Eat magazine november | december 2014

EAT Magazine November_Dec 2014_Victoria_48_Layout 1 10/30/14 12:01 PM Page 1

RESTAURANTS | RECIPES | WINES | FOOD | TRAVEL 速

Smart. Local. Delicious.

NOVEMBER | DECEMBER

shortbread Crust

CELEBRATING

15 YEARS OF GOOD FOOD & DRINK

l 2014 | Issue 18-06 | FREE | eatmagazine.ca

CRANBERRY- MERINGUE TART

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EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

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Smart. Local. Delicious.

DEPARTMENTS

GRE

AT FRIEND S

content

&

entertain

06 FROM THE EDITOR

g Food 07 CONCIERGE DESK

GR

Monthly calendar of events + festivals

09 Food Matters

E AT F O O D

Julie Pegg suggests canapés and boardgames to while away those long, winter evenings.

10 Good For You Five places that serve healthy breakfasts

12 Get Fresh

entertain

Rejoice. Blood Oranges are back on shelves

13 Coffee We take a look at Hey Happy

26 Our Daily Bread Victoria bakeries

g

with ease

Restaurants

14 Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . .

Meat and Bread, Part and Parcel, Wolf in the Fog, Perro Negro

A favourite whenever the holiday season is near, Thrifty Foods in-store party platter specialists will help you tempt the taste buds of your guests.

20 Eating Well For Less The Dutch Bakery, RAWthentic, Tumeric

25 Top 5 Breakfast sandwiches

g Recipes

View our selection of irresistible options at thriftyfoods.com/entertain

19 How-To Making westcoast-style eggs benny at home

34 Local Kitchen A main course turkey dish and a cranberry pie

g Wine

Try our online Reserve & Pickup Service for party platters and gift baskets.

You can place your order online, select your pickup time and you’re all set!

& Beer

38 Vincabulary Discover malbec wines

39 Beer & a Bite Brown Ale and farmhouse cheese - a perfect match

Order by phone at:

40 Wine + Terroir We pair cookbooks and wine

1.800.667.8280

42 Wine & Food Pairing This month: an Italian menu

43 Liquid Assets Ten wines to try

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top: Chef/owner Grant Gard and owner Anna Gard of Part and Parcel.

Travel

44 Portland’s Artisan Corridor

bottom: The jerk chicken sandwich at Meat and Bread.

A walking tour of Portland’s newest artisan producers

g

photos by R. Wellman

Please note that for online orders we require 48 hours notice and 24 hours notice for phone orders for our platters & trays.

Community

30 Life Giving: These groups are making a difference 45 The Buzz: Round-up of local news 46 What the Pros Know: Christmas parties

Customer Care 1 800 667 8280 • thriftyfoods.com www.eatmagazine.ca NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

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TWO RIVERS SPECIALTY MEATS DIRECT TO CONSUMER PROGRAM

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MEATS

Made in the USA. Oven, microwave and dishwasher safe.

Poppy now in stock! Open stock and sets available.

Meating

for people who love to cook www www.tworiversmeats.com .tworiversmeats.com 60 604.990.5288 4.990.5288 inf info@ o@tw tworiversmeats.com oriversmeats.com

Broadmead Village, 130-777 Royal Oak Drive, Victoria, BC www.pennakitchen.com, 250-727-2110, Info@pennakitchen.com

Open for Dinner Service

Tuesday through Saturday At 45 Bastion Square

starting at 5:30

Globally Inspired.

Local Flavour. @CamillesDining

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EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

Camille`s @ 45 Bastion Square Victoria, BC 250-381-3433 www.camillesrestaurant.com

CamillesAt45BastionSquare

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' "$*#) ČŽ# ' ($')

E AT FOUNDER & EDITOR Gary Hynes PUBLISHER Pacific Island Gourmet ASSISTANT EDITOR Colin Hynes CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Carolyn Bateman VANCOUVER CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Julie Pegg DRINK EDITOR Treve Ring SENIOR WINE WRITER Larry Arnold ART DIRECTION Gary Hynes COPYEDITORS Cynthia Annett, Jon Johnson REGIONAL REPORTERS Tofino | Ucluelet Jen Dart Vancouver Tim Pawsey Okanagan Jeannette Montgomery, Victoria Rebecca Baugniet | Cowichan Valley-Up Island Kirsten Tyler CONTRIBUTORS Larry Arnold, Joseph Blake, Michelle Bouffard, Holly Brooke, Adam Cantor, Cinda Chavich, John Crawford, Jennifer Danter, Pam Durkin, Gillie Easdon, Jeremy Ferguson, Colin Hynes, Jon Johnson, Sol Kaufman, Tracey Kusiewicz, Sophie MacKenzie, Sherri Martin, Jeannette Montgomery, Elizabeth Monk, Michaela Morris, Simon Nattrass, Elizabeth Nyland, Tim Pawsey, Julie Pegg, Treve Ring, Kaitlyn Rosenburg, Michael Tourigny, Sylvia, Weinstock, Rebecca Wellman.

Cover photography by Michael Tourigny

Since 1998 | EAT Magazine is published six times each year. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Although every effort is taken to ensure accuracy, Pacific Island Gourmet Publishing cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions that may occur. All opinions expressed in the articles are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the publisher. Pacific Island Gourmet reserves the right to refuse any advertisement. All rights reserved.

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OUR ETHICAL GUIDING PRINCIPALS 1. EAT has advertisers in our magazine and on our website; they are our primary source of income. Our company, Pacific Island Gourmet, employs a dedicated advertising team responsible for selling ad space in EAT and on EatMagazine.ca. The EAT editorial team does not accept money or other consideration from companies as a condition or incentive to write a review or story. All editorial content on EAT is based on the editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s discretion, not on the desire of any company, advertiser or PR firm. Occasionally EAT and EatMagazine.ca may publish sponsor content, which will be labelled.

2. EAT contributors are not allowed to ask for free meals or drinks. Anyone identifying themselves as being on assignment for EAT will be able to prove their employment.

HOW TO REACH EAT MAGAZINE ADVERTISING 250.384.9042, editor@eatmagazine.ca WEBSITE EatMagazine.ca MAILING ADDRESS Box 5225, Victoria, BC, V8R 6N4 TEL 250.384.9042 EMAIL editor@eatmagazine.ca PICK-UP THE MAGAZINE EAT is free and is delivered to over 300 pick-up locations in BC including Victoria & Vancouver, Vancouver Island. Visit our website for locations

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Editor’s Note: Happy Meals In a blink, 2014 is nearly over. Time to catch my breath and reflect on the year, and give thanks for the all the wonderful things that I’ve experienced this year. It’s also time to get into the festive mood, do more baking, relax with friends over cocktails and cook my favourite dishes.

It’s been a busy year. We launched our totally revamped website with a young team of new writers full of exciting and innovative ideas. I travelled to London, Paris, San Francisco and Toronto to check out their dining scenes. Everywhere I went, I found energy, highly accomplished cooking techniques, and super friendly service.

In Paris I wandered cobblestone streets soaking up the joie de vivre, the elegant Parisian culture, eating coq au vin in bustling bistros, drinking Champagne at outdoor cafés, and nibbling on jewel-like mille-feuille. I was introduced to New Modernist cuisine at David Toutain’s monochromatic dining room near Les Invalides with a leisurely, 9-course lunch

HAND-CRAFTED BREAD MADE WITH FRESHLY STONE-MILLED FLOUR AND ONLY CERTIFIED ORGANIC OR SUSTAINABLY GROWN LOCAL INGREDIENTS .

NATURALLY LEAVENED AND BAKED TO CRUSTY PERFECTION IN WOOD-FIRED BRICK OVENS.

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EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

of cerebral dishes, meticulously presented and suavely served. Dishes like black sesame mousse and smoked fish, and the dehydrated fennel sorbet astonished.

In Britain I found London in the throes of a culinary revolution. From exciting multicultural restaurants to extraordinary food products to a re-invention of Britain’s culinary traditions, London might well hold the crown as the new Capital of Food.

Renowned chef Heston Blumenthal’s Dinner by Heston was a revelation. It was luxurious yet comforting and unstuffy. The menu is based on early English recipes but refashioned for modern times. Possibly my best meal of the year (still a few weeks to go). Across town in Shoreditch at The Clove Club, a young kitchen crew cooked Cornish turbot with oak smoked roe; wild Yorkshire grouse with elderberry and golden turnip; and for dessert, an extraordinary Almalfi Lemon custard with Sarawak black pepper. We live in amazing times. I have a lot to be thankful for this year.

On behalf of all the staff at EAT, we are humbled by your support. EAT is an independent, wholly Vancouver Island-owned publication. In the year ahead, we’ll work hard to continue to create a great magazine experience for you. Have a wonderful holiday and please enjoy this issue. —Gary Hynes, Editor.

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CONCIERGE November

By Rebecca Baugniet

CULINARY TOUR OF CHINATOWN (Victoria) Join chef Heidi Fink as she takes you for a 2-1/2 hour walking tour through Victoria's historic Chinatown. This food-focused tour will help you navigate the rich and complex world of Asian cuisines. From Chinese sauces to Thai noodles, from unusual vegetables to a guided tasting of Chinese teas, you will learn everything you need (and more!) to help you get the most from Asian recipes and ingredients. Nov 2 and 16. Visit chefheidifink.com for more information.

CORNUCOPIA (Whistler) Celebrate the good things in life at Whistler's annual wine and food extravaganza, Nov 6-16, featuring gala wine tastings, seminars with industry professionals, renowned after-parties and much more. Cornucopia offers something for both the experienced gourmet and those seeking to appreciate the epicurean delights of wine and food. A full schedule of events are available on the website. whistlercornucopia.com OTTAVIO’S SWISS WEEK (Oak Bay) Celebrate Swiss Week at Ottavio’s Nov 6-10. There will be Swiss cheese samplings all week and discounts on all their Swiss cheeses for the week. Now is the season when the high alpine cheeses really shine, built on the fresh grasses & herbs in the spring & summer fields. Also, perhaps the best grilled cheese ever served for the week in the cafe with housemade ketchup. For more information, call 250-5924080.

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WINTERBRAU 2014 (Victoria) Saturday, November 8th at 1:00 – 5:00 PM. Winter brews from over 15 different Breweries including 4-Mile, Driftwood, Howe Sound, Hoyne, Lighthouse, Moon Under Water, Parallel 49, Phillips, Red Truck, Russell, Salt Spring Isle, Spinnakers, Swans,Tofino, Vancouver Island and Wolf. Unlimited snacks and tasters. Tickets are $50 and include admission, snacks, and winter tasters. canoebrewpub.com

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MUSE WINEMAKERS DINNER (Saanich) Muse Winery’s Annual Winemakers Dinner with Deep Cove Chalet Restaurant will take place Nov 8, with chef Pierre Koffel. Chef Koffel's creations are paired with Muse Wines. This location offers waterfront dining, fabulous French cuisine and Muse Wines. Seating is limited. $145 per person, taxes included. Muse will be offering safe driving options. musewinery.ca CLAYOQUOT OYSTER FESTIVAL (Tofino) The Clayoquot Oyster Festival is a memorable celebration of one of the ocean's most coveted culinary delights, the oyster. As a region, Clayoquot Sound is a great cultivator and consumer of this special bivalve, annually growing over 50,000 gallons of oysters a year and over the festival weekend slurping back over 8,000.

From Nov 14-15, the community of Tofino in beautiful Clayoquot Sound will go to great lengths to honour the humble oyster. oystergala.com OCEAN WISE CHOWDER CHOWDOWN 2014 (Vancouver) Join The Movement For Sustainable Seafood At Vancouver Aquarium’s 2014 Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown on Nov. 19. Top Ocean Wise chefs compete head-to-head in Calgary, Halifax, Toronto and Vancouver for the title of 2014 Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown Champion in each city. Taste all the delectable original chowders, paired with local craft beer, and vote for your favourite, all in support of sustainable seafood. All proceeds directly support Ocean Wise, a Vancouver Aquarium conservation program created to educate and empower consumers about the issues surrounding sustainable seafood. This is a 19+ event. All ticket sales are final. #ChowderChowdown vanaqua.org/chowdown 7TH ANNUAL WEST COAST CHRISTMAS SHOW (Abbotsford) This Nov 21-23, discover hundreds of exhibitors, products, and new holiday gift ideas not found in malls. For a different experience, complete your shopping in one swoop and take a break with a cheese seminar or festival cooking and baking presentations by Food Network Canada's Anna Olson. westcoastchristmasshow.com

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EAT SPECIAL PROMOTION

Thug Kitchen The Official Cookbook: Eat Like You Give a F*ck by the Thug Kitchen Crew

T

December

ired of cookbooks full of overly expensive and complicated recipes that make healthy, real-food eating seem like a totally unattainable chore? If you’re not afraid to try something with a little attitude, and a bad word or two thrown in for good measure, check out Thug Kitchen, the official cookbook of the wildly popular, Los Angeles based website.

FRESH AND HEALTHY HOLIDAY COOKING CLASS (Victoria) The holidays can be a heavy time for our bodies. Prevention of this is the motivation behind this class on Dec 3 at Cook Culture. Chef Michael Williams (Shaw TV’s “Island Chef”) will focus on some nutritious snacks, sides and entrées that offer a lighter alternative to the usual holiday heavy. After this lesson you will have a repertoire that you can use not only use for Christmas dinner, but also as a go-to for many of the winter months. cookculture.com

You don’t have to look far to find the latest cookbook promot ing some supposedly new-found superfood that the author claims will cure all your ills if only you’ll drop everything else and eat just that. Sure, the premise sounds appealing, but who has the time (or the money, because let’s face it, this stuff is never cheap) to pursue every new thing? That conundrum is where Thug Kitchen found its footing. This crew of cooks set out to prove that healthy eating doesn’t have to be hard, and not only have they done it in an effective and delicious way, they’re done it with an attitude that you can’t help but be drawn in by. These recipes are easy, inexpensive, and absolutely delicious. If you’re not put off by a little foul language, there is some really exceptional food to be discovered in this book - snacks like creamy black bean and cilantro dip, and meals like roasted chickpea and broccoli burritos. You’ll be blown away by how truly effortless it is to kick the overly processed, nutritionally vacant fast food that has become such a staple of our timecrunched, money-strapped twenty-first century lifestyle and get into cooking things that are healthy, real, and won’t break the bank.

DEERHOLME TRUFFLE COOKING CLASS (Duncan) In this hands-on cooking class offered Dec 6, Bill Jones will present an overview of truffle types, seasons, products and availability and demonstrate recipes and techniques, including Truffle Hummus, Alfredo pasta with truffles and cheese, Terrine of truffles and turkey with sage and cranberry and more. $100 / person (plus tax). For reservations and questions call 250 748-7450.

These guys have a very real and very simple mission statement - ditch the junk, and care about what you eat. Whether you’re on side with the occasional swearing or not, eating right is something we can all relate to.

Thug Kitchen is available at Bolen Books for $29.95.

111-1644 Hillside Ave., Victoria www.bolen.bc.ca (250) 595-4232

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WSET LEVEL 1 FOUNDATION CERTIFICATE (Victoria) The WSET Level 1 Award in Wines course is an introductory course suited to those with a basic knowledge of wine as well as total beginners. There are no pre-requisites to take this course. The Level 1 course focuses on learning the art of wine tasting, pairing food and wine, and covers the characteristics of the major grape varieties. Learn about grape growing and winemaking, serving and cellaring wine, and receive an overview on local wines. Wine tastings included in this one-day course. Nov 22. www.finevintageltd.com

EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

BIG REDS AT BIG WHITE (Kelowna) Big White Ski Resort is pleased to announce the return of their annual premier wine tasting event. From single varietals to Bordeaux style blends, this event is designed to showcase all the amazing big reds from the Okanagan valley. Participants have the opportunity to sample the latest wine offerings from over 30 Okanagan wineries, all while enjoying delicious chef creations from the resort's fantastic restaurants. Dec 56. bigwhite.com

GIFTS FROM THE CHRISTMAS KITCHEN (Victoria) Give the gift of delicious homemade goodies in this make-it and take-it class at the London Chef. Make a festive spiced pear and cranberry chutney, a layered chocolate chunk cookie mix complete with baking instructions, and irresistible cinnamon and honey candied nuts. Then gather around the table to decorate your goodies with a selection of holiday ribbons and other festive craft supplies. Class costs $95 and is offered December 14. thelondonchef.com

ONGOING & UP AHEAD MOSS STREET WINTER MARKET (Victoria) November through April, every Saturday, 10am to noon, in the Garry Oak Room at the Sir James Douglas Elementary School in Fairfield. mossstreetmarket.com SUN PEAKS WINE & DINE (Okanagan) During the Sun Peaks Winter Okanagan Wine Festival, restaurants throughout the alpine village feature uniquely designed menus paired with British Columbian wines.

It is a wonderful way to be introduced to this unique festival. Sun Peaks Wine and Dine is held nightly and advance tickets are not required, however restaurant reservations are. Visit any participating restaurant (Bella Italia Ristorante, Cahilty Creek Bar & Grill, Mantles Restaurant, Masa’s Bar + Grill, Sun Peaks Lodge Steakhouse, Voyageur Bistro) to see their Wine and Dine menu and book your table! Jan 16-25 thewinefestivals.com THE 10TH ANNUAL OREGON TRUFFLE FESTIVAL (Eugene, Oregon, USA) The Oregon Truffle Festival has announced an expanded festival for 2015. Events will be held in Portland and surrounding wine country January 15 -18, and in and around Eugene, Oregon over three brisk winter days from January 23-25. Created to celebrate the magnificent Oregon truffles as they reach the peak of ripeness in their native soil, it is the first festival of its kind in North America, dedicated to sharing the experience of the chefs, foragers and fans of Oregon's wild truffles, from their hidden source in the forest to their glory on the table. oregontrufflefestival.com

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g FOOD MATTERS

By Julie Pegg

Game Night

Mad Men-era canapés and finger foods updated for a board game revival.

DURING A RECENT CONDO DECLUTTER, I unearthed battered, bruised and dusty board games, among them Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble and three Monopoly games— American and UK versions as well as The Beatles Collector’s Edition.

I could not bring myself to pitch them. I have dusted them off, checked that all pieces are present and am treasuring them anew. My husband is still a trivia whiz.

Scrabble remains my all-time favourite word game. And together we’ve discovered that destroying each other’s real estate investments with funny money can provoke a good-natured battle. (I never knew my easygoing fella could be so ruthless! The things you find out after 30 years.)

Racking the brain to make a word from nearly all consonants, or praying the roll of the dice will procure the coveted Park Place (or Mayfair or Abbey Road) can stir up quite an appetite.

A long-time friend and I had a good chortle over the retro canapés and other finger foods that used to lend themselves to an evening of cards or board games: the pimento-stuffed olives speared with toothpicks, the celery slathered with Cheez Whiz and those ubiquitous devilled meat canapés. Such frivolity led to fishing out my old Chatelaine and General Electric cookbooks (published circa 1965). In them, we found some fancy finger foods that could be move forward into 2015. All that’s needed is fresh market ingredients rather than tinned, bottled or frozen.

Topping the gourmet nibbles are oysters “braised” in butter, Worcestershire, lemon juice and cream. The recipe needs little change save shucking small fresh oysters instead of purchasing the large brine-packed sort, and a squeeze of fresh lemon instead of bottled. Lifted from its savoury bath, an oyster or two is gently placed on a buttered toast point. Seafood cocktail, courtesy a 2013 article by New York Times’ David Tanis, got a complete makeover. No bottled ketchup and horseradish for him (or us).

Rather, a simple salsa of charred tomatoes and jalapenos pulsed in a blender with a bit of salt and water adorns a mélange of fresh shrimp, mussels and clams. Chopped red onion and a lime are served separately.

A retro recipe for hot shrimp en pâté inspired me instead to make potted shrimp.

Cooked peeled baby shrimp are smothered with savoury clarified butter seasoned with white pepper, nutmeg, lemon juice and a touch of anchovy paste (optional), then packed in four-ounce mason jars or ramekins). Toast points are again a vehicle for the rich spread.

Folks tend to balk at making or eating steak tartare, that marvelous, tangy mixture of lean raw beef, anchovies, capers, Worcestershire and raw egg. With today’s access to right-from-the-farm eggs and a trusted butcher’s top-notch organic meat, there should be no problem. I, certainly, have never had one. I like to pile the mixture (I prefer the meat coarsely chopped) in a pretty glass bowl, sprinkle it with parsley and surround it with thin slices of white toast or rye bread. Chopped red onion and hardcooked egg are lovely accompaniments. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Bottled pimento-stuffed olives get the modern treatment with deli-sourced mixed olives roasted with lemon rind, pepperoncini and chilies. Cream cheese blended with bottled horseradish gives way to crème fraîche and grated fresh horseradish for a Danish canapé. A garnish of smoked salmon, chopped chives and slivered cucumber remains unchanged.

My university-going niece gave this article’s theme a nod of “cool,” then offered her vegan roommate’s “BLT” bites. Granary bread shaped into circles, stars and triangles via a cookie cutter is topped with tempeh bacon, a leaf of green and a cherry tomato, then run briefly under the broiler. Drizzled with honey vinegar and speared with a toothpick, they go down a treat with beer, even for pork devotees, on poker Thursdays.

What would an evening of cards and board games be without old-fashioned popcorn—not microwaved but a single layer of kernels tossed into a deep saucepan with oil and shaken over a hot stove (not ceramic-topped) ring until the morsels snap, puff up and practically pop out of the pot? Tart them up with truffle oil if you must, but a dousing of creamery butter and salt (OK—sea salt) works best. Because some things should never go out of date—just like a Monopoly and Scrabble.

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g GOOD FOR YOU

By Pam Durkin

Morning Stars

These five Victoria eateries take the most important meal of the day very seriously.

FOR YEARS, DIETITIANS—AND OUR MOTHERS—have urged us to start the day with “a good breakfast.” Now, a compelling and growing body of evidence suggests heeding this advice may be critical for maintaining good health. In the past two years alone, research has shown that those who eat breakfast regularly have a much lower risk of developing coronary disease, type-2 diabetes and infertility problems than those who forgo the morning meal. In addition, studies indicate skipping breakfast can lead to weight gain, crankiness and impaired scholastic/work performance.

Thankfully, our food-centric city offers us a delightful alternative: a variety of eateries to suit all budgets and time restraints where one can load up on healthenhancing breakfast fare guaranteed to please dietitians AND mom. Here are my “good-for-you” favourites.

Blue Fox Café Studies have shown both oats and almonds can help play a role in weight management and the prevention of heart disease and diabetes. That’s just one reason why I love the Fox’s Sundried Cranberry and Apple Porridge made with low-glycemic-index steel-cut oats topped with almonds and your choice of dairy or almond milk. Other healthy options here include the nutrient-dense Salish Omelette, chockful of omega-3-rich wild salmon and colourful veggies, and their salubrious Breakfast Salad, made with freshly cut fruit, yogurt and house-made steel-cut oat granola.

Clay Pigeon If you struggle to get the recommended five to nine servings of fresh produce each day, the Pigeon is a great place to start your day. I am completely enamoured, as a nutritionist and foodie, with their Kale Florentine. The dish contains braised kale, plus protein-rich free-run eggs and satiating baby red potatoes. Kale, like other members of the brassica family, contains glucosinolates—compounds proven to block the cancerforming process. Equally produce-heavy is the Pigeon’s scrumptious ratatouille—a health-enhancing blend of eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, arugula and goat cheese.

Down this powerhouse concoction for breakfast and you’ve almost met your daily requirement for vegetables!

The Village Featured on the Food Network Canada show You Gotta Eat Here, the Village offers up innovative, decidedly nutritious fare you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. While they do many things well, their egg dishes are particularly intriguing. An exemplary example is their Shakshouka—poached organic eggs served with a mouth-watering sauce of tomatoes, garlic and spinach on buttered rye toast. I also love the Mt. Doug Omelette, which features za’tar roasted butternut squash, yams, red onions and goat cheese. Having eggs for breakfast provides a multitude of health benefits—studies reveal the practice can help with weight maintenance and fat loss. That’s not surprising when you consider organic eggs contain almost every nutrient needed by the human body.

Mo:Lé Healthy choices abound at Mo:Lé, whether you’re vegan or paleo inclined. However, I tend to go veggie here, simply because I adore their Curried Tofu Scramble.

Deliciousness aside, the turmeric in curry has scientists gushing—it’s been shown to be beneficial for everything from Alzheimer’s to cancer and heart health. I am also a fan of the Red Pepper Polenta Cakes, served with free-range eggs and fruit salsa. Not only can the phenolic compounds in the corn, peppers and mangos help reduce your risk for cancer—the taste of this dish can turn a bad morning into something stellar.

Bubby’s Kitchen My eternal quest for truly healthy pancakes ended here. Bubby’s scrumptious Buttermilk Spelt Pancakes are fluffy orbs of sheer delight. Spelt—one of the world’s oldest grains—is loaded with tryptophan, an amino acid that helps produce serotonin, the body’s “feel good” hormone. You will also feel good chowing down on Bubby’s Mediterranean Tofu Scramble, which is replete with oleic-acid-rich kalamata olives.

Oleic acid has been linked to both heart health and a reduced risk for breast cancer. E

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Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on your plate this evening?

MODERN FINE DINING EAT WELL. HAVE FUN.

www. cavavictoria.com

250.590.7982

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g GET FRESH

By Sylvia Weinstock

Blood Oranges

This versatile fruit can swing both ways from savoury to sweet.

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BEAUTIFUL BLOOD ORANGES ARE UNIQUE FOR SEVERAL REASONS. They are the only citrus fruit that contains anthocyanin, the antioxidant flavonoid fruit pigment that makes blueberries blue and raspberries red. Anthocyanin tints the flesh of blood oranges in colours ranging from pale red to magenta, maroon, or even purple-black. Some varieties have orange flesh streaked with scarlet, and some have stunning orange rinds blushed with red. They are a richer source of antioxidants than any other type of orange due to their anthocyanin content. Their flavours are distinctively different than other oranges, with tangy red grapefruit, tart cherry or raspberry notes mingled with their orange tastes.

There are three common types of blood oranges. The Italian Tarocco is prized for its sweetness and tender flesh. The Spanish Sanguinello is sweet, fragrant and seedless. Although both varieties are grown in California, they aren’t widely available in B.C. They can be ordered from a farm in Perris, California through AlphonsoMango.com.

The California-grown Moro cultivar is sold in B.C. from late November through the winter. It is the most colourful blood orange, with tart-sweet flesh that can be vermillion, crimson or almost black, encased in a blushing rind as beautiful as a sunrise on a clear winter morning.

The Moro is difficult to peel. The best technique for releasing its juicy segments is to supreme the fruit, which entails cutting off the skin and pith, removing the seeds, and separating each flesh segment from its membranes by cutting between each membrane toward the center. For tarts, clafouti or garnishes, cut off the peel and pith and slice the orange into rounds across the membranes to display the exquisite red segments. For either method, begin by cutting a flat edge across the rind, so the fruit sits securely on the cutting board.

This versatile fruit can swing both ways from savoury to sweet. It is a delicious salad companion for fennel bulbs, olives, beets or winter greens, and makes snazzy marmalade and chutney. To make blood orange aioli for crab cakes, combine a cup of mayo, three tablespoons juice, a tablespoon of stone-ground mustard, a teaspoon of zest, two pressed garlic cloves, salt and pepper. For superb salsa, mix shallots, gingerroot, lime, chiles, avocado and chopped orange segments. Use them in radiant cakes, trifle, macarons and granita, or in delectable gastrique, sauces and glazes for fish, lamb, chicken and duck. Drink the flavourful juice on its own or in mojitos and margaritas.

Blood Orange Whole Fruit Fused Olive Oil, from Olive the Senses in the Hudson Public Market, is made by crushing olives with blood oranges when the oil is pressed, which produces a luscious, intensely flavourful oil. To make your own infused oil, place the rind from two blood oranges in a food processor with a cup of olive oil. Pulse until well blended. Allow to infuse at room temperature for an hour. Strain the oil through a fine mesh strainer and use immediately. E

Blood Orange and Duck Confit Winter Salad (Serves 4)

Open 364 days a year (except Christmas) Locally owned, 5 locations on Vancouver Island Langford • Uptown • Colwood • Quadra • Courtenay

cascadialiquor.com

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EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

4 blood oranges 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp fused or infused blood orange olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 6 ounce duck confit leg 6 cups winter salad greens ¼ cup toasted pecans or hazelnuts

Juice one orange. In a small bowl, whisk to combine vinegar, juice, mustard and oil. Whisk in salt and pepper.

Remove and discard the skin, fat and bones from the duck leg. Shred the meat. Supreme 3 oranges (see above).

In a large bowl, combine duck meat, salad greens, nuts and orange sections. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.

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g COFFEE

By Kaitlyn Rosenburg

Hey Happy A CURIOUS TREND HAS EMERGED IN VICTORIA; coffee shops named with the seventh letter of the alphabet in mind. Habit, Heist, and now Hey Happy Coffee have the H covered. Hey Happy’s smile inducing name has been 13 years in the making.

Back in 2001, owner Rob Kettner was fresh out of film school, touring his first project around the festival circuit, including a stop in his hometown of Winnipeg. “There was a film premiering at the festival called Hey, Happy and it was by a Winnipeg filmmaker named Noam Gonick,” says Kettner, who found the director hilariously entertaining and inspiring.

“At the film fest parties, he’d show up with his drag queen buddies and cause such a ruckus that they’d get kicked out.”

The film stuck with Kettner, who wrote to Rob Kettner shaking a coconut iced latte Gonick this year asking if Hey, Happy could become Hey Happy Coffee. Gonick was flattered and Hey Happy officially opened in mid-July.

Already, they’ve caught the attention of coffee lovers, offering single-cup service for every order. Customers can order off the day’s fresh sheet, a menu that rotates daily.

Hey Happy offers three roasters: Phil & Sebastian from Calgary, Heart from Portland and Ritual from San Francisco.

Each night, individual vials of beans are filled and weighed. Twenty-one grams of coffee for every 325 grams of water. When ordered, the beans are ground, weighed a second time, topped off with more grounds if needed, and then brewed using the Chemex pour over method.

“It’s exciting for me to show people another side of coffee. To be able to offer single-cup service and delicious and approachable drinks using fine coffee as the main ingredient, creating a bridge between coffee and the culinary world,” says Kettner.

While the single-cup service appeals to coffee purists, Hey Happy’s imaginative coffee interpretations have also sparked interest. A mint julep coffee cocktail, iced coconut milk latte and chilled bottled coffee flavoured with cherry cocktail syrup make the trusted vanilla latte seem lackluster.

“For those afraid of the coffee purity, we want to offer something delicious,” says Kettner, who’s replaced the bourbon in a mint julep with a shot of espresso. It’s served over hand-crushed ice with mint. The iced latte forgoes regular milk for coconut and almond, lightly blended with simple syrup and espresso (it’s already a staff favourite).

The bottled coffee is another labour of love, brewed in the same single-cup method; flash chilled, and then bottled onsite.

Even with the intricate brewing processes, Hey Happy dedicates their time to the overall experience. Whereas the typical coffee shop requires customers to line up, Hey Happy’s long coffee bar invites everyone to gather around. “We’re like bartenders back there,” says Kettner, “We come to you.”

“We’re not here to voluntarily educate people. We’re just here to give them wonderful coffee,” adds Kettner, who routinely blasts Michael Jackson and disco music while working. Communal seats, laptop and USB charging stations, and a selection of treats from local bakeries rounds out the atmosphere.

The experience seems to be clicking with customers, who haven’t felt the need to customize their own drinks. “It’s been extremely pleasing. We’ve gone through so little cream and sugar. A very willing and trusting crowd,” notes Kettner.

With future plans that include an expanded menu in collaboration with Relish and a new coffee cocktail every season, lower Johnson Street is about to become Victoria’s caffeine hub.

560 Johnson Street, 250-590-9680, heyhappycoffee.com

UE UNIQ FOR ES SPAC UPS R G O IZES LL S OF A

WE’RE HERE FOR THE GOOD TIMES TAKE YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY TO CANOE. BUFFET / LUNCH / DINNER / RECEPTION MENUS STARTING AT $22PP

450 swift street | victoria bc

canoebrewpub.com

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REPORTER

photo: Rebecca Wellman

Meat and Bread 721 Yates St. | www.meatandbread.ca | Lunch seems to be “the” meal right now in Victoria. From pulled pork, to burritos, to ramen, to gourmet burgers, there be much lunch bounty in the Garden City. Add to that the increasingly dense gaggle of food trucks across the capital, and you’ve got yourself a veritable cornucopia of lunch eateries. It’s a great time for foodies on the go, but a tough one for business owners.

If a new lunch spot is going to set up shop, it better stand out.

With its latest storefront on 721 Yates St., the bluntly named Meat & Bread does just that. With two extremely popular locations in Vancouver, the draw of Meat & Bread is one of well-executed simplicity. “We wanted to offer a better lunch to people than was being offered, but with better ingredients, that’s cooked by people that care,” co-owner and industry veteran Cord Jarvie tells me. Good food made fast—it’s a well-known concept that, truth be told, is rarely pulled off convincingly.

Instead of overwhelming customers with an overly complicated menu, you’ll find but three options for sandwiches: the Porchetta (their roasted pork) staple sandwich, available at every location), the Jerk Chicken (a menu item specific to Victoria) and a daily special (“to keep people coming back,” Jarvie tells me). “The idea behind each daily-special sandwich

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is that it’s like a multi-course meal that you would eat—maybe lamb, some potatoes, with green veg—all in a sandwich.”

Designed by Vancouver-based designer Craig Stanghetta, the space in the historic Churchill Building is one of communal elegance. An open-concept kitchen allows customers to watch meat lovingly carved and sandwiches carefully prepared. A large, simple menu greets those in line; a beautiful (and huge) communal wood table sits at centre. Stanghetta has done a brilliant job of making this potentially cavernous space feel welcoming, bright, full of character and, in general, a space you want to spend some time in. When asked the “why Victoria” question, the Churchill itself, Jarvie tells me, was a huge draw: “The buildings here are beautiful—we like to open spaces in heritage buildings. We like to be in a place with character.”

I sampled the Jerk Chicken, and what a sandwich it is. With bread locally sourced from the excellent Crust bakery, the ciabatta bun’s buttery crust gives way to a fluffy, delicate interior. The rich, tender and dark-ish Rossdown Farm-sourced chicken offered a pleasant balance of cilantro and lime, followed by a well-balanced bit of habanero heat. The semisweet mayonnaise mellowed out the habanero, while pickled

EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

onions added just a bit of tanginess and crunch. As I ate in a window seat—a lineup out the door behind me—my sandwich dripped like mad onto the elegant wood platter it came on, which is fantastic (there’s nothing worse than a dry sandwich).

Dignity be damned—there was very little sauce left on my plate.

(There’s a daily soup and a salad, too).

Island-sourced beers (currently, selections from Phillips and Hoyne), and wines (winery of the moment: Unsworth) tie the experience together and, talking to Jarvie I learned that a happy hour is just around the corner. (current opening hours are Monday – Saturday 11am – 5pm). The lineup was out the door during my visit, but don’t let the masses deter you: I was very impressed by how quickly the line moved along.

It’s rare to find a sandwich this good and this well-made for a quick lunch, and at $8 a sandwich, it’s impossible not to recommend. With reasonable prices, top-drawer ingredients and exciting daily options, it’s easy to imagine Meat & Bread as the newest bread-and-butter option for lunch in downtown Victoria. E BY JONATHAN JOHNSON

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Part and Parcel 2656 Quadra St. | 778-406-0888 | www.partandparcel.ca |

Rebecca Wellman

above: Fried duck egg, lamb bacon and bean salad According to Miriam-Webster online, “part and parcel” means: “an essential portion or element, integral part, a vital part of a larger entity.” How appropriate that Part and Parcel has settled in Quadra Village, expanding the repertoire of this diverse grassroots Victoria neighbourhood.

The room is bright, open and welcoming. Booths decked with colourful patterned cushions provide seating for long tables. Small blue and yellow metal chairs and slim, twisting black light fixtures give the space a pretty, yet industrial tone. Grant and Anna Gard, along with Sterling Grice, chose the name to mean “working together and collaboration,” in respect and acknowledgement of their suppliers, friends and the culinary community. The name is kind and thoughtful and suits the feel of the space and its owners.

I peruse the succinct menu, which offers a delicious range of light and richer lunch and dinner options. (It would be a lovely place for dinner, mind they close at 8pm, so head over earlier.

Corkage is available if you want to bring a bottle from the handy Cascadia across the way). I quickly arrive at my first choice— the salami, melon and chili salad (see eatmagazine.ca for Part and Parcel’s Melon Salad recipe). It is fantastic. The tender honeydew melon is from Square Root Farm in Saanichton and the fennel beef salami is from Choux Choux. The two co-mingle with the red chili and hot sauce, lemon and olive oil, the first of cook Matt Chamberlain and executive cook Grant Gard’s collaborations. The melee is unexpected, fresh, hot, savoury and beautifully balanced.

Sterling met Grant at Brasserie L’Ecole, where they worked together for five years. “I have wanted to collaborate with them for years,” shares Grice, as Grant and Anna smile in agreement.

Onto the Curried Lamb Ragu with Gnocchi. The pasta, nestled in the sweet meat, is not simply tender but mildly grilled, succulent. The curried lamb is subtly spiced with coriander, fennel, cumin, ginger and cilantro. It is finished with a dollop of labneh, a Middle Eastern soft cream cheese made by straining the whey out of thick yogurt.

Next, Andrea, my lifelong friend and excellent cook at Foo and I sample the Grilled Aged Cheddar and Roasted Beets Sandwich. It is comforting, simple and delicious. The beets are also from Square Root, the cheese an aged Balderson and the bread from Fry’s.

We finish with caneles, those small French pastries with their striated shape, caramelized outside and soft centre. They are exquisite and so small you will always have room for dessert. Made with vanilla and brandy, they’re satisfying in texture and flavour. The menu also lists one made with cardamom and rosewater. “We just want to make simple, fun and delicious food using great ingredients and making things by hand,” shares Grant. I believe him. E BY GILLIE EASDON

www.eatmagazine.ca NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

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Raised in rural Ontario and trained in Toronto, Chef - 0 * + $) ) / .+ 0 .+ $) - , + / * + . $ - + $ + % - + $ (* % ) . + / * - . % + restaurants. Norris always had an interest to be on the West Coast and seized the opportunity to be Executive Chef at The Beach Club Resort in Parksville on Vancouver Island. Cooking and living on the West Coast evolved $% +$) ) / . .+ (/ ./ * - +0 * , + / . + (' / * 0 ) + / ' $. $ Norris returned to Ontario to lead the innovative (' / * 0 ) + % - 0 + 0 % + $* , $+ 0 . + - (% / - + ! - + $* , $+ was a great venue for the cuisine I presented: refined, $* % - $) 0 ) + 0 * ,+ 0 ) - % + , ) / - * " 3+ . 0 . + $) ) / .+ $ + / .+ Mondo experience. However, the itch to live on the West Coast never went away and when the opportunity at Brentwood Bay Resort and Spa presented itself he $(' ,* % + .0 + * $+ + 0 , + 0 ' 0 . + - - * + 0 % % ) 0 % - , + % $+ % / . + ) $) % + 0 * ,+ / % + ,/ ,* % + % 0 - + ' $ * + % $+ 0 - + % - + , - / . / $* + % $+ ) - % () * + % $+ % - + .' 0 * , " 3 + . 0 . + $) ) / .+ + % + / .+ 0 * + /% /* + time at the Resort and it is exciting to be a part of this ,* 0 / +0 * ,+$) 0 ) ,+ % / * / * + % - 0 3

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Dining Room & Pub 16

EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

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Wolf in the Fog 150 Fourth St., Tofino | 250-725-9653 | wolfinthefog.com |

Shelroa Sheldan

Wolf in the Fog’s Rare Albacore Tuna with tomato, guanciale and espelette.

Opened by the crack team of Andre McGillivray, Jorge Barandiaran and chef Nick Nutting, Wolf in the Fog, Tofino’s newest culinary venture, is quickly making waves. The three friends, who met working at The Pointe restaurant in the Wickaninnish Inn, have combined their years of expertise, creating a relaxed vibe and a menu motivated by the idea of “having dinner at a friend’s on a Friday night.”

The restaurant is twofold: the main floor Den, open early for coffee and pastries, lunch and drinks latenight, and the second floor dining room with patio seating, water views and a drop-dead gorgeous interior. Diners will find lots of natural light accented by warm wood throughout, leather banquettes, a long, inviting bar and open kitchen. Artists and artisans added the accents, including a 14-foot reclaimedwood communal table, bird’s-nest-like lighting fixtures of hand-torn fir veneer and the restaurant’s wolf mascot crafted from driftwood. Food and drink are served on mismatched china and glassware, collected by the three during forays to thrift shops all over Vancouver Island. The effect is quirky and sparks conversation, creating, in my opinion, a convivial atmosphere.

Nutting’s menu draws from the best of the region’s farmers, fishers and foragers and being cut loose from the rigours of hotel dining has clearly inspired him. “My food is all over the map,” he explains. “It’s the greatest hits of all the things I want to eat right now!”

There’s potato-crusted oysters, served over a silken sweet corn puree with a hint of truffle; a seared Albacore salad served with house guanciale, espelette pepper and orange; and a revelatory beef tartare that forgoes the classic raw egg and seasonings for North African spices, peanuts and herbflecked yogurt. These hits I could eat at any time.

Whether or not you’re with friends or it’s a Friday night, the menu’s let’s-get-together spirit is best expressed in the thematic sharing plates. The Spanish Picnic consists of West Coast mussels, octopus and pan-seared lingcod with nugget potatoes atop a more-ish Catalan romesco sauce, one built around roasted red peppers and ground almonds. The house focaccia comes in handy for getting every last morsel.

The wine list is affordable and approachable with lots by the glass, chosen for their food-friendliness.

Hailey Pasemko oversees the spirits side of the menu, offering up flavourful twists on classic cocktails using infusions, herbs and bitters, as well as Tofino-esque touches such as cedar berries and salmonberries.

Friends can indulge in the sharing punch bowls created for two to six people, served in vintage punch bowls.

The sweet finish, dreamt up by pastry chef Joel Ashmore, is a playful selection that draws inspiration from the soda fountain. Think hot fudge sundaes complete with nuts and cherries, butterscotch brûlée and double chocolate pavés. I enjoyed the summer parfait of tart lemon curd layered with olive oil Madeleine crumbs and topped with a bouffant of torched meringue that tasted like marshmallows.

From day to night, Wolf in the Fog will have you howling at the moon. E BY SHELORA SHELDAN

www.eatmagazine.ca NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

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Perro Negro 536 Yates St., Victoria | 250-382-2344 | ferrisoysterbar.com |

H. Brooke

Albacore tuna “galician ham style” w/ confit potatoes, jamon drippings, olive oil, pimenton.

Victoria’s premier farmers market

continues year-round Indoors

MSM Winter Market Nov-Apr, Saturdays, 10-noon With your favourite local organic farmers warm and dry in the

Garry Oak Room Moss St. Market

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Parking off Thurlow, Sir James Douglas school parking lot.

See website for details.

MossStreetMarket.com

EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

Located above Ferris’ Oyster Bar and Grill is the latest addition to the Ferris’ family, Perro Negro tapas and wine bar. This is the fourth restaurant launch for co-owners Tom Ferris and Dave Craggs, which includes Ferris’ Upstairs and Catalano in the Magnolia Hotel. Perro Negro (Black Dog) opened to the public this past June as an extension of Ferris’ Upstairs with a focus on tapas (small bites), or “para picar” (to pick or nibble). The dim lighting, picture windows, brick walls and rustic chairs makes Perro Negro a sexy locale to enjoy authentic Spanish tapas, refined cocktails and impressive wines.

I met with owner-chef Craggs for a first look at the space and a brief chat about the vision behind Perro Negro (As a chef, however, he was quite happy to let his tapas do the talking, and did they ever).

Maintaining a prosperous restaurant in Victoria (Ferris Oyster Bar opened 23 years ago), is an accomplishment in itself. With such a high turn over in the food service industry, to have not one but four busy establishments is a triumph. I asked Craggs why he and Mr. Ferris decided to expand again: “Because we’re idiots!” Craggs says. (Successful and extremely savvy idiots, I would have to argue.)

“We were waiting for this space [Perro Negro] for a long time. There was a definite demand for the tapas” Craggs says. “We had to turn people away some nights. So, initially the room was to act as an over-flow space while people waited for their table. But it’s grown into something else. Between upstairs and downstairs, it’s already become its own entity.”

The very popular Sevilla Sundays at Ferris Upstairs were a strong catalyst for expanding the tapas concept, Craggs says. “Tapas can be the in-between food; you can have a couple of bites and move on with your night. Or, stay and share a bunch of food. Plates are priced accordingly (which puts the fun in sampling several items).

To begin, as I sipped on a tart and earthy gin and tonic (a Perro Negro nod to Spain), topped with egg white, lime and cucumber foam, I sampled vine ripened tomatoes with Macedonian feta and mint in a 30 year old sherry vinaigrette ($6). This was followed by Pan y Tomate: a crispy baguette rubbed with tomatoes, garlic and arbequina olive oil ($4). After this there was a tribute to the Basque region of Spain: Banderillas a one-bite skewer of olives, piquillo, guindilla pepper and boquerons (anchovies) ($4) and Pintxo (finger food served on bread) of Dungeness crab and corn topped with a hot pepper ($5). One word so far: Amazing. Next, came clams with white beans (from the daily special sheet) ($8) followed by smoked albacore tuna with preserved lemons, olives, marcona almonds, caper berries and olive oil ($10). The latter dish was heavenly; the perfect marriage of flavours and textures. A must try. I washed that down with a house favorite: the piquillo pepper stuffed with spicy shrimp. Good thing these are only ($4) a piece because one is not enough. Lastly, I ended my evening with fried bravas potatos in a spicy tomato jam with alioli ($6). And I admit, I got a bit greedy when I encouraged a Hot Day in Jerez: a refreshing spicy cocktail made with alvear amontillado sherry, moorish spices (all-spice, cinnamon, black pepper) fresh lemon and soda water ($8). What can I say? It went well with my potatoes.

There is no doubt in my mind (or, in my belly for that matter) that Perro Negro will be yet another prosperous venture for Ferris and Craggs. Currently open just three nights a week (Thursday, Friday and Saturday 5pm to 12am), Craggs suspects they will have to expand those hours soon enough. For the moment they are letting it unfold and booking plenty of private parties, with a capacity to seat 40 people for dinner and 55 or more for a casual cocktail style reception. E BY HOLLY BROOKE

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g HOW TO

By Sophie MacKenzie

Eggs Benny at Home

Whenever we go out for breakfast with friends, it seems like the meal of choice is Eggs Benedict; that tasty dish consisting of the perfectly poached egg on an array of delicious meats and veggies, all arranged on a crispy piece of English muffin (or toast) and covered by a thick and rich sauce. Decadent to say the least! While you can easily make it at home with one of those powdered (and slightly questionable) Hollandaise mixes, you may be surprised to know that you can also make it from scratch in practically the same amount of time. Using some of Victoria’s finest ingredients, whip up a batch of bennies to suit anyone’s fancy. Clear your weekend plans—you’re making brunch!

The Pacific Benny Serves 2 100 grams wild smoked salmon from Finest At Sea 2 free range eggs for hollandaise 2 free range eggs for poaching 1 bunch local spinach 2 whole-wheat sesame bagels from Mount Royal Bagel Factory Hand-full fresh dill, chopped 1 tsp. capers

Basic Hollandaise 2 free range eggs 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1 tsp. lemon juice pinch sea salt up to another tsp. of lemon juice to taste dash of Tabasco sauce Begin by melting the butter on low heat in a small pot, being sure that it does not brown. Separate your eggs, reserving the whites for a later use.

In a medium glass or metal mixing bowl, mix the yolks with the 1 tsp. lemon juice and the pinch of sea salt. Whisk until smooth. Place the egg mixture on top a pot of gently boiling water (a bain marie) and, while whisking constantly, heat until the egg mixture until it thickens to stiff peaks (around the thickness of mayonnaise).

The next step is the trickiest, but with a little patience and care, it turns out perfectly! If you simply add the melted butter to the eggs, you will end up with a curdled mess. To emulsify the eggs into a creamy sauce, slowly add the melted butter, whisking the mixture while you pour. Add a squeeze more lemon juice to taste and a drop of Tabasco for flavour. If the sauce gets to thick, simple add a couple of drops of water before serving —or, if you have some white wine open, a small splash is a nice alternative to the last bit of lemon juice.

S. MacKenzie

Serves 2

A fresh westcoast take on eggs benny Make basic hollandaise (recipe below). Reserve and keep warm.

Poach the remaining two eggs. Begin by filling a sauce pan 3/4 full with water, and bring to the boil.

Turn the heat down to a simmer, and add a splash of vinegar (about one teaspoon). Once the water is at a simmer, stir it gently in a circle so that the water is moving in a light vortex. Now crack the four eggs into the moving water. This will prevent the eggs from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cooking time will vary, but it should take around 1.5 to 2 minutes for a medium-soft poached egg. (The white should be solid, but there will still some jiggle left in the yolk).Cook eggs as instructed above.

Meanwhile, toast bagels. Lightly sauté the spinach in a pan until wilted (season lightly with salt and pepper). Arrange the spinach on the toasted bagel halves. Top with the smoked salmon and the poached eggs. Spoon some of the hollandaise sauce on top. Garnish with chopped dill and the capers.

www.eatmagazine.ca NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

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g EATING WELL FOR LESS

By Elizabeth Monk

Victoria Then and Now A classic ’50s counter, a raw food café and Langford’s curry favourite.

The Dutch Bakery 718 Fort St., near Douglas St., Victoria | 250-385-1012

Elizabeth Nyland

Some places are so classic, so omnipresent, it’s easy to take them for granted because they are the landscape rather than being new to the landscape. The Dutch Bakery is such a place. The Schaddelee family has been serving largely the same menu, in largely the same décor, since 1956. Which means, yes, there is a counter and, yes, there are milkshakes. The Dutch Bakery serves basic food and fancy desserts, but basic can, of course, be good. In my inexhaustible community research, I learned that every long-term Victoria family I know has a favourite here, and those were the focus of my tastings. The soup they’ve been making all these years is vegetable with meatballs. It is served in a chunky mug and includes carrot, celery, a few noodles and a kick of nutmeg in the meatballs. Another classic dish is the turkey meat pie for $5.35 (if you get it with a side of potato salad, green salad or soup). This gets you a small pie with flaky, golden-brown, stand-up pastry and a creamy filling that is pure turkey, no filler.

While the turkey pie was tasty, it’s the croquettes that are lingering in my taste memory. Two of these crunchy breaded logs crammed with a creamy beef filling cost $5.30. A tip from the server: if you’re getting a side, get the potato salad because it’s “the good stuff.” As you might expect from a lunch counter loyal to its 1950s roots, the potato salad is sweet, eggy and flecked with red pimentos, much like one your grandmother might bring to a family barbecue. The burger was a pleasant surprise for me. I usually go in for fancy burgers topped with truffles or ewe-milk cheese extracted on a full moon, or whatever frou-frou stuff is in style. This was just a burger, seasoned again with their not-so-secret ingredient of nutmeg, slathered in a mayo-mustard-ketchup sauce and served on a soft, squishy, Portofino bun. And it hit the spot. The discerning foodie is probably wondering the same thing I did: uuumm, why is a bakery buying bread? Traditionally in Holland, bakers specialized either in pastries or in bread; the Dutch Bakery focuses on the former. I don’t have the space here to rhapsodize about the cakes and pastries, but one look in the front window on Fort Street will tell you all you need to know. E

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EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

Elizabeth Nyland

left: Michelle Schaddelee in front of the Dutch Bakery above: Croquettes with side of potato salad and toast

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RAWthentic 108-4440 W. Saanich Rd., Royal Oak Plaza, 778-432-4800

Elizabeth Nyland

LOCAL FOOD, BEER, WINE & LIVE MUSIC AT 2 GREAT NEIGHBOURHOOD BISTROS! Bruschetta Pizza

Direct from Courtenay, B.C., comes the latest player on the raw food scene—RAWthenic at the Royal Oak Plaza near Tim Horton’s. Rawthentic has some of the best prices I’ve seen going for raw food, with entrees ranging from $8.50 to $11. The Pad Thai Salad is fresh and flavourful, with a base of thin-cut zucchini strips as the noodles, combined with some kelp noodles for added texture and flavour. The sauce is a blend of almonds and cashews, processed to a cream with a slight graininess. This dish is a hit with children too because some of the noodles are very long, making for fun slurping. The Philly Cheeze Wrap is fun for another reason. Chef teases us about the less-than-healthy cheese-like products that get consumed in our culture (though not, I’m sure, in your house, oh erudite EAT reader). The wrap’s “nacho nut cheeze” is a tangy concoction of soaked cashews, carrots, cayenne and chili powder spread over a generous amount of sliced warm Portobello mushrooms and sprouts. This is all encased in a wrap made of flax seed and dehydrated carrots, zucchini and sun-dried tomato.

The crust for the Bruschetta Pizza is much the same, but thicker and with more sun-dried tomatoes. Prepare to get your hands messy from all the toppings, unless you resort to a knife and fork. This pizza looks like a Mexican tostada, layered with a cashew hummus, falafel and shredded spinach, and then sauced up with both the house apple cider hemp dressing and a marinara sauce. As you might expect from a raw food restaurant, smoothies and shakes figure prominently. With my ten-year-old in charge of the drink ordering, kale mixes were mockingly eschewed in favour of the Orange Creamsicle Shake. The blend of house-made almond milk, mango, raw vanilla, orange and orange oil did indeed remind one of the famous popsicle. Again, I haven’t left myself space to wax eloquently about the desserts, but I’ll say quickly that $1.50 for the Vanilla Macaroon is a very reasonable price for this cluster of coconut, raisins, cranberries and sunflower seeds. RAWthentic is a café more than a restaurant, a place to grab a quick wholesome meal with some fun woven in. E

250-383-1545

CORNER OF CROFT & SIMCOE IN JAMES BAY WWW.HERONROCKBISTRO.CA

250-590-4556

4136 WILKINSON RD WWW.CROOKEDGOOSEBISTRO.CA

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This season, give something that will really impress.

Purchase a gift card from Clive’s Classic Lounge or Vista 18 CLIVESCLASSICLOUNGE.COM VISTA18.COM Gift cards available in any denomination.

Elizabeth Nyland

Pork Punjabi Curry and Vegetable Curry with rice

Turmeric 777 Goldstream Ave., Langford | 250-478-6600

The Drop™ chair by Arne Jacobsen 1958

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This Indian restaurant has been a hit in Langford since it opened its doors a year ago, and I decided to find out why. The atmosphere is very welcoming, with a décor of warm browns and mustards, tile floor and silky fabrics on the windows. The lunch buffet is $12.95 and includes tea, coffee or pop. On the weekday I went, six curries were on offer, as well as naan and onion bajia. The latter deserves special mention. These onions fried in a chickpea flour mix are a version of onion rings, and I am mildly ashamed to report that I consumed these as both appetizer, palate cleanser, main course and dessert.

I did squeeze in some curries as well.

The cumin-rich Daal Turka Lentils were flavourful and complex, with a fresh coriander finish. I don’t often see pork in Indian restaurants, so it was interesting to try the Pork Punjabi Curry with tender chunks of pork in a creamy blended sauce of tomato, onion and coconut milk. The Vegetable Coconut Curry was also unusual: carrots, peas and green beans in a slightly sweet sauce with a top note of cardamom. Other curries were more standard fare—butter chicken, aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower) and tandoori chicken—and all were well executed. The curries change each day because they have some customers so loyal that they are there three times a week. My only quibble is that I would have liked one of the curries to really pack some heat. Instead, all were mild, and a spicy garlic sauce is on offer to add some kick. Nonetheless, this is a very affordable price for good food in an attractive and welcoming restaurant. E

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The EAT Holiday Gift Guide INSPIRED GIFT IDEAS FOR THE SEASON EAT, DRINK AND BE A HERO TO YOUR FAVOURITE FOODIE Give the gift they want to receive. At the Wickaninnish Inn, we have gift certificates sure to please the gourmand on your list. wickinn.com tel 1.800.333.4604

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SPECIAL EAT PROMOTION

Fruit to Nuts Okanagan-based Rancho Vignola sources the best of the crop from around the world and next door. By Joseph Blake

from left to right: Sue and Richard Vignola in 2010, celebrating 30 years in the business. Sue making muhammara (red pepper and walnut spread) in Istanbul Turkey. Richard immersed in the brazil nut harvest in the Peruvian Amazon. Sue smelling a cashew apple in Vietnam.

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California. “Mexican mangos are naturally dried with no additives on trays in specially constructed drying ovens which maintain an even, low temperature to preserve their moisture. They’re shipped from Santa Cruz, California, and macadamia nuts are from a source in new South Wales, Australia. More than 60 growers and suppliers ship to Rancho Vignola’s warehouse in Armstrong, and all have a commitment to Fair Trade practices and organic growing. The Vignolas’ personal visits insure all claims, and thirdparty certifications in countries around the world are kept on file for all growers and producers.

When Rancho Vignola took over the Armstrong Cheese building in the spring of 2013, it added a higher level of quality control to their business. “It gives us complete control over the storage of all our products—cases of dried fruit and nuts and our 10-pound fruit and nut mix, breakfast mix and natural candies,” Sue Vignola explains. “We have freezers, cooling units and dry storage ... everything we need for short-term warehousing. Most of our business is direct sales to our thousands of individual customers at harvest time, but we do have a few retailers who put up harvest displays of our products in their stores and groups like Kootenay Co-op in Nelson. We do a lot of business in the Kootenay region.”

The 30,000-square-foot warehouse provides storage from October to March, when whatever is left of the year’s harvest is turned over to food banks and other charities. Up to $100,000 worth of quality food is donated annually to these charities as well as sponsorship of athletes, music festivals and other community events.

Then it’s time to clear the warehouse and embark on the Vignolas’ annual trips to revisit suppliers, search new parts of the world for organically grown dried fruit and nuts, and organize their expanding schedule of annual harvest events. Don’t miss the first annual South Island Harvest Event in Sidney and visit the website for news of Rancho Vignola’s 35th anniversary specials in 2015.

Visit our website: www.ranchovignola.com South Vancouver Island Harvest Event Friday, November 28 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday, November 29 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mary Winspear Centre 2243 Beacon Ave. Sidney, BC

Adrien Sala

ancho Vignola has been selling fresh crops of nuts and dried fruit wholesale and direct to customers for 34 years. Now based in the old Armstrong Cheese building on a five and 1/2 acre property in the north Okanagan, Rancho Vignola’s seasonal business grew out of an earlier venture, Sunseed Natural Foods and Vegetarian Restaurant.

“My husband Richard and I ran Sunseed in Vernon from 1978 until 1984,” Rancho Vignola’s co-founder Sue Vignola explains. “At harvest time, when organic almonds, walnuts and dates came up from California, our customers would buy cases of the fresh nuts and dried fruit. These ‘best of the new crop’ displays, piled high in that little shop, grew into a bulk-buying service and Rancho Vignola’s seasonal business.” Now, says Sue, the company offers their “best of the new crop” of dried fruit and nuts from around the world to a mailing list of more than 10,000 customers.”

“We host about 10 free harvest events every November in Alberta and B.C. This year we’re bringing our harvest event (free admission) to Vancouver Island for the first time,” Sue continues. “November 28 and 29 at Sidney’s Mary Winspear Centre our first South Island Harvest Event will feature free samples, live demonstrations, custom-made gift packs and prize drawings. Visitors to the event will get to taste everything we offer, hopefully buy something they like, and sign up for next year’s bulk sales.”

Rancho Vignola produces an annual newsletter, this year a 16-page in-house production with graphics by the couple’s daughter, Natalia, and travel notes by Richard of their latest search for organic suppliers in Italy and Turkey. There are field reports of apricot failures in Turkey, California growers’ water woes (2013 provided the least rainfall in the state’s history), and the B.C. hazelnut crop’s better-sized nuts but smaller harvest. The newsletter also includes pages of recipes and reports from long-time suppliers.

“Our son Simon is the equivalent of our company’s CEO and is really taking over the business,” Sue enthused. “We’ve had many of our suppliers for more than three decades, and now our son is working with the children of these growers. Everyone has grown up with the business.”

Rancho Vignola’s suppliers range from their Okanagan Valley neighbours to farms in China, Vietnam, Turkey and Peru. Dried cranberries and blueberries come from Notre Dame-de-Lourdes, Quebec. Pistachios and raisins arrive from a farm in Caruthers,

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g TOP 5

Text & photos by ADRIEN SALA

Breakfast, Sandwiched

A tour of some of Victoria’s more popular morning munchies.

Known as the bocata (sandwich in Spanish), this rustic version is served on a soft brioche bun, and instead of bacon has salami as well as a nice dollop of pimenton (spicy) aioli. A touch of Manchego cheese helps balance it out, and of course it has a soft fried egg too (can be cooked longer, if you insist). Available all day, the bocata is $6 and will make you feel as if you’ve just snacked at a bodega in Spain.

Friends of Bears 1310 Douglas St. If it ain’t broke, don’t bugger with it. The option here is a quintessential breakfast sandwich. Served on lightly toasted sourdough, the six-dollar sandwich is comprised of a single fried egg, roasted Sun Wing farm tomato, crispy bacon, raw baby spinach, a dash of mozzarella cheese and some mayo. The standard North American eggs and toast all put together in one tasty little package. Available all day.

Adrien Sala

The bocata at Chorizo & Co.

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t could be argued that patient zero for breakfast sandwiches was the Egg McMuffin. That stodgy, portable, microwaved offering has long been the refuge of students nursing themselves back to health after a big night out. And while some people may still go that route, a good number have graduated to something more culinarily advanced. Hungry, time-strapped breakfasters still interested in a portable feed are demanding more from their ingredients, which might explain why almost every café in town is doing their own version of the classic McMuffin.

Of course, patrons are particular about their favourites. Some gravitate to cafés that go with locally sourced meat and eggs; others just want the perfect mayo/bacon balance. No matter your predilection, there’s probably an option for you.

Most breakfast sandwiches land below the $7 mark while some go as high as $10 (those are usually made with non-traditional ingredients like, say, pears). Typically, a breakfast sandwich has a few core elements: eggs, bacon, cheese and perhaps a tomato. I spent a week trying a new one every day, and I must say, I have my favourite. But you should make up your own mind. Personally, I also need a salad.

And a workout.

Chorizo & Co. Spanish Delicatessen 807 Fort St. Inspired by the Spanish influence (the backbone of this restaurant), Chorizo’s offering is perhaps one of the more adventurous breakfast sandwiches available.

Relish Food & Coffee 920 Pandora Ave. It’s everything an egg McMuffin is not. That is to say, delicious, light and definitely not previously frozen or microwaved. Served on a fresh English muffin, Relish’s breakfast sandwich starts with a base of egg, tomato, a little mayo and some grainy Dijon mustard for $4.25. Add either bacon or sausage, or both, for a dollar each. Cheese will set you back an additional 50 cents, but all up, it still falls under the $6 mark if you choose a meat and cheese. Available all day during the week and to go on Saturdays.

Parsonage Café 1115 N. Park St. One of the biggest challenges in the culinary world is putting things on a bagel and then making it possible to eat. Somehow, the Parsonage Café (Fernwood Coffee) has figured it out. Served on a Mount Royal bagel baked fresh next door, the sandwich starts with a base of a free-range egg, some sharp Cheddar and some mayonnaise. You have three options of add-ons: bacon, creamed spinach or tomato. All three toppings will run you $6.25 before tax. Available all day.

Be Love Restaurant 1019 Blanshard St. While most breakfast sandwiches lean on the traditional, Be Love has created a surprisingly delicious offering while managing to avoid both bacon and eggs (yes, you can enjoy food without bacon these days). Organic, as well as gluten-, dairyand wheat- free, this sandwich still has a nice buttery texture thanks to the cashew sour cream and avocado. Made using almond-pumpernickel bread, it’s nicely balanced with Salt Spring Island sprouts, pear and something call “zacon”—a zucchini miraculously turned into bacon. It’s also served with a mug of chai tea.

Perfect for vegetarians or anyone who feels like a healthy dose of vitamins and happy fats. $10, including the cup of tea. Available all day. E

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Our Daily Bread Victorians know which side their bread is buttered on. BY CINDA CHAVICH 1

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8 THE BREAD 1|Bond Bond’s Bakery | Honey Whole Wheat 2|Fol Epi Bakery | Boule 3|The French Oven | French Sourdough 4|Fry’s Red Wheat Bakery | pain rustique 5|La Tana | grissini 6|Ottavio Italian Bakery and Deli | Tomato focaccia 7|Wildfire Organic Bakery | garlic & cheddar 8|Selection of croissants | clockwise Wild Fire, Ottavio, French Oven, Fol Epi

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read. It’s the staff of life, the most basic and yet the most complex of foodstuffs. Bad bread is a crime against humanity. Good bread is a gift from the gods. In our modern world of manufactured food, finding a real artisanmade loaf of bread can be challenging.

But in Victoria we are spoiled for choice, living in a little corner of bread heaven. Whether it’s a chewy baguette, a rustic loaf of grainy spelt bread, or a handrolled Italian breadstick, it’s all here, served up from true artisan bakeshops scattered around town.

Arriving from a much larger city—with far fewer great bakeries—I have been impressed by the selection of bread and bakeries here. Victorians obviously take local food seriously and support their neighbourhood bakers, restoring the once daily ritual of buying bread.

How else can you explain a city where Italian loaves are hand-formed every morning at Ottavio’s, where a team is at work in the wee hours at Fol Epi stoking the wood oven and grinding Red Fife wheat, while Byron Fry channels his great-great-grandfather’s baking skills up the road in Vic West? At Wildfire, customers line up for the rustic organic breads they’ve been baking for nearly two decades, and new bakeries like Crust and the French Oven join old favourites like True Grain.

Victoria’s artisan bakers, their faces dusted with flour and their wooden shelves piled high with hand-formed boules and brioche, have their own theories about why Victorians love their loaves.

“Victorians are very supportive of community-based businesses,” says Erika Heyrman of Wildfire Organic Bakery and Café, its double wood-fired ovens turning out crusty loaves daily. “People are really thinking about what they’re putting into their bodies, but it’s in the taste, too.”

Adds Fry: “There were always tons of bakers here— Dutch Bakery, Rheinland, La Collina, Bond Bond’s—so there’s a history of bread-baking in Victoria, but very few cities have four wood-fired oven bakeries like this. The bakery has become central to the community.”

What we call “artisan bread” first became popular in the 1980s, when the art of baking traditional, hand-formed loaves was revived in California at bakeries like L.A.’s La Brea Bakery and Berkley’s Acme Bread. Suddenly, sour dough cultures were being coddled and shared, the secrets of slow, levain-style fermentation spread by a spate of popular books, like Joe Ortiz’s treasured tome The Village Baker, while pioneers like Alan Scott built wood-fired ovens.

In 1993, Terra Breads opened its first bakery in Vancouver (now there are four locations), while Ace Bakery opened its doors in Toronto. Our lexicon expanded beyond sourdough and baguette to ciabatta, fougasse, boule and batard.

In Victoria, Fol Epi’s Clif Leir was one of the first to get the artisan bread bug, building a brick oven in his driveway in 1997 and selling his rustic loaves at Moss Street market. Soon his hobby morphed into a legitimate artisan bakery—Wildfire—still operated by his ex-wife.

These young bakers revived the skills of traditional bread making using wild yeasts, freshly milled ancient grains like Spelt and Red Fife wheat, and long fermentation to create

loaves with chewy crusts and complex flavours. They formed their big breads by hand, then baked them at high temperatures in wood-fired bread ovens modelled after the traditional communal ovens of Italy and France. And like today’s new generation of chefs, they embraced fresh, ethical, locally sourced and sustainable ingredients.

After decades of bleached, sliced, packaged and preserved industrial bread, it was a movement that introduced a whole generation to real bread. And once tasted—like real craft beer—there’s no going back.

While Leir doesn’t think of himself as the granddaddy of great bread in Victoria (he’s only 35), he certainly helped set the bar with his hand-built ovens (12 and counting) and rustic loaves. With a new dome oven and better mill, he’s refined his recipes further at Fol Epi. Leir is committed to sourcing heritage grains like Red Fife and reviving old West Coast varieties and grinding them fresh in his own mills, the step that gives local loaves such wonderful flavour.

It’s the same at True Grain Bread in Cowichan Bay, where Bruce and Leslie Stewart continue the tradition of milling and baking with heritage grains to create breads that are both hearty and healthy.

Like Leir, Byron Fry built his first wood-fired bread oven at home and found a following for his crusty loaves at the Moss Street Market, before building a permanent wood oven and retail bakery in Vic West last year.

“We grind the wheat, rye, spelt and kamut, the wheat primarily grown in Metchosin on two family farms,” says Fry, who uses only Vancouver Island Salt Co.’s sea salt in his bread and Whole Beast cured meats for his pizza.

“There’s a control there. It’s fresh.”

Each of the city’s artisan bakers creates unique products, but the nutty flavour of fresh-milled heritage grains and the smoky char from the wood oven is a thread that runs through much of Victoria’s best bread. If there’s an island style, this may be it—hand-formed crusty loaves with an open crumb and mild sour flavour from the wild yeasts floating in our seaside air.

Since the bread boom of the 1990s, the artisan bread scene has blossomed in some regions and become muddied in others. Now supermarkets label their commercial loaves and pre-bakes “artisan” when it couldn’t be further from the truth. Even some of the famous pioneers are now wholesaling frozen loaves far and wide, turning true artisan breads into big volume, industrial products.

Victoria has seen a few fits and starts, too. Sadly, Leaven closed recently, after only a year in business, and a fire at The Italian Bakery has kept that benchmark bakery shuttered for months.

We’re blessed with excellent specialty bakeries, too, from Origin Bakery, with its wide selection of gluten-free products, to Crust and Pure Vanilla, places to find beautiful pastries and cakes. Lyon-born baker Nick Castro and his wife Sandra opened their French Oven bakery last year in the new Victoria Public Market in the Hudson, retailing a variety of French artisan specialties. And Italian baker-on-a-bike Claudio Costi recently gave up his self-propelled market stand for a permanent bakery, La Tana, in Fan Tan Alley, turning out small savoury Italian

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buns and breadsticks But big loaves of rustic artisan bread is the island specialty, and wherever you live, you’re never far from your own “village” baker, or at least a small grocer that sells some of the city’s local loaves.

“Bakeries serve a role in the community,” says Heyrman, her Wildfire bakery a bustling neighbourhood hub for North Park and Fernwood residents. “We offer an alternative to the mass-produced foods that lack both nourishment and soul.”

WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO BUY: Bond Bond’s Bakery 1010 Blanchard St. 250-388-5377 Before there were artisans, there was Bond Bond’s—a downtown bakery devoted to making basic breads with natural ingredients, from honey whole wheat to sprouted grain bread and burger buns. www.bondbondsbakery.com Fol Epi Bakery 101-398 Harbour Rd. 250-477-8882 At his chic little bakery in Dockside Green, Clif Leir fuses his love of hand-milled heritage grains, wood-fired baking and French techniques to create chewy baguettes—arguably the city’s finest—and beautiful whole wheat loaves and pastries. www.folepi.ca

WWW.OUGHTRED.COM

Fry’s Red Wheat Bakery 416 Craigflower Rd. 250-590-5727 With his hand-built, wood-fired oven and freshly milled grains, Byron Fry turns out big loaves of pain rustique and German-style ryes, fat salty pretzels and Sunday pizza specials in Vic West. www.frysbakery.com La Tana 101-3 Fan Tan Alley 250-920-6213 Claudio Costi recently opened a small bakery in Chinatown. Look for savoury cheese-filled panzerotto to take away for lunch, ciabatta and Costi’s authentic grissini (breadsticks). www.ilfornodiclaudio.com Ottavio Italian Bakery and Deli 2272 Oak Bay Ave. 250-592-4080 The Italian family behind this Oak Bay gourmet food shop traces its baking style to family recipes from Torino (and Cook Street’s Italian Bakery, which plans to reopen soon). Go for the rosemary focaccia, rustic Italian loaves and the best croissants in town. www.ottaviovictoria.com The French Oven Hudson Market (1701 Douglas St.) 778-433-6938 Born and trained in France, baker Nick Castro specializes in French artisan baking, from baguettes and brioche to a flaky and crisp style of croissant that’s unique in the city. www.frenchovenbakery.ca True Grain Bread Cowichan Bay 250-746-7664 Another pioneer in artisan baking, True Grain grinds healthy grains that predate modern hybridized wheat, creating Old World-style cracked grain, whole spelt and dark rye breads for the Cowichan Valley. www.truegrain.ca

award-winning, innovative, island-sourced cuisine 509 fisg ard str eet, victoria fisgard street, ulla.ca 28

250.590.8795

EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

Wildfire Organic Bakery 1517 Quadra St. 250-381-3473 This is Victoria’s original artisan bakery/café, sourcing local and organic ingredients and milling on site. Try white sourdough loaves and baguettes, garlic and cheddar bread, and grainy raisin, walnut and cinnamon loaves. www.wildfirebakery.ca

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LIFE GIVING

Supporting local non-profits committed to food security, local farmers and sustainability is a caring way of honouring the season. BY JOSEPH BLAKE

Rebecca Wellman

left: LIFECYCLES Lifecycles employee Jenny McCartney picking quince. right: FOOD ECO DISTRICT From left to right: Renate Nahser-Ringer (garden project team FED); Tara Campbell (FED horticulturist); Jill Doucette (FED director); John Oughtred (FED director); Suzanne Bradbury (Fort Realty – owner of the space).

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he season for family feasts and festive parties is here again. Yet the holidays are also a time for giving, a time many of us think about fellow community members in need and the local groups—such as Our Place, Mustard Seed, Living Edge, Salvation Army and others— who support and nourish them.

There’s another way to support this vital, live-giving web. We can offer gifts of money or our volunteer time to several hard-working organizations that support local farmers and food processors, urban agriculture and regional food sustainability.

LifeCycles is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and the local non-profit continues to cultivate awareness and initiate action around food, health and urban sustainability in Greater Victoria. LifeCycles’ minuscule, five-member staff coordinates more than 400 volunteers in an array of urban agriculture projects and educational workshops. One of these is the Fruit Tree Project using volunteer labour each year to pick neighbourhood fruit trees from July to the end of October.

“LifeCycles picked 120 trees at 35 backyard sites during one especially busy week in September,” says staff member Tim Fryatt. “We only have one van, and we could really use another one during weeks like that!”

The Fruit Tree Project also needs team leaders with a driver’s license to coordinate on-site volunteers, organize the unloading of fruit at the warehouse and deliver fruit to community partners. More than three dozen of these partners, including AIDS Vancouver Island, Victoria Native Friendship Centre, Cool Aid, Mustard Seed, Our Place and the Salvation Army, received fruit from LifeCycles this year. A quarter of the neighbourhood fruit is given to the homeowner, a quarter to the volunteer pickers, a quarter is distributed to community partners and the remaining quarter goes to LifeCycles’ business partners and fruit processing projects that support LifeCycles operational funding.

Products made by partner companies include

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Spinnakers Gastropub’s apple cider vinegar, Sea Cider’s Kings and Spies hard cider and quince paste made by the kitchen staff at the Marina Restaurant with Fair Trade organic cane sugar donated by Level Ground Trading.

The LifeCycles Gleaning Program gathers commercial grain and produce left behind after the initial Grade A harvest. In the case of produce, it’s usually unconventionally sized or odd-shaped fruits and vegetables. Over the past seven years, Sun Wing Farms has donated 17,000 pounds of pesticide-free tomatoes to the Gleaning Program. There are more than a dozen business supporters like Sun Wing, including Thrifty Foods, Dig This, Ottavio’s Italian Bakery and Delicatessen, Market on Yates and the Fairmont Empress Hotel who donate surplus foodstuffs like cheese and bread.

Ongoing agricultural projects include bringing the historic Welland Orchard near the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal back to full production. This includes radical pruning and clearing, planting vegetable and flower gardens and establishing mason bee houses for better pollination. Homeowners who donate more than $75 to the Fruit Tree Project get a free mason bee house in addition to the charitable tax receipt that all donors to LifeCycles receive.

Recent educational workshops i nclude a course in canning and dehydration of fruit and vegetables and another on fruit tree pruning and grafting. LifeCycles Food Literacy workshops include their Growing Schools program, which teaches elementary and middle school students how to grow healthy food. LifeCycles’ Eat Learn Laugh Project is a Telus-sponsored, subsidized food preparation workshop for low-income youth and their families.

Young people learn how to grow and prepare nutritious food.

Island Chefs Collaborative is another non-profit organization worthy of support. Chefs, farmers, food artisans, restaurateurs and other food and beverage professionals with a common interest in regional food security, preserving farmland and developing local food systems

EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

founded Island Chefs Collaborative to fund growers, harvesters and processors. Events sponsored by the group, such as Beer Week, the Spot Prawn Festival and special meals, raised more than $40,000 to support new community groups and new farms in the region. Joining with FarmFolk CityFolk and VanCity, they also gave $100,000 in zero-interest micro-loans to more than a dozen local farmers and food artisans.

Island Chefs Collaborative also supports Growing Chefs!

Chefs for Children’s Urban Agriculture, a classroom gardening and cooking program in local elementary schools.

The city’s Food Eco District is another non-profit organization creating urban food sustainability with gardens, bike racks and green spaces in a downtown neighbourhood fast becoming an epicentre of Victoria food culture.

Inspired by Portland’s groundbreaking Food Eco District and funded by neighbouring Oughtred Coffee, the first planters of herbs and vegetables were seeded in July at Fort Street Commons, a once dead-zone parking lot behind Chorizo & Co., Be Love Restaurant and Starbucks.

Led by Synergy Enterprises’ Jill Doucette (owner of a local business that teaches people how to green their offices), the new organization is working on a Food Eco District map, and the next site for vegetable planters is on Yates Street in front of the Atrium Building. Zambri’s, Pig and other nearby food-related businesses are members and supporters of a five-year plan that proposes public vegetable planters on downtown rooftop gardens and in front of every food establishment on Fort Street.

All of these local visionaries are deserving of your support. Think about donating your time or tax-deductible contributions as a holiday gift to your loved ones and the region’s emerging food culture. ’Tis the season to give!

LifeCycles www.LifeCyclesProject.ca 250-383-5800 Island Chefs Collaboration www.iccbc.ca

Food Eco District info@get-fed.ca 415-620 View St. Victoria, BC V8W 1J6

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old fashioned bulleit bourbon, sugar, angostura bitters, amarena cherry

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EAT SPECIAL PROMOTION

Experience Christmas in Sidney Remember when holiday shopping brought a smile to your face and a bounce to your step? If so, check out Sidney as your “go-to” holiday hub.

O

n November 21, the Sidney Kick Off to Christmas Open House launches the holiday season with multiple activities and treats designed to tickle the fancy of even the most Grinch-like family member.

Between 4:00 and 8:00 pm. Michael Forbes of Ocean 98.5 will be on-hand to give away prizes from Sidney shops and services from the prize tornado. There will be horse-drawn carriage rides, traditional story-book Christmas carolers, beautiful shop windows, and just about the best customer service you could imagine. Without doubt, it will be a fun and festive evening to remember!

The Christmas Grotto will light up the faces of kids from 1 to 100. Sponsored by the Sidney Business Improvement Area (Sidney BIA), the Grotto is the place to visit Santa, get your Christmas wrapping done for a small donation, meet with friends and neighbors, and make a donation to the Food Bank and Toys for Tots. Nestled between Miss Bliss and Alexander’s Coffee Shop at 2387 Beacon Avenue, the Grotto will be open until December 21. As a special treat, Victoria Carriage Tours will offer horse drawn carriage tours on Thursdays between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. and on Sundays between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.

S

festive lunch buffet

from November 27th to December 21st.

Enjoy a festive ride through downtown Sidney and take in the charming, holiday ambiance. Be sure to pick up a hot beverage and something to eat from one of Sidney’s lively coffee shops or restaurants before you depart.

The much-loved Sidney Sparkles Santa Parade takes place at 5:00 p.m. on November 29th followed by the always charming Lighted Boat Parade along the Sidney waterfront. Add to the holiday magic by attending one of the many holiday concerts or the Peninsula Players traditional pantomime, A Christmas Carol. Plan to visit one or more of several Christmas craft shows, the popular Teddy Bear exhibit at the Sidney Historical Museum, and Christmas in the Village at Heritage Acres where children can take in train rides and visit with Santa. The Mary Winspear Centre offers an incredible line-up of holiday entertainment for all ages and tastes. On November 22, kids can enjoy breakfast with Santa and from November 21, also at the Centre, you can vote for your favourite decorated tree and gingerbread house at the Festival of Trees. The Community Arts Council features the Artisans Gift Gallery at Tulista Park on Fifth Street, a perfect place to select a

Something for everyone on your list!

Monday to Friday from 11:30 until 2:00pm December 8-23, 2014 Featuring live music to get you in the holiday spirit.

$22.95 per person Turkey & ham, trimmings, salads, seafood, desserts & more!

Lunch includes coffee or tea.

(Price does not include tax or gratuity).

Reservations: 250.655.9700 • www.sidneypier.com • Complimentary underground parking

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EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

Discover something new in our selection of over 300 cookbooks!

Beacon and Fourth in Sidney Open 7 Days a Week 8AM - 9PM! tannnersbooks.com

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beautiful hand-made gift for that special person on your holiday gift list.

Pick up a copy of the Sidney Christmas Wish Book, which details all the activities and events taking place in Sidney and on the Peninsula from November 21st to the New Year. There you will find a sample of offerings from Sidney retailers featuring unique products and gift ideas to make your holiday shopping even easier. There is also a Wish List for you to give to Santa when you visit the Grotto so he knows what your heart desires!

Visit the NEW on-line community events calendar for a complete listing of all of the above-mentioned events and many, many more at www.DistinctlySidney.ca

www.eatmagazine.ca NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

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LOCAL KITCHEN g

FESTIVE DRUMROLL, PLEASE

Bird is the word this holiday season, and this one’s for the leg lovers. Bone-in, darkmeat turkey legs are slow cooked to succulent juiciness. There’s a lot of meat here, so you may want to be really hungry or shred it from the bone for easier eating and smaller portions. A rich meal calls out for a tart and tangy dessert. Replace lemon with seasonal cranberries in this pillowy twist on a much loved, mile-high meringue classic.

Turkey ‘n Dumplings recipe on page 36

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EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

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Tart Shell ¾ cup butter, at room temperature ½ cup granulated sugar ½ tsp vanilla extract 1¾ cups all-purpose flour Pinch of salt Filling 12-oz pkg frozen cranberries ½ cup orange juice ½ cup granulated sugar 3 Tbsp brown sugar 2 Tbsp butter 3 egg yolks 1 egg 1½ tsp cornstarch Pinch of salt 1 Tbsp orange flavoured liquor Topping ¾ cup granulated sugar ¼ tsp cream of tartar 5 egg whites

Cranberry Meringue Pie For the tart shell, beat butter with sugar, then vanilla. Stir in flour and salt just until mixture comes together (TIP: use an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment – it’s easier).With floured hands, form into a dough ball, then press into a 9-in fluted tart pan. Chill until firm.

Preheat oven to 350F. Place a piece of parchment over dough and fill with beans or rice to weigh it down. Bake for 20 min, and then remove parchment with beans. Prick pastry all over with a fork (to prevent air bubbles) then continue baking until golden, about 15 to 20 more min. Let cool while preparing filling.

For the filling, in a medium saucepan, bring cranberries and orange juice to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cranberries are soft and “pop”, about 5 min. Whirl in a blender until pureed, then press through a fine mesh sieve. Discard solids.

In a bowl, using an electric mixer beat butter with sugars until smooth, and then beat in egg yolks, one at a time, then whole egg. Stir in cranberry mixture, cornstarch and salt.

Place bowl over pot of barely simmering water (like a double boiler). Stir often until mixture thickens and coats the back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in liquor. Pour into baked tart shell and let stand at room temperature until set. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate overnight.

For the topping, in a small saucepan, stir sugar with water and cream of tartar over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is syrupy. Remove from heat. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form, then slowly pour in hot syrup while beating until stiff peaks form. Spoon over filling or pipe as swirls. Broil until light golden.

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Turkey ‘n Dumplings

Seasons by the Sea Inn

Restaurant

f

Gallery aSpa

g

Book now

for your holiday season events, parties, and winter get-aways! events@sookeharbourhouse.com 1528 Whiffen Spit Road, Sooke, BC Tel: 250-642-3421

Perfectly placed in the South Okanagan

6 turkey drumsticks 2 Tbsp Five spice Sea salt and ground black pepper 1/3 cup flour Butter 2 leeks, thickly sliced 5 garlic cloves, crushed 2 hot chilies, seeded and quartered 1 small piece ginger, sliced 2 bay leaves ½ cup dry sherry 8 cups hot chicken broth 50 g smoked guanciale*, cut into cubes 1 lb shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed Generously season turkey pieces with five spice, salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, and then shake off excess.

Coat a large wide skillet with oil and set over medium-high heat (reduce heat as needed).

Working in batches, brown turkey legs, 2 to 3 min per side. Place in a shallow roasting pan.

Wipe skillet clean, then melt a knob of butter over medium heat. Add leeks, garlic, ginger, chilies and bay leaves. Stir until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in any leftover flour, then pour in sherry. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up and stir in brown bits from pan bottom. Pour over turkey and stir in hot broth. Cover with a piece of parchment then pieces of aluminum foil to create a tight seal. Braise in preheated 325F oven until meat is tender about 1 to 1½ hours.

Meanwhile, cut guanciale into cubes. Pan fry until crispy, then remove to a plate lined with paper towel. Working in batches, brown mushrooms.

When turkey is tender, remove to a large plate. Using a mesh strainer, strain and save liquid; gently press on solids to extract excess liquid, and then discard. Return legs to roasting pan and add guanciale and mushrooms. Return to oven and braise for 20 more minutes to let flavours blend.

To serve, place legs into bowls and add a few dumplings and drizzle with cilantro puree **.

Or shred turkey meat from bones (when cool enough to touch) and stir into broth. *Find smoked guanciale at The Whole Beast 2032 Oak Bay Ave, Victoria or Oyama at Granville Market in Vancouver Herbed Dumplings: Puree. 2 cups chopped cilantro with 3 Tbsp olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and juice from ½ a lemon. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Whisk 1 cup all-purpose flour with 2 tsp baking powder and generous pinches of nutmeg and black pepper. Whisk in 2 eggs with ¼ cup milk and 3 Tbsp herb puree (save remaining puree, thin with more olive oil and use for garnish**). Batter should be slightly lumpy. Reduce water to a medium simmer. Drop spoonfuls of batter into water and cook until dumplings have doubled in size and are cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Dunk It Right

Soak up luscious broth with fresh baked artisanal bread. Check out your options, see pg 26.

P

erfectly placed on rich South Okanagan farmland, Tinhorn " # " # # '$ # # & %& % ! " ' $ ' & ' $ ) &% " namesake. We are environmental stewards of 150 acres of &% " & # % ! # % '$ ! %! $ % & %$# "% " # % '$ # % & %! $( # '$ "# & ) &' $ ' $ "& ' '# ! " ' '$ " ' " "# &" " & % ) &% ' $ ' ) " %# ) % # " ( " ' # ' & " & "& " " %' '$ finest of each vintage.

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EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

Text, recipes and food styling by JENNIFER DANTER Photography by MICHAEL TOURIGNY Art Direction by JENNIFER DANTER & GARY HYNES

www.tinhorn.com

THE LOCAL LIST

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EATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where to find it guide

EAT Magazine is available thanks to the support of our advertisers. Please support them whenever you can

DOWNTOWN DUNCAN

RESTAURANTS THE MINT

HUDSONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ON FIRST

Stop in for a casual bite at street level and experience our cozy Lunch restaurant, or join us downstairs for dinner, drinks and our unique take on South Asian cuisine.

1414 Douglas St., Victoria, BC (250) 386-6468 themintvictoria.com

Award winning dining in a beautifully restored heritage home. Local ingredients, classic techniques and made from scratch cooking are a just few reasons to visit us in Duncan more often.

Celebrate Bubbles & Brunch, Lunch and Dinner.

163 First St. Duncan 250-597-0066 www.hudsonsonfirst.ca

SALT SPRING ISLAND

MEALS TO GO

FERNWOOD ROAD CAFE A fun, relaxed and welcoming place to hang out, enjoy the waterfront view and soak in the North Salt Spring Island vibe. Oh yeah, and have a pretty darn good coffee as well.

325 Fernwood Rd. Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 1C3 250-931-2233 www.fernwoodcafe.com

POD CONTEMPORARY GALLERY Mixing contemporary art and integrating it with extraordinary objects of the day-to-day, Pod incorporates wool and cashmere sweaters, leather bags and boots and handmade enamel earrings, creating a well-curated place to shop.

Salt Spring Island,BC www.facebook.com/PodContemporaryGallery 778 353 3344

Vegetarian & Gluten Wise Options

THE APPLE BOX Frozen Meals with a Local Emphasis - The Apple Box' Seasonal Menu or Food Box consists of Frozen Dinners, Appetizers & Desserts made with Local hormone free pasture raised meats- Local produce & Organic Ingredients.

Available In Store 1725 Cook St www.theapplebox.ca 250-590-6257

VICTORIA PUBLIC MARKET PRESERVATION FOODS CHOCOLATE PROJECT Canada's finest selection of artisanal bean-to-bar chocolate. Taste and explore over 180 bars from the top chocolate makers on Earth with local chef David Mincey as your guide.

Victoria Public Market at the Hudson preservationchocolate@gmail.com Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 to 5

THE CHOCOLATE PROJECT

www.eatmagazine.ca NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

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g VINCABULARY By Treve Ring

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

Malbec {MAL-beck}

Dinner 5:30 - 11 pm Tuesday to Saturday

G.Hynes

LOCAL FREE RANGE MEATS Open Daily 8am - 5pm Quality meats, Poultry, Cheeses, Specialty Products & Condiments

2577 Cadboro Bay Road,VICTORIA

592-0823

DAILY EATS Web / Mobile / Social Media

The Local General Store 1440 Haultain St Corner of Belmont and Haultain (Haultain Corners) (778) 265-6225 Hours: 9:30-6pm

Check out the many locally-sourced and fair-trade holiday gift ideas in our old world, 21st century general store!

Pre-Christmas sale and vendor displays Saturday, Dec 13

www.thelocalgeneralstore.ca

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EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

Though the black, densely flavoured grape is native to the south west of France (you’ll recall it is one of the six players in the Bordeaux blend), it has fallen steeply in plantings and popularity in France; today the black plum, savoury and tannic wines of Cahors are the main centre for the grape in its native homeland. Instead, it has been taken up by many newer wine regions, prized for its fruity approachability. It requires heat – more than colleagues cabernet sauvignon or merlot – so is well suited to warm, sunny climes.

Certainly malbec’s star has risen at a comet-rate as of late, propelled into superstardom by Argentina’s thriving exports. Here, tucked against or astride the sunbaked Andes, the grape typically showcases fullbodied and ballsy fruit-forward flavours of blueberry and black plum, backed up by cocoa, smoke and spice and laid out across a velvety texture. Over the past decade, the approachability, ripe fruit and low price point of Argentine malbec rapidly gained it many fans around the globe. So much so, that today malbec is almost entirely identified with Argentine reds.

Here are 6 wines, including two distinctly different Argentinean examples, to explore.

JUICY

RIPE

River Stone Estate Winery Malbec Rosé 2013 Okanagan Valley, BC *$20 +568980 Deeply hued, there is ample currant, violet, tart rhubarb jam, cranberry, raspberry and leafy notes here, with hints of blueberry blossoms on the nose and finish. Bright acidity, fuller body and slight tannins mean this bold rose will stand up to grilled foods.

Viña Chocalan Grand Reserva Malbec 2011 Maipo Valley, Chile *30 +792705 This ripe malbec is big from the first, expressive sniff; smoked branch, bramble, resin and dense cassis notes.

The full palate spikes with wild blackberry acidity, and rests comfortably on a frame of thorn-edged tannins.

STATELY

Bodega Noemia Malbec A Lisa 2012 Patagonia, Argentina *$30 +854711 This pristine malbec is accompanied by 9% merlot and 1% petit verdot, resulting in an elegant, poised red with perfumed black cherry, dried strawberry and fleshy plum jam notes. Acids are tight and shining, and the juicy finish is spiced and lengthy.

Wolf Blass Gold Label Langhorne Creek Malbec 2012 Langhorne Creek, South Australia, Australia *$30 This is a confident, stately malbec, assured in its exotic nutmeg aromas and black cherry jam, tobacco, thorn and fresh herb infused palate. Round and ripe, this finishes with sandy grained tannins and peppery spice.

SAVOURY Jean Luc Baldes Chateau Labrande 2010 Cahors AOP, France $20 +2162 Love the pure, fragrant cassis, blue plum and black cherry in this savoury, stony, leathery Cahors. Dark cocoa and vibrant acidity liven the full palate, and the tannins finish with a light raspy grip.

ELEGANT

DENSE Pascual Toso Limited Edition Malbec 2012 Maipú, Mendoza, Argentina $19 +920637 Established in 1890, Pascual Toso is one of the oldest wineries in Argentina. This malbec lives up to its heritage with expressive ripe cherry, dense and fleshy black fruit, roasted meats and salted figs.

Tannins are silky smooth and the finish lingers with a smoked vanilla and chocolate note.

*Asterisks denote wines that are only available at the winery or select private liquor stores.

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g A BEER AND A BITE By Colin Hynes

Colin Hynes

HOUND OF BARKERVILLE - BROWN ALE with Grilled cheese with apples and spinach on sourdough The Beer: Barkerville Brewing Co. Hound of Barkerville Brown Ale (Quesnel BC) In the colder months, we always grab a bottle of brown ale for any gathering we may have; it is easy to drink and more importantly, easy to pair. A caramel-noted ale is always welcome in the winter, and The Hound of Barkerville Brown Ale fits the bill perfectly. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a mild, slightly sweet, very malt-forward beer with a nice smoothness. Enjoy in the cool months when you want a beer that has a warmth to it.

ABV: 5.9% barkervillebeer.com The Bite: Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Extra Aged Gouda Heritage Apples and Spinach on Sourdough Bread.

In the winter, cheese and beer is our go-to pairing, so why not take it the next level? We built our sandwiches using extra-aged Gouda, but you could use any winter beer friendly cheese, such as English Farmhouse Cheddar or Point Reyes Toma from California. We added thin slices of heritage apples that we bought at Moss St Market. Slightly tart with a hint of sweetness, apples provide an ideal contrast the saltiness of the cheese. Finally, we threw in some greens (arugula works well, too) for a touch of colour and taste, and had ourselves one delicious sandwich.

The Conclusion: The Hound of Barkerville Brown Ale really comes alive with this sandwich. It starts out malty and transitions to toasty, warm, and nutty. It really elevated the sandwich, bringing out the individual flavours; the cheese became more pronounced, and the appleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role was more significant to the overall experience by adding balance. Make this for lunch, or an easy dinner soon. *Extra aged Gouda, English Farmhouse and Point Reyes Toma can be purchased at Ottavio Italian Bakery & Delicatessen in Oak Bay.

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g TERROIR

By Michelle Bouffard and Michaela Morris

Book, Cook, Wine, Dine

The perfect equation for a memorable gift: one classic cookbook, an evening of cooking with friends or family, and a bottle of wine to enjoy it all with.

The best presents are the ones you secretly wish you could keep for yourself. Especially if the gift includes an experience. Start with a cookbook that inspires family and friends to try out a new dish, spend time together over a special meal and share a delicious bottle of wine. Make certain there is wine on the table by choosing a bottle to pair with the cookbook itself. The following are our favourites picks, purchased for others as well as ourselves, and the wines we suggest to match.

The Dirty Apron Cookbook

by David Robertson (Figure 1 Publishing | 2014) Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been making guest appearances at the Dirty Apron Cooking School since it opened in 2009, partnering with them on three classes geared toward food and wine pairing. Watching chef David Robertsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fabulous demos has helped us hone our own cooking skills, and we learn something new every class we teach. This October, Robertson finally launched a cookbook and has included one of our favourite dishes from the B.C. Dine & Vine class. His Crispy Seared Duck Breast with an orange gastrique, apple and green bean sautĂŠ provides foolproof instructions for perfectly cooked duck. We always pair this with a local Syrah from the Okanagan Valley and it works like a charm every time. Try either Nichols Vineyard or MoonCurser.

Wine: 2011 Moon Curser, Syrah, VQA Okanagan Valley, $25-32 Combines the seductive violet notes of the Northern RhĂ´ne Syrah and the voluptuous dark fruit of those from the New World. Well done!

5

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Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way

by Francis Mallmann (Artisan | 2009) We ate at Francis Mallmannâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s restaurant in Mendoza in 2009 and still count it among our top ten dining experiences ever. When we spied this book soon after, it was a mustbuy. More than a souvenir of that sumptuous meal, it allows us to relive our entire trip to Argentina every time we crack the cover. As the name suggests, Seven Fires explores the fine art of grilling. While barbecuing isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a typical winter activity, plotting your next warm weather feast is a great way to spend a chilly afternoon. Mallmann also offers indoor cooking alternatives when grilling simply isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an option. Even if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t try a single recipe, it is completely satisfying to peruse the pages while sipping on a Malbec. Friendly enough to drink on its own, but just as delicious with a perfectly cooked steak and chimichurri sauce. Thank you, Francis!

Wine: 2011 Mendel, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, $44-49 Made from grapes grown on 85-year-old vines planted 960 metres above sea level.

Fresh and polished with plum, violet and tobacco notes. Hola asado!

The Paris Cookbook

by Patricia Wells (HarperCollins Publishers | 2001) Patricia Wellsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ode to her favourite Paris restaurants is simply charming from start to finish. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the chapter on poultry, however, that provided a personal revelation.

Having converted to a carnivore after 13 years as a vegetarian, Michaela was still holding out on chicken. The roasted lemon chicken recipe on page 190 changed that.

Finally, a perfectly cooked bird with crispy skin and juicy, flavourful flesh! During the winter, roasting chicken is a weekly undertaking for both of us. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just an excuse to enjoy a glass of cru Beaujolais while preparing and a second one when finally digging in. (Lapierreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Morgon is a frequent companion.) For a more sophisticated dinner, turn the page and test out our other most-cooked recipe: BenoĂŽtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fricassee of Chicken with Morels. All the mushrooms and cream in this dish call for Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley or a richer Chardonnay. (Note that Wells also gives her pairing suggestions throughout the book.)

Wine: 2009 Baumard, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Clos de Saint Yvesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Savennières AOC, France, $35-40 100% Chenin Blanc from one of the best producers of the appellation. Delicate

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complex flavours of mushroom, hay and chamomile. Bright acidity and incredibly elegant. The ballerina of Chenin Blanc.

Cradle of Flavor

by James Oseland (WW Norton | 2006) There is nothing like spicy food to warm you up on a chilly day, especially when you spend the day preparing it.

Oseland’s book concentrates on the Southeast Asian countries of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The list of ingredients may seem long and the cooking time even longer, but remember this is an experience. It starts with selecting which recipe to try, shopping for the exotic ingredients required, carefully following each step of the recipe, allowing the flavours to slowly come together, and finally lingering over a steaming bowl of deliciousness. And somewhere during the process, a bottle of wine (or two) should definitely be opened. Dive right into intensely fragrant and rich Beef Rendang.

Seasoned with chilies, lemongrass and ginger and slowly simmered in coconut milk, this meat dish actually works well with rich aromatic whites, particularly Viognier.

Wine: 2013 Moillard, ‘Hugues le Juste’ Viognier, Vin de Pays d’Oc, Languedoc, France $15-17 Fresh notes of ginger, lemon zest and grapefruit. Pungent enough to withstand spicy dishes and a great value!

Delicious Chicken Soup

by Andrey Durbach (Robert Chaplin Publisher | 2008( This cookbook showcases just one single recipe: chef Andrey Durbach’s take on the ultimate in comfort food—chicken soup.

His instructions literally jump off the page, and artist Robert Chaplin’s whimsical illustrations add rich seasoning. The combo will appeal to food lovers of all ages, making it the ideal family gift.

Consider that accompanying bottle for Mom and Dad a necessity just in case the kids insist on following the recipe on their own. And while it may seem odd to have wine with broth, we say, why not?

The key is choosing a wine that is equally restorative. Chardonnay, Soave and Muscadet sur Lie all appeal to our hearts as well as our palates.

Wine: 2011 Domaine de la Pépière, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie AOC, France, $2428 Delicate and light body with lively citrus notes. Nice minerality. Perfect for the ultimate comfort soup.

Bones: Recipes, History, and Lore

by Jennifer McLagan (Cookbook Publishers | 2005) Michelle has made a tradition of hosting close friends on New Year’s Eve and treating us to a meal from this beautifully photographed book. From the Flemishstyle rabbit to the oxtail consommé, every single recipe has received rave reviews. But the one that definitely stands out is the lamb shoulder with preserved lemon and dates. Additional accents of almond and saffron will transport you to Morocco. Exotic, comforting and incredibly tasty, the dish demands a bold, fruit-forward red to match. Californian Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel have proved themselves the most worthy partners with Hendry b eing a classic go-to for us.

Wine: 2012 Rodney Strong, ‘Knotty Vines’ Zinfandel, Northern Sonoma, California, $21-25 Soft tannin with rich fruit of blackberry, raspberry and fleshy plums featuring smoky, peppery notes.

The World Encyclopedia of Cheese

by Juliet Harbutt, recipes by Roz Denny (Hermes House | 2003) It’s a pretty safe bet that the majority of food and wine lovers indulge frequently in cheese. For the cheese-passionate on your list, consider a comprehensive encyclopedia on this fascinating subject.

With plenty of cheesy recipes filling out the pages, wine is definitely à propos.

While red is usually the colour of choice, whites are generally a better match.

Cheese is high in both acidity and salt, which can clash with full-bodied tannic reds. We’re keeping our recommendations traditional, starting with Sancerre and goat cheese like crottin de chavignol and ending with Sauternes and a blue.

Wine: 2011 Château Suduiraut, Sauternes AOC, France $50-55 (375mL) Luscious honey, apricot and roasted nuts make an impression that lingers!

Roquefort or Cashel Blue?

Selecting the cookbook you want to share is almost as much fun as trying out the recipes inside. In Vancouver, BarbaraJo’s Books to Cooks in Vancouver and Bolen Books in Victoria is a great source for all the books listed above. Once you’ve made your choice, then it’s off to the wine store to pick the accompanying wine. For the ultimate experience, why not offer to spend the day cooking and drinking together? It could be the beginning of a cherished holiday tradition. E

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g WHAT TO DRINK WITH THAT

—By Treve Ring

Wine Suggestions for a Classic Italian Menu T H I S

M O N T H ’ S

E X P E RT S

Lisa Haley (LH) Wine Director, Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar Haley arrived to the West Coast from Montreal, where she managed Wienstein & Gavino’s before taking over as Manager/Sommelier at Tuck Shop Restaurant. She was an advocate of natural wines there, as well as her stint as General Manager of Vancouver’s Burdock & Co. Haley is a firm believer in championing the best organic and natural wines sourced from B.C. as well as the most preeminent and celebrated wine regions around the world. Whenever possible, Haley will feature varietals produced from grapes grown organically or biodynamically and fermented using naturally occurring yeasts without manipulation by chemical or industrial processes. At Boulevard, Haley’s carefully cultivated wine list is a direct reflection of both her personal philosophy on winemaking and an ideal companion to the organic, local and sustainable ingredients on the menu.

Colin Southcombe (CS) GM, The Strath Ale Wine & Spirit Merchants Southcombe’s 50 year career in Food and Beverage started in the kitchen and with graduating from Hotel School in London. His career has taken him to Europe, Bermuda, Asia, Australia and Canada. He was the founder of the Victoria Branch of the prestigious Chaîne Des Rôtisseurs in 1984. Retiring as an international hotel general manager 15 years ago, he drew on his many years of wine experience and became a wine merchant.

In addition to GM and Wine Buyer duties at The Strath, he operates a Wine Club and the Island branch of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. His life passions remain wine and food, which he deems inseparable. He still cooks and delights in discovering new wines to taste.

First course: Seafood Antipasto alls Venezia LH. This super simple seafood dish screams for a white with some character. I love themes, so I would stick with Italian wine for this dinner and pair the antipasto with a falanghina from Campania. These wines tend to have good body and their floral, citrus, and tree fruit notes will keep you coming back for more. I especially like the idea of drinking a fuller white during the holidays - the season for patio pinot grigios has passed! Falanghina has enough acidity to handle the rich shellfish in this dish and the fullness of the fruit will balance the heat from the hot chili flakes. I’ve been loving Terredora’s Falanghina and think it makes a great holiday white.

Pasta: Agnolotti filled with ricotta, spinach & pumpkin served with butter, sage and Parmigiano Reggiano LH. The first thing I thought of when I imagined this dish was Franciacorta from Lombardy. Italy’s sparkling wine made in the traditional method from chardonnay, pinot nero, and pinot bianco has many of the rich notes of Champagne. I’d go for a brut or extra brut, and let the acidity and bubbles cut through the richness of the butter and cheese. The buttery, brioche notes often found in Franciacorta would be the perfect match for warm pumpkin and silky homemade pasta.

Meat: Marinated Pork Rib Roast (oranges, fennel, thyme, rosemary) with Balsamic-Glazed Cipollini Onions LH. While everybody else is pairing Beaujolais and turkey, Italian Christmas calls for something a little different. I’d love to try a Cerasuolo di Vittoria from Sicily with this pork rib roast. I don’t like anything too heavy with pork and the best of these blends of frappato and nero d’avola are medium bodied, fruity and savoury. My favourite ones have notes of wild strawberries and citrus peels that will complement the orange and fennel while the floral (think rose) quality of frappato will pair with the thyme and rosemary. COS is an

CS. In Europe and especially Italy, wine is enjoyed with food and usually the local cuisine has developed over the years in harmony alongside the local wines. So seafood in Venice, which sits on the Adriatic Sea, seems to call for Soave, one of the best known white wines from Italy. Some of the Soave we see here is a bit bland, or flavor free. So I would recommend finding a Soave Superiore Classico, as these come from lower yield vineyards and are aged for at least 6 months. The wine is a blend of 70% garganega, with chardonnay, pinot bianco and trebbiano and the resulting dryness will work well with the seafood that has been steamed and then drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

Bubbles in the middle of the meal may seem out of place, but I like them anytime!

CS. Ricotta is a smooth albeit slightly grainy and moist cheese which is found all over Italy, but is famous in Sicily for stuffing pasta. Spinach and pumpkin seed would add welcome texture and dimension. Parmigiano is the Italian adjective for Parma and Reggiano that for Reggio Emilia, which lie in north central Italy around the city of Bologna and only cheese from this area, may use the name Parmigiano-Reggiano. As I think the latter would be a more dominant flavour in this dish, I would choose a red wine to handle the hard cheese and the pasta, such as one from Colli Piacentini DOC which is made in the same region as the cheese.

obvious choice, but my favourite isn’t even classified as Cerasuolo di Vittoria, if you can find a bottle of Occhipinti’s SP68, snap it up; it would be a great match for this dish.

CS. Staying in the same northern part of Italy in Veneto and seeing a dish of pork, I thought about the Valpolicella DOC as its lighter style would typically partner pork. But the recipe has some very complex flavours including orange, herbs and especially the Cipollini. Their flat shape makes them ideal for roasting and being slightly sweet with higher residual sugar than regular onions, they caramelize beautifully. Doing that with balsamic adds a whole new dimension; I think this dish needs a wine richer in flavor and more full bodied. Therefore, I would pick a Valpolicella Superiore Classico Ripasso.

Food-Focused Book Club Launches Bolen Books and the London Chef have collaborated to start The Good Book Club. Each month readers will meet at the London Chef to eat a 3-course dinner prepared by chef Dan Hayes and for a discussion of the featured book.

The first meet-up was held on Oct 2 and featured The Dinner by Herman Koch—a darkly suspenseful, highly controversial tale of two families struggling to make the hardest decision of their lives—all over the course of one meal. (For a report visit eatmagazine.ca and Search The Good Book Club.) The next book club event will take place on November 20 from 6:00 – 9:00pm.

November’s book will be Every Happy Family by Dede Crane. Humorous and

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heartbreaking, wise and demented, Every Happy Family explores the colourful – and sometimes repurposed – fabric of the Wright family. The author, Dede Crane will be in attendance for the event, as well, there will be a draw to win Delicious by acclaimed author Ruth Reich. $75.00 includes the discussion at the long dining table over a threecourse gourmet meal (cost of the book is included in the price).

There will be no book club meeting in Decemember but the Club returns on January 29th to discuss Transatlantic by Colum McCann.

For more information visit thelondonchef.com and look under the calendar listings.

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g LIQUID ASSETS

—By Larry Arnold

Domaine Chandon Brut Classic NV California $27.00-29.00 Champagne is a marvelous and very expensive thing. Fortunately the Champagne taste does not always need come with a Champagne price tag. Established in 1973, Domaine Chandon was the first American sparkling wine produced by a French Champagne house, Moet & Chandon. Made using the Methode Traditionnelle, Brut Classic is a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. It is soft and refreshing with ripe apple, pear and citrus flavours and crisp, dry finish. (94946) government & private stores Domaine Carneros Brut Cuvee 2008 California $35.00-38.00 A joint venture between Champagne Taittinger and Kobrand, the vintage brut is comprised of 57% Pinot Noir and 43% Chardonnay, the fruit sourced from certified organic vineyards in the Carneros regio n of California. Made using the Methode Traditionnelle, the wine spent 3 years sur-lie before being disgorged and released. Great structure with more than a hint of gout anglais. Mature with a lovely mousse, pretty floral, baked apple and citrus aromas, clean fruit flavours, a creamy texture and rich, powerful finish. Superb. (73916) private stores only Greywacke Chardonnay 2010 New Zealand $36.00-38.00 Greywacke is the winery of acclaimed winemaker Kevin Judd, the man many believe put Cloudy Bay and Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc on the vinous map. Here is Judd’s interpretation of Chardonnay, but consider yourself warned, if you are not an aficionado of big buxom chards that have had an intimate relationship with a wine barrel, then move on. This belle falls in the whopper category, fat, lush and redolent with ripe pear, peach and hot buttered toast aromas. Big, bold and full-bodied with concentrated fruit flavours yet blessed with a crunch of refreshing acidity and a long graceful finish. (198937) private stores only Jadot Macon Villages Blanc Grange Magnien 2012 France $23.00-25.00 This zippy little offering from Louis Jadot, one of Burgundy’s most highly regarded producers, is everything a Macon ought to be. Made with 100% Chardonnay grapes and aged in stainless steel tanks, it is seductively smooth with the accent on fruit and finesse rather than alcohol and oak. Medium-bodied and refreshing with subtle aromas of peach, citrus and minerals, restrained with soft fruit flavours, and a supple creamy texture that coats the palate without being heavy or ponderous. Very refined in a suave, Burgundian way. (484717) private stores only Perret Savoie Jongieux 2012 France $20.00-22.00 The wines of Savoie are not the easiest to find in this province, however, if this delicate, ethereal white is any indication of what to expect from the appellation, I pray we find a lot more in the not too distant future. It is light, fresh and gently scented with citrus, floral and herbal aromas and fresh peachy flavours finishing soft and dry. Without a doubt the best Jacquere I have had the pleasure to drink. (41921) private stores only Carpineta Fontalpino Chianti Classico 2011 Italy $27.00-30.00 Carpineta Fontalpino’s estate and vineyards are located in the heart of Tuscany, close to the historic town of Siena. Very polished with layers of red cherry, spice and dry earth aromas. Medium-bodied, with textbook Sangiovese flavours nicely balanced with good acidity and a rasp of fine-grained tannins that carry through the palate. Very stylish Chianti worth seeking out. (736199) private stores only Masciarelli Iskara Colli Aprutini 2005 Italy $46.00-48.00 Masciarelli’s Iskra is 100% Montepulciano fermented in stainless steel and aged in French oak barrels for 12 months and another 5 years in bottle before release. Dark and brooding with blackberry, damp earth and spice aromas and flavours. Full-bodied but firm with great depth, restrained tannins and a sappy intensity. A huge wine with flavours to match and a long future. Top-notch!!! (261883) government & private stores Domaine de Cristia Cotes de Ventoux 2012 France $20.00-23.00 Soft and juicy with delicious raspberry, cherry and earth flavours, medium to full bodied with a blush of fine grained tannins and a long tasty finish. Very refined and polished. Highly recommended. (348862) private stores only Yalumba Barossa Old Bush-Vine Grenache 2012 Australia $25.00-27.00 Founded in 1849, Yalumba is Australia’s oldest family owned winery. This Grenache was an eye opener. The nose is a veritable fruit bowl of raspberries, spice and more raspberries, on the palate, more of the same with delicious berry flavours balanced with backbone of juicy acidity. A mouth-full but not heavy, with a soft silky texture, nicely integrated tannins and a long sweet finish. (531228) government & private stores Louis Max Climat Haute Vallee Pinot Noir 2013 France $20.00-22.00 In these days of great financial uncertainty, it may be prudent to imbibe something a little more frugally priced than the great growths of Burgundy. Louis Max is a Pinot and Chardonnay specialist producingE red and white Burgundy for over 150 years. This in not Burgundy but it is a damn good knock-off made from Pinot Noir sourced from the south of France. Delicious with simple cherry and spice flavours, nicely balanced with a silky smooth texture and a soft, round finish. (54478) private stores only

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g TRAVEL

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By Treve Ring

Portland’s New Artisan Corridor

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1. Start at Olympic Provisions 107 SE Washington Street Olympic Provisions is all things to many people, and has spawned similar outlets around North America.

Restaurant chef Alex Yoder prepares rustic Mediterranean inspired lunch and dinner, while Salumist Elias Cairo crafts “American Charcuterie” using local, high-quality ingredients out of Oregon’s first USDA certified salumeria.

2. Steven Smith Teamaker – opening early 2015 110 SE Washington Street Dubbed the “all-star alchemist of topshelf tea”, tea master Steven Smith will be opening a 27,600 sq ft tea warehouse, production facility and retail cafe in early 2015. His eponymous teas are spotted all over smart restaurants and shops across Oregon, and he previously helped form Stash and Tazo.

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Ehreh Salazar

ndeniably the creative incubator for craft food and beverage in the United States, Portland is in perpetual reinvention - shifting perception and informing opinion on how, why and what is sustainable and of sustenance. From fresh roasted coffee to artisan ice cream, full-flavour microbrews to secretly foraged mushrooms, hand-formed cheeses, selfcured and butchered meats, hazelnuts (sorry – filberts), Pacific harvested sea salt, urban wineries and more, this is where the needle moves.

In recent years, driven by lesser rent and greater space, the hum of invention has drifted east, across the Willamette River. Recently, critical mass has organically formed around either side of the two main North|South roads – NE Grand Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. New warehouses are opening monthly, creating a walkable, workable culinary collective united as much by its geography as its local and sustainable ethos.

A vital, vibrant new Artisan Corridor is forming right in front of our eyes.

Here’s an of-the-moment snapshot of where food, drink and craft meet.

3. Stumptown Coffee Headquarters 100 SE Salmon Street Though two years long at this location, there is no way you should miss a trip around the Artisan Corridor without paying homage (and participating in free cuppings) at Stumptown. Next to company headquarters you’ll find The Annex, the best place in the galaxy to purchase Stumptown beans, drink a pourover and get your buzz on.

4. Quin Candy Lab – Opening early 2015 1430 SE Water Avenue Nostalgia reimagined. This artisan candy shoppe will make you feel like a kid again – but this time, a principled one. Small batch handmade lollipops, caramels and other sweet delights look as fantastical as they taste, and are all crafted with top-notch, locally harvested ingredients, most likely by omnipresent owner and chief candy-maker Jami Curl.

5. Jacobsen Salt Co. 602 SE Salmon Street Proprietor Ben Jacobsen’s hand-harvested salts have a fervent following among chefs professional and amateur across the nation.

Purists rejoice at the flaked sea salt, though innovative collaborations with local producers have yielded insanely delicious results (Xocolatl de Davíd’s salted chocolate bar amongst them). A salvaged oyster trailer in the warehouse serves as unique gathering place for collaborative dinners.

6. Bee Local Honey 602 SE Salmon Street Bees have ‘hoods too. Bee Local offers terroir-based microbatch honey varieties with flavor profiles reflective of the bees’ forage in

EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

specific neighborhoods. Founder Damian Magista focuses on the healthiest, most unique and flavourful honey, while being a spokesperson for sustainable beekeeping.

7. Ancient Heritage Dairy – Opening November/December 626 SE Main Street Portland’s first urban creamery is due to open late 2014, bringing Central Oregon’s prized cow and sheep milk cheeses closer to the urban centre and the chefs who devotedly search it out. The tightlyknit Obringer family operation is devoted to sustainability and selfsufficiency, bridging the best of traditional and modern techniques.

8. The Commons Brewery – Opening early 2015 628-630 SE Belmont Street One of Portland’s most highly beer-nerd acclaimed breweries will be opening its new location in early 2015, providing much more space for Mike Wright and co. to brew their sought after, small-batch brews.

9. Coopers Hall 404 SE 6th Avenue At the newly opened Coopers Hall, taps rule, with more than 35 wines, beers and ciders flowing though the lines, complementing chef Roscoe Roberson’s family-style comfort food. The large warehouse, converted from an auto body shop, has room enough for an active, viewable urban winery.

10. Cyril’s at Clay Pigeon Winery 815 SE Oak Street Cyril’s dubs itself as a “Progressive American Kitchen tucked inside an awesome Urban Winery”, a riff that I couldn’t reinvent better.

Sasha Davies and Michael

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VICTORIA: Local cooking schools have your bases covered this holiday season, whether you are looking for edible gifts or strategies to stay healthy throughout the festivities. If you have ever looked at the pretty berries on Mountain Ash trees and wondered if there was something you could do with them, The London Chef has your answer in the form of a Festive Wild Jelly class. Learn to make traditional Rowan berry (Mountain Ash berry) jelly with Cordial Wildcraft Consumables. (cordialwildcraftedconsumables.com) The instructor explains: “From warding off witches and mischievous fairies to protecting your home from lightning, the Rowan tree has a long and magical history. And it just so happens to produce gorgeous berries that make a rather tart and interesting jelly.

Well-loved from Scotland to Scandinavia, it's also the traditional accompaniment to twelfth-cake during the Christmas season. Perfect with venison, turkey or pork and lovely with a good chunk of cheese— Rowan berry jelly will add a little magical something-something to your holiday entertaining.” Offered November 23rd. (www.thelondonchef.com). Cook Culture is offering Fresh and Healthy Holiday cooking with chef Michael Williams (Shaw TV’s “Island Chef”) on December 3rd, and will focus on nutritious snacks, sides and entrées that offer a lighter alternative to the usual heavy holiday fare. (www.cookculture.com) Moss Street Market is holding its annual holiday market on December 13-14, and is a great place to stock up on winter veggies, as well as locally made gifts. The Market now has a winter market open Nov-Apr, Saturdays at 10am (www.mossstreetmarket.com).

Canoe Brewpub is hosting a seasonal beer tasting on November 6. Winterbrau 2014 will be featuring fifteen seasonal brews and unlimited snacks and tasters. Tickets are $50, and available through Ticket Rocket. (ticketrocket.org/2014/04/14/winterbrau-2014).

Quadra Village welcomed a new restaurant to the neighbourhood this fall. Part and Parcel is serving up beautiful dishes made with ethically raised meats, sustainably sourced seafood, bread from Fry’s, organic produce from Square Root Farms and coffee from Caffe Fantastico. (partandparcel.ca) Vic West has a new Thai restaurant in the space on Craigflower Road formerly occupied by Ho-Ting Chinese Restaurant. The Green Elephant Thai Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, and is now offering delivery service as well. Find their full menu on Facebook (facebook.com/ThaiGreenElephant). Tacofino continues its successful expansion with a new restaurant, opened in early October on Fort St. This truly is the story of the little food truck that could, growing from its original food truck in Tofino to locations in Vancouver, the Okanagan and now downtown Victoria (facebook.com/TacofinoVictoria) Oak Bay residents, keep your eyes open for a new organic juice bar, coming to Oak Bay Ave soon.

The Brentwood Bay Resort & Spa has a new chef. Chef Sean Norris, Ontario born and Toronto trained, cooked previously at the Beach Club Resort (Parksville) and Mondo Ristorante (Toronto).

“I had always been attracted to this property and it didn’t take long to make the decision to return to the Island,” says Norris. “It is an exciting time at the Resort and it is exciting to be a part of this dynamic and forward thinking team.” In addition to the popular sushi menu look for dishes like spicy Bouillabaise, Sake-Marinated Sablefish and Cider-Glazed Duck Breast at the Seagrille. (brentwoodbayresort.com).

Café Brio had to close in mid-October following an electrical fire. Fortunately, the blaze was caught early enough to prevent extensive damage, and at press time, the restaurant was expected to reopen shortly. (cafe-brio.com). This marks the fourth Fort Street restaurant fire since late 2013. Pho Vy Vietnamese restaurant was forced to relocate after a fire in the 700 block last November (facebook.com/pages/Pho-Vy-Vietnamese-Restaurant). Sen Zushi also relocated to a Store Street location, though is expected to return to its Fort St. location once repairs following their April fire are completed (senzushi.com), while the Blue Fox recovered quickly from their kitchen fire last June (thebluefoxcafe.com).

Wishing all our readers a happy holiday season. Santa, if you’re reading this, I’d like some of the Candid Confectioner’s Chai Caramels in my stocking this year, please and thank you! (thecandidconfectioner.com). —REBECCA BAUGNIET

Put y

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We’d like you to consider what you shouldn’t be putting down the drain, like fats, oils and grease from food. Instead, they can be disposed of safely by composting in your collection program or recycling at designated depots.

We need your help to get that message out there. Send us your best slogans in 140 characters or less to help make this point and the winning slogan will be featured in our upcoming community campaign.

FFor or ccontest ontest and and p prize rize details details v visit isit www.crd.bc.ca/sloganmaster www.crd.bc.ca/sloganmaster FROM EAT MAGAZINE

For the wine lover

DISCOVER YOUR OWN BACKYARD Island Wineries of British Columbia is the first book written on the wineries of Vancouver & the Gulf Islands. Meet the people, take the tour, taste the wines. ✳ Winner of the 2011 Gourmand International Wine Books Awards for Canada Available at bookstores, Amazon, Vancouver Island wineries and at www.touchwoodeditions.com

COWICHAN VALLEY | UP ISLAND: Salt, ice cream, mushrooms, cranberries, chocolate, and cocktails. They don't have a thing in common except that each of their creators are doing interesting things with their products, and you get to discover just what's going on by reading on.

From Salt Spring Island comes a new ice cream company, called Salt Spring Island Ice Cream - try some at the Saturday market for now but expect them to go 'viral' very soon -the hazelnut chocolate is so divine! Also new on the island is Philippe Marill's Salt Spring Sea Salt, beautifully flavoured and designed to perfectly compliment our wonderful local produce. If you haven't been to the organic farm at Stowel Lake for one of their farm to table wine paired dinners, you will get a chance on Nov 7th. Keep watching their site for menu details. Salt Spring's 'Glowtini' is a farm to holiday cocktail contest starting Dec. 4th. Local mixologists incorporate a local farm ingredient to create the most festive taste sensation and win the title - you be the judge! (christmasonsaltspring.com, stowellakefarm.com, saltcont’d on page 47

www.eatmagazine.ca NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

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TALK By Rebecca Baugniet

What the Pros Know For this issue, EAT asked local restaurant staff to tell us us about the most memorable holiday party they ever attended.

Sahara Tamarin, Co-owner and General Manager, Ulla Restaurant We had three Quebecois cook friends who lived together in Vancouver. They invited about 20 cooks, chefs and front-of-house friends for a party. The price of entry was a bottle of Champagne. The house was all decked out for Christmas. There was cold smoked salmon, oysters, foie gras terrine and a mountain of caviar with a make-your-own blini station. All the cooks pitched in to finish and plate the main course of venison with chocolate sauce laughing and joking the whole time. There was a feeling of camaraderie and fun, and things sure got raucous with all that bubbly! Definitely an epic holiday party.

Dave Crags, Chef/owner/bartender, Ferris Oyster Bar & Catalano Restaurant Probably the best party I’ve been involved in was at our other restaurant Catalano. It was a party for a local tech firm, the theme was 1970s après ski.

Food involved fondue stations of cheese and chocolate, mulled wine and passed appetizers. Ugly sweaters were in full force, a photobooth with a ski theme, various board games and the pièce de resistance, a 3’ by 4’ carved Fernet ice luge created by our chef Aaron. It was fun and I was just working it.

Andrew Moffatt, Heron Rock Bistro It was the Assassins Rugby Football Club’s Christmas Caroling Party, Winnipeg, 1998. There was hot homemade apple cider and twenty or so rugby players and friends headed out into the freeze-your-@$$-off cold for a night of caroling and Christmas cheer. Winnipeg is very well known for its arts and music scene, but it was clear early on this bunch didn't know anything about that. Nonetheless, our performance was a huge hit that night! After the Jingle Belling and Rum Pa Pa Pumming were done, we all headed back for a top off on our hot cider, and a potluck dinner including braised pork ribs, roast beef, turkey and a beer or two. That was a memorable community Christmas experience.

Ayja Armstrong-Golder, Server, The Pink Bicycle My most memorable holiday party was a Christmas staff party. It was a multicourse meal at Café Brio paired with a selection of fantastic wines followed by a blurry night of dancing, drinking and indulgence.

Nic Whitehouse, Server, The Clay Pigeon I can’t think of a memorable holiday party at the moment, but another one that comes to mind was last summer, shortly after I started working at the Clay Pigeon. The whole staff went to the Phillips’ Backyard Weekender to hear Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires. Everyone there was super happy, super courteous, making sure everyone attending had a drink in their hand (I was enjoying their Analogue ’78 Kolsch) and a smile on their faces.

It was a great time.

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The Buzz springseasalt.com) Heading up island, Bill Jones of Deerholme Farms presents three mushroom inspired events. First, on Nov.1st is a fall mushroom foraging class. Then on Nov. 8th is a Pine mushroom extravaganza and dinner. Finally on Dec. 6th is a truffle class! (deerholme.com) for details.

Taste the holidays Nov.19th - 23rd at locally owned and operated Yellow Point Cranberry Farm.

Take a look inside natural cranberry farming - bog to bottle - along with cranberry delicacies, recipes and gifts to enjoy over the holidays (yellowpointcranberries.com).

Nanaimo is a-buzz lately with three new restaurants and an amazing new raw chocolate bar company. Rewsters restaurant, owned by Morgan Carey in the heart of downtown below the REW's building, offers great food concocted in a state of the art kitchen provided by Russel Foods. WaKu Japanese restaurant on Bowen Rd. serves up traditional Japanese udon, ramen and donburi rice bowls for lunch or dinner, and finally Jalapeño Mexican Restaurant across from VIU makes good Mexican food at reasonable prices. Try them all and see which you like best (rewsters.com), 778-441-4899 for WaKu, 778-441-4020 for Jalapeños, or find them on Facebook.

Be Raw Dark Chocolate of Nanaimo is created with raw, organic, fair trade ingredients and is infused with the balancing energies of each of the seven chakras or energy centers in the body. Founder and innovative chocolatier Thirza Voysey started experimenting with raw chocolate after facing more and more of her own dietary challenges - she's hoping to heal the world with chocolate, one piece at a time (berawchocolate.com).

If you haven't tried Island Soda Works living probiotic sodas made lovingly by founder Mandolyn McScandalot here's some incentive - she won 3rd place in the recent 'We Love Locals Contest'. Try some at her BBQ restaurant cafe at 1430 Errington Rd., Errington. 250-203-1072 or find them on Facebook.

—KIRSTEN TYLER

Culinaryy Ar Culinar Arts: ts: Baking & Pas Pastry try Ar Arts ts Happy grads heading out to their summer co-op work placements, June 2014.

Researching Researching yyour our options? dayy CCome ome spend a da in our kkitchen. itchen.

CContact: ontact: debbie.shore@viu.ca debbie .shore@viu.ca

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TOFINO: Late fall means a favourite local event is just around the corner. November has been more fun filled for the past 17 years thanks to the Clayoquot Sound Oyster Festival. Scheduled for Nov. 1215th this year, festival events include two oyster filled evenings and oyster farm tours.

The Mermaid’s Masquerade is on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Tofino Community Hall. This event brings out Tofino’s creative side, as under the sea costumes are encouraged and prizes awarded for best costume (male, female, couple). And oysters of course are abundant, thanks to the many busy shuckers.

The main event, the Oyster Gala, is Saturday, Nov. 15 at the same venue. This is a classier affair with formal dress. At the gala evening local restaurants compete for the coveted Best Oyster title, both for Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice. Chefs and oyster farmers will also compete in the Oyster Shucking Relay, a popular shucking race that’s returning this year. BC beer, wine and cider are available for oyster pairings.

For both Oyster Festival events, a free shuttle bus is available with drop-off points at all the major resorts. There’s really no better way to try the fare of so many talented local chefs while enjoy a Vancouver Island delicacy. And you can see where Clayoquot Sound’s oysters are grown Lemmen’s Inlet courtesy of Remote Passages Marine Excursions. For more information and tickets (new this year is a combined event ticket for $100), please visit oystergala.com.

Tacofino is expanding in Vancouver and Victoria. Adding to the mobile truck already at the corner of Douglas and Pandora (Tues-Sat. 10am-9pm), Kaeli Robinsong and Jason Sussman opened a restaurant at 787 Fort St. in October. They are also set to open a Gastown location in early November, adding to their roster in Vancouver (the Tacofino Commisary is located at 2327 E. Hastings, and the Orange food truck is mobile). Tofino will lose chef Cameron Young from the Spotted Bear Bistro, as he is moving to the Tacofino Commisary in early November. Though he will be missed he’s been known to come back to town before, so here’s hoping. Visit tacofino.com for more information about all Tacofino locations.

The Pointe Restaurant at the Wickaninnish Inn is presenting a Chef’s Table dinner with chef David Chauvac from the French Michelin-starred Le Mas Candille. Located in the medieval village of Mougins near Cannes, Le Mas Candille is a five-star Relais & Chateaux property. The event itself is in celebration of the 60th anniversary of R&C, started in France. Chefs Warren Barr and David Sitler from the Pointe will team up with Chauvac for a six-course dinner, complete with optional wine pairings and cocktail reception beforehand. Contact the Special Events team at the Wickaninnish for tickets ($100 exclusive of alcohol, taxes and service), at 250-725-3100 ext. 222 or specialevents@wickinn.com.

The Wolf in the Fog’s bar manager Hailey Pasemko has become known around town for an her inventive cocktail list, using ingredients like cedar and salmon infused alcohol, and purified sea water.

Her latest is a holiday offering called the White Pine Cove — a gin, lime, mint and egg white cocktail garnished with a candied pine spear. Check out the drink list and other menus at wolfinthefog.com.

We hope to see you on the west coast this winter, where there will be plenty of waves and hopefully a good storm or two. —JEN DART

viu.ca/culinary

Food, wine and culture field school in Italy, 2015. Visit viu.ca/educationabroad See last year’s highlights viu.ca/Italy-2014-Slideshow

www.eatmagazine.ca NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

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SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THIS START CREATING A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES WITH LE CREUSET THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Penna & Co. #130 – 777 Royal Oak Drive Victoria 250-727-2110

Muffet & Louisa #109 – 2506 Beacon Ave Sidney 250-656-0011

A Step Above – Quality Foods Comox, Courtenay, Powell River, and Qualicum Beach www.qualityfoods.com

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