Savour Calgary 2020 November December by savourcalgary

NOVEMBER » DECEMBER 2020

FRESH. LOCAL. STORIES FOR FOOD LOVERS.

The 12 Tastes of Christmas

Holiday Gift Guide

Anniversary Crossword

My Fine Christmas

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Welcome | F R O M T H E E D I T O R

Contents 1

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36 40

Julie Van Rosendaal takes us around the world through fruitcake and has given me a whole new appreciation for what goes into creating this Christmas classic. You may actually find some of this ancient traditional treat in my pantry this year! We at Savour Calgary invite you to take a local approach to your Christmas shopping in 2020. It’s so important to support our local food businesses now more than ever. Wanda Baker has put a list together for you in her annual “Holiday Gift Guide” on page 14. Not only are there some great shop-local ideas, we’ll be giving many of the products away on Instagram over the month of December. Make sure you follow us on social to get in on the contests and let Savour Calgary do your shopping for you! This is a special issue for more than one reason. Can you believe we’re already celebrating a year of Savour Calgary? This time last year, we were scrambling to put together our first issue. As a way of celebrating this milestone, we’ve included a special anniversary crossword puzzle on page 16. Many of the clues come from the last six issues of Savour and putting it together was a walk through all we’ve accomplished together this year. So much gratitude goes out to the food community that has embraced us, supported us and read us over the last year. While we can’t celebrate together in person in this crazy year, please know that the entire Savour Calgary team has you in our hearts this holiday season – and always. Happy Holidays to you and yours, however you celebrate.

Camie Leard, Editor camie@savourcalgary.ca

38 42

’ll admit, I have an irrational emotionality about Christmas. Something about the nostalgia, the steamed up kitchen windows against the winter chill outside and, of course, the food, makes me misty. Put The Little Drummer Boy on and I’m a blubbering mess. So, I was moved to tears more than a couple of times putting this, our holiday issue, together. Our “12 Tastes of Christmas” feature is woven through the book and tells tales of international dishes on Calgary tables and Calgarians immersed in Christmas traditions abroad. Thank you to the writers who shared so generously their stories of global food and family during the holidays. I know you will love them as much as I did. A special thanks to Chef Duncan Ly, who let us in on his childhood Christmases as a Vietnamese kid in "Back of House" on page 38. A beautiful (and delicious) story!

Of course, not everyone is moved by the frenetic energy surrounding the holidays. Linda Kupecek invites us to take a different, more peaceful approach to Christmas dinner in her “My Fine Christmas” feature on page 35.

43 48

55 59 63 66

71 74

Features

14 Holiday Gift Guide 16 Anniversary Crossword 17 Global Spirits for the Holidays 20 12 Tastes of Christmas 35 My Fine Christmas

The Regulars 5 11 12 14 36 38

Savour Selects Fresh Market Julie’s Kitchen Shop Local Quick Bites Back of House

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Open daily from 9 am to 7 pm PUBLISHER

Debbie Lambert debbie@savourcalgary.ca EDITOR

Camie Leard camie@savourcalgary.ca A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

Wanda Baker wanda@savourcalgary.ca MAGAZINE DESIGN

Cheryl Starr Design Group stellardesign.ca COVER

Camie Leard is a Calgary-based writer, musician and visual artist. She is also the editor of Savour Calgary Magazine. CONTRIBUTORS

Wanda Baker Shelley Boettcher Naomi Gracechild Brit Hart Ellen Kelly Linda Kupecek Erin Lawrence Duncan Ly Allison Martin BJ Oudman Shawna-Kay Thomas Catherine Van Brunschott Julie Van Rosendaal Grace Wang ADVERTISING SALES

www.biteyyc.com

Ellen Kelly ellen@savourcalgary.ca Amanda Lambert amanda@savourcalgary.ca

1023 9th Ave S.E.

open 9 am to 3 pm www.beaseatery.com 1023 9th ave. s.e. (inside bite)

WEBSITE TECHNICAL ADVISOR

Todd Robertson web@savourcalgary.ca PRINTING

CentralWeb DISTRIBUTION

James Norman distribution@savourcalgary.ca Savour Calgary is a bi-monthly magazine published by Savour Calgary Ltd. Savour Calgary is published six times per year. Winter, Early Spring, Late Spring, Summer, Fall, Holiday C O N TAC T I N FO RM AT I O N

403.475.5809 info@savourcalgary.ca M A I L : c/o 153 Somercrest Circle S.W., Calgary, AB T2Y3H1 PHONE:

EMAIL:

POST

BREAKFAST LUNCH

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FO R M O RE I N FO RM AT I O N S E E U S AT

savourcalgary.ca

FO R E D I T O RI A L I N Q U I RI E S C O N TAC T

camie@savourcalgary.ca

Savour Calgary has made all efforts to ensure that content in the magazine is accurate on the date of publication. The views expressed in the articles reflect the author(s) opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or editor. The published material, advertisements, editorials and photographs along with all other content is published in good faith and Savour Calgary cannot guarantee and accepts no liability for any loss or damage of any kind caused by any errors, omissions and for the accuracy of claims made by the advertisers or any other contributors. All trademarks presented in this magazine are owned by the registered owner and Savour Calgary will be held harmless in the event that the advertiser or contributor has submitted trademarks for which they do not have authorization from the owner. All rights reserved by Savour Calgary and nothing can be partially or in whole be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of the publisher at Savour Calgary Ltd.

t c e f r pe

Savour selects

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

The

snack for Santa.

Dining area at Bennys Breakfast Bar

Walk into Benny’s Breakfast Bar and it feels like you are walking into a 1950’s diner. A bright, airy spot, the restaurant boasts candy apple red booths and chair covers, walls adorned with relics and heirlooms, 50’s music playing on the juke box, and a fun call buzzer on your table for when you need service. Owner, recipe developer and saucier, Kevin Young, opened the breakfast bar to recreate a favourite childhood memory that involved going to the drivein for a frosted mug root beer and burger. This memory was an experience he wanted to share with others and the inspiration behind the eatery. With several items to choose from, the bennies really stand out. Creations like the mac‘n’cheese served on cheesy macaroni, the avocado toast served up on rye toast (we had and loved) and the perogy benny served on, you guessed it, a pile of perogies have kept us coming back for more. If bennies aren’t your thing, try the Marilyn Monroe or Elvis Presley fully loaded breakfast, or avoid breakfast and order lunch. Simply pull up a stool at the breakfast bar, enjoy a burger and old-fashioned milk shake or cold root beer just like Kevin used to do. Word to the wise: Benny’s closes at 3 p.m. daily.

KENSINGT ON

1081 2ND AVENUE NW | 403.287.8544 SPRUCE CL IF F / W ILDWO O D

8 SPRUCE CENTRE SW | 403.452 .3960 MAHOGANY

2171 MAHOGANY BLVD SE | 587.623.1144

@piejunkieyyc piejunkie.ca

Camie Leard

Photo supplied by Benny�s Breakfast Bar

T O P P I C K S f rom Savour staf f | S A V O U R S E L E C T S

Benny’s Breakfast Bar 7007 11th St. S.E. | 403.252.3443 | bennysbreakfastbar.ca

WHAT A CONCEPT!

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1069 - 200 Southridge Drive Okotoks, AB 403.982.7466 foothills@vintnerscellar.ca

Char Sui pork steam bun

We’ve taken the opportunity during the pandemic to rediscover some Calgary classics. Duncan Ly’s Foreign Concept in the Beltline still delights! We started with a beautiful glass of Tommasi Pinot grigio to enjoy with our starters: the tuna tataki and pork siu steamed buns. Not only were the dishes eye candy like nobody’s business, but so much careful attention is paid to balanced flavours and complementary textures that we were sorry to find we’d taken our last bites. We enjoyed the Sunterra Farms lemongrass pork chop and chargrilled shaking beef short rib. We learned that the “shaking” in the name refers to the tossing of the beef back and forth in the wok after it's quickly seared. Both meals were hearty, delicious and accessible with a few surprises including a delightful little Vietnamese meatloaf accompanying the pork chop. For dessert – we barely had room, but we managed – we had the yuzu cheesecake and tapioca ube pudding. A sweet and bright finish to a beautiful meal! We invite you to check out your Calgary favourite this fall! Foreign Concept | 1011 1st St. S.W. | 403.719.7288 | foreignconcept.ca N OV EM B ER » D EC EM B ER 2020

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Romero Spiced Rum

Sashimi Flowers

Ikusa 903 General Ave N.E. 587.352.3588 ikusaizakaya.com

ON A ROLL

WARMING UP TO SPICED RUM

Terry Ke shows no sign of slowing down as he recently added Ikusa in Bridgeland to his family of restaurants (which includes Ke Charcoal and Tokyo Street Market) as well as expanding the TSM in Crescent Heights Village to include Tokyo Station in the basement where you will find grab-and-go sushi, Japanese snacks as well as an eight-course tasting menu for just $25! With a focus on fresh ingredients and accessible pricing, the latest addition is a great place to try something new. Sushi and ramen star on the lunch menu with stone and charcoal grilling rounding out the options for something a little more substantial. We had the sashimi, edamame, various flavours of ramen and some yakitori. All fantastic. If you’re a fan of Ke’s other restaurants, you’ll also love it here.

When you think of rum, thoughts might turn to white sand beaches and tropical punch. But Alberta actually has a strong affiliation with the sweet spirit with a history of prohibition rumrunning filling our past and our flasks. And as the holidays approach, we think Romero Distilling Company’s release of its spiced rum is perfectly timed. Matured in once-used bourbon casks from Woodford Reserve in Kentucky, this premium rum is spiced with vanilla, cardamom, nutmeg, clove, Sri Lankan cinnamon, and cracked pepper. It starts with warm notes of vanilla and butterscotch and has a long finish of Romero Spiced Rum cinnamon and other spices. It’s a brand-new rum that we think will age into something really very special. It’s perfect for hot toddies, cocktails and fruitcakes this time of year!* Camie Leard

Camie Leard

T O P P I C K S f rom Savour staf f | S A V O U R S E L E C T S

Romero Distilling Company 300, 688 Heritage Dr. S.E. |403.640.7886 romerodistilling.com

Soulful recipes inspired by Mamma Aurora straight from the heart of old Italy and made in-house daily.

Our famous sausages are only one part of our story. Check out Spolumbo’s for stress-free office, event and home catering. Our in-house deli and ready-to-eat take-home meals are just waiting for you! Visit us in Inglewood at 1308 9 Avenue SE | spolumbos.com

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Wanda Baker

MEDITERRANEAN WITH A TWIST

Cooking on a hot Saj

Ritage Restaurant 202 17th Avenue S.E. 587.352.2989 facebook. com/ritagerestaurant

Ritage Restaurant is one of Calgary’s newest restaurants to open right before the pandemic hit only to shut down like everyone else. As per AHS guidelines, they reopened this summer offering a full menu for lunch and dinner, seven days a week. Owner and Chef Adam Askar hails from Beirut where he studied his craft before working in a handful of hotels around the world, including Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Dubai. Last year Askar came to Canada, worked at a few local eateries before opening Ritage. His menu features a variety of items including cold mezze, hot mezze, burgers and arayes, kebabs, saj bites, and platters as well as desserts. A dome-shaped grill called a saj is used to cook some of the dishes including bread. Take-out is available and they have space to host safe Christmas parties.*

HOLIDAY PARTIES

Photo supplied by A Tavola

TIME HONOURED TRADITIONS

A Tavola sisters Nadia Carinelli, Sara Marghella

A Tavola atavolayyc.com

A Tavola! This is how sisters Nadia Carinelli and Sara Marghella were called to the table by their mother when dinner was ready. Translated, it means “at the table.” Growing up in Edmonton’s tight-knit Italian community, the sisters were immersed in preparing beautiful dishes to serve every day with their Nonna, and eventually they perfected the art of entertaining. This journey led them to honour their late grandmother Rosaria Franco, (née Spinelli), by writing a cookbook called Nonna Said, sharing stories, memories and a collection of recipes passed from generation to generation. Along with the recently released cookbook, the sisters have specially curated pizza and pasta-making kits filled with goodies for cooking from scratch. Purchase the kits with the cookbook to learn how to create recipes just like Nonna did. Kits and cookbooks available online and you can also find the cookbooks at The Italian Centre.*

This year it’s different – luckily that’s our specialty

403.454.8933

gathercatering.ca

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RECIPES WITH COCOCO CHOCOLATE

Our friends at Cut Cooking developed a deliciously moist chocolate marbled loaf recipe using pumpkin and our couverture chocolate. Read their full post with gluten-free substitutions at www.cutcooking.com/marbled-pumpkin-loaf/

SEND NOODS What started as a dream for owner Nan Thammanatr has become a reality, as Nan’s Noodle House opened this fall to rave reviews. Eahly Shirley and Nan are owners of Hearts Choices Café Market, and upon a chance conversation with Samir and Mohamed of the Cedar’s Deli main warehouse, located across the street, Nan learned there was an empty space available next to the Deli on Edmonton Tr. She jumped at the opportunity, construction started, and a vegan noodle house was born. The noodle house offers hearty dishes from around the world including ramen, pho, khao soi, banh mi subs and Thai iced bubble tea and coffee. One of the highlights in the cafe is the vegan retail market. Shelves and freezers are stocked with Thai and international sauces, frozen vegan proteins, grab and go meals and specialty plant-based foods. On colder days we like to stop in for a steaming hot bowl of khao soi, an exceptional noodle dish loaded with flavour.

Photo supplied by Nan's Noodle House

T O P P I C K S f rom Savour staf f | S A V O U R S E L E C T S

Nan’s Noodle House 3103b Edmonton Tr. N.E. 403.455.0590 nansnoodlehouse.com

Holiday gift basket > 340 g & 2 lbs. Bags of

Whole Bean Wildcat Coffee

> Wildcat Whisky Throttle

chocolates – Master Chocolat by Bernard Callebaut

> Wynndel Craft Spirits > Wildcat Coffee Hats

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Wanda Baker

A MASH UP

In a world of uncertainty, especially in the restaurant industry, pop-ups seem to be gaining traction and a strong following. Where a restaurant or café might be closed on certain days of the week, or even during lunch, a pop-up comes in with a talented crew, tests their concept on a somewhat wider audience of food lovers offering exposure for both the pop-up location and the Chef creating the food. Chef Rahul Kanojia has created a pop-up experience called Mumbai Street Food located in The Dandelion Café in Ramsay. Born in Mumbai, Kanojia came to Calgary via Ontario working at both the Deane House and Pigeon Hole, before starting his pop-up concept. Inspired by his time working with local talented chefs and wanting to bring a little Mumbai Street Food to Calgary, he started recipe testing and looking for a location. A meeting and sampling of his food with the owners of plant-based restaurant, The Dandelion Café, produced his first pop-up in July, turning it into a regular Sundays-and-Mondays feature. The food is bright, fresh, sweet, and savoury with an array of textures. We sampled the bhel, a salad we could eat every day made with puffed rice, light and fluffy donuts called medu vada, and dosas, a crispy thin pancake filled with savoury ingredients perfect for dipping in coconut Mumbai Street Food snacks. Follow Chef Rahul on Instagram @rgsk_rasoi. chutney, and sambar, a lentil stew. * Mumbai Street Food in The Dandelion Café 1048 8 St. S.E.

The Heier/Kozloski family are the owners and operators of Half Hitch Brewing Company in Cochrane. They also opened The Mash during Covid-19, a take-out and delivery pizza-andbeer eatery in Airdrie, Kensington and a third location opening in Mahogany. With the success of the brewery and restaurant in Cochrane, the family was looking to expand operations in a simpler, uncomplicated way. Beer and pizza seemed a natural fit. What sets The Mash apart is the fact they reuse everything including the spent grain leftover from brewing the beer. The grains are combined with Half Hitch Brewing Fire N' Fury red ale and honey to create the pizza dough. Used grains are naturally low in sugars plus high in protein and fibre. Drop in for a beer, feature pizza, classic pizza, combo or to pick up a six pack. Our recommendation, the dill pickle and bacon pizza.

The Mash | Airdrie, Kensington, Mahogany masheats.ca

Wanda Baker

STREET FOOD OF MUMBAI

The Mash Mushroom Pepperoni Pizza

Explore The Latin Taste In You Market Bakery Cafe Restaurant UNIMARKET.CA

Shop Online Free Delivery UM Calgary North

*Hosted our meal, but did not approve the story

UM Calgary South

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T O P P I C K S f rom Savour staf f | S A V O U R S E L E C T S Gourmet Mushrooms & Seasonings

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HIDDEN GEM: JOHN’S BREAKFAST AND LUNCH When Anita Ly speaks about her parents, she effuses pride for the hard work and dedication they’ve shown in creating a legacy in business and in their family. John and Wendy Ly own John’s Breakfast and Lunch on 4th St. N.W. — a small diner specializing in… well… breakfast and lunch… with a side of gourmet ice cream — but we’ll get to that. John’s place is at the grill, whipping up delicious breakfast bowls, sandwiches and, of course, some classic Chinese dishes that speak to John’s own journey behind the grill. Anita says while her father began his Canadian journey at a print shop in Saskatoon, it wasn’t long before he found his way into the kitchen in one of the hundreds of small-town Chinese restaurants sprinkled across the prairies. Having found his calling, he and Wendy worked and saved to buy their own restaurant iin Manor, SK. where, for eight years, the family cooked classic Asian fare for area farmers. But John and Wendy are parents first and knew their kids would have more opportunity in a bigger city. So, they headed to Calgary where Anita and her brother, Jamieson, could work, go to University and start their own lives. The couple did odd jobs for a number of years, but always wanted to get back into the restaurant business and, in 2007 they opened John’s Breakfast and Lunch. Thirteen years later, John’s is a favourite among the locals who rave about the homestyle food. We had the vegetarian benny bowl and devoured it a little faster than we’d like to admit. And, in a wonderful case of passing along a family’s passion for food, Anita and her cousin, Tiffany, have started their own venture, MILK ice cream, which you can buy at John’s. And you should. It’s really something else. * John’s Breakfast & Lunch | 2614 4th St. N.W. | 403.277.0255 | Find them on Facebook

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*Hosted our meal, but did not approve the story

W H A T ’ S F R E S H this season | F R E S H M A R K E T

Pomegranates B y E L L E N K E L LY I l l u s t ra t i on b y A L L I S ON M A RT I N The pomegranate has many religious and mythical distinctions, with the end result being somewhat muddled, I find. Since its cultivation predates written history, I suppose that can be forgiven. The name simply means seedy apple, with no other clues, but anywhere it appears over time it has titillated the imagination. The pomegranate is often a symbol of fertility, suggested, I assume, by the profusion of blood red seeds. Greek mythology gives us Persephone’s six pomegranate seeds that are meant to signify the six months of winter with which Demeter cursed the world at her daughter’s exile to Pluto’s underworld realm. My favourite story, however, is of the nymph who was carrying on lasciviously with Bacchus. He promised her a crown for all her exertions and instead, turned her into a pomegranate. The pomegranate’s pronounced crown-shaped calyx is all that is left to remind us of her gullibility. The pomegranate has also been used as an emblem for British and European monarchs and aristocracy throughout the years, but more to the point, it has become a symbol of celebration, hospitality and affluence in much the same way the pineapple has. In many regions of Greece, people hang the fruit from doorways and display it on tables at Christmas-time. The pomegranate’s origins are in the Middle East (Persia, Syria, Turkey, etc.), but it’s now grown in hot, dry, sub-tropical regions throughout the world. It’s a beautiful little tree (or bush) with bright orange or red flowers in the spring and often grown in yards (where one can) as an ornamental. The fruit we are most familiar with is the Wonderful variety, grown in the Central Valley of California and found in markets from September to December. They are generally red-skinned, about the size of a grapefruit and have very sweet bright ruby-red seeds.

I’ve found that by inserting the tip of a chef’s knife an inch or so into the blossom end and twisting until the fruit cracks open to be the least messy and most effective way to unlock a pomegranate. Once open, the fruit can be subsequently broken open further. Pomegranate seeds are encased, in a haphazard way, in an astringent whitish membrane that must be peeled off and discarded. The seeds can then be easily prised off with a thumb. This is a fun activity to do with kids if you’re so inclined. Pomegranate juice stains, so be prepared. Seeds can be kept in the fridge, covered, for a couple of days before being used as a garnish or juiced for marinades, beverages and the like. Chilled, the whole fruit will keep for several weeks. As to recipes that are more involved than just scattering the seeds on top of something, my inclination is to buy good quality pomegranate juice or molasses at a Middle eastern grocery or market and proceed from there. A bottle of pomegranate molasses is a lovely ingredient to have on hand. The sharp sweetish flavour can often take the place of citrus in many preparations. For instance, I use it when I braise red cabbage for a deeper flavour and that indefinable je ne sais quoi. The juice and the molasses are also excellent in marinades for lamb, pork and chicken. Muhammara, a tasty Levantine dip, is easy to make and quite addictive. Put the charred, peeled flesh of 3 red peppers in a large mortar, add ²/³ cup fresh bread crumbs, 1 (or more to your taste) crushed garlic clove, 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, 2-3 tsp pomegranate molasses, 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 Tbsp Aleppo chilli flakes (worth seeking out, but regular chili flakes will do). Work this with the pestle until well combined, but still retaining some texture. This can be done in a food processor up to this point, but I prefer the texture (and experience) achieved by a mortar and pestle. Stir in about ¹/³ cup lightly toasted, finely chopped walnuts, a generous pinch of salt and 2 Tbsp good olive oil. Taste and add more pomegranate molasses and salt as needed for an intense flavour. Spread over the bottom of a shallow bowl with the back of a spoon and drizzle with a final flourish of oil to serve. I especially like muhammara with roast chicken, but it is lovely simply served alongside hummus and accompanied by olives and fresh middle Eastern bread.

Pomegranates don’t ripen after they’re picked and colour is not an indication of ripeness; trust in the grower is necessary. Choose fruit that is heavy in the hand. This indicates juiciness as well as freshness. The skin is leathery, but should not be dried out. I always look at the characteristic crown-shaped calyx and make sure it is intact and pliable. Eschew any fruit that has broken skin or soft spots. Jane Grigson, whom I revere, calls it an unrewarding fruit, which of course it can be. Successfully extracting the seeds intact from the fruit takes some doing. There are several methods of accomplishing this, some involve scoring, some require underwater activity and others require beating the fruit halves with a wooden spoon.

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Fruitcakes

In a large bowl, combine the dried fruit and citrus peel; pour the juice, brandy or tea overtop and let sit for several hours, until the liquid is absorbed.

OF THE WORLD

Preheat the oven to 250˚F. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in one egg at a time, beating well after each, and scraping down the side of the bowl. In another bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon or spice, baking powder and salt; add it to the egg mixture along with the treacle or molasses and blend just until combined.

Photos and story by J U L I E VA N RO S E N DA A L

I’ve never understood the near-universal distaste for fruitcake — how it has become a much-ridiculed physical representation of the gaudiness of the holidays. I blame the candied cherries, particularly those neon green ones — while even syrupy maraschinos and glacé fruit are adored by many, particularly when bits are nestled atop a swirl whipped shortbread, tasting of sweet, chewy nostalgia, their cloying sweetness can be over the top. Cakes packed with raisins, figs and apricots in their natural state tend to be more appealing these days, and though traditional British fruitcakes, both light and dark, tend to be the first to come to mind, there are cakes and rich yeasted breads around the world with batters and doughs designed to bind large quantities of dried fruits and nuts. Historically, these were special, celebratory ingredients, and ones that kept and travelled well. Honey and spices were added throughout the Middle Ages, as fruitcakes gained popularity across Europe — and then people began soaking them with booze; the fruit itself, to plump it up, and then the finished cakes. Whether or not you’re a fruitcake fan — or perhaps you want to stray from your usual — here are a few versions you may not have tried yet, that are worth stirring up this holiday season.

From A Spicy Touch, Karen Anderson and Noorbanu Nimji’s best-selling cookbook, this is an example of what they call India’s “butler cuisine”— many traditional British foods were adopted and became part of their cuisine. This is adapted slightly from one Noorbanu’s family enjoyed. I added some spice — chef Aman Dosanj’s chai/ baking blend, made with cardamom, fennel and cinnamon*. If you like, instead of juice or alcohol, soak the fruit in a cup of strong chai.

½ cup fruit juice, brandy or strong spiced chai tea

Add the batter to the fruit mixture along with the nuts and stir until combined. Line a 9-inch springform or other high-sided cake pan with a round of parchment in the bottom and spray the bottom and sides with nonstick spray. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 2½ hours, or until golden and a cake tester or bamboo skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

1 cup butter, at room temp.

Serves 16 or more.

10 ounces currants 5 ounces raisins 5 ounces dried cherries or cranberries (or candied cherries) 5 ounces mixed peel

1 cup packed brown sugar 5 large eggs 2³⁄4 cup all-purpose flour 1 Tbsp cinnamon or warm spice blend* 1½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 1 Tbsp treacle or molasses 8 oz (½ lb) chopped walnuts, cashews and almonds

Stollen The classic German yeasted cake is a dense and sweet loaf, not as fruitheavy as other fruitcakes, and easier to shape than other fancy loaves. It’s also more affordable to make than other fruitcakes, particularly if you omit the log of marzipan in the middle. 1 cup milk, warmed 2 tsp active dry yeast 3-3½ cups all-purpose flour

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W hat’s cooking | J U L I E ’ S K I T C H E N ¹/³ cup butter, grated (if it’s cold) or cut into pieces ¹/³ cup sugar 1 large egg grated zest of half a lemon or orange (optional) 1 tsp vanilla ½ tsp salt ½ cup raisins ¼ cup chopped dried apricots ¼ cup dried cranberries or cherries ¼ cup sliced almonds or coarsely chopped pecans 1 log marzipan, rolled out to the length of the loaf (optional) 1 egg, lightly beaten Icing sugar, for dusting Put the milk into a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast overtop. Let stand for 5 minutes, until it’s foamy. Add 3 cups of the flour along with the butter, sugar, egg, lemon or orange zest and vanilla. Stir until the dough comes together, and continue to knead, or mix with the dough hook attachment of your stand mixer, until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed (you’ll likely need 3½ cups). It should be tacky, but not sticky — add more flour if it’s sticking to your hands. It will smooth out and become less tacky as it sits. If you have time, cover and let it rise for 1-2 hours before adding the fruit.

about half of the dough over itself, as if you were starting to fold a letter. (Put a log of marzipan inside the fold, if you like.) Cover with a tea towel and let stand in a warm place until the dough looks a bit puffy but not doubled, about 30 minutes. As it rises, preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the loaf with beaten egg and bake for 30 minutes, or until deep golden. Dust with a generous amount of icing sugar while the bread is still warm. Makes 1 loaf.

Jamaicanstyle Dark Fruitcake Jamaican fruitcake, often called “black cake,” is a dense, fragrant version rich with spices and rumsoaked fruit. A relative of British plum pudding, its deep colour comes from molasses and a bitter caramel sauce called browning, a staple of Caribbean kitchens used for everything from cakes to stews. You can make your own by caramelizing sugar. 2½ cups mixed dried or candied fruit of your choice (cranberries, cherries, dates, figs, dark raisins, apricots, candied orange peel) 1½ cup dates, pitted and chopped 1½ cup currants 1½ cup golden raisins ½ cup rum

Add the dried fruit and nuts by patting out the dough, piling on the fruit and folding the dough over itself a few times to incorporate them. Shape into a ball and place it back in the bowl, cover with a tea towel and let stand in a warm place for another hour.

¼ cup sugar

On a parchment-lined sheet, pat the dough into a rough circle about 8 inches in diameter and fold

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 cup butter, at room temperature 2 cups packed brown sugar ½ cup dark molasses Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 2 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp allspice ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg ³⁄4 cup red wine, or grape or orange juice 2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a large bowl, combine the dried fruit and rum; toss and set aside to soak. Grease a Bundt or tube pan well, or line a few loaf pans with parchment. Place the sugar in a small saucepan or skillet set over medium-high heat and cook, swirling the pan as the sugar melts, until it turns deep golden. Remove from the heat and gently stir in 2 Tbsp water — it will splatter. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar for a few minutes, until light and creamy. Beat in the molasses and orange and lemon zest and juice. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the wine or juice in 2 parts. Stir in the fruits (with their juices), the caramel sauce and nuts and scrape into the prepared pan. Bake for 2½-3 hours, until dark golden and set. If the cake is darkening too quickly on top, cover it loosely with foil for the last 30-60 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack, then invert onto a plate. Store well wrapped at room temperature. Serves 12 or more.

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GREAT GIF TS

INTERNATIONAL COOKING

FROM LOCAL VENDORS FOR THE EPICUREAN ON YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING LIST

JUST ROLL WITH IT Christmas cookies are a popular tradition around the world and some notable ones include papparkakor from Sweden, letterbanket from Holland, biscotti from Italy, and lebkuchen from Germany. Designs pressed into carved wooden boards for springerle or speculaas have been popular for centuries even pre-dating some of the most popular well-known holiday cookies. A pressed cookie made using an embossed rolling pin makes a pretty gift to give without having to worry about icing and decorating. Britannia Kitchen & Home has a fun selection of embossed rolling pins for the holiday season and essential items for baking. Each pin is made of solid beech wood, engraved with unique designs and easy to use. Simply roll out your favourite cutout cookie dough, roll with embossed pin, cut out shapes with a cookie cutter and bake. Other uses include embossing homemade noodles, pastry crusts, marzipan and fondants. Large Embossed Rolling Pin | Britannia Kitchen & Home | $29.99 - $59.99

A TURKEY’S TALE When it comes to turkey, sourcing local and fresh is best. For four generations Winter’s Turkey Farm has been producing high quality, sustainable and humanely raised turkeys. The turkeys are free range, organically grown, and raised on a whole grain diet that results in a flavourful bird on your holiday table. Fresh birds are available in October and December, while frozen can be purchased throughout the year. Visit the website to find local retail locations and for ordering options and details. Now that you have your turkey, you are going to need the proper vessel to cook it in. Zest Kitchenware carries a range of items to assist with all your turkey roasting needs. The All-Clad Stainless Roasters with Racks are large, in charge and available in two sizes. The lifter rack helps remove a large turkey from the heavy-duty stainless-steel roasting pan, while the upright handles offer a secure hold when transporting around the kitchen. Built to last, these roasting pans are the only pans you will ever need. Fresh Local Turkey’s Winters Turkey $63.00 - $86.00 All-Clad Stainless Roaster with Rack Zest Kitchenware $159.99 $199.99

This is the year we have become reacquainted with our kitchens. More cooking, more baking and entertaining social media trends. Filling our Instagram feeds this year we’ve seen baked sourdough, whipped coffees, windowsill vegetables, focaccia gardens, pancake cereal, pantry meals and multicultural recipes. Learning a new cooking skill or cuisine is the best way to introduce new foods into your diet and to your family. An owner of our own collection of cookbooks we are drawn to International cookbooks as they transport you to another time and place. The Cookbook Co. Cooks is our favourite place to buy a new cookbook as they offer a very large selection to choose from including International bestsellers and local Canadian authors. One of our current favourites is Falastin, featuring recipes that weave together the food, culture and people of Palestine as written by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley. It is an absolutely stunning book to give as a gift or gift yourself. Other recommendations you will find in the store include anything from Yotam Ottolenghi, Tel Aviv: Food. People. Stories. by Haya Molcho, and Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food by Nik Sharma.

Falastin and other International Cookbooks The Cookbook Co. Cooks | $19.95 - $150.00

FESTIVE AFTERNOON TEA In London, a Christmas afternoon tea includes a festive spread at many of London’s fancier hotels. Offerings might include finger sandwiches, scones or pastries, treats like cakes, biscuits or mince pies accompanied by an assortment of teas while enjoying carolers or a small choir. In Calgary you will find a few places offering afternoon tea, however we recommend creating your own family tea tradition by making finger sandwiches, holiday cookies and picking up a selection of teas. The Naked Leaf in Kensington carries a fine assortment of teas to help get you started, a lovely selection of English teapots including Japanese teapots, teacups and matcha bowls. We are smitten with the English Toaster Teapot, a charming and whimsical teapot made in England and think it’s the perfect gift for the tea lover in your life. English Toaster Teapot | The Naked Leaf | $128.00

FROM ITALY WITH LOVE Sweets play an important role during the holiday season, and in Italy, one of the most famous holiday sweets is panettone. The traditional version of this cake features candied fruit like lemon and orange, raisins, and nuts. Other variations available include cream, frosting, even liqueurs such as limoncello. Browse the market aisles to find panettone sold in tins, beautiful packages, even ornament-sized boxes perfect for hanging on the Christmas tree. Typically, it’s enjoyed after a meal with a glass of Prosecco. Other Italian sweet treats during the holidays include pandoro, cannoli, zeppole, marzipan, torrone and nougat. Find all these goodies and more at Lina’s Italian Market in the North and Lina’s Italian Supermercato in the South. Panettone | Lina’s Italian Market | $35.00

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NOT YOUR SHAW CHRISTMAS LOG French family meals are known for three things: lasting for several hours, being the scene of political family feuds, and traditional holiday desserts. A holiday tradition once started to mark winter solstice was the burning of a very large log in the heath of your main room. Occasionally it was so large the rest of the trunk stuck out offering inspiration for a log shaped dessert. At least this ensured continuing warmth as it slowly burned through the day and night under a watchful eye. Each year Parisians delight in the traditional Bûche de Noël, a lightly rolled sponge cake covered in chocolate or coffee butter cream textured to resemble bark and the ancient tradition of burning the Yule log. These cakes are made more elaborate by molding frosting to resemble a cut branch, decorated with merengue mushrooms and sugar leaves. French bakery owner chef Philippe Poncet at Eclair de Lune prepares the most delectable and sought-after French pastries in his bakery in North Calgary. During the holidays you will find this dessert available to order as well as several other pastries you might want to consider treating yourself to during the holiday season. Bûche de Noël | Éclair de Lune | $50.00

PÂTÉ À VIANDE

Tourtiere is a French-Canadian meat pie enjoyed across Canada and even some bordering areas of the United States during the holidays. Like many cultural dishes, the region you come from dictates the flavour profile in this pie. Traditionally, the meat was cut into small pieces with a knife, however these days its more common to see ground meat in the pie consisting of pork, beef, veal or other game meat. Warm spices are mixed in, and sometimes the addition of potatoes and vegetables to complete the pie. We’ve been indulging in this treat for the last ten years thanks to our friends John from Quebec and his wife Jody who have a special process of cooking the mixture twice, adjusting spices as needed, keeping the fat in the mix and filling a pie crust made using lard. If you are not as lucky as we are to have a friend who makes pâté à viande, you can pick up one of these delicious Tourtiere’s at any Pie Junkie location or Flavours of Quebec in the Calgary Farmers’ Market. Both businesses offer an assortment of sweet and savoury pies. Pie Junkie also has available English mince and Turkey Dinner pies. Flavours of Quebec carries a variety of items imported from Quebec. Tourtiere | Pie Junkie | Mahogany, Kensington, Spruce Cliff | $40 Tourtiere | Flavours of Quebec in the Calgary Farmers Market | $6.50 - $19.99

A T D A L H O U S I E S T A T I O N 403.286.5220 www.zestkitchenware.com

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13 17

FI R ST A N N I V ER SA RY 21

27 30

33 37

36 40

42 47

36 Figured out 37 Night before the big day 38 Nation where pizza was born 40 Chickpea hors d'oeuvre that goes well with eggplant 42 Fixes 44 Slang for Kombucha 48 Fellow 50 Like many healthy vegetables 51 Immerses in water 52 Large Asian legumes 55 You in Quebec 56 "It's ___!" (thumbs-up reply), 2 words 57 One of Calgary's revered beermakers at Village Brewery, 2 words 60 ____ fusion, popular cuisine 63 Decorate, perhaps 64 Short for Vivian 65 Makers of a line of frozen treats

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35 39

55 57

63 64

67 71

69 72

79 81

80 84

86 89

ACROSS 1 Drinks at Proof in Victoria Park, such as Fire in the Pharmacy and Smokey's Luau 7 Barriers many restaurants invested in to handle COVID 19 protocols 13 Bit of brandy 14 Function 16 Ratatouille ingredient 17 ____ sec, orange based liqueur 18 Tibetan capital 19 Small piece 20 Opposite of whole, 2 words 23 "Smoked tea"– goes with 54 down 25 Actress Gardner 28 Avenue in Calgary where you can dine at The Guild, Murrieta's, Hys and Cucina 30 Companion of neither 32 Wine preference 33 Earl Grey, for example 35 Old stored-heat oven

Clues all come from Savour Calgary issues over the past year and celebrate all things local! Watch for clues on social media in November and December. Submit a picture of your completed puzzle to info@savourcalgary.ca for your chance to win a $100 gift card from a Savour Calgary advertiser. Answers will be on our website in January and printed in our January/February 2021 issue. Good luck!

19 20

In celebration of Savour Calgary's first anniversary issue, we thought we'd have some fun with a crossword puzzle.

Crossword Puzzle

67 Very smart 69 Fish and Chips and Bangers and Mash: traditional ____ dishes 72 Nation with Cajun food 74 ___ - fat milk 76 Apple drink 77 Pre-paella bite 78 Fish mover 79 For example, briefly 81 Encebollado is a popular coastal dish in this South American country 82 English slang for tea 83 South African drink like tea 86 Raises 87 Environmentalist's prefix 89 Calgary bakery that offers canele and a white chocolate hazelnut banana roll cake, 3 words 90 Pub faucet

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DOWN 1 Vital action that's extensively carried out in response to COVID19 2 Toothed wheel 3 From dusk ___ dawn, abbreviation 4 Overnight stay places 5 Illuminated 6 Spanish, for short 7 Sweet fortified wines 8 Stuffed pastries 9 New couple 10 Chef-driven bar in Calgary's 17th Avenue 11 Fairmont Banff Springs executive chef, Robert _____ 12 Lobster's home 15 Fruit in a split 17 20% is more standard 19 Cake mix 21 Cultivate 22 Recipe word (include) 24 McKinley, for example 25 Moment of discovery

26 One leafy green? 27 Popular bread grains 29 Former 31 Exclamation of surprise 34 Bistro providing some of the best Lebanese cuisine in Calgary 39 Strauss's "___ und Verklärung" 41 Like a popular julep 43 Meat recommended by harvestyourown.ca 45 Composition of many a cask 46 It's often whipped 47 Petit ___, bite-sized confectionary 49 This dish is a specialty of Chef Jay del Corro at Eats of Asia 51 Calgary eatery, Modern _____ 52 Meat, cheese and olive platter 53 Agricultural, abbr.

54 See 23 across 57 Aromatic flower that can be used in making flavoured shortbread 58 Very hungry 59 Corporate abbreviation 61 Yes in Mexico 62 Pinot ____ 63 Musical scale note 66 Happening, as an event 68 Chocolate business created by Mehrzad Afshari, ____ Chocolate 70 Steeped 71 Magazine promotion 73 Pudding ingredient 75 Grey Goose, for one 76 Creme Cream Puffs founder, ____ Hamilton 80 Shortening measure, abbr. 82 High-quality vineyard 84 No longer in fashion 85 Brewpub order, briefly 88 Calgary eatery __ and Angela

Tis the season for imbibing, fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la! Since we’re all grounded, more or less, this holiday season, the next best way to indulge in a little cultural experience is to taste your way around the world. Food and drink has such a magical way of transporting you to someplace else, be it a classic digestif from Quebec that reminds you of home or a Japanese whiskey made with peated Scottish malt that celebrates the history of the region and represents light within the darkness.

Photo courtesy of Dancing Goats Farm

Bernard-Massard Cuvée de l'Écusson brut | Luxembourg Available at Vinestone. approx $25 There is no shortage of opportunities to pop bottles around the holiday season and it’s even more joyous when you can find an affordable bottle of bubbly. Bernard Massard is a producer from Luxembourg – the tiny little country nestled among Belgium, France and Germany. Its Cuvee l'Écusson brut is a lovely sparkling white wine made in the traditional method, providing all the rich flavours of Champagne without the price tag. C’est Nous Gin Français | Normandy, France Available at Vine Arts. approx. $51 C’est Nous distillery in France is the coming together of a classically trained French sommelier and an English gin lover and the result is stunning. Made using French white wheat, the distillation of its signature gin is done in a handmade copper still and then infused with juniper, angelica, orange peel, coriander and local Normandy apples, a classic ingredient to the region, making this gin so very French indeed.

B y BR I T H A RT Les Subversifs Isabelle Crème de Menthe | Sorel-Tracy, Canada Available at Bricks Wine Co. approx. $35 Les Subversifs, a craft distillery from Quebec, makes beautiful, handcrafted spirits using locally foraged ingredients and botanicals. Their Isabelle crème de menthe is made from distilling parsnips and infusing the spirit with peppermint. While the thought of sipping on Crème de Menthe may conjure up images of sticky green bottles stashed away in your great aunt’s hutch, we assure you, this is unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before. Isabelle provides a refreshing dose of freshly steeped peppermint tea that cleanses the palate, perfect for finishing off a holiday meal. Rochester Mills 12 Days of Milk Stout | Michigan, USA Available at Collective Craft Beer Shop. approx. $80 What was once home to the Western Knitting Mill, a manufacturer that provided textiles to soldiers during World War I, is now the location of Rochester Beer Co. an independent brewery that opened its doors in 1998. Each holiday season, the brewery releases its 12 Days of Milk Stout advent calendar, perfect for sipping during the icy cold winter months. Among the selection is the breweries cult classic “milkshake stout,” made with lactose to provide a creamy, rich textured beer. Milk & Honey Young Single Malt “The Last One” | Tel Aviv, Israel Available at Vine Styles. approx. $59.95 Israel, the land of milk and honey, is home to… well, Milk & Honey, a craft distillery, producing award-winning spirits. Its young single malt, “The Last One,” is a small-batch offering of what is the last of its single malt series before releasing its classic single malt whisky. With only 4,000 bottles produced, this very special spirit has been aged in a mix of ex-red wine casks and ex-bourbon barrels, producing warm and soothing flavours of creamy vanilla and caramel notes with red apple, dark chocolate, cinnamon and sticky plum.

KE NSINGTON

1081 2ND AVENUE NW 403.287.8544 SP R UCE CL IFF / WIL D WOOD

8 SPRUCE CENTRE SW 403.452.3960 MAH OGANY

2171 MAHOGANY BLVD SE 587.623.1144

@piejunkieyyc | piejunkie.ca

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Stone Fired Neapolitan Pizza in Canmore, Alberta

Dine In ! (403) 675-2865 Take Out ! The Shops of Canmore #101, 304 Old Canmore Road â&#x20AC;¢ rocketpie.ca

For all your Canmore Holiday Celebrations we have the Wine, Craft Beers or Spirits for you!

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Happy hours and even happier nights. Canmore has dining you wouldn’t expect to find in a small town.

• When eating out in

Canmore you’ll discover menus that will leave you pleasantly surprised. And very full.

• You’ll fall in love with

the heart and soul of this one-of-a-kind mountain town as you make unforgettable winter memories this year.

• Stay warm and cozy as you indulge in the Canmore restaurant scene.

• Delivery straight

to your hotel room, or pick up some locally produced goods and cook together at your home away from home.

• This just might be the

year to start a new Christmas-in-Canmore family tradition! "BEST ETHNIC FOOD" -Best of the Bow, RMOutlook

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403.679.7728 The Shops of Canmore •113-302 Old Canmore Road

A CULINARY CHRISTMAS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD

Photo illustration by Camie Leard

• The 12 Tastes of Christmas • • We’ve turned the 12 days into the 12 tastes of Christmas as we visit tables all over the world during the holidays. From KFC in Japan to injera in Ethiopia join us on a delicious culinary tour that has us wondering … does anyone have a recipe for roast partridge with pears?

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by wuestenigel is licensed under CC BY 2.0

DENMARK

Pickled herring with lemon and onion

Brunede Kartofler

B y S H E L L E Y B OE T TC H E R

Caramelized Potatoes

Dancing around the Christmas tree. Rice pudding and cherry sauce until your stomach hurts. Shots of fiery akvavit (a spirit made with dill and caraway) and herring for breakfast. What’s not to love about a Danish Christmas? Maybe the herring, to be honest.

I’m not one to say no to a holiday that involves special beer and parties, but sadly, although the tradition has spread to nearby Sweden and even Serbia, it’s not as big a tradition in Canada. At least I get plenty of glogg, Danish mulled wine made with baking spices, oranges and almonds.

But the rest? I can’t imagine a holiday without it.

Around our house, Christmas officially begins on Dec. 6, the Feast of St. Nicholas. That’s when the Danish Santa begins his nightly visits, leaving tiny toys or candy — Danish chocolate or Lego — in a shoe that each child leaves in the window. He visits every night until Christmas Eve morning; the following day, of course, the Canadian Santa takes over his duties. Our boys have outgrown the tradition, but they still faithfully put their traesko — wood-soled leather clogs they had when they were tiny — in a window every night.

If you insist on using fresh potatoes, aim for about a dozen small new potatoes. But trust me: Canned potatoes are 1,000 times easier. The final potatoes will taste slightly like candied sweet potatoes and they’re a delicious side dish for duck, turkey or Danish-style pork tenderloin.

To clarify, I’m not Danish. I married into a Danish family 20 years ago and almost instantly, it was clear that come Christmas time, some traditions were not negotiable. That’s OK by me. Now, every year, I dig out the nissen (elf) ornaments and scatter them around the house. We dust off the wooden advent wreath and put candles everywhere. And we bake dozens of butter cookies and paper-thin spiced cookies loaded with almonds and powdered sugar. Some would argue the start of the Danish holiday season is J-Dag (Julebryg Day, a.k.a. Christmas beer day), the first Friday in November — the day the country’s official holiday beer is released. The tradition isn’t exactly ancient; it was started by Carlsberg, the company behind Tuborg beer in the early 1980s, but quickly became next thing to a national holiday. Now, even smaller breweries get in on the act, throwing parties and releasing limited-edition beers with cool labels.

Food shopping starts almost as early as the gift giving. In late November or early December, we make a pilgrimage to Alpine Sausage, a tiny grocery store in Glamorgan Shopping Centre. Throughout the year, it’s quiet, the place you go when you crave salted licorice, Danish cold cuts or rye bread. But a few weeks before Christmas, the lineups begin. Go, and you’ll be swept up in the fun, surrounded by Danish, Icelandic, Swedish or Dutch conversations. (The shop sells many Nordic and Scandinavian foods.) Old-timers get caught up on gossip, and everyone loads up on what they need for the holidays.

2 cans small potatoes ¼ cup sugar ¼ cup butter Drain potatoes and pat dry with paper towel. In a large non-stick frying pan, cook the sugar and butter on medium-low heat until melted. When the mixture starts to get dark around the edges, stir gently until it becomes syrupy. Add potatoes and a little bit of water, if necessary, no more than 1 to 2 Tbsp. Gently cover each potato in the mixture for 6-8 minutes until they’re all coated and golden brown. Serve hot. Best the day they’re made.

Confluence Aquavit

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We’re there mostly for stocking stuffers (sodavand, a.k.a. Danish pop or little pink marzipan pigs, a cute good-luck gift) and medisterpolse. No Christmas would be right without that big coil of pork sausage that’s served throughout the year, but is especially important during the holidays. It’s boiled, then fried on Christmas Eve, and served alongside roast duck stuffed with dried prune plums. Other side dishes include brunede kartofler, little potatoes cooked in butter and sugar, gravy and a heap of sweet-sour red cabbage, a tradition my husband’s family shares with my own GermanCanadian heritage. While they’re not a particularly Christmas tradition, we’ll often add frikadeller, Danish meatballs, which are easy to prepare in advance and are always a hit with kids. Dessert is always a massive bowl of risalamande, a whipped cream, almond and rice pudding served with cherry sauce. One whole blanched almond is hidden in the bowl, underneath crushed almonds. Whoever finds the whole one wins a prize and good luck for the following year.

Afterward, if anyone still has energy, we hold hands and dance around the Christmas tree, which is laden with more nissen, three-dimensional folded paper stars and hearts, and long strands of little Danish flags. We sing songs, too; they’re often in Danish but cheat sheets with the lyrics are shared for us non-speakers, who mumble painfully along. Speaking of painful, I haven’t forgotten about the pickled herring. Sure, come the morning of Christmas Day, we devour wienerbrot (what the Danes in my life call Danishes) and ebelskiver — tiny Danish popover-style pancakes served with powdered sugar, jam or maple syrup. But we always have a jar of herring in the fridge, too, ready to share with rye bread and thinly sliced red onions. It isn’t be the best-smelling or tastiest Danish dish, and my husband, the Dane, actually refuses to eat it.

But there’s a catch. No matter how stuffed they are from the main meal, everyone must keep eating the pudding until the bowl is empty. (Or the winner confesses.)

But, as we all know, tradition is tradition, especially at Christmas. Glaedelig jul!

MEXICO

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CHILE Christmas in Chile isn’t complete without a creamy glass of monkey’s tail. Not literally of course. Cola de Mono is made from coffee, milk, cinnamon, sugar and two liquors: aguardiente, a traditional rustic spirit made by distilling the leftovers of winemaking after pressing the grapes, and pisco, a more refined spirit with lower alcohol content and regulated varieties of grapes.

B y BJ OU DM A N

House sitting in Mexico City over the holidays last year enabled a unique experience of local culture. Authentic Mexico displayed little of the commercialism seen in the rest of North America, but instead a focus on the religious story. The Reforma, a major traffic thoroughfare in the heart of the city, was lined not with decorated trees, but life sized nativity scenes built and sponsored by local businesses. Twelve days of Christmas begin on December 16, with family and friends parading through the neighbourhood every evening, gathering in each other’s homes to share food, drinks and celebrate the season. These processions, called Las Posadas, represent the journey of Joseph and Mary, looking for a place to stay for the birth of their baby. They culminate on December 24, when everything shutters by 3 p.m., allowing families to gather for the main celebration of Christmas with a traditional meal - bacalao (salted cod), mole with romeritos (a green herb resembling rosemary), ensalada de nochebuena (beet and jicama salad), and maybe

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turkey (which we were pretty sure was wild as the one we bought in the local market was huge and very tough!) Christmas in Mexico felt genuine. We stayed in Condesa, an upscale residential neighbourhood near the Centro. For street vendors selling everything from tacos to trinkets, normal life resumed by the morning of December 25. Our two French bulldogs woke us early, eager to play in the dog park across the street. The sun not yet up, we felt sorry for the woman who appeared to be arranging her stall just across from the park entrance. We watched as she selected some packages and walked away. Curious, we made our way over and upon reading tags on packages labelled with names and descriptions, realized they were not items for sale, but gifts left by someone under a wooden tree as a random act of kindness. That day, we missed our own families and traditions, but witnessed a different community holiday spirit.

For those Reply keeping a list

all: ETHIOPIA B y G R AC E WA NG

Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, who make up just under half of the country’s population, celebrate Genna (Christmas) on Jan. 7. Many Ethiopian Orthodox Christians participate in 40 days of fasting before Christmas, in which one vegan meal is allowed daily. As religious fasting occurs on multiple days throughout the year and requires abstaining from meat, dairy and eggs Ethiopian cuisine includes a variety of tasty vegan dishes. Calgary’s Yegna Ethiopian Cuisine (#100, 3515 17 Ave. S.E.) offers yetsom beyaynetu, a fasting vegan platter filled with a wide selection of wat, or stews, all laid out on a hefty injera. Injera is a fermented flatbread which is the basis of Ethiopian meals, and serves as a plate, utensil and accompaniment.

The giving season is near and we're making it easier than ever to turn your thoughts into deeds. With high-quality coffee and tea equipment, unique kitchenwares and coffee from Canada's best roasters in stock, we have something to offer everyone on your list. Visit us online at eightouncecoffee.ca to find the perfect gift—large or small—this holiday season. #1–4005 9TH STREET SE, CALGARY SHOWROOM MON-FRI 9-5 SAT 10-4

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t c e f r pe

Injera also goes well with doro wat, Ethiopia’s national dish and a Christmas Day favourite. Doro wat is a welcome end to fasting; it is a rich chicken stew that includes boiled eggs and is flavored with berbere, a unique Ethiopian spice blend featuring chilli peppers, cardamom, and fenugreek, among other spices. Abyssinia Restaurant (910 12 Ave. S.W.) offers a delicious doro wat, and the best part is that you can order it year-round!

The

snack for Santa.

EGYPT

Much like their Muslim brothers and sisters, Egyptian Christians fast for a month before their holy day. Also like their Muslim brothers and sisters, Egyptian Christians feast on all sorts of wonderful things when the fasting is over. And whether it’s Eid or Christmas, Egyptian feasters won’t be without their kahk cookies. These buttery cookies with a sandy texture are filled with all manner of fillings from honey to date paste to pistachios and are rolled and stamped or otherwise decorated so they’re as beautiful as they are tasty. Finished with a dusting of icing sugar, Christmas kahk cookies bring a little bit of snow to the dessert as families gather to eat and celebrate. KENSINGT ON

1081 2ND AVENUE NW | 403.287.8544 SPRUCE CL IF F / W ILDWO O D

8 SPRUCE CENTRE SW | 403.452 .3960 MAHOGANY

2171 MAHOGANY BLVD SE | 587.623.1144

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@piejunkieyyc piejunkie.ca

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Your one-s t op connection to Brazil!

BRAZILCONNECTION.CA

#EATATMINAS

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Steve Dunk

INDIA

DOUGHNUTS TO DOSAS: A TALE OF CHRISTMAS IN INDIA

Christmas Eve

B y C AT H E R I N E VA N BRU N S C HO T

C. Van Brunschot & Steve Dunk

It was 2003 and time for the talk. Like many propositions put forward to tweens, it might not go well. And the proposition we were making to our son and daughter? We wanted to take them travelling at Christmas. The "being away" would not be the issue. My family had a long tradition of travelling at Christmas, since the year my own parents scraped together the funds to take my sister and me to Disneyland. Dad's seasonal business shut down in winter; our grades could handle some absence in class. So, we scheduled the turkey for an early December day, and hit the road to California in a truck camper. On December 25, we attended Spanish mass in a beautiful church — speaking not a word of Spanish, but discovering Christmas Mass is Christmas Mass everywhere — and we went for a swim. It was weird. Weirdest was the big doughnut hole in the afternoon that would have been filled with cousins and aunties and uncles and grandparents playing games and building puzzles and eating way too many Christmas cookies. But the swim and the sun took the edge off the weirdness, and the travel adventures made it an experience worth repeating. Again and again. Over the years, we celebrated “early Christmas” on various convenient dates more times than I can remember.

Qutb Minar Complex

We reverted back to December 25 when my own kids came into the world (Santa's schedule being fixed and all). Even after a move to Indonesia, we celebrated our first Christmas Day in our Jakarta home. There were presents from Canada under the tree; an imported turkey steaming on the table; friends over for dinner accustomed to the geckos that chirped from the ceiling. It was awful. Thirteen thousand kilometres from the cousins and grandmas, in a country where the only signs of Christmas seemed to exist at the mall, that doughnut hole yawned cavernous. We vowed to never repeat the mistake, scheduled subsequent turkeys and gifts for early December,

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and spent the holidays in nearby Australia or New Zealand. On December 25, we lit Advent candles in hotel rooms, decorated camper van windows with Christmas decals, or read Christmas stories by a condo fireplace while the air-conditioning kept summer temperatures at bay. It became less weird and more wonderful. No, travelling at Christmas would not be the problem. It was the destination that might be a hard sell to the kids. We wanted to take them to India. Not an obvious choice for a couple of Canadian kids of Anglo-Dutch heritage. Especially for our daughter, who subsisted on naan and mango chutney whenever meals with our Jakarta friends consisted of Indian fare. But we promised turkey dinner. A comfortable hotel to retreat to whenever the cultural immersion got too intense. And the trip's centrepiece adventure: a weeklong train tour to explore the exotic forts and palaces of Rajasthan. They bought it. Delhi brought fog and a biting chill - and a friendly stranger who led us to his brother's carpet shop rather than the Connaught bookstore we were looking for. But it also brought the Red Fort and Gandhi's Memorial, and another friendly stranger who explained the world of dosas as we queued up outside a buzzing cafe. Our daughter deemed the crispy crepe wrappers to be palate possibilities and our son devoured the savoury fillings in double-time. In this country that embraced all things festive, Christmas was everywhere in twinkling lights and colourful stars. We found a cottage craft store offering wares from every corner of India: pashminas for the grandmas and aunties, mini Taj Mahals for the cousins, scarves for the uncles. Shopping for "Christmas in July" — when there was always more time with the cousins (our son's observation) and less angst from the adults (mine) — had become the filling for our doughnut hole.

Steve Dunk

C. Van Brunschot

• T h e 12 Ta s t e s o f C h r i s t m a s • Saag Paneer Paneer is an unaged, non-melting cheese that is set with vinegar or lemon juice (rather than rennet) to create the curds. You'll find cubed paneer in the freezer sections of Calgary's South Asian groceries and at Superstore. 2 Tbsp ghee 1 tsp turmeric

Camel ride in the desert

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder 400 g cubed paneer 2 Tbsp ghee ½ tsp mustard seeds ¼ tsp cumin seeds

Awaiting Christmas dinner

1 onion, diced ½ tsp salt, or to taste 3 garlic cloves, minced

C. Van Brunschot

2 Tbsp ginger, crushed 1 serrano chile, diced fine 2 tsp garam masala

Saag Paneer

*Melt 2 Tbsp of ghee in a medium bowl; stir in turmeric and chilli powder. Add cubed paneer and toss to coat. Allow a few minutes to absorb the flavours, then cook paneer in a large non-stick pan over medium heat, turning often until lightly golden. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan, melt 2 Tbsp of ghee over medium heat . Add mustard and cumin seeds. When seeds start to pop, add onion and salt and cook until just starting to turn golden. Add garlic, ginger, and serrano chile and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in garam masala; cook one minute. Add spinach and cook until soft, stirring in a splash of water from time to time in order to release flavours from bottom of the pan and to maintain the consistency you like. Stir in paneer and cook 2-3 minutes to heat through. Spoon into a bowl and serve with naan. Serves 4-6.

450 g spinach and/or mixed greens *Omit this step if you are in the mood for a milder, (kale, mustard greens), chopped creamier flavour. Simply add paneer to the cooked spinach at the end and heat through.

Mangia! Mangia! Wishing you and the famiglia a safe and joyful holiday season. Grocery. Bakery. Deli. Café. EDMONTON Little Italy | Southside | West End

italiancentre.ca CALGARY Willow Park

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C. Van Brunschot & Steve Dunk

CHRISTMAS IN INDIA...

JAMAICA

On Christmas Eve, we boarded the train. Its elegant interior whispered of Indian dynasties and its nightstand provided a spot for our tiny tree. A kind Himalayan waiter, noting our daughter's proclivity for the menu's Western choices, offered a small spoonful of saag paneer. "It's cheese," he told her. "I like cheese," she said. We read Christmas stories in our wood-panelled cabin, hung stockings on the bedpost, and rocked to sleep along the midnight rails.

B y S H AW N A-K AY T HOM A S

Our Christmas food (or should I say drink?) tradition begins about eight months before Christmas when we plant the sorrel (hibiscus sabdariffa) seeds. In early December, when the plant is mature we remove the petals from the plant and then remove the seeds from the petals. That part is torturous as it is itchy, but we know the reward so we press on.

The stockings were plundered before breakfast on Christmas morning. A shower of rose petals greeted our descent from the train. A resplendent elephant escorted us to Jaipur's Amber Palace, where we prowled courtyards and colonnades, and imagined bejewelled kings and princesses who once walked there. Dinner arrived on the train that night with aplomb and pageantry — and a big Christmas turkey with all the trimmings. As dish after dish was proffered at the table, our daughter watched and waited for her now-favourite waiter — then requested a big scoop of paneer right next to her butternut squash. The days to come would bring more forts and palaces. A camel ride. A tiger sighting. And snow, too, in Darjeeling, hometown of our Himalayan friend.

To get the perfect flavour we steep the sorrel petals, pimento and ginger for hours, usually overnight, then we strain it and sweeten to taste. The drink is usually prepared just in time for Christmas Eve and we have it through to New Year's Day. Some people add rum or wine to the drink as well. Judging by how sleepy we felt after drinking it as children, my bet is that my parents were those people.

But most of all they brought family time and memories and gratitude — all the essential elements of Christmas — and a shared love for Indian cuisine. And that, we learned, is a wonderful thing indeed. Catherine Van Brunschot and her husband now host extended family at Christmas every year at their home in Calgary — on whatever day is most convenient for everyone. Christmas Eve always includes Indian food. Red Fort, Delhi

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• T h e 12 Ta s t e s o f C h r i s t m a s •

GUYANA

JAPAN

B y N AOM I G R AC E C H I L D Growing up, pepperpot was the Christmas morning breakfast tradition. Slow-cooked on the stove for days leading up to Christmas, pepperpot is a sweet and spicy beef stew cooked in cassareep, which is essentially cassava (yucca) molasses. The Indigenous people of Guyana (where my paternal family is from) used it as a preservative, so you don't need to refrigerate it. You just keep it on the stove and warm it up when you want to eat some. Pepperpot is the national dish of Guyana and is usually served with dense bread to soak up the sauce.

Christmas in Japan is less a religious holiday and more a celebration akin to Valentine’s Day and the like. In the 1970s, Kentucky Fried Chicken capitalized on a Japanese tradition of eating fried chicken at Christmas with an aggressive advertising campaign. The Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii or, Kentucky for Christmas, campaign was so effective, eating KFC at Christmas has become an interesting tradition in and of itself! Fun fact: The shortcake emoji on your phone is Japanese Christmas cake. A much lighter and fluffier version than its European counterpart.

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M ER R Y MERRY CHRISTMAS

HAPPY HAPPY HANUKKAH

BRITANNIA PLAZA

for the teacher, the runner, the coffee drinker, the foodie, the pet lover, the book lover, the fashion forward thinker, and so much more

• T h e 12 Ta s t e s o f C h r i s t m a s • B Y G R AC E WA NG As the only Christian nation in Asia (86 per cent of the population is Catholic) the Philippines takes Christmas seriously. Celebrations culminate on Christmas Eve, or Noche Buena, where families attend mass at midnight and celebrate afterwards with a feast. While the Noche Buena feast varies from home to home, there are a few dishes Pancit from Max's that frequently make an appearance. A common centrepiece is lechon, a show-stopping whole roasted pig. The ambitious carnivore can order a lechon in advance from Rolymie Bakery Restaurant (5008 Whitehorn Drive NE). Other traditional dishes include pancit, or fried noodles, in one of its many forms. There’s pancit malabon with its rich seafood and thick noodles. Also popular is pancit bihon, made with thin rice vermicelli and various meats and vegetables, and finished with lemon or calamansi. Max’s Restaurant (3581 20 Ave NE) offers an impressive selection of pancit. But no feast is complete without dessert! Leche flan is a soft custard steamed with caramel and can be purchased at Angel's Bakeshop & Restaurant (112-6800 Memorial Drive East). Finally, there’s bibingka, a traditional cake made of rice flour and coconut milk, featuring cheese, salted duck egg, or grated coconut. Fresh bibingka can be found at Pacific Hut Restaurant (3223 17 Ave. SE) during the holiday season. Happy feasting!

11 PHILIPPINES

HUNGARY

By CA MIE LE A R D

My Nagymama spent weeks preparing Christmas dinner for her gaggle of unruly grandchildren who were inevitably more interested in what was under the tree than on the table. As we grew, though, we began to see the amount of effort and love and tradition that went into these meals that brought the aroma of Hungary into their Knob Hill home each December — transporting her and my grandfather back to their own childhoods as they forged the future memories of our own. Each meal began with csiga soup: a clear and beautiful chicken broth served in the best china (my mother harbouring well-founded fear of us breaking a $400 soup bowl.) The csigas themselves were hand-rolled shell noodles. Made from scratch. Every time. Turkey and all the fixin’s were certainly present, but no self-respecting Nagymama would be without some of the classics from the old country. My favourites included chicken paprikas and Hungarian wienerschnitzel. The real treats for me, though, came at dessert. My mom favoured the layered hazelnut Zserbó (or Gerbeaud) cake. Me, I still dream of the heavenly cream-filled pastry called krémes. With its very name meaning “creamy” krémes combines two layers of puff pastry held together with a generous amount of smooth pastry cream. Pro-tip: It’s almost better after a day or two of the cream softening the pastry… almost.

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• T h e 12 Ta s t e s o f C h r i s t m a s •

12 SPAIN Homemade Marzipan Recipe from DaringGourmet.com 1½ cups very finely ground blanched almond flour/meal or blanch, grind and dry your own almonds - I recommend the bought almond meal to ensure it's finely ground and sufficiently dry 1½ cups powdered sugar

1 tsp quality food grade rose water 1 egg white (vegan: use egg substitute 3+ tablespoons corn syrup) Place the almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse until combined and any lumps are broken up. Add the almond extract and rose water and pulse to combine. Add the egg white and process until a thick dough is formed. If the mass is still too wet and sticky, add more powdered sugar and ground almonds. Keep in mind that it will become firmer after it's been refrigerated.

B y E R I N L AW R E NC E Christmas traditions are usually developed at home and are formed by our parents. We learn and adopt them as our own as we grow, age and start families of our own. So it’s eye-opening to learn about how Christmas is marked in different places. Think of how terrified you were when you learned about the beastly horned Krampas who presides over Christmas in parts of Europe. Or how puzzled you were when your German pal enlightened you about hiding the Christmas pickle, and no that’s not a euphemism. Spain might have all other countries beat with the great tradition of caga tió. Literally translated as the “poopy log,” caga tió is a piece of log (actual wooden log) that gets dressed up with a hat, a cape and some stick arms and usually a goofy grin. Not unlike the North American Elf on a Shelf evolution, caga tió is a respected holiday ally. Spanish children leave caga tió offerings like oranges and bread and hope that, come Christmas, he will poop out turrón, a traditional nougaty sweet for them.

Turn the almond marzipan out onto a work surface and knead it a few times. Form it into a log, wrap it up in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

In fairness, not all Spanish holiday traditions involve poop, er, nougat, but Spain does have many wonderful holiday customs, and many of them also revolve around food. I was fortunate enough to enjoy some of them as a university exchange student when I spent the year there.

Will keep for at least a month in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer. Bring to room temperature before using in any recipe.

The aforementioned turrón is a traditional treat made of nuts, honey, eggs and sugar that dates back to the Moors of the Spanish Middle Ages. Eaten all year, it gains special importance during the holidays when it’s given as a gift or used to cap a decadent meal. Much like fudge on this side of the Atlantic, it comes in all kinds of flavour combinations and styles.

Makes 13-14 ounces of marzipan or almond paste

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Serve your own seafood feast by picking up fresh seafood at Calgary’s North Sea Fish Market, and make sure to have plenty of Spanish cava, the national sparkling wine. Look for some of the best cavas at places like Market Wines (they just opened a second location at University Heights in addition to their quonset at the Calgary Farmer’s Market) where the owners have travelled to Spain, sampled dozens of cavas, and brought back the best. Why not start the Christmas festivities like the Spaniards do with a glass of that cava and a plate of fresh cut jamón serrano in the small-bites-style of tapas? This amazing dry-cured Spanish ham could be likened to prosciutto, but only if you’d like to anger every Castellano in earshot. Jamón serrano comes from a specific pig, the Landrace breed, and it produces a fine, tender ham that’s always served sliced so thin you could practically read a book through it. Spaniards in the service industry train to slice it to perfection. Master carvers are known to offer 45-day courses in the art of the slice but if you’ve been carving for any less than a year, you’re a rank amateur. Well-to-do Spaniards will buy a whole leg of jamón serrano and hire professional carvers for lavish holiday parties. While having fresh serrano ham carved from a bone-in leg before your eyes

by valkyrieh116 is licensed under CC 2.0

2 tsp quality pure almond extract

JamÓn serrano

Speaking of special meals, a major tradition across Spain is to celebrate the holidays with a huge seafood feast. Spain is largely surrounded by the sea, so it’s no wonder fish, shellfish and more are given special prominence.

Caga Tio

by aurÇlien. is licensed under CC 2.0

Marzipa

is a feast for the senses, in Calgary you can find a serrano ham (and Spanish chorizo, another tapas staple) at places like the Italian Centre Shop. What’s a holiday feast without the sweet stuff? Spaniards typically love to nibble at marzipan, a spongy, sugary almond paste that’s been a Christmas treat since the 1500s – far longer than your auntie has been making her red and green layered holiday Jell-O salad. Word on the calle is that nuns of the Middle Ages were without flour during a famine, so they stirred up sugar and ground almonds, and a centuries old tradition was born. Marzipan can be eaten as-is, dipped in chocolate, rolled into baked breads and perhaps most famously, formed into shapes and WHERE TO FIND LATINO painted with food dye to resemble tiny fruits or figures. AND SPANISH FOODS Marzipan nativity? In Spain, it’s been done. IN CALGARY The Spanish love their sweets, so other favourites like flan, a delicate, eggy caramel custard, or mantecados, a fiercely crumbly, buttery cookie similar to shortbread are also wildly popular. Much like many of our holiday recipes here in North America, each home cook and family has their own versions of these holiday treats, but recipes for each can be found easily online, and both are quite simple to prepare. Less easy is my own family Christmas finale tradition: it’s always Christmas pudding, a delightfully treacly steamed pseudo-cake whose key ingredients are breadcrumbs, dried fruits and suet, a hard beef fat. The pudding is best ‘cured’ for six weeks up to one year. Year old beef fat pudding? Caga Tió doesn’t look so weird now, does he?

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Unimarket 128 50th Ave S.E. 2405 Edmonton Trail N.E Latin Food Specialties Avenida Food Hall 12445 Lake Fraser Drive SE Solafarmers.ca

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LIVING WELL, LIVING RIGHT!

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F U N F O O D T A L E S f rom the heart(h) | M U S I N G S

My Fine Christmas B y L I N DA K U PE C E K

Don’t get me wrong. I am all for a cozy Christmas during which people cuddle up in front of the fireplace and exude good will like a Hallmark movie. Year after year, this notion of an ideal Christmas is imprinted on us with relentless evangelical devotion, extolling syrupy, velvet perfection. Theoretically, I guess I approve.

wonder, though, am I the only person in the entire world who has kissed that myth goodbye and moved on?

In my opinion, being alone at Christmas is not the end of the world. Some of us are alone because our families have passed on or moved away. Others, by happenstance. Or, in the case of those of us who are older and single, the younger relatives may just not know what to do with us. An older, single woman is like the elephant in the room. Younger people don’t realize that the elephant may be perfectly happy to sip chardonnay and smile beatifically. And then there are those of us who willfully, rebelliously, choose our own company.

Much as I loved my family, I don’t mind being alone over the holidays. In fact (forgive me if I sound like a heretic) it is rather exhilarating. Freedom and gratitude are the two words that spring to mind. Once you deflect the horrified lamentations of pity from well-meaning people who are eager to let you know that you must be suffering terribly, you can settle into your very own Christmas, not the Christmas that others have imposed on you. I am not Scrooge. I am somebody who has spent too many years trying to live up to the expectations of others, and now need please only myself. Sure, I miss my loved ones, but I don’t miss all the other holiday baggage: the pressure, the hysterics, the culinary panic, the blubbering into the mashed potatoes when the lumps won’t go away, the mystery of salvaging the mashed potatoes when a drunken guest plops their face into the bowl, the back strain from heaving an overweight turkey from counter to oven and back again, the backed up kitchen sinks, the family tensions, the insults, the acquaintances who should have sought therapy before seating themselves at my table, the two drunken uncles who duked it out in the snow in the front yard at midnight (I am sure the neighbours dined out on this story for years) and my own hysteria over the entire production of Christmas dinner. I have been known to collapse on the kitchen counter in tears from the stress of trying to slam a dinner on the table by myself, while the dinner guests waited hopefully for whatever miracle I might produce. Years ago, one of my friends, with a host of guests expected in a few hours at her door, for a dinner which she was obliged to make whether she wanted to or not, packed her bags,

jumped into her car, and just drove away. I think the catch phrase might have been, “I am tired as hell, and I just won’t take it anymore.” I get it. So then, consider Christmas Alone. A few years ago, I promised myself I will never roast another turkey. Ever. So far, so good. Fingers crossed. Instead, I can choose my solitary feast. On Christmas Eve, I opt for a platter of smoked salmon, pickled asparagus, cream cheese and bagels. I yearn for hurka, the Hungarian sausage of my youth, but no way am I going to try to replicate my father’s recipe. On Christmas Day, I roast chicken with a rich glaze, either maple syrup or ginger marmalade. No stuffing because after years of struggling to make stuffing, I am off the hook! No distant cousins are going to sit around my table, looking at me mournfully because I am no good with stuffing and gravy. I don’t have to mash potatoes because I am perfectly happy with boiled or roast potatoes, rather than endure the suffering of mash mash mash into oblivion. I can make crisp asparagus, or fresh sliced tomatoes with olive oil and oregano, not soggy brussel sprouts which I always managed to turn into wet swamp-like balls. Sometimes, if am up for the extra effort, I make chicken paprikas with Hungarian noodles (nokkedli) swimming in rich, rosy sour cream. I can make whatever I want, without having to please anybody but myself. No more assorted guests with different tastes and genes who won’t touch the yams, disdain the salad, pick at the turkey, and turn up their noses at my gingerbread dessert. I put holiday jazz on the stereo and avoid the sappy Christmas carols that everybody else seems to love. As a writer, I enjoy my solitude. I have yet to sit in my living room and sob into my Santa Claus apron because I am alone. One of the great strengths in growing older is the realization that you are Enough. That you are fine on your own. And that you can drift through Christmas Day with no schedule, no expectations, no myths to fulfil or follow. So, Merry Christmas to the happy families around the fireplace. I wish you well. And Merry Christmas to those of us who have created our own peace on earth. N OV EM B ER » D EC EM B ER 2020

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Quick Bites

16TH CENTURY PIZZA DOUGH

Christmas pies and pastry are soaked in holiday tradition. This year alongside their classic apple, pumpkin cheesecake and hazelnut ganache, Pie Junkie also has Nancy’s family's traditional mincemeat tarts and cranberry orange bake-well. On the savoury side, they have beef Wellington, tourtière and traditional turkey dinner pie. They never forget Santa with shortbread, gingerbread and sugar cookies, to name a few.

A pizza dough recipe that stretches back to the 16th century, a Stefano Ferrara wood-fire oven imported from Italy, and pizza making traditions passed down through generations is what you will find at the new Pizza Culture eatery on Edmonton Tr. Owned by Pizzaiolo Jeremy Hube and brothers Tony and John Nicastro, the restaurant’s menu offers over 20 pizzas and a variety of Italian desserts with ingredients sourced locally and imported from Italy.

Pie Junkie | piejunkie.ca

Pizza Culture | #1, 1114 Edmonton Tr. N.E. | 403.277.4900 | pizzacultureyyc.ca

WINTER WONDERLAND

BUTTERMILK HOLIDAY BOX

One of the most magical places to visit as winter envelops the Rocky Mountains is Mt. Engadine Lodge. We love that they support local like champs! The lodge carries spirits from both Park Distillery in Banff and Wild Life Distillery in Canmore, and all of the beers and ciders they serve are locally sourced from Canmore Brewing Company, Blindman Brewing out of Lacombe, and Marda Loop Brewing out of Calgary. The Lodge is offering two signature cocktails, inspired by the local distilleries that they partner with: the Park Gin Refresher and the Bramble. Find the recipes on our website at savourcalgary.ca.

Sam Friley has been busy working on holiday gift baskets and boxes curating each item and detail right down to the box itself. He’s even added his personal favourites including Buttermilk waffle mix, Cosman & Webb organic maple syrup, a gift card to Village Ice Cream, as well as a few other goodies. Canada-wide shipping and delivery in Calgary is available.

CHRISTMAS PIE PERFECTION

Buttermilk Fine Waffles | buttermilkfinewaffles.com

STUFF STOCKINGS WITH SPICES Mesmerize Spices was conceived by a group of friends who share a passion for food. One of the friends, local Chef Christopher Mesmer, curated the spices preparing three spice blends available for purchase on the website. Try the Calgary Steak Spice on Alberta beef or roasted vegetables, Hypno Blend with chicken and on popcorn, or the Fire Salt with eggs, wings or French fries.*

BEER-FLAVOURED BEER WINS Congrats to Turner Valley’s Fahr Brewery which took home the 2020 World Beer Awards trophy for World's Best Bavarian-Style Hefeweiss. Way to go!

CHRISTMAS IN THE FOOTHILLS Wine tours and tastings now available every weekend until Christmas! Come out to Spirit Hills Winery and enjoy the Christmas in the Foothills Experience with a glass of mulled wine around a bonfire after your tour and tasting of multi-award-winning flower wines! Keep an eye out for them at the Granary Road Market, Millarville Christmas Market, Okotoks Elks Christmas Market, Airdrie Christmas Market, and the Lethbridge Christmas Market. Spirit Hills Winery | 2380 Drive West, Millarville, AB | 403.933.3913 | spirithillswinery.com

CONGRATS MAD DOGS! Congratulations to Canmore’s Mad Dog Café and Market for winning best Ethnic Food in the Rocky Mountain Outlook’s 2020 Best of the Bow Awards for its Indian-inspired comfort food. Way to go!

VIRTUAL CHRISTMAS MARKET

MARKT. by Spruce Meadows | markt.sprucemeadows.com

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Spruce Meadows has created MARKT. by Spruce Meadows — a new online marketplace that allows vendors to sell their items with hundreds of other local businesses. The everpopular International Christmas Market presented by TELUS is being taken online. Starting November 1, shop your favorite vendors plus browse some brand-new local merchants – all from the comfort of your home!

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Mesmerize Spices | 825.994.3587 | mesmerizespices.com

DRUNK SIDE OF THE TRACKS 2 On November 23rd at Foreign Concept, join Chefs Kaede Elliot Hirooka and Jonathon Chung as they take you on an after-service Tokyo food adventure. The Respect the Technique guys are back with a multi-course, plated dinner called “Drunk Side of the Tracks 2, Yamanote Line.” Secure your spot online. Respect the Technique at Foreign Concept | 1011 1 St. S.W. | respectthetechnique.com

HOLY COW GELATO The newest addition to the Teatro Group family is Holy Cow Gelato! Nestled next door to the famed Vendome in Sunnyside is the neighborhood’s newest hot spot to grab a scoop of homemade gelato or freshly made donuts. Also available are plant-based gelato options. Donuts sell out early, follow on Instagram @HolyCowGelato. Holy Cow Gelato | 938 2 Avenue N.W. | 403.719.1092

BACK IN THE GAME Buon Giorno has been resurrected and brought back to life thanks to a couple of loyal customers who stepped in to save the restaurant. Regulars will notice a few subtle changes like new flooring, new paint and a renovated kitchen. What has not changed is the staff, kitchen team and fantastic menu they are known for in Calgary. Buon Giorno Ristorante Italiano | 823 17 Avenue S.W. | 403.244.5522

GET JAZZED UP Alvin’s Jazz Club reopened in October safely to bring you the quintessential New York city dining experience of the 1930s and ’40s with a modern approach. The Westman Village jazz club is back with regular live performances, specialty cocktails, a curated wine list and an exceptional culinary experience. Alvin’s Jazz Club | 176 Mahogany Centre S.E. | 403.313.1051 | alvinsjazzclub.com

STEP TO THE LEFT Open Range has moved in next door with its sister restaurant Big Fish to offer a true surf and turf concept. Open Range and Big Fish | Edmonton Tr. N.E. | 403.277.3408 open-range.ca

NEW TO THE FLOCK

Buon Natale ...a te e famiglia

New to the Okotoks-based Tippa lineup is Tippa’s Magpie Rum. Aged in premium t equila barrels, this smooth, flavourful rum uses premium cane sugar and black strap molasses. Tasting notes offer a blend of sweetness, a hint of smoky caramel and unique, hoppy finish. Also available are Lovebird Gin, Wood Duck Oaked Gin and hand sanitizer.* Tippa Inc. | tippadistillery.square.site

THE EARLY BIRD GETS THE DONUT The Donut Club, by UNA Pizza + Wine Executive Chef Kayle Burns and wife Kate Burns has become our latest food obsession. Every Monday on Instagram, they release a limited number of donut flavours for their pre-sale and within an hour they are sold out. Those lucky enough to snag a few pick up their box of goodies Saturday mornings at UNA Takeaway from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.* The Donut Club | 616 17 Avenue S.W. | donutclubyyc.ca

IN YOUR OWN SPACE The Dandy Brewing Company has launched In Your Own Space, a delivery and pick-up option that brings the Dandy tasting room experience home. Chef Merritt Gordon has crafted mains, snacks and desserts you can order to enjoy at home just in time for cold winter nights. Curl up and snack on honey and sea salt popcorn. Or sit down to meat pies, potato and leek casserole or karelian pies. Wash it all down with your favourite Dandy beverage and one of their spectacular dessert offerings. The Dandy Brewing Company | 2003 11 Street S.E. | thedandybrewingcompany.com

ARTISANAL MEAT AND CHEESE BOX Empire Provisions is offering custom curated gift boxes for gift giving or sharing at home. Boxes include artisanal cured meats and cheese plus select condiments. Place your order online. Empire Provisions | 8409 Elbow Dr. S.W. | 403.244.0570 | empireprovisions.com

MODERN MEDITERRANEAN DINING Under the direction of Chef Jenny Kang, Orchard Restaurant has opened for lunch and dinner in Calgary’s premier luxury residential project, SODO. The restaurant provides an experience from entry to exit invoking the senses reminiscent of a European supper club. They offer small plates, large plates, an express lunch, fun cocktail list plus wines and craft beer. Orchard Restaurant | 620 10 Ave. S.W. | 403.243.2392 | orchardyyc.com

Delicacies imported from all over Europe, Italian panettone and torrone, gift baskets, customized charcuterie boards, Chef-at-Home experience & more.

Lina’ s Christmas Gift Guide Discover Lina’s specialty products, cheeses, pastries and unique kits.

LET US TAKE CARE OF YOUR CHRISTMAS DINNER Events, corporate dinners, Christmas parties, private functions Book our services now! catering@linasmarket.com menus, ideas and recipes www.linasmarket.com

MEET ME ON 17TH The Taste of 17th food festival hits the streets of Calgary Nov 20 -29, 2020. For 10 days this inaugural foodie event will feature pre-set menus at participating establishments along the 17th Ave. S.W. business zone. Check out the website as details unfold and register to claim a $25 food voucher you can use at select locations during the festival. Taste of 17th | 17th Ave. BRZ 17thave.ca/tasteof17th

It ’ s easy... we are a family! Lina’s Italian Supermercato Lina’s Italian Market 4916, 130th Ave SE Calgary AB 2202 Centre St. NE Calgary AB 403.523.7713 403.277.9166 linasmarket.com @linasmarket N OV EM B ER » D EC EM B ER 2020

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I N DUST RY V I EWS | BACK OF HOUSE

Two Worlds, One Table

Photo courtesy of Duncan Ly

B y DU NC A N LY

Duncan Ly

Celebrating

YEARS

Growing up in a Vietnamese-Canadian home in Lethbridge, Alberta made for a rich culinary experience. As a child, I often found myself ashamed of the Asian food I found in my lunchbox at school, wanting so much to be more like my Canadian classmates with their PB&J… nothing weird, nothing “different.” As I grew and matured, though, I came to see the extraordinary in the everyday, ordinary food my mom prepared daily for our family of seven. I remember waking up every Saturday morning with the tantalizing aroma of star anise and cinnamon. Mom had already been up for hours preparing her pho broth. That was weekend brunch for us. Pho with rare beef and beef balls with my mother’s homemade broth infused with tons of fresh herbs and love for her family. To this day, eating a bowl of pho always takes me back to those Saturday mornings. Christmas was a two-day culinary extravaganza at our house and became a beautiful combination of North American and Asian traditions. Christmas Eve was spent with our immediate family around a hot pot. A feast of mussels, clams, prawns, halibut, thinly sliced beef and an assortment of vegetables like spinach, and watercress were simmered in two pots of broth made from chicken bones and pork on each side of the table. We would load each pot up with everything than everyone would help themselves from the pot. Served with a dip of soya sauce and chilli oil. As the night wore on, both the broth and the celebration of family became sweeter and richer. Hot pot would be my choice for a last meal, if I ever found myself in such circumstances.

#EATATMINAS

(403) 454-2550 136 2nd STREET SW minassteakhouse.coM

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Christmas Day saw aunts and uncles and cousins descent on our home in a whirlwind of holiday energy. This is where we’d feast on turkey and ham and I would always do a roast beef. With sides of cream corn, scallop potatoes and Brussels sprouts, there was enough food for 100 people — but the 30 of us did our best to stuff ourselves with food and with memories. Merry Christmas and Chúc Giáng sinh an lành to all! The views of Back of House columnists are their own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of Savour Calgary.

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Escape to the Farm

Enjoy a home cooked meal, shop with ease and drink in the view. You’ve earned this peaceful break.

PaSu Farm is a country oasis that offers an air of elegant simplicity and nourishes the soul. Find warmth in the Gallery Shop and take in magnificent mountain views from our restaurant. Our customers enjoy a peacefulness that comforts and calms their spirits.

Yes, we are open over the holiday period. You’ll find a full range of warm and seasonal clothing and great gift ideas. On weekends in December, we’ve got hot cider and cookies – so escape the city and relax.

40 minutes north of Calgary | 403.337.2800 or 1.800.679.7999 | www.pasu.com