore, owner of The Little Piggy, was at Ulla on their first full night of service agrees and adds “our dishes were all tasty and well executed and the ingredients fresh and interesting. I’ll certainly be back.” Relish Food and Coffee has received lots of praise since opening in August, and for good reason. Everything is caringly made in house by chef and owner Jamie Cummins. A unanimous favorite is the chicken club sandwich with brie. The club is deliciously sublime with its freshly roasted chicken, grainy Dijon mustard and house made bun. Of course, the year was also marked by the long anticipation of the Atrium building on Yates Street. As a hub for food offerings, the building is home to AJ’s Organic Café, Habit Coffee & Culture, Pig BBQ Joint and Zambri’s. Other restaurant openings are the Blue Note Café, Browns Social House, Moon Under Water and Nostalgie Restaurant in Cadboro Bay. As well, many ethnic restaurants and take eateries opened including Ayo Indonesian Food, Beirut Express, Geisha Tapas Bar, Haru Japanese Cuisine and BBQ, La Taquisa, Puetro Vallarta Amigos and the Real Taste of India. Victoria lost two restaurants this year, both had only been open about a year and a half. Solomon's, known for serving up some of the best cocktails in town, closed its doors in late January. While the spot is no longer around, the man behind the restaurant is. Solomon Sigel is now at Veneto Tapa Lounge as manager and mixologist. The second hit was the closing of Lucy’s in the Square this fall. Lucy’s was well liked and will be remembered fondly for its hole in the wall ambience, great food and friendly service.
TRENDS The rise of gourmet fast food in Victoria continued with the expansion of food carts in Cook St. Village, the new Puetro Vallarta Amigos Mexican food cart at the bottom of Yates, the opening of Beirut Express on Fort Street and the unforeseen success of West Coast Waffles. The coffee trend this year is that everyone is drinking more of it. Habit opened a second location in the Atruim building, Discovery Coffee opened its doors in a second location in Oak Bay, and Caffe Fantastico makes three with a new café in Dockside Green. French press coffee, Americanos and café latte sales are all up as people try out new places while still supporting their regular shops. Ron Kettner of Fernwood Coffee Company competed against the best baristas in the country to win the 2010 Canadian Barista Championship in Toronto. With this honour, Ron showed the rest of Canada just how serious Victoria is about coffee.
EVENTS AND FESTIVALS There’s always something to celebrate in British Columbia, especially when it comes to food, wine and beer - and 2010 was no exception.
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During the spring, the first ever Culinaire took place in Victoria with partial proceeds going to support students enrolled in the Camosun College Culinary Arts program. In May, the third annual Island Chefs Collaborative Defending Our Backyard brought Victoria chefs together to raise awareness of local food and the importance of supporting our farmers. The festival has been held at Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse historic sites in Colwood each year, and this year over a thousand people came out for it. The first-ever Fernwood Bites was held on the eve of summer solstice in Fernwood Square. The outdoor event showcased chefs and eateries in and around Fernwood, as well as others like Devour, Phillips Brewing, Pig BBQ Joint, Sea Cider, Victoria Gin, Wildfire Bakery and Zambri’s. The second annual Taste, Victoria’s festival of food and wine, was held in July with the main event at the Crystal Gardens. The kickoff featured more than one hundred B.C. wines with food prepared by local chefs. This year’s festival was a big success with many of the smaller events and workshops selling out. Founder and producer, Kathy McAree put together a great festival, showing off the best of Vancouver Island. September is always a busy month on Vancouver Island, this year busier than most. The Canadian Chefs Congress held at Providence Farm in Cobble Hill brought over five hundred chefs and delegates together from across Canada, making it was one of the biggest industry events of the year. This event takes place in a different province every year, this year being our turn. Discussion was on the sustainability of our oceans. The committees for this event also wanted to leave a legacy for Providence Farm so in memory of the beloved culinary icon James Barber an outdoor wood-burning oven was built. Vancouver Island’s 13th annual Feast of Fields was held on Parry Bay Sheep Farm in Metchosin. Every year, Feast of Fields is a phenomenal event that brings people back to the land and the simple pleasures of enjoying local, sustainable food. This year was no exception. About 600 people enjoyed the afternoon in gumboots, walking the pasture and sampling the best food, beer, wine, spirits, cider, coffee and tea the Island has to offer. Sea Cider Farm and Cider House hosted Apple Day in September. Lifecycles, Sea Cider and Get Fresh joined up for a day of apple identification, delicious pizza from Pizzeria Prima Strada, an apple pie contest and great music. Also that month, the first annual Eat Here Now harvest was a great success. Organized by the Victoria Downtown Public Market Society, the event supported the re-establishment of a year round, indoor local produce public market for downtown Victoria. And lastly, the Art of the Cocktail was held in October to celebrate some of the best cocktails on the west coast. The festival included a grand tasting at the Crystal Gardens with workshops throughout the weekend and a spirited competition for best bartender of the Pacific Northwest. Competing against seven distinguished bartenders, the winner was Dirk VanderWal of Lure Restaurant & Bar for his decadent combination of homemade chai syrup, dark rum and crème de cacao.
European inspired entrées starting at $20
Proud supporter of local farms, wineries 2FHDQ :LVH ILVKHULHV
Reservations | 250.592.7424 dinner from 5:30pm, 7 nights a week
www.paprika-bistro.com | 2524 Estevan Ave | Victoria | BC
CHEERS TO BEER Despite how much taste and sophistication we continue to cultivate, we still love our beer. This year saw the growing success of local breweries like Canoe, Driftwood Brewery, Philips Brewery, Salt Spring Island Ales, Spinnakers, Swans Buckerfield’s Brewery and Vancouver Island Brewery. High praise was given to six by NBC’s Today Show during a feature on B.C. beers as part of their coverage of the 2010 Winter Games. Also this year, Victoria’s newest brewpub, Moon Under Water, opened in Rock Bay. As a traditional English style pub with seasonal ales and English-style service protocols, the place hopes to offer something a little different and stand out from the other brewpubs in town. And to prove just how much we love beer, tickets for the Great Canadian Beer Festival sold out in record time - with tickets for the Saturday event selling out in eight minutes. In total, the two day festival sold out in three hours, selling 7,000 tickets. There were 53 brewers with 172 different beers.
COOKING SCHOOLS This year, Vancouver Island lost two terrific cooking schools – Fairburn Farm and Terralicious Gardening and Cooking School. Both the schools, and the wonderful people who ran them, will be greatly missed. As one door closes another one opens; new cooking schools and classes are on the rise in Victoria. Cook Culture in the Atrium building opened late in the year and offers a variety of cooking classes. La Tavola Kitchenware Boutique opened in Oak Bay and has demonstrations every Friday and classes every Saturday. Of course, you can still find favourites like Denise Marchessault of French Mint and Thrifty Foods Cooking and Lifestyle Centre. Also noteworthy, chef Heidi Fink once again claimed the award for “Best in the City” cooking classes for her many offerings. Cooking classes have surpassed everyone’s expectations over the last few years and have become a major player in the food community in B.C. These classes bring another element to the table and allow the everyday home cook and food enthusiast to learn and try new things with a little help from some of the best chefs around.
January 19–22, 2011
Blind Tasting Competition & Dinner January 19 Wine Makers Grand Gala Dinner January 20 Riedel Crystal Glass Challenge January 21 Wine Tasting & Food Grazing January 22 Festival I & Festival II Performances by the VI Symphony January 21 & 22
www.vancouverislandsymphony.com Port Theatre Ticket Centre | 250.754.8550
www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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milestones
—By Holland Gidney
¡viva! THE VEGETARIAN REVOLUTION
Celebrating 30 years of vegetarianism in Victoria.
Spiced chic chutney and
Andrei Fedorov
With two tofu factories, a raw food café, a bakery known for vegan cupcakes, a homegrown line of tempeh burgers, a cornucopia of vegetarian cooking classes, and its very own bestselling vegan cookbook author, Victoria could be rechristened “Vegville.” In any case, the Vancouver Island Vegetarian Association had a very good reason to celebrate at its 30th anniversary party in November: Victoria has come a long way since Pat Bastone founded the association in 1980 to “serve as a source of encouragement and information on the vegetarian way of life.” Three decades ago, Victoria simply wasn’t very vegetarian friendly. Current VIVA chair Trevor Murdock likens the potlucks and “dine-outs” he started attending in 1993 to support group meetings. “Getting tofu used to be hard,” he says. “Now you can get Yves Ground Round in every grocery store.” Sharing shopping tips and recipes was once a key motivator for Victoria vegetarians getting together; nowadays, much of that information is available online. But that hasn’t stopped VIVA members from meeting up to test the vegetarian friendliness of local restaurants. Along with Rebar, which opened as a juice bar in 1988, Green Cuisine has been a go-to restaurant for Victoria vegetarians and vegans for just over two decades. Andy Cunningham opened the Market Square eatery in 1990 partly because he “always wanted to have a restaurant” and partly because he was encouraged by the number of Victoria residents willing to drive to Sooke for his macrobiotic cooking classes. “We’re more than a restaurant; we’re teaching people how to eat vegetarian food,” he says. “If you just read a book about it, it’s daunting. Here, people can ‘test’ the ways that vegetarians eat.” And there’s a cornucopia of options for testing at Green Cuisine. Soups and salads are always available, but year-after-year the most popular dishes at the pay-by-weight, 100-percent vegan buffet are comfort foods like moussaka, casseroles and pasta. “A lot of us grew up eating meat,” says Cunningham, a vegetarian since age 18. “We have
Victoria’s top restaurants are known to be vegetarian-friendly. Here, roasted beet with organic greens, lemon ricotta and honey-mustard dressing is prepared at Cafe Brio. an emotional attachment to our food; if it’s all strange then it’s unsettling.” A vegetarian for as long as Green Cuisine has been in business, VIVA chair Trevor Murdock says it’s now “extremely easy” to be a vegetarian in Victoria. There’s even a cafeteria at the University of Victoria where he works serving nothing but vegetarian food. As locals know—and tourists find out quickly—you can stumble into just about any café
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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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or pub in town and find something meat-free to eat. What’s more, Vancouver Island restaurants often go beyond the common courtesy of offering a single vegetarian/vegan option. Pink Bicycle has not one veggie burger but three; there’s a tofu scramble and veg sausages on Mo:Lé’s menu; and Quebec vegans can eat Cabin 12’s poutine guilt-free. Furthermore, order only vegetarian dishes at Little Thai Place and your server will likely ask if you’d prefer soy sauce instead of the ubiquitous fish sauce. And Murdock says if a whole tableful of vegans turns up at the Blue Nile for Ethiopian food, the kitchen might just make a special dish. When it comes to showing off Victoria’s best vegetarian dishes, Murdock likes to take “carnivore” friends to The Lotus Pond, the Chinese restaurant whose Buddhist vegetarian cuisine is entirely vegan. “They’re really good at the fake meat stuff—you don’t even know you’re not eating duck,” he says. Not surprisingly, Lotus Pond is also a favourite of vegan cookbook author and VIVA vicechair Sarah Kramer, who’s written and co-written bestsellers like How It All Vegan and La Dolce Vegan! and has even produced a new Go Vegan calendar for 2011 complete with recipes on every page. Since going vegan in the early 1990s, she says it’s become less challenging to find foods she can eat in her hometown. Kramer says Café Bliss is “fabulous” for vegans and also recommends The Joint for pizza, Hernande’z for burritos and Futaba for brown-rice sushi. “We have it really lucky here in Victoria,” she says. “I mostly shop at The Market [on Yates]. It’s near my house and they pretty much have everything I need, including Daiya Cheese and soy-free Earth Balance Buttery Spread. I have friends in other ‘bigger’ cities who have to travel all over town to multiple stores to find vegan products. I’m so spoiled.” Self-taught vegetarian chef Sonja Limberger—who professes to not knowing how to cook meat—is working on a cookbook of her own, compiling recipes she uses in her cooking classes and her catering business, Five Elements Cooking. After growing up in Ontario, she landed in Victoria 10 years ago after stints cooking at The Naam in Vancouver and Hollyhock retreat centre on Cortes Island. “One of the reasons I moved to B.C. was I knew there was more vegetarianism on the West Coast,” she says. In addition to regular catering gigs at places like the Swanwick Centre in Metchosin, Limberger teaches classes in Nepalese, Indian and African vegetarian cuisine and offers workshops on appetizers, potluck hits and soups. She says only about 30 percent of her students are vegetarians; the rest would just like to eat less meat. “They want to know how to make more vegetarian dishes,” says Limberger. Which is just fine by VIVA’s Trevor Murdock, who’s also involved with Meatless Mondays Canada, a movement to get everyone eating more vegetarian meals. He may never get city council to put forward a meatless mandate like Ghent, Belgium, did in 2009 but that doesn’t take away from acknowledging just how vegetarian- and vegan-friendly Victoria has become over the past 30 years—and how much friendlier it might become in another 30. In the meantime, VIVA’s already planning its next big party: a summer vegetarian food fair to be held in 2011 or 2012. Needless to say, go vegetarian in Victoria and you’ll never go hungry.
1715 Government Street 250.475.6260 www.lecole.ca eat@lecole.ca
Dinner 5:30 - 11 pm Tuesday to Saturday
Food PHOTOGRAPHY
MICHAEL TOURIGNY STUDIOS
RESOURCES: VIVA islandveg.com Green Cuisine greencuisine.com Sarah Kramer govegan.net
Five Elements Cooking five-elements-cooking.com Meatless Mondays meatlessmondays.ca
250-389-1856 2001 Douglas Street - Unit F info@michaeltourigny.com
michaeltourigny.com www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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local kitchen
Lazy-day Brunch Winter is meant for cozying up with comfort food and good company. Brunch is just the ticket. It’s a low-key, casual get-together more than formal “entertaining”. e food is rustic and reflective of the season: a dark chard (or kale) pie laden with local hazelnuts and dried cranberries, crispy fritters full of creamy blue cheese and crumb coated jam squares made with summer’s best berry jam from the pantry.
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TREVE’S The table is ready for an inviting, lazy-day brunch Just add friends and family. 26
EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
OLD WORLD palate. Plus
NEW WORL cherry notes
Recipes and food styling by JENNIFER DANTER • Photography by MICHAEL TOURIGNY • Wine pairing by TREVE RING
APPLE & ARTISAN BLUE CHEESE FRITTERS I love the gooey melting cheese in what otherwise would just be a potato pancake. While they can be made ahead, I like to sizzle them at the last minute to dish up hot out of the pan to hungry guests. Makes 15 to 18 fritters
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1 green onion, sliced 1 apple (unpeeled), cored and grated 1 large potato, peeled and grated 2-oz Hilary’s You Boo Blue, Moonstruck’s Beddis Blue or Poplar Grove’s Tiger Blue, crumbled 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder Sea salt and black pepper, to taste 2 egg whites Vegetable oil for frying
In a bowl, mix together onion, apple, potato, cheese, parsley, flour and baking powder. Season with pinches of sea salt and pepper. Lightly beat egg whites until frothy, then stir in. Pour enough oil into a large, deep frying pan to come about a 1/3- in. up the side. Set over medium heat. When hot, scoop a heaping spoonful of fritter mixture and carefully turn into pan. Using a fork, flatten slightly. Repeat, fitting 2 to 3 more fritters into pan. Work in batches and don’t crowd pan. Fry until golden, about 1 to 2 min. per side. Remove from pan and drain on absorbent paper. Fritters can be made 1 hour before serving. Keep at room temperature, then reheat in 375F oven to warm before serving.
WINTER GREEN TART This is similar to a quiche, but it’s really all about the hardy winter greens with just enough egg and other goodies to make it hold together. It tastes best at room temperature, which means you can make it ahead that morning, then relax. Serves 8 Pastry for 1 deep dish pie 1 very large bunch of Swiss chard or kale 3 slices thick cut bacon, chopped 2 shallots, minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 1 cup crumbled feta cheese (try Salt Spring Island Cheese’s St. Jo Feta made with goat milk) 1/3 cup toasted local hazelnuts, chopped 1/3 cup dried cranberries (try Yellow Point Cranberries fresh when in season) 4 large eggs 1/2 cup sour cream Roll pastry, then line bottom and partway up sides of a 9-in springform pan. Prick bottom and sides with a fork. Line with parchment paper, then fill with beans or rice. Be sure to push them up against sides of crust so they won’t collapse during baking. Bake in preheated 425F oven for 15 minutes. Carefully remove paper and beans. Cut chard leaves from stems. Finely chop stems and coarsely chop leaves. Keep separate. In a large wide saucepan or Dutch oven, sauté bacon until crispy, then remove from pan. Add shallots and garlic to fat in pan and sauté over medium heat until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add stems. Cover and cook until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chard leaves. Pan will be full. Cover and steam and until wilted, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn mixture into a large bowl and stir in flour. Season with salt and pepper. Add cooked bacon, cheese, hazelnuts and cranberries. Spoon into pastry and evenly spread out. Beat eggs with sour cream, salt and pepper. Slowly pour over greens. Reduce heat to 375F. Bake until centre of tart is set, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.
TREVE’S WINE SUGGESTIONS OLD WORLD – a crisp Cava sparkling wine from Spain would go well – bright apple and mineral rich bubbles to cut the strong flavours (cheeses, bacon, garlic) and cleanse the palate. Plus bubbles makes anything better – especially brunch. NEW WORLD – a mid day meal like brunch suits a lighter red. And a fruity Pinot Noir from a cooler climate, like New Zealand’s Martinborough, will retain the grape’s earthy cherry notes while expressing naturally higher acid due to the growing conditions.
www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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WAY BACK WHEN JAMMY SQUARES Remember those summer jams you made months ago? It’s time for a hit of jeweled-toned, sweet summer fruit sandwiched between crumbly buttery shortbread. Base 1/3 cup granulated sugar 11/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 egg 1/2 cup butter, melted Topping 1/3 cup granulated sugar 11/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp ground cardamom or cinnamon (optional) 3/4cup cold butter, cut into cubes
Tracey Kusiewicz
Filling 3 cups jam (preferably not too chunky)
For the base, in a food processor, whirl sugar. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Pulse to mix, then add egg and melted butter. Whirl just until mixture starts to come together. Turn into a 9X13-in pan lined with parchment paper and press to evenly spread out. Bake in preheated 375F until golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. For the topping, whirl sugar in food processor then pulse in flour and cardamom. Add butter and pulse just until coarse crumbs form. Mixture will look floury – but that’s O.K. Remove base from oven and spread with jam. Sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake until jam is bubbly and topping is deep golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely, then cut into squares or bars.
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Sex & The City - Carrie: There are very few things this New Yorker loves as much as Sunday brunch. You can sleep until noon and still get eggs anywhere in the city, alcohol is often included with the meal, and Sunday is the one day a week you get the single woman's sports pages: the New York Times wedding section.
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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
A Yen for Ramen
The simple noodle soup is high art for those who understand its secrets. —By Jenny Uechi
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If sushi is the yang of Japanese cuisine, ramen is the yin—humble and low-budget, this noodle soup stirs up strong emotions among its devotees. Now that the ramen trend has hit Vancouver in earnest, new shops are opening every few months, much to the delight of local fans. “Ramen is very close to my heart,” says Ted Anderson, the chef-de-cuisine of Vancouver’s westside restaurant Refuel, who discovered the “comforting and delicious” dish while working in Tokyo eight years ago. “It seems really simple to make, but if one thing is not good, the whole bowl is ruined.” Anderson’s opinion echoes that of many ramen critics, who compare a bowl of ramen to a “mise-en-scène” in which every element—from the bamboo shoots to the sardines in the broth—sets the stage for a perfect ramen experience. Of the ramen options currently in Vancouver, Motomachi Shokudo off Denman and Robson has the most well-rounded ramen presentation. As the reigning champion of healthy ramen, Motomachi offers a clear, light broth made from local organic chicken and sardines. Its
delicate shio (salt) ramen is seasoned with natural Himalayan (or Mongolian) salt and topped with crunchy angel-haired leek. The organic eggs have a tangerine-hued yolk, which crumbles on the tongue and melts away with sweet flavour. From behind the counter, chef Daiji Matsubara brings out four different noodle types piled on a black wooden tray. Grabbing a handful of pale yellow strands, he says, “These thin, straight noodles complement the shio broth perfectly—the thicker noodle is crimped, so that it scoops more of the thick miso broth as you eat.” The green “jade” noodle, meanwhile, contains wakame seaweed and makes a refreshing cold ramen. The chef says unlike franchise ramen houses, Motomachi prides itself on experimental dishes. While some of these have ended as flops, the “bamboo-charcoal dark miso ramen” has proved to be a long-running hit. The thick black broth has a sharp miso flavour, layered with mellow undertones of chicken and fish and followed by a spicy afterbite. For people wanting a taste of the heavier, marrow-rich tonkotsu broth, Santouka is the restaurant of choice. A famed franchise in Japan, Santouka features a milky white broth with a subtle pork flavour that can be slurped to the last drop. “Our signature is in boiling the pork bones for two whole days and getting the creaminess of it in the soup,” says manager Art Talstra. Everything at Santouka revolves around the broth: the bowls, Talstra explains, have a narrow opening to prevent the soup from losing heat, while the noodles have a high flour content to soak up more broth. The toasted sesame seed garnish creates a divine harmony of flavours when crunched with a mouthful of soup. Another Santouka specialty is the toroniku pork cheek jowl ramen. It’s as delicate as sashimi and similarly sliced, with layer of gelatinous fat along the side and oozing exquisite soy-sauce flavour. Despite its relatively steep price ($12.95), eating at Santouka without trying toroniku would be like touring Tokyo and missing the Tsukiji Fish Market. Despite the influx of new rivals like Santouka, however, many fans still swear by Kintaro, one of Vancouver’s original ramen houses. Ramen at Kintaro’s is a decadent affair, with discs of pork resting atop a bed of chewy yellow noodles in fat-speckled tonkotsu broth. Here, the ramen experience kicks in even before the order arrives: Kintaro is the only place in Vancouver with an open view of the chefs at work. Twenty percent of Kintaro ramen’s deliciousness comes from the mouth-watering spectacle of noodles being boiled and pork being cut into thick slabs on the counter. Unlike Santouka’s mild soup, Kintaro’s tonkotsu has a salty kick: flying fish, scallops and kelp are among the 35 “secret ingredients” used in the rich broth. For those wanting a twist on tradition, Kintaro offers a cheese-miso ramen, which comes with a mountain of shredded mozzarella and Swiss cheese. Even with all the variations of the noodle available, there is no consensus on the perfect ramen bowl in Vancouver, or anywhere in the world for that matter. “Ask 10 people what they like in a ramen, and you’ll get 10 different answers,” says chef Daiji Matsubara [who owns both Kintaro and Motomachi Shokudo]. “As chefs, we rack our brains to present people with the perfect ramen, but, ultimately, whatever the customers enjoy is best.” Motomachi Shokudo, Mon-Tue, Thu-Sun noon-11 p.m.,740 Denman St., Vancouver, 604-609-0310 Hokkaido Ramen Santouka (aka Ramen Santouka), Mon-Sun 11 a.m.-10 p.m., 1690 Robson St., 604-681-8121, http://santouka.co.jp/en/ Kintaro Ramen, Tue-Sun, noon-11 pm, 788 Denman St., 604-682-7568
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master cooking class Duck Rillettes Once you have a stash of duck confit in the fridge, you can easily make potted duck rillettes. Delicious slathered on French bread, rilletts make an ideal snack for impromptu entertaining. For the rillettes recipe visit www.eatmagazine.ca
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30 EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
DO TRY THIS AT HOME
Text and food styling by DENISE MARCHESSAULT • Photography by CAROLINE WEST
Paper-thin slices of duck proscuitto are scrumptious paired with fresh sweet pears, tart apples or ruby pomegranates.
Think artisan-cured meats are just for trendy restaurants? Think again.
You can easily prepare duck confit, duck prosciutto and cured salmon at home. These straightforward recipes are delicious, versatile and keep well in the fridge. That translates into easy entertaining at a moment’s notice. The art of preserving meat is no longer the exclusive domain of professional chefs thanks to the popularity of cookbooks such as Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn. Curing your own meat, like home canning, is just another way to preserve and maintain the integrity of your food. What’s more, curing lends itself to imaginative tinkering; add your favourite herbs and spices and create your very own signature cured meat. Long before refrigeration, meats were cured out of necessity to prevent spoilage. This usually involved some form of salting, drying, smoking or pickling. Pure fat is another clever way to preserve; when meat is buried under an airtight seal of fat, it is protected from the dangers of imminent spoilage. The use of salt and fat is the magic behind duck confit.
‘Curing meat in your own kitchen is a lot easier than you might think.’ Duck confit could not be easier to prepare: dust kosher salt and herbs over duck legs and allow their flavours to imbue the meat for a day or two. Rinse and dry the meat and poach it in duck fat for a couple of hours until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. (This technique elicits gasps of horror in my cooking classes, but the anxiety subsides after the first succulent bite.) Rendered duck fat is available at specialty butcher shops. While expensive, around $20 per litre, it’s well worth it. Once you’ve roasted potatoes in duck fat, there is no going back. You’ll be happy to have a pail in the fridge and you’ll find dozens of excuses to use it. For the record, duck fat is one of the healthier fats available; it is particularly high in cholesterol-fighting monounsaturated fats. Duck confit can be kept for at least a month in the refrigerator and reheated when needed. (In France, it’s kept in the cold cellar for months on end.) It can be served whole with the skin deliciously crisped or shredded and tucked into an infinite variety of foods including pastas, ragouts, soups, tarts or tortillas. You can serve it in a hearty French cassoulet with beans and sausages or in a light salad paired with fruit. It can also be finely chopped and made into rillettes, a rustic spread delicious slathered on a baguette. The variations are endless. Duck prosciutto is salted duck breast, swaddled in cheesecloth and hung to dry. This simple dry-cure recipe, adapted from Charcuterie, yields a beautiful piece of meat similar in texture to traditional pork prosciutto. Duck prosciutto is a welcome addition to any salad or antipasto platter and goes well with fresh melon, mango, pear or figs. The duck may be kept refrigerated for several weeks. Cured salmon (gravlax if you’re Swedish) is part of my standard entertaining repertoire. It’s easy to prepare and guests love it. There are numerous ways to cure salmon, but the principles are similar: bury the fish in seasoned salt and sugar, add a few pounds of weight (cans work well) and allow the salt to work its magic. My quick-cure recipe requires only 24 hours in the refrigerator. Just before serving, I drizzle my cured salmon with a simple vinaigrette of grapeseed oil and white wine vinegar. I serve it with raw shallots, fresh dill, capers, lemon and freshly ground black pepper. It keeps about a week in the refrigerator, but it never seems to lasts that long!
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Cured salmon makes for an easy starter or no-fuss appetizer. Delicious served with rye bread, fresh dill, capers and a drizzle of lemon juice. www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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Duck Confit 1/4 cup kosher salt 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 large shallots, thinly sliced 1 Tbsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
1 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley 4 sprigs fresh thyme 6 duck legs Approx. 5 cups duck fat
Combine the salt with the pepper, garlic, shallots, fennel, parsley and thyme. Sprinkle half the mixture on the bottom of a dish large enough to hold the duck legs in a single layer. Place the duck on top of the salt mixture and then sprinkle with the remaining salt. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours. Heat the oven to 240°F. Melt the duck fat in a saucepan over medium low heat. Remove the duck from the salt, rinse thoroughly and pat completely dry with paper
TREVE’S WINE SUGGESTIONS The very first wine that comes to mind for this is Sherry. These Spanish fortified wines are so versatile, complex and delicious – and make a perfect complement to many charcuterie plates. A dryer style like fino or, slightly darker, amontillado would suit the salty richness of the meats. Another way to go would be an older vine, low yielding, cool climate Riesling – they have the laser focus acidity to stand up to the intense cured meats, along with a fruit sweetness to complement their salty and savoury character.
towels. Arrange the duck legs in a single snug layer in a wide, shallow, oven-safe saucepan, casserole or baking dish. Pour the melted fat over the duck. (The duck pieces must be completely covered by fat.) Transfer the duck to the oven and gently simmer, uncovered, until the duck is tender and can be easily pulled from the bone, approximately 2 to 3 hours. Check the oven occasionally to make sure the fat is gently simmering; confit can become tough if the oven is too hot. Adjust the heat as required to achieve a very gentle simmer. Store the duck in the fat in the refrigerator for up to one month. Excess duck fat can be strained and stored in the refrigerator for later use. When ready to use, brown the duck pieces, skin side down, in a frying pan to crisp the skin. Then transfer to an oven until heated through, approximately 15 minutes at 325°F. Frozen duck legs and duck fat (sold in two-litre pails) are available at Slaters Meats in Victoria. Oyama Sausage Company on Granville Island, in Vancouver, sells duck fat.
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Duck Confit with Lentils Enjoy comforting French bistro fare at home with succulent duck confit with spicy lentils and carrots. For the spicy lentil recipe visit www.eatmagazine.ca 32
EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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Duck Prosciutto Recipe adapted from Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing, by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn. 2 boneless duck breasts, approximately 1 pound 2 cups kosher salt, plus more if needed 1/2 tsp freshly ground white pepper Cheesecloth and kitchen string Place half the salt in a baking dish. The size of the dish should hold the duck breasts snugly without touching each other. Nestle the duck in the salt, skin side up, and cover with the balance of the salt. The duck must be completely covered with salt. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove the duck from the salt, rinse thoroughly and pat completely dry with paper towels. The flesh should feel dense, and its colour will have deepened. Dust the breasts on both sides with the white pepper. Wrap each breast in a layer of cheesecloth and tie with string. Hang the breasts for about 7 days in the refrigerator or in a cool, humid place (the optimum temperature is 8 to 15°C or 50 to 60°F). If your refrigerator does not have shelf-racks to hang the duck, you can place a cooling rack (or any such rack) on top of two Mason jars, slightly ajar. The duck can hang from the rack by kitchen string, between the jars. After a week, or two, the flesh should be firm but not hard throughout. If the meat still feels soft, or raw, in the centre, continue to hang it in the refrigerator until it feels firm and the duck has lost about 30% of its original weight. This could take anywhere from one to four weeks. Remove the cheesecloth, wrap the duck in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. The duck will keep for several weeks or longer if refrigerated.
Sheri P. INTERIORR DESIGN CONSULTANT ONSUL LTANT » Residential Residential & Commercial Comm Commer mercial interiors » SSpace Colour pace p p planningg » Col our consultation » Custom Custom kitchen kitcheen design Sheri Peterson Sheri P eterso r n
Bird’s Eye Cove Farm
Keewatin Place 4204 K eewatin P lace Victoria BC V8X V ictoria B C V8 8X 4L1 Tel: Fax: T eel : 250-388-6167 F ax : 250-388-6069 Email: E mail : sh erip@sshaw.c sherip@shaw.ca . a Website: www.sheripinteriordesign.com W ebsite : www w.sheripinteriordesign.com
250-748-1757 birdseyecovefarm@gmail.com Registered Highland Cattle Grass Fed Beef Sold by the Quarter
Cured Salmon 1 1/2 lb salmon fillet, skin on 2 bunches fennel fronds, dill or parsley, roughly chopped 1 Tbsp lightly crushed fennel seeds 2 1/2 cups kosher salt 2 1/2 cups sugar Run your fingers over the salmon flesh to ensure there are no pin bones. If bones are present, remove with tweezers. In a medium-sized bowl add the salt, sugar, fennel fronds and seeds and mix until well combined. Place half the sugar/salt mixture in the bottom of a wide, shallow container. (The salmon will release plenty of liquid, so make sure your container will accommodate the extra fluid.) Nestle the salmon in the mixture and completely cover it with the balance of the mixture. Cover the top of the mixture with plastic wrap then place a small cutting board or plate on top of the plastic wrap. Weight it down with 2-3 cans or other suitable objects weighing approximately 2-3 pounds. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove the salmon from the salt/sugar mixture, rinse thoroughly and pat completely dry with paper towels. Slice as thinly as possible and serve with fresh lemon, capers, thinly sliced shallots, fresh dill and freshly ground pepper.
Slaters First Class Meats 2577 Cadboro Bay Rd, Victoria 250-592-0823 Oyama Sausage Company Granville Island Public Market, Vancouver 604-327-7407
www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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Zambri’s, Habit, Yasser’s falafel, PIG.
BROTTFORMS
BROTTFORMS
Hand woven bread mold made of cane, brotform, also known as brotformen or banneton, is used to form and shape artisan loaves during the proofing/raising stage.
BROTTFORMS
BROTTFORMS
BROTTFORMS
BROTTFORMS
BROTTFORMS
HAUTE CUISINE 1210 BROAD ST., VICTORIA, BC 250.388.9906
Awarded Four Stars from Mobil Exxon 10 years in a row Restaurant
Where Food is Art
250-480-0883 512 Yates St Victoria Open at 5:30 Wed-Sun For menu and online reservations visit restaurantmatisse.com
Find something omething delicious for your our Valentine entine at
The Buzz
NTHE a COMOX n a i VALLEY mo JANUARY | FEBRUARY
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VICTORIA - It really is a New Year – take a look at all the new things happening around town. First on the list, the Island Chefs Collaborative welcomes a new president, Dwane MacIsaac. Chef Dwane is a Red Seal certified Chef who has over twenty years experience working passionately in the food and catering industry. In addition to taking the helm at the ICC, Chef Dwane runs Passioneat Foods Catering. (www.passioneatfoods.com). La Piola is shifting gears with a new chef, Jolyon Ade, a classically French trained chef from Manchester. Together with the neighbouring Italian Bakery, they will be expanding their retail sales area, selling fresh pastas, sauces, gnocchi, cured meats and imported as well as local cheeses. Smoken Bones Cookshack has also announced that John E. Brooks has assumed the position of Chef at the restaurant. John brings experience from the Royal Colwood Golf Club and Camille’s. With a passion for the art of charcuterie and BBQ, John will be a perfect fit for Smoken Bones. The Cookshack will launch their new menu on February 4th, with the addition of classic diner style burgers and many more southern influenced items. In the sweets department, The Uptown mall is now home to a new candy shop: Candy Cures (www.candycures.com), and a new location for the Canadian-owned frozen yogurt business, Qoola. (www.qoola.com) And the countdown is on for Victoria’s newest cooking school, The London Chef, set to open this February. Chef Dan Hayes has been teaching classes around Victoria for the past two years, but is now launching, together with his wife and business his very own establishment, complete with interactive cooking station, a private dining room, a café and a pantry File under “heard through grapevine”: word on the street is that a new sushi restaurant is poised to fill the gap left in Fernwood Square when Lucy’s in the Square closed, though there were no more details available on this particular venture at press time. Likewise (you didn’t hear this from me), rumor has it that Cory Pelan (formerly of La Piola) has partnered with a butcher and is planning to open a head-to-tail operation offering charcuterie and house made sausages. Keep your fingers crossed. Ditto for the possibility of a new Red Fish Blue Fish location opening at Dockside Green. Popular butcher shop Ronald Orr & Sons Family Butchers has acquired a second location on Quadra just above MacKenzie. Finally, congratulations to the Victoria-area winners for making it into the Enroute Magazine list of “Top 10 New Restaurants In Canada: Stone Soup Inn (#5), The Edge (#8). [EAT editor Gary Hynes was part of the cross-country panel that tabled the contenders for Canada’s Best New Restaurants] —By Rebecca Baugniet
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NANAIMO - As we wind down from the excitement and indulgence of the Holiday Season I don’t see any reason to give up the comfort and joy of great food. Fortunately for us mid-islanders there are many new possibilities to help us through the darker months of winter. Recently opened in Nanaimo’s north end is Urbana Pizza. This cozy bistro is the latest endeavour of Darren Kiedyk of Urban Beet and serves up delicious thin-crusted pizza out of a traditional stone-oven. Toppings include many local ingredients that are brought together to create traditional and some wonderfully creative combinations. If you close your eyes and take a bite you may just feel like you’ve been transported to the Riviera somewhere near the border of France and Italy. They also offer Cont’d on the next page
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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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their menu for take out and are open Wed. to Sun. from 4pm to 10pm. 6304-4 Dover Road, 250585-1851. How about an indoor BBQ to feign off the winter blues! With a professional background that includes the Four Seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vancouver and VIUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Culinary School, Chef George Kulai now fulfills his passion for creating slow cooked, smoky masterpieces at Smokinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BBQ on the corner of Mostar and Boban Roads. Since itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opening in the fall, carnivores have been rejoicing on pulled pork, succulent ribs and hearty beef brisket all prepared in Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s authentic smokehouse. Open for lunch and dinner thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a great take-out menu. www.smokingeorgesbbq.com New facades, faces and menus are aplenty in downtown Nanaimo. Fresh lunches and takeaway dinners made from scratch are the specialty at the new 2 Chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Affair eatery on Commercial Street. This isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just any ma and pa operation. Chefs Daniel Caron and Tammy Deline have savoury and sweet covered in their open-kitchen concept eatery. Here you can watch your lunch being prepared and are encouraged to ask all about it. The Modern CafĂŠâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (www.themoderncafe.ca) new owners Scott Cooper and Bryan Rotier recently welcomed Chef Paul Dokmanovik to their kitchen. It didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take Chef Paul too long to wow the locals with his new gourmet brunch menu and the dinner menu has been updated with a stronger local focus. The Lighthouse Bistro and Pubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new GM Kevin Ward hails from the bountiful English Midlands, bringing a passion for local, sustainable foodstuffs. An updated menu focuses on local seafood to fit their prime waterfront locale on the Nanaimo Harbour walkway. Chef Jason Harbo and the Lighthouse team were recently awarded â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Seafood Dishâ&#x20AC;? at the Bite of Nanaimo event in October, as well as second place for Best Use of Local Ingredients. With their on-going mission to connect with local food and drink producers, this seems to be a spot Island locavores will want to keep an eye on. www.lighthouse-bistro.com A growing number of small group dinner events are giving some of Nanaimoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top chefs and their winemaking accomplices the opportunity to put their best creative foot forward. These evenings are seasonally delicious, communal, entertaining and educational. Moreover, they are turning up in some surprising places! An evening hosted by Executive Chef Jeffrey Brandt at Origin Longwood could have even the most dedicated workaholics looking for shortcuts to early retirement. Formerly of the Okanaganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Toasted Oak Winebar and Grill and the Wesley Street CafĂŠ, Jeff is inspired by seasonality and freshness and offers 20 seats at his table for a more personal dining experience. For inquiries about the Jan. 20th and future dinners, contact Jeff directly. jbrandt@originlongwood.ca or (250) 751-7755. Even more intimate is the dining room at MarkT Artisan Deli where Ryan Zuvich has 12 seats at his monthly seasonal dinners. MarkT took first Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d at the bottom of page 37
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www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
A Special Promotion
Taste the Comox Valley The winter doesn’t dampen the Comox Valley’s ability to serve up some of the best culinary experiences on Vancouver Island. Whether you crave an elegant candle-lit dinner, some authentic fresh sushi, or a casual family meal, the Comox Valley has an eating establishment to suit every taste and budget. If you lean more towards ‘surf’, don’t miss the shellfish presented on daily fresh sheets and house specialities in the region. The Comox Valley is the oyster capital of Canada, producing over 50% of all BC’s shellfish from the nutrient rich and clean surrounding waters of Baynes Sound. The diversity of mussels, clams and oysters can be enjoyed from raw to baked and everything in between at numerous eateries. If your tastes are less ‘surf’ and more ‘turf’, locally raised pork, chicken, and Vancouver Island bison are prominently featured in the region – even on speciality pizzas for those easy going après ski nights. The Comox Valley has garnered itself a culinary name thanks to the depth of recognized Chefs drawing from the surrounding bounty of the region to design their signature dishes. Many of these Chefs have incorporated the bounty from the massive active farmland of the Comox Valley which produces everything you need for year round eating. The culture of food, eating and living sustainably is evident from farm to fork, and the region is one of the rare places that boasts a year round Farmers’ Market. As such, many local restaurants emphasize food grown nearby in their menus and daily specials. All complimented with made-in-the-valley beer, wine, fruit wine, vodka and soon, whiskey! The Comox Valley was recently named one of the top 8 agricultural destinations in Canada – within a moment of arriving and jumping into the culinary scene– it’s clear why.
Taste the Comox Valley Atlas Cafe www.atlascafe.ca Locals www.localscomoxvalley.com Hot Chocolates www.hotchocolates.ca Netkenic Tea Centre www.teacentre.ca
Discover Wine, Beer and More Beaufort Vineyard and Estate Winery www.beaufortwines.ca Blue Moon Winery www.bluemoonwinery.ca Coastal Black Estate Winery www.coastalblack.ca Middle Mountain Mead www.middlemountainmead.com Shelter Point Distillery www.shelterpointdistillery.com Surgenor Brewing Company www.surgenorbrewing.ca
Places to Stay: Mount Washington Alpine Resort www.mountwashington.ca Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa www.kingfisherspa.com Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community www.crownisle.com Old House Village Hotel & Spa www.oldhousevillage.com Holiday Inn Express & Suites www.hixreservations@hiexcomoxvalley.com Travelodge Courtenay www.travelodgecourtenay.com Best Western Plus, The Westerly Hotel & Conference Centre www.thewesterlyhotel.ca Comox Valley Inn & Suites www.comoxvalleyinn.com Port Augusta Inn www.portaugustainn.com Peak Accommodations www.peakaccom.com Comox Valley Bed & Breakfast Association www.comoxvalleybb.com
COMOX VALLEY - It's old news that The Old House Restaurant (www.oldhouserestaurant.ca) is now "new" again. After last year's fire the place went dormant and it was a bit of a pleasant surprise when local Jeff Lucas stepped in as the new owner and manager. He's hired a young and ambitious chef in Chance Wilke, fresh in town after 6 years with the Oak Bay Marine Group. A recent luncheon experience was all good and I'll be reporting on dinner soon. Chef Andrew Stignant is reformatting the Silverado West Coast Grill menu to include a $30 three course offering and Timber Room Pub menus featuring local pulled pork muffaletta, Angus shortrib poorboy & hand-rolled dim sum from Royston (250-703-5050). The winter will also see a monthly Chef's Wine Pairing Menu featuring local food and wine. Union Street Grill & Grotto (www.unionstreetgrill.ca) developed an Asian-fusion thing in recent months – Indian Fried Veggie Pakoras, Udon Bowl, Thai Stirfry Bowl and Curry Bowl, as well introducing house-smoked bratwurst, crispy fish tacos, and much more. The big news, says chef Mark Duncan, is the 2 page gluten-free menu and more choices for the celiac and gluten-intolerant market. The fall saw Tita's Mexican Restaurant (250-334-8033) doing great things with a regular weekly schedule of daily specials (the $10 lamb burrito on Tues is now a fave) and drinks. The good news is that they're extending this schedule into February. Chef Steve Dodd and company just celebrated their 3 year anniversary at Bisque (www.bisquerestaurant.ca). Reasons for success? Partner Maralee says it's due to items like the Shiraz-braised bision short ribs and the lamb sirloin. Or is it the free range Coq au vin? As I write this our area is in the grip of an unusually cold snap and I'm thinking dinner at Thai Village Restaurant (www.thaivillagerestaurant.com) is in order, particularly because of what I've heard about their spicy Thai noodle soup specials. "Soups to warm your soul through winter," is what owner Neil Mckenzie calls them. Sounds good to me. Connie at Atlas Café (250-338-9838) is singing the praises of… a burger? Yup. "The Half Pound Burger is becoming a fast favourite: brandy poached pear, local brie cheese and crispy bacon... worth checking out!". Connie also notes that while Atlas is closed for its annual holidays Jan 17-26, this is "a great time to sample some of the delicious winter fare at sister restaurant Avenue Bistro in Comox"(www.avenuebistro.ca). I like the $10 Thursday pasta/pizza specials, and I love the weekend brunches. I may, however, be tempted by the Braised Beef Short Ribs..."with bacon, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms and shallots or the classic bistro favourite, moules frites: bouillaibaisse style fresh island mussels with aioli and fries." I also like what's happening at TOTO in Comox (250 941-TOTO). Chef Andrew is a lively presence, the food is tasty, they've got celiac options, and they're engaged with the community. Watch for a a gala dinner to support Therapeutic Riding. TOTO is now also another EAT Magazine pick-up location. The Purple Onion Deli (www.purpleoniondeli.com) is a new deli in the heart of Comox. The plan is to feature Island foods as well as Rosa's delicious tamales and salsas (made famous at the Comox Valley Farmers Market). Up the road in Campbell River it's pretty quiet this time of year, yet I’m drawn to make a return trip to the cozy dining room tucked into the trees overlooking Discovery Passage at The Anglers' Dining Room (at Dolphins Resort www.dolphinsresort.com). A new menu is posted online, and monthly wine pairing dinners will be starting in February. My only dining experience here confirms the rumour we'd heard, that this was Campbell River's "hidden jewel" when it comes to fine dining. On a more casual note, I've heard good reports about the "fantastic clam chowder!" coming out of Ripple Rock Pub (www.ripplerock.ezabu.com) "Great seafood menu and it's all local." If you live in Campbell River you already know about and appreciate what Michelle and Mark do at Cheddar & Co.(www.cheddarandco.com). This self-styled "cool and funky specialty food store" in downtown Campbell River. If you don't know, then this visual and gastronomic delight is definitely worth a visit. —by Hans Peter Meyer
Winter Fun Only Found in the Comox Valley: In the Comox Valley – you can have it all; endless foodie experiences, seaside vistas or knee-deep snow play at Mount Washington. The Comox Valley’s Mount Washington is a top Island winter destination. Enjoy the scenic ride on the Eagle chairlift to the summit (1588 m elevation) and take in the spectacular alpine to ocean surroundings. The panoramic view from the top includes Strathcona Provincial Park, the Comox Glacier, Mt. Arrowsmith, the Strait of Georgia and even Mt. Baker on a clear day. Its all downhill from there; Mount Washington boast over 60 trails and gladed ski area that offer varied terrain that everyone from beginner to pro freeskiers can ride. Snowshoeing, tubing and nordic cross country trails round out the outdoor winter fun offered here. After an exhilarating time on the mountain, head down into the to visit one of the many celebrated restaurants that never stops serving local! For more information about this dynamic culinary destination visit discovercomoxvalley.com
NANAIMO cont’d from page 35 place for Best Use of Local Ingredients at Bite of Nanaimo. www.marktartisandeli.com. The Wesley Street Café continues to please wine aficionados at their monthly wine-tasting dinner events on the last Friday of each month. www.wesleycafe.com. For those very serious about gastronomy and the art of fine dining the Nanaimo Chapter of the Chaine de Rotisseurs carries out centuries old culinary tradition in a variety of events throughout the year. For membership information go to www.chainevictoria.com and look for the “Bailliage de Nanaimo” link. Alberni Valley has recently been awarded the title of “Ultimate Fishing Town” by the World Fishing Network. To celebrate the community has adopted an official Alberni Valley Signature Salmon dish. The dish was created by Gail McCully of Metropolitan Chef Fish Rub fame (www.themetropolitanchef.com) and is now on the menu in the Rim Rock dining room. Finally, congratulations to The Stone Soup Inn of Cowichan Lake for making Enroute Magazine list of “Top 10 New Restaurants In Canada. www.stonesoupinn.ca —by Karma Brophy Cont’d on the next page
www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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VANCOUVER - Happy New Year, readers. May 2011 be good to you and for you. If “good for you” tops your resolution list, you might want to start with breakfast at Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company. Veggie/fruit cocktails (sans alcohol of course!) whir away in the blender; crackly wood-oven baked flabreads brim with whipped organic eggs, veggies and/or sausage; omelettes are thick and fluffy. Oohh! And the wild boar bacon. One frosty morning I began with a cucumber, celery, carrot concoction--a kiss of summer in winter, then went for the “market” brekkie pizza—topped with a medley of kale, squash and other seasonal veggies. Coupled with fair trade dark roast coffee, piping hot it was the perfect kick-start to the day. Were you fortunate to avoid a tight belt and a tight budget over the holiday? Are you bitter about beer? Then hop to your nearest booze emporium for Central City’s Red Racer IPA, ($12 a 6pk at the BCLDB)? Brewmaster Gary Lohn brews a bittered beer with lovely floral notes and a long, long finish. This is Yakima hops at their best. By the time you read this Russell Brewing ESB should have rolled out their newest brew in bottle. This English-style bitter smacks of Willamette and Cascade hops. Sharp on the mid-palate this lovely drop gives way to a creamy yet crisp finish. At the time of writing Russell ESB was available in cask occasionally, (Whip, Alibi Room and Railway Club) and on draft at the new London Pub at Main & Georgia. Easier to find is Russell’s wintry Wee Angry Scotch Ale, a smooth dark beer, and IP ‘eh, also suitably hopped. These brews demand for hearty stews and grilled ribs. Grilled you say? In January? Brian Misko, creator of House of Q BBQ sauces, grills year round. Sporting warm, rainproof jacket and miner’s style headlamp he braves the elements massaging ribs first with a dry rub then generously with his mustard based Slow Smoke Gold Sauce and Slather. I stood happier than a gumboot boot in a puddle over the Weber kettle, rubbing Misko’s Apple Butter BBQ Sauce on a pork loin. I was downright delighted after tucking into the smoky sweet pork served on a bed of caramelized Okanagan Fuji’s and red onions. Backyard squash and maple custard courtesy of our west coast bigleaf maple syrup offered a superb top-note. (For your bottle of syrup head to the Bigleaf Maple Syrup Festival Saturday, February 5th, 2011 at the BC Forest Discovery Centre, Duncan. Incidentally Misko markets, too, a zippy Sugar and Spice Sauce and House Rub— wonderful for beef or game, and what else? Bacon. (Rubs available at Edible BC on Granville Island--$9/12-oz jar.) I was thrilled to see that Horizons [restaurant] is back on top--of Burnaby Mountain. I write this as the renovated restaurant, devasted from a fire, is serving its first dinner since the blaze. Snow is also on the horizon so my visit will have to wait. We’ll have more on the restaurant next time. —by Julie Pegg THE OKANAGAN - Happy New Year EAT’ers! 2011 thankfully continues to bring growth to our Okanagan food scene. Kelowna recently welcomed their very first Korean restaurant. The first in the OK Valley, Soban Korean Bistro on Bernard Avenue, is a delicious addition to our current ethnic eatery choices. The Chef/Owner Daehon Song along with his wife Heesun, have created a hip, stylish room that excludes warmth and serenity. The Songs moved here from Seoul just two years ago Cont’d on the next page
IS THAT LOVE IN THE AIR? OR COULD IT BE THE SALMON? You both will simply love it at the Wickaninnish Inn. Call us toll free today for unforgettable Valentines/Gourmet packages.
tel 1.800.333.4604 38
EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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and are offering a menu that combines traditional Korean favorites, like Bibimbop (b-bop) and Bulgogi with some modern fusion style dishes like new Vancouver street food truck favorite Korean tacos. The kitchen is MSG and preservative free. 530 Bernard Avenue, (778) 478-9638 open monday to saturday 11:30am-2:30 pm, 4:30 pm-8:30 pm. Other exciting news on the street is the announcement that Chef Neil Schroeter, owner/operator of Okanagan Street Food, is parking his high tech kitchen truck and opening his own digs in Kelowna’s industrial area. Schroeter, who gained a serious cult following with his gourmet cuisine that miraculously emerges out of his truck at the Kelowna Farmer’s Market, has decided to expand. He will be offering breakfast (think best ever breakfast burritos etc.) and lunch (think best ever fish tacos etc.) in the former Blue Jay Café, and using the rest of the space for his expanded catering business and as a storefront for his popular food line that includes pastas, soups, crackers, blackberry ketchup. www.okanaganstreetfood.com Downtown Kelowna also welcomes the Twisted Tomato to our much-needed independent restaurant line-up. Packing the house with locals, offerings include a rapturous eight types of Mac and Cheese as well as the largest pizza available in Kelowna at 16”. Obviously, this ain’t no ordinary pizza joint. Appealing to all genres, they have a kids menu, a large selection of veggie and gluten free dishes and are a friendly, fun atmosphere.Hot tickets in Trail, Nelson and Grand Forks – these folks seem to have created a recipe for success. (250) 868-8947, 371 Bernard Avenue www.twistedtomatopizza.com Ecocentrics will adore the new wine bags created by local duo, Debbie Kunitski and Stephanie Killingsworth. Known as Ecosheep, these ladies have created the coolest bags made from 100% recycled wool, using secondhand sweaters etc. to craft their magic. www.ecosheep.com. Favorite mom and pop style Pho shop, Hoang Gia, has recently reopened after closing for a makeover. The new décor in this Vietnamese restaurant is much hipper and is now busier than ever. 2469 Hwy. 97, 250 861-3010. The glamourous Sparkling Hills Resort in Vernon has been up and running for a while now. Word is that Chef Ross Derrick is a culinary dynamo. Eat, spa and stay sounds like a welcome winter escape to me. www.sparklinghill.com/dining —by Jennifer Schell-Pigott
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250 924 1110 877 860 6866
TOFINO/UCLULET - This is normally considered the off-season on the west coast but someone forgot to tell everyone braving Sutton Pass to experience storm season, not to mention the great eating and drinking to be had on this side of the island. First, some 8,160 oysters were shucked and consumed over the three-day 14th annual Clayoquot Oyster Festival Nov. 19-21. Some 600 oyster lovers sold out the two main events, the Mermaid’s Ball and the Oyster Gala. The Mermaid’s Ball, a local favourite, featured burlesque dancer Jett Majique and the Banana Fish Dance Orchestra, as well as oysters courtesy of the Beach Angels, the Out Landish Shellfish Guild and Marc’s Oysters. Phillips Brewery was on hand for the weekend, as were Stag’s Hollow, Cedar Creek, Prospect Winery, White Bear and Gray Monk wineries. Organizers of the Oyster Gala eschewed its traditional competition format in favour of the first ever “Clayoquot Rules” oyster shucking contest. Congratulations to the winners Ali El-Khalafawi and Ian Mowat. Twelve restaurants and food purveyors offered up samplings to the crowd at the gala. A recent cooking class and multi-course dinner with Vikram Vij at SoBo Restaurant (www.sobo.ca) raised $1,100 for the gourmet food program at Wickaninnish Community School. Forty-five people attended the evening Oct. 18, which included a session in the kitchen with Vij followed by a five-course dinner with wines donated by JoieFarm and Blue Mountain. The elementary school cooking classes, sponsored by the Tofino-Ucluelet Culinary Guild (www.tucg.ca) teach children from ages five to ten how to prepare fresh recipes from scratch. (www.vijs.ca. In other Guild news, a type of dine around event (name yet to be decided) is in the works for the month of May, 2011 leading up to the Tofino Food and Wine Festival June 3-5. Starting around the beginning of May, participating restaurants in Ucluelet and Tofino will offer prix fixe menus featuring local specialties such as oysters, crab, salmon and spot prawns. Each weekend, a different culinary event will look at each of these ingredients in more depth. The plan is to have a shuttle service for tourists and locals alike throughout the month. Watch for more details about the west coast culinary month in the March/April edition of Tofino Buzz and visit www.tucg.ca. Long Beach Lodge Resort (www.longbeachlodgeresort.com) hosted its 2nd annual open house for locals Dec. 5. In lieu of paying for a fun-filled evening with live music from Wunderbread, attendees made donations to the Raincoast Education Society at the door. The local non-profit focuses on education and community stewardship as a way to ensure an environmentally sustainable future for the region (www.raincoasteducation.org). The Wickaninnish Inn is offering storm-watching specials early in the new year, please visit www.wickinn.com for more on seeing these spectacles first hand from North Chesterman Beach. It sounds like Pastry Chef Matt Wilson’s new dessert menu might be the perfect compliment to the indoor version of this pastime. Some restaurants in the area take a well-deserved break in the month of January, so be sure to call ahead if you’re making your way to the west coast. All are back up and running for Valentine’s Day. Happy storm season! —By Jen Dart
Exceptional Eats! VOTE AT www.EATmagazine.ca
www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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After a bumpy start, Vancouver’s street food scene is looking, and tasting, just fine.
Josh Wolfe + Chanterelle poutine
ELITE STREET EATS And most of these newcomers are following the eco-friendly route, using biodegradable or recyclable containers and sustainable ingredients. From Asian street food to wild seafood, here’s a rundown on some of the best places to chow down while on the hoof.
Fresh Local Wild
Tracey Kusiewicz
By now, almost everyone and his hungry dog has heard about the summer street food debacle in Vancouver. For those who might have missed it, here’s a short recap. After years of culinary desertification at the hands of Vancouver hot dog carts, the municipal government decided to allow something other than pre-cooked wieners and packaged chips to grace our streets. Unfortunately, instead of asking for applications from experienced—or at the very least, trained—individuals, a random ballot lottery system was created to award a measly 17 spaces. After the more than 800 applications went through the barrel, the results were in—with just one problem. Most of the winners didn’t have carts (let alone trucks), equipment, Food Safe certification, approval from Coastal Health, or sound business plans. And so, on the grand launch date, we had precisely one truck open for business, and no, it wasn’t one of the original license winners. It was a runner-up who had already been operating for several months at the Richmond summer night market. The edible outlook on the street was grim, to say the least. Fast forward a few months, and the prospects are looking pretty fine, thanks to some experienced restaurateurs and food service types. The variety and quality currently on offer around the downtown core is nothing short of spectacular.
Partners Josh Wolfe (former executive chef at Coast Restaurant) and Andy Fielding (who got his start in the street food biz at 19 in San Francisco) have taken local dining down to the masses, and it never tasted better. The emphasis on sustainable seafood and local and seasonal ingredients might sound high-end, but chanterelle poutine ($3), hotsmoked coho sandwiches ($8), venison burgers ($9) and a lip-smacking oyster po-boy ($10) are only high-end in terms of comfort. And if you’re lucky, the boys might put out a box of extra mushrooms from their foraging trips to Quadra Island. Corner of Robson and Granville | Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. until supplies run out | www.freshlocalwild.com
Cartel Taco From James Iranzad, owner of Abigail’s Party, and chefs Joel Watanabe (Bao Bei, Araxi, La Brasserie) and Jesse Grasso (Bao Bei, La Taqueria, Sanafir) comes one of the coolest ideas on the street: Korean tacos. Before your eyes cross, picture this: soft white corn tortillas, piled two by two, and topped with pork or beef bulgogi. The latter is a popular Korean marinade made from soy, chili, sesame oil, brown sugar, and a few other tasty ingredients. The result is juicy, tender, flavourful meat with a light lick of heat at the tail end of your chew. The tortillas are topped with the meat, the meat is topped with the housemade kimchi, chopped onion and fresh cilantro. Did I mention the beef is Pemberton Meadows and the pork is Fraser Valley Farms? Get one for $3, two for $5.75, or four for $10, and don’t forget extra napkins for all that drool. Burrard and Georgia | Monday-Fri, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | www.carteltaco.ca
Roaming Dragon This truck can, among other things, claim to be first out of the starting gate (yes, this is the aforementioned runner-up from the Richmond night market). But their real claim to fame is most definitely the pan-Asian street food so cunningly
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designed by chef Don Letendre (Elixir) and marketed by “street smart” co-owners Jason Apple and Jory Simkin. Braised pork belly sliders on steamed mantou buns, Korean short rib tacos and fried rice balls are just a few of my favourites. $6 per item, or three for $15. Use your spare change for the basil-lychee lemonade. West Georgia between Thurlow and Burrard | Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | www.roamingdragon.com
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Re-Up BBQ The brainchild of Chester Carey, Michael Kaisaris and Lindsay Ferguson, Re-Up has a shorter menu than its fellow street food purveyors (originally only one item), but that is no reflection on the quality of what they serve. The barbecued pulled (organic and hormone-free) pork sandwich ($6) is scary in size and orgasmic in taste. Forget grabbing one for the drive home, this is a definite two-fister, made even larger by the fresh, crunchy coleslaw that gets heaped on every bun. Plus there are the pork ribs ($2 each)—large, meaty and selling out fast. For an extra $3, try the homemade iced tea; the sweetness is in perfect balance with the tangy pork and crunchy slaw. Hornby and Georgia | Monday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Granville and West Broadway | Monday-Sat, 11:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. www.reupbbq.com
Eli’s Serious Sausage It’s ironic that one of the newest—and most delicious—carts to open up is, technically speaking, a hot dog vendor, but, truly, the classification would be a “serious” misnomer. Let’s start with the bread. It’s a toasted artisan caraway seed bun, baked daily, with amazing chewiness and a fabulous crust. As for the sausages, these are none other than D-Originals, hand-stuffed by a fifth-generation German sausage maker who uses the freshest hormone-free and free-run porkers he can find. The sausages ($6 each) are steamed on-site, then grilled before your eyes, and are bursting with saliva-inducing juiciness and incredible flavour. Bratwurst topped with a sweet red pepper relish took me back to my Iron Curtain homeland, while a Greek variety, made with feta and topped with tsatziki, was good enough to come back for—several times. And don’t forget the knishes ($2 each) from a local Jewish deli. Dunsmuir and Beatty | Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.4:30 p.m. | www.twitter.com/eateli
DRESSED UP & READY TO GO!
For dinner out, a family gathering, home parties or kicking back at the cabin, Tinhorn Creek has the wines for the occasion. Our vineyards are located on two unique and diverse south Okanagan sites: the Golden Mile and the Black Sage bench. Our ability to blend the grapes from these vineyards and capture the best characteristics of each site sets us apart. Visit our spectacular estate winery in Oliver, BC and experience for yourself.
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liquid assets —by Larry Arnold SPARKLING WINE Berso Wine Party Frizzante Italy $14.00-16.00 So it’s not made from Prosecco but who really cares? It’s soft, fizzy and very fresh and very Italian, with subtle citrus and floral aromas and a clean gentle finish. Gosset Grande Reserve Brut NV Champagne $70.00-75.00 A real stunner and long a personal favourite, the Grande Reserve is a blend of three vintages comprising Chardonnay (46%), Pinot Noir (39%) and Pinot Meunier (15%) with a liberal splash of reserve wines (15%) thrown in for good measure. One of the very few Champagne not to be put through malolactic fermentation, this delicious sparkler is creamy with a yeasty-citrus bouquet and a lovely balanced finish! Top-notch!
WHITE WINE Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling 2008 Washington $15.00-17.00 Call it luminous perhaps even ethereal, call it what you will but I for one call it one heck of a deal! The nose has great depth with heady floral and peach aromas. Off dry with brilliant fruit flavours and a touch of stony minerality to wrap it all up! Yeow. Teruzzi & Puthod Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2009 Italy $23.00-25.00 This elegant little white is pale yellow with light floral and apple notes on the nose, good fruit on the palate, and a respectable amount of complexity in the finish. What more can one ask of a squeezed grape? Reichstrat Von Buhl Armand Riesling Kabinett 09 Germany $23.00-25.00 This racy Riesling from the Pfalz will take your breath away. On paper it looks kind of puny; an off-dry, low alcohol German Riesling! What more need be said, but in the glass this little Kabinett is anything but. The nose delivers a one-two punch of fruit and petrol that blitzkrieg their way through the palate and long finish. Slightly viscous with great fruit flavours and a jolt of mouth-watering acidity that really gets the juices flowing. Very highly recommended.
RED WINE
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Katnook Founder’s Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Australia $21.00-23.00 Located in the heart of the Coonawarra, an area equally famed for its prime Terra Rossa soils and the Cabernet Sauvignon that thrives upon it, this wine does not disappoint. Somewhat light-bodied but most assuredly full-flavoured with attractive cassis and eucalyptus flavours, soft tannins and generous length. Orofino Vineyards Pinot Noir 2008 Similkameen Valley $32.00-35.00 Sitting on six acres of prime real estate on the outskirts of beautiful downtown Cawston, hub of the Similkameen Valley, Orofino is a winery to watch in the ever-expanding wine world that British Columbia has become. Across the spectrum their wines are well made and very drinkable. This elegant young pinot was a refreshing surprise at a resent tasting. Nicely balanced, with ripe cherry, earth and spice flavours, a soft silky texture and a blush of fine-grained tannins. Very highly recommended. Luis Felipe Edwards Carmenere 2009 Chile $14.00-15.00 Carmenere has found a home in the high-altitude vineyards of Chile. The warm sunny days and cool clear evenings of the Chilean summer have conspired to make this French transplant a star with wine lovers across the planet. Generous and fleshy, with blackcurrant, cherry and spice flavours and a patina of fine-grained tannins. Not bad for under fifteen bucks. Domaine Gayda Three Winds Syrah 2008 France $15.00-16.00 Domaine Gayda is a new state of the art winery located in the foothills of the Pyrenees, 25 km southwest of Carcassonne in the Languedoc region of France. It is very aromatic with a smoky berry fruit, spice and dusty mineral bouquet. Medium to full bodied with generous fruit flavours, soft tannins and subtle oak nuances. Azienda Virna Borgogno Nebbiolo d’Alba 2007 Italy $32.00-35.00 If you like Barolo then you will like this Nebbiolo. When first opened the wine was lean with the heft of gripping tannins and high acidity, an hour in the decanter and you would not even recognize it as coming from the same bottle! Mon Dieu, it is one of the great mysteries of fine wine. Medium-bodied with nuances of strawberries, tar and violets on the nose. Slightly oily on the palate but very dry, with subtle floral flavours and a pronounced earthy fecundity that fades gently through the long, firm finish. Wente Charles Wetmore Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 California $32.00-35.00 Aged for 20 months in an assortment of oak barrels, this lush California Cabernet is redolent with black cherry, chocolate and spice aromas. Medium to full bodied with a supple texture, good weight, concentrated fruit flavours and a long silky smooth finish. Delicious.
www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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beer at the table —by Adem Tepedelen
com
RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT, BARLEY WINE, DOPPELBOCK These bold and hefty, seasonal beers are a perfect match for end course at dinner.
Before we had the many amazing flavour profiles available to us in the ever-growing number of styles of craft beer out there, the idea of ending a multi-course meal with a beer would have been fairly absurd. After all, not many foods, other than maybe a hot dog or pizza pair particularly well with a watery pale lager, the predominant North American beer style for many decades. And a tin of lager certainly wouldn’t befit the conclusion of well-prepared haute cuisine. Ah, how things have changed. Where wine (or some grape-derived variation, such as port, sherry or cognac) has traditionally been the go-to beverage for desserts, cheese courses or just post-prandial sipping, there are several widely available beer styles—including numerous examples made by local breweries—that actually pair equally well, if not better, in many instances. These are big, higher-alcohol beers (typically in the 8%-11+% ABV range) that serve a different purpose than simply refreshing you on a hot day. Many of these are, in fact, released in the cooler winter months and are more about warming your insides than, say, quenching your thirst. “In winter time people tend to be inside more and they want bigger, heavier beers,” notes Howe Sound head brewer, Franco Corno. Though Howe Sound makes a full array of beers, its late-winter seasonal, Pothole Filler, an “inky black” Russian Imperial Stout, has proven to be a very popular release during the equally dark months of the year. The Russian Imperial Stout style originated in England in the 1800s and was brewed extra strong to withstand the travel to Russia. Corno describes it as, “even darker than a typical stout and we want [ours] to have a big roastiness to it and big body to it. It won’t be sweet like our oatmeal stout, but we don’t want to make it too dry like a typical Irish stout either, so it’s kind of in between.” Stylistically cool-month releases such as Russian Imperial Stouts, Barleywines and Doppelbocks only really have on thing in common: a high alcohol level. Though they’re all made with the same basic ingredients—water, barley, yeast and hops—the “recipes” differ
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in such ways as to create distinct styles that each offer unique sipping experiences (and flavour profiles). Here’s a more detailed description of each, along with some pairing suggestions. Russian Imperial Stout: Think of this as a much brawnier version of typical stout. The “imperial” part of name, basically indicates that it has higher alcohol content, and most of these will be close to 10% ABV, with modest carbonation. They emphasize the wonderful rich flavours of dark roasted malts, such as coffee, chocolate and a touch of smoke. Some are aged in bourbon barrels to add vanilla notes, as well. Hops is typically in the background and there may be a bit of residual sweetness. Serve in a snifter at 55° F with chocolate desserts (especially those with a berry component) for a truly great combination. Also terrific on its own, in lieu of a cup of coffee or espresso drink. Suggested local versions: Phillips The Hammer, Driftwood Singularity (out in late January), Howe Sound Pothole Filler (out in March). Barleywine: As the name indicates, these are nearly wine-strength (usually 10% ABV), though they are, in fact, beers. You won’t necessarily see it indicated on the beer’s label, but there are two predominant kinds of barleywines: English style, which has a sweeter, maltier profile and West Coast style, which has a huge swack of aromatic hops and a lot more bitterness. Both pair incredibly well with strong cheeses such as blue, sharp cheddar, gorgonzola and limburger. Serve in a snifter at 55° F and enjoy the complex flavours that range from sweet macerated fruits to burnt caramel, toffee and candied nuts. As for desserts, consider those that aren’t super-sweet such as cheesecake, flourless almond cake, dried figs, shortbread, dark chocolate or gingerbread. Or just savour the mutli-layered aromas and sip it like a fine cognac. Suggested local versions: Phillips Deadhead, Driftwood Old Cellar Dwellar, Central City Thor’s Hammer, which won Beer of the Year at the 2010 Canadian Brewing Awards last October. Doppelbock: These tend to be slightly lower in alcohol (and more beer-like) than the above two styles (which are ales), but they also share many characteristics. The bock style is, in fact, a dark lager, so the flavours created by the yeast and the conditioning process are different than ales. What’s similar is the higher alcohol (typically 8+% ABV) and the rich, sweet malty flavours. Again, they pair remarkably well with cheeses, particularly buttery ones like brie, gouda and havarti, but also earthier ones like camembert and fontina. As for desserts, anything with chocolate and/or nuts (on the not-super-sweet side) pairs well with the style’s round, robust malt profile. Suggested local versions: Phillips Instigator, Tree Captivator.
IN THE HOUSE
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Hester Creek Reserve Cabernet Franc 2007 40 year old vines, some of the oldest in the Okanagan, are used in this bottling, opening with aromas of cherries, raspberries and cedar smoke. The palate is full and smooth, with notes of anise, vanilla, savoury cherry, and earthy rusticity. A lingering spice on the finish is welcome. This would make a nice bottle with herbed Salt Spring lamb chop or spiced bison sausages. —TR Road 13 Vineyards Viognier Riesling Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Mouth filling and voluptuous Viognier (61%) is lifted with the acidity of Riesling (30%) and the fruity refreshment of the Sauvignon Blanc (9%). Big ripe peach and grapefruit aromas lead to a juicy and full palate of exotic spice, orange, sweet stone fruit and tropical flavours. Bright acid persists, even though buffered by the oily Viognier. Try this with Asian or Indian themed fare. Macadamia chicken with orange-ginger sauce would rock.—TR
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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
Therapy Vineyards Super Ego 2007 Opaque in the glass, the nose is big black fruit and smoke, with punchy flavours of plum, blackcurants, bramble, vanilla, anise and cassis. Decant it today with warming venison or bison, but if you can check your Superego for a couple of years and wait for the elements to marry you’ll be rewarded.—TR
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Take crème de cacao, dark rum, espresso and house-made chai syrup and you have a winning combo for Lure’s senior bartender Dirk VanderWal. Popular TV personality Kevin Brauch, yes, the “Thirsty Traveler,” was in charge of the mic and the floor for the second annual Best Bartender in the Pacific Northwest Competition. Though the battle for the title (part of October’s Art of the Cocktail event at Victoria’s Crystal Garden) was open to any bartender willing and able to compete, this year all competitors hailed from Victoria. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Bars like Clive’s and Veneto, distillers like Victoria Spirits and Maxwell James, and top-tier talent like Art of the Cocktail “Chairman of the Bar” Shawn Soole et al, have secured little Vic on the cocktail circuit. As a judge, I had a bird’s eye view of the competition. This wine girl was out of her element alongside respected cocktail professionals like Ted Haigh (Dr. Cocktail), Joanne Sasvari (Vancouver-based cocktail and lifestyle writer) and Elayne Duke (head mixologist for global beverage company Diageo). The competitors started a few hours before I arrived, with a lengthy written test on spirits, cocktails and mixology history, followed by a blind spirits tasting. Then it was show time for the seven competitors, crafting their cocktail in front of the judges and the audience under a strict time limit of seven minutes. The theme ingredient this year was coffee—a difficult element to work with when creating a unique and balanced drink. The competition details (flames, flowers, fist pumps) are too many to list here, but in the end, Lure’s senior bartender Dirk VanderWal was crowned victorious and awarded the coveted Sooley Cup, a $250 prize and bragging rights as Best in the Pac Northwest. Bartending has become an art form, and it quickly became obvious that VanderWal, a longtime Delta Ocean Pointe Resort employee, has a knack for the arts. A background in graphic design, music and photography lends itself well to creating winning cocktails it seems—both to the eye and palate. Take that talent, marry it with a keen interest in classic craft cocktails, and you’ve the makings for success. His drink, Chaltai, was inspired by his preferred birthday cake—a chocolate chai cake (from
Dirk VanderWal Lure
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Missing - Nadia Hobbs, Fairmont Empress, Vincent Vanderheide, Canoe Brewpub
Starbucks, no less, and itself intrinsically Pacific NW). Chaltai is a Hindi slang word that means “it works” or “it's all good,” a nice nod to the east-meets-west nature of the drink, along with an allusion to the word chai. I chatted up VanderWal—a very busy father of a newborn and a toddler—shortly after the big win. Humble and modest, here is his take on … …the competition: “In my view, it was a more comprehensive competition than the usual mix-off. Competitors had to demonstrate technical knowledge, historical knowledge and theory in the written test, work our palates in the blind spirit tasting, and then exhibit our drink-making skills behind the bar while alternately romancing our creations to the judges and making witty banter with our ever-charming emcee, Kevin Brauch.” …the Victoria-centric players: “I was a little surprised that only Victoria-based bartenders signed up. There were a number of very talented mixologists from all over the region at the festival. But Victoria has an amazing and inspiring cocktail scene going right now, so in a way, it was nice to be exclusive. And the level of talent among the other competitors could not have been higher. My goal going in was just to do my best and take the opportunity to rub shoulders with the best bartenders in the city; I really had no expectation of winning. So, when my name was announced, it was truly a surprise.” …the inspiration for the drink: “This drink highlights the east-meets-west multiculturalism of the Pacific Northwest and simultaneously gives a nod to our location at the epicentre of North American coffee culture.” …his final thoughts: “I’d like to thank the fantastic team at Lure for their support, the entire team that made the Art of the Cocktail festival such a fun and informative event, and EAT magazine for putting on the competition.” Find Dirk’s Chaltai at EATmagazine.ca/drink
www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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wine + terroir —by Michaela Morris and Michelle Bouffard
chefs
LATE BLOOMER
“What that gou
Whether you call it Grenache, Garnacha or Cannonau, this grape is gracious, generous and finally getting the attention it deserves.
Widely beloved grape varieties like Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon constantly get the spotlight. Merlot has certainly had its day in the sun and Syrah is still the flavour du jour. Even Malbec, a more recent phenomenon, gets its fair share of attention. But what about Grenache? “What about who?” you might ask. Despite being one of the world’s most planted reds, Grenache still flies very much under the radar. Though not shy in character, Grenache has never taken centre stage. Instead it hides behind appellation names like Côtes-du-Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. These two wine regions are well-known and loved by consumers, yet most wine drinkers don’t realize that Grenache is the grape responsible for them. You may be in love with someone without even realizing it. At the world’s first Grenache Symposium last July, the grape was dubbed “the girl next door.” She is always nearby but at first you don’t pay attention to her. Warm, welcoming and comfortable to be around, you soon discover her charms. Grenache may not be a super model, but she’s no simple farm girl either. Whether sparkling, rosé, fortified and sweet or a still dry red, you can always count on Grenache for lush, voluptuous flavours of pure raspberries. Grenache is happiest in the Mediterranean where it is dry, hot and sunny. A grape after our own hearts! It has no problem surviving arid conditions and requires long warm summers to fully ripen and express the appealing aromas and flavours it is capable of. Grenache is very popular in France, thriving particularly in the southern Rhône region and the main ingredient responsible for the internationally acclaimed wines of Châteauneuf-duPape. Here, Grenache typically dominates but can be blended with up to 12 different grapes. Syrah and Mourvèdre are usually its main partners of choice and they can add a masculine side to the wine. Expect a fuller and more robust expression of Grenache bursting with garrigue (wild sun-baked herbs) and raspberries—a great match with roasted pork and turkey. For a less expensive and lighter version, opt for a Côtes-du-Rhône or Gigondas. They offer a similar blend as well as plenty of great deals. In the southern France regions of Languedoc and Roussillon, Grenache has been deemed a cépage améliorateur or improving variety. Indeed, along with Syrah and Mourvèdre, it has been recommended and utilized to improve the overall quality of the regions’ wine. Wellpriced with plenty of character, if slightly more rustic, these wines offer fantastic value. Try making a cassoulet; it’s the perfect match. Grenache from Roussillon will also satisfy your sweet tooth. It plays the starring role in Banyuls, a fortified wine very similar to port but with extra charm. Chocolate, cassis and violet notes make Banyuls our favourite partner with intense chocolate cake. Grenache’s lot in neighbouring Spain is a different story. Known as Garnacha, it was long considered little better than a weed and was relegated to making plonk. Hardly the place for the grape’s attributes to shine. A combination of financial aid from the EU and a new generation of winemakers is changing that. Producers such as René Barbier and Alvaro Palacios have recognized the value of those beautiful old bush vines and have brought them back to life. The region of Priorat is now the reference point for Garnacha in Spain and our neglected waif has a new lease on life. Brawny and powerful, it is a force to be reckoned with (so are the prices but they can be worth it), demanding something fuller like grilled red meat to stand up to it. Priorat’s success has influenced other regions throughout Spain to follow in its footsteps. It has also pushed established regions to reach new heights, such as Rioja and Navarra where the style is friendlier and immediately drinkable. Perhaps the grape’s most affable expression though is as a dry rosado. Full, fruity, bold and sassy, it can be the life of the party, especially when tapas are being served. If you’re really lucky, you might even find a sparkling rosé from the region of Cataluña. Grenache’s reach in Europe spreads all the way to Italy. Hundreds of years ago, when the island of Sardinia was under the Aragon rule, Grenache was planted all over the island. Once again, it went by a different name: Cannonau. Along with the new moniker, Grenache also adopted a wilder side. Earthy, rustic and potent, this Sardinian incarnation is perhaps a cross between southern France and Spanish examples. Grilled herb notes are definitely pronounced, a classic with the island’s local suckling pig. Far from being a homebody, Grenache is a successful globetrotter and has ventured outside Europe, finding hospitable new homes in various New World regions. Brought over to
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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
Australia more than a hundred years ago, Grenache has long been responsible for many of that country’s stunning and lusciously sweet fortified wines. Back in the 1960s, it was Australia’s most planted grape. Since then, changes in trends have seen it superseded by Shiraz and more recently by our well-known friend Cabernet Sauvignon. Luckily there is a handful of Aussie producers who have fallen for the grape’s winsome ways and championed its cause. Yalumba’s 100 percent Grenache made from treasured old bush vine is a fantastic example of Grenache’s potential. The popular Rhône combination of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre has also inspired many Australian winemakers. Delicious examples hail from the warm climes of McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley where they are typically labelled GSM. Whether you call it Grenache, Garnacha or Cannonau, it is a grape for all seasons. Served with a winter stew, it is guaranteed to warm you. Equally comfortable at an outdoor barbecue, when outfitted in pink, it will slake a thirst in the summer heat. In all of the grape’s guises, it is gracious and generous and finally getting the attention it deserves. The girl next door is growing up to be a fashionable, head-turning woman. 2009 La Vieille Ferme, Côtes du Ventoux AOC Rosé, France $14.00-$16.00 (#559393) OK, so there is more Cinsault than Grenache in this, but at 40 percent the Grenache still plays an important role. Bright, refreshing and dry with flavours of orange peel and pink grapefruit, it will add a bit of sunshine to the winter months. 2008 Bishop’s Sélection, Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC, France $14.00-$16.00 (#881664) A very affordable and easy-to-drink Côtes du Rhône offering ripe berries and spice notes. The perfect roast chicken wine. 2007 Baron Louis, “Château de Montfaucon,” Côtes-du-Rhône AOC, France $27.00-$30.00 (#453261) Here Grenache gets a little help from many of its friends; Cinsault, Syrah, Carignan, Counoise and Mourvèdre all play a supporting role. The result is a stellar Côtes-du-Rhône with lovely strawberry and raspberry aromas and flavours as well as a great structure. 2006 Domaine Paul Autard, Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC, France $50.00-$55.00 (#874057) This Grenache-dominated Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a real head-turner. Wild dark berries, garrigue and lifted peppery notes with a touch of Syrah adding complexity and backbone. Definitely a food wine. 2005 Les Clos de Paulilles, ‘Rimage,’ Banyuls AOC, France $38.00-$42.00* Appealing chocolate and cocoa aromas. Very port-like but a grilled herb component adds intrigue. If you are wondering what to serve with your decadent chocolate dessert, look no further. A great price for a full bottle of Banyuls. 2006 Palacios Remondo, ‘La Montesa,’ Rioja DOCa, Spain $30..00-$33.00 (#921627) (55 percent Garnacha, 40 percent Tempranillo, 5 percent Mazuelo) A modern style of Rioja. Pronounced vanilla notes are complemented by fresh wild cherries, strawberries and raspberries. Well made and ready to drink. 2007 Yalumba, ‘Bush Vine’ Grenache, Barossa Valley, Australia $25-$28.00 ( #531228) A testament to Australia’s success with Grenache. Precise, focussed and juicy. Think pure fresh crushed raspberries. This savoury, food-friendly gem offers excellent value for the money. 2007 Argiolas, ‘Costera,’ Sardegna DOC, Italy $26.00-28.00 (#45791) A long-time favourite and the best vintage we’ve had to date. Seductive floral notes of violet with blackcurrant, red plum and wild herbs. Very slight rusticity adds charm. The Sardinians would enjoy this with suckling pig; we would settle for a succulent pork roast. 2009 Castillo de Monseran, Cariñena DO, Spain $10,00-$12.00 (#197806) Always a good value for everyday quaffing. Shows the fruity, fun-loving side of Garnacha. 2006 Langmeil, ‘Three Gardens,’ Barossa Valley, Australia $25.00-$28.00 (#640821) Australia’s liberal interpretation of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this “GSM” blend is actually dominated by Shiraz, with a healthy portion of Grenache and a smaller dose of Mourvèdre. Full- bodied and fully fruited: ripe blackberry and cherry, chocolate and a hint o’ mint. Hello little lamb! *Available at private wine stores only. Prices may vary.
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chefs talk— compiled by Ceara Lornie The Ask “What local ingredient gives a home-cooked meal that gourmet flourish?” Bill Jones Deerholme Farm 250.748.7450 This is really a tough question as there are so many excellent local ingredients. If money were no object I would pick the balsamic vinegar from Venturi Shulze. It is magic on a salad of local greens, or lightly drizzled on steamed or grilled vegetables. At the other end of the cost spectrum, I'm currently enamoured with the local sea salt from Vancouver Island Salt company.
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Matt Rissling The Marina Restaurant 250.598.8555 The first thing that pops into my mind would be the use of local flowers and herbs for garnish. Any garnish at all adds that finishing touch many of us see when dining out. Educate yourself on what to look for, and you'll start seeing edible flowers just about everywhere. Calendula, violets and winter pansies tend to hang around our gardens through much of the winter and cut sprigs of rosemary with their blue flowers is a good choice too. Peter De Bruyn The Strathcona Hotel 250.383.7137 Candy cane beets! Rub them with sea salt and olive oil, wrap in tin foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. When they are done, the skin should be easy to peel off and you have beautiful looking candy cane beets. The salt actually cures right into the beet so you don’t lose the salty flavor. I like to add crumbled goat cheese with crushed roasted pecan pieces. For a sweeter taste, use candied pecans. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and serve with wedges of your favorite rustic bread. Ken Hueston Smoken’ Bones Cookshack 250.391.6328 This time of the year I get excited about the wild edible mushrooms Vancouver Island has to offer. Whether its lobster, pine, chanterelle or bolete mushrooms every dish seems to upgraded with a handful of this island bounty! Ben Peterson Heron Rock Bistro 250.383.1545 Fresh herbs picked out of your own garden! Anna Hunt Paprika Bistro 250.592.7424 I would have to say fresh herbs. Finishing a dish with fresh herbs can instantly brighten it both in appearance and flavour. A large pinch of chives, parsley, cilantro or dill at the last second can really liven up a pasta, soup or almost any other kitchen creation. Christabel Padmore The Little Piggy 250.483.4171 We're always excited about local mushrooms. It's very satisfying to spruce up our dinner with easy to find chanterelles, or lobster mushrooms. It's best when you collect them yourself and they're free! Hiking through the forest is also exercise, so you can justify the cream and butter that tastes so good with the mushrooms.
Locally Owned and Operated.
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Ken Nakano The Fairmont Empress250.384.8111 I like using fruits and some of my preserves to give our Sunday dinners a special gourmet extravagance. For example, braised pork cheeks with caramelized apple and hazelnut sauce. Or roasted cylinder beets with blackberry vinaigrette
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Edward Tuson EdGe 778.425.3343 Local wild mushrooms! Because they are exotic but local…and there are oh so many varieties.
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Matt Thompson Bistro Caché 250.652.5044 For that, "gourmet flourish," at home good stocks are the foundation. We make brown stocks from island grass-fed beef from the Baird brothers, and Cowichan Bay Farm ducks. Kildara Farm chickens, fish bones and trim, and local vegetables provide a lighter base for other dishes. Good, fresh, local products make all the difference as many dishes can only be as good as the ingredients in the stock. I was taught that a stock should not be made from anything we wouldn't eat, no peels, dirt, or rotten bits.
Vote for your favourite Vancouver Island Winery, Cidery, Brewery or Liquor Retailer, for a chance to win a Private Wine Tasting from Cascadia Liquor.
Alberto Pozzolo The Italian Bakery/ La Piola 250.388.4557 Wild mushrooms, specifically porcinis (Boletus Edulis), add gourmet flourish to a home-cooked meal. We get local mushrooms through our own forages and local pickers and dried mushrooms through gourmet food stores. Untamed Feast provides us with supreme dried mushrooms which are locally picked and dried to the highest standard, a rarity even in Europe these days. I use local wild dried mushrooms in soups, on pizza, in pasta sauces, and my favourite, risotto.
Quadra Village (across from Fairway Market) 250.590.1940 Colwood Private Liquor Store (Corner of Sooke Rd & Kelly Rd) 250.478.1303
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Outstanding Service. Exciting Product Selection. Great Pricing.
www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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VALENTINE’S DAY
DARK CHOCOLATE FONDUE Each issue, our online DRINK editor, Treve Ring, will be asking local wine experts how they would approach pairing certain dishes with wines. This time we tackle dark chocolate fondue. This cool winter weather calls for hunkering down and heating up with deep, dark chocolate fondue with all the fixings. It might also be just the thing for a certain day in mid-February named for an obscure Italian saint. OUR EXPERTS: Kurtis Kolt (KK) Kurtis Kolt is a B.C.-based wine director, competition judge, consultant, speaker and writer who was awarded the Sommelier of the Year Award at the 2010 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival for his work at Vancouver’s Salt Tasting Room. Sharon McLean (SM) Sharon McLean is a certified sommelier (through International Sommelier Guild), libations writer for Boulevard magazine and the instructor of Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) courses on Vancouver Island for the International Culinary School. Samantha Rahn (SR) Samantha Rahn is the wine director at Araxi in Whistler, where she has been looking after their award-winning cellar since 2007.
Classic Dish: Dark Chocolate Fondue NEW WORLD KK – I’d head down to Argentina for a Malbec that offers some of those wonderfully dark and dusty cocoa notes, along with typical flavours of baking spices like clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and anise. OLD WORLD SM – Banyuls, a Grenache-based lightly fortified wine from the Roussillon region in the South of France, is my choice. Dark chocolate fondue is no shrinking violet and needs a powerful wine to stand up to it. Banyuls, with its full body and powerful notes of dried cherries, strawberries, figs, caramel and nuts, is up to the job. DRY WINE SR – I am definitely rediscovering great California Zinfandels (especially rich, sunny Zins from Paso Robles), and they can have a nice affinity for dark chocolate, especially when you dunk some delicious fruits, or my favourite fondue dipper, banana bread, in it. What is your all-time favourite chocolate and wine pairing? KK – Specifically, I’ve always enjoyed Thomas Haas’ Chocolate Sparkle Cookies with the Gonzales Byass Nutty Solera Oloroso Sherry. I find the rich, chocolaty elements are enhanced by the toffee-coated hazelnut notes of the sherry and especially that lashing of a Bourbon-styled heat that is synonymous with Oloroso. SM – I prefer to eat my chocolate and drink my wine separately! Most chocolate dishes have an element of sweetness that often makes dry wines seem tart and tannic. While I can enjoy some sweeter wines, like port, Madeira or a sweeter sherry with chocolate, my preference is to let the chocolate take centre stage as the diva it is! SR – I am such a big fan of sweet wines, and the first person to convince my guests to explore them. My favourite chocolate dish to pair is Araxi pastry chef Aaron Health’s Chocolate Fondant, a version of the classic molten cake made with Valrhona chocolate. My number one pairing choice is Banyuls from Chapoutier. This vin doux naturel from southern France is magical with chocolate.
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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2011
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