Savour Calgary - 2021 September October

SEPTEMBER » OCTOBER 2021

FRESH. LOCAL. STORIES FOR FOOD LOVERS.

HANGING WITH THE HONEY BEES

NECTAR OF THE GODS – THE NEED FOR MEAD

HONEY, HONEY – A CRASH COURSE IN LIQUID GOLD

MARKET REPORT

IM M AGIN AR E what

you’ll do with yours

A N I TA L I A N IC ON ON T HR E E W HE E L S T he all - elec t r ic P iag g io A pé i s abou t t o s t or m C anadian s t r ee t s . I t ’s t he mo s t c om pac t , ec ono m ic al and v er s a t ile way t o t o t ake y our ide a s on t he r oad – and unex pec t edl y c on t empor ar y f or t oday ’s bu s ine s s .

Ho w y ou u s e and de s ig n y our A pé i s onl y lim i t ed b y y our imag ina t ion .

C hec k ou t t he c on f ig ur a t ion s available and pr e - or der y our o w n ic on .

CANADA

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

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s a journalist, I was trained to be unbiased and to offer balanced perspectives and never, ever play favourites. Now I’m the boss and I get to editorialize with reckless abandon. So its without guilt or shame I make this declaration: autumn is my favourite season. I don’t mean to make the other seasons feel bad, but at our intersection of latitude and longitude, this time of year offers the best of everything: The days are warm, but not too warm. The nights are cool, but not too cold. The sky is blue, the fields are gold, the leaves are… all the colours and it’s time to enjoy the season’s bounty!

You may have noticed that we’re obsessing a little this issue. It is the Year of the Beekeeper in Alberta and we couldn’t help but celebrate with an ode to the other liquid gold this province is known for. As one of the country’s top producers, Alberta is honey heaven with hundreds of kilometers of canola and alfalfa fields full of pollen and nectar. Even the city folk contribute to Alberta’s unique flavour profiles with gardens and flower baskets and maybe a dandelion or two in our lawns if we’re being honest.

Starting with that gorgeous Ukrainian honey cake on the cover (Kalyna Store) the issue is dripping with honey stories, facts, recipes and even libations that will get us through back-to-school madness.

Visit the bees at Chinook Honey with Catherine Van Brunschot, or try your hand at Julie Van Rosendaal’s baklava. Wanda Baker talks about a unique honey vinegar offering from Alchemist Vinegars in “Shop Local” and Brit Hart guides us through the “Need for Mead.” Everything you ever wanted to know about honey is in Tanya Schaap’s feature, “Honey, Honey” and our masterclass features a honey butter cake made

by Savour Calgary newcomer Nyakong Yang of Yang Confections.

As we sip our pumpkin-flavoured this and that this fall, we’re giving thanks for the creativity, courage and grit in Calgary’s food scene. No matter what crazy scenario has befallen you in the last couple of years, you have continued to create food and products and experiences that inspire and amaze. Thanks for keeping us so well fed when we didn’t feel like turning on the oven during record heat this summer. I don’t want to make the other food scenes feel bad, but you’re my favourite.

Camie Leard, Editor camie@savourcalgary.ca

SAVOURCALGARY.ca

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Savour Calgary tells the food stories that happen at Mohkínstsis, located in the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi and the people of the Treaty 7 region and the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3. We acknowledge the indigenous people of this area as keepers of the land and water that make these stories possible and thank them for their hospitality and stewardship of this place.

Features 16 Hanging with the Honey bees 20 Nectar of the Gods – The Need for Mead 22 Honey, Honey – A Crash Course in Liquid Gold

The Regulars 5 Savour Selects 11 Fresh Market 12 Shop Local 14 Julie’s Kitchen 18 Master Class 21 Market Report 24 Quick Bites 30 Funnybones S EP T EM B ER » O C TO B ER 2021

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RECIPES WITH COCOCO CHOCOLATE

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

Welcome the cooler weather of fall and use up that dark rum in your cupboard by making these deeply flavoured truffles. Easy, messy, impressive, and delicious!

Mitch Kern is a photographer and instructor at AU Arts. He photographed a Ukrainian honey cake by Kalyna Store.

CONTRIBUTORS

Wanda Baker Brit Hart Ellen Kelly Mitch Kern Linda Kupecek Alison Martin Tanya Schaap Catherine Van Brunschot Julie Van Rosendaal Grace Wang Nyakong Yang

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ADVERTISING SALES

Ellen Kelly ellen@savourcalgary.ca WEBSITE TECHNICAL ADVISOR

Todd Robertson web@savourcalgary.ca DISTRIBUTION

James Norman distribution@savourcalgary.ca PRINTING

CentralWeb 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

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Your recipes deserve our chocolate!

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.

www.CococoChocolatiers.com/recipes chocolate chocolate together together

@Cococo_Chocolates

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@CococoChocolates

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@ChocBernCal

Hankki

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

Savour selects

Wanda Baker

Hankki Korean Street Food 214, 202 6th Ave. S.W. and 1058 17th Ave. S.W. hankkica.com

BOPS AND DOGS

Hankki Korean corndogs and cupbops

Experience in the food industry, a Korean upbringing, and a desire to bolster Korean culture in Calgary is why owner Rocky Chae opened Hankki Korean Street Food. Full of variety and flavour, Chae creates fun and playful recipes like Korean hot dogs. The dogs are dipped in batter, deep-fried, coated in sugar and finished with your topping of choice. The mozzarella dog is all cheese. Or try a cupbop – loosely translated as rice in a paper bowl. Hankki tops cupbops with slices of egg omelet, crunchy dumplings and sauces, while hot bops are topped with meat. With two successful locations in Calgary, Chae hopes to expand his cultural-education-through-food mission to other communities in the coming years.

HERE TO FEED THE PEOPLE

When it comes to Italian food, Calgary’s cup runneth over. Tony Nicastro (there are two Tony Nicastro’s in the restaurant scene here!) grew up in the business working alongside family at the old Stromboli Inn. He learned the business eventually taking over Villa Firenze from his Nona.

This led to additional eateries like PZA Parlour in Calgary and a handful in Cochrane; PZA Parlour, Mezzo Café, Forge and Smoke, The Stump Tavern and Blacksmith Pub. His latest venture Toto Pizza in Bridgeland was born out of a family conversation during the pandemic and desire to fully utilize the Villa Firenze space. They converted the banquet room into a cozy pizzeria yet retained the functionality of the room allowing it to return to a banquet room for events. The menu is simple, inspired by old and new family recipes offering appetizers, salads, pizzas and desserts with live jazz on the weekends. A crispy, chewy pizza crust holds several of your favourite toppings and we happily sunk our teeth into the La Canadese and Crudo pizzas. Having dined at a few of Nicastro’s other restaurants, one thing we know for sure is he creates beautiful inviting spaces, a fun dining experience, and mouth-watering menus.* Toto Pizza | 610 1st Ave. N.E. | 403.265.1990 | toto-pizza.com

Wanda Baker

PIZZA AND JAZZ

Former Toscana Italian Grill executive chef and new YYC Pasta Bar owner Yash Sharma is one of the nicest people in the business and his love for what he does shines through in his food. He’s created a chef-driven menu where you choose what goes into your pasta dish, making it totally customizable. Ingredients are carefully selected from local markets or imported from Italy ensuring freshness and quality in every item. We love being able to select our noodles, sauce and ingredients, having it cooked in the kitchen and served piping hot.

Or choose one of chef’s specialty bowls of pasta from the menu. The portions are huge and his food delivers both in taste and quantity.

YYC Pasta Bar is open six days a week for lunch and dinner. Reservations recommended.*

Make-your-own pasta with mushrooms, bacon, chicken

YYC Pasta Bar 1322a 17th Ave. S.W. 403.764.9777 yycpastabar.ca

Crudo Pizza

*Hosted our meal, but did not approve the story S EP T EM B ER » O C TO B ER 2021

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Camie Leard

Camie Leard

MAJOR TOM (REALLY) MAKES THE GRADE Look up. Waaaaaaay up! See that sweet retro dining room in the penthouse of Stephen Avenue Place? That’s the latest hot spot in Concorde Group’s offering – Major Tom. With floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides, the panoramic view is almost as delicious as the food and drink offerings. We feasted on prime rib, cacio e pepe, tuna cru, tomato salad and the cheese toast that went from unknown to legendary in one Major Tom’s tuna crudo week this summer. Every dish was exceptional, balancing colour, flavour and texture masterfully under the watchful eye of Culinary Director Garrett Martin. The beef program is a highlight as are the cocktails.

We enjoyed the eponymous Major Tom Collins which, with a splash of lemon cordial and a dash of nutmeg, tastes like lemonade and egg nog had a love child with impeccable taste. We’ll definitely be back to visit the Major soon.*

32 YEARS

STRONG

Personal Fitness Instruction Inc. Personal Training Nutritional Consulting

Helping our clients live healthier lives – one workout at a time

W

e work with people of all shapes and sizes but we love working with clients who want to fight ageing every step of the way,” says One on One owner Sandra Bueckert (pictured below). “Age is the great equalizer and at 55, I’m a part of the resistance.”

“I chose One on One many years ago as I wanted to gain muscle and become stronger,” says Elizabeth Walsh, a 20-year client. “I knew the best way for me was to be with experts and to have appointments I would not miss.”

There are no fads or gimmicks at One on One. It’s the home of sweat equity.

Workouts for clients looking to reach their goals online or in-person are by appointment only.

“Every client has different goals and different issues to consider. We get it.

We understand. We’re aware that getting started can feel overwhelming.

Our aim is to simplify the process for you,” says Sandra. “Together, we’ll sit down and discuss your fitness goals, nutrition, health history, work schedule and so much more. This will allow us to custom design a solid fitness plan for you.”

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V the CO at One on One

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www.oneononefitness.ca

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

South Block blends barbecue and brews in Mission

The “Blockheads” (their word, not ours) have done it again as Jared and Aja Kichula take their infamous barbecue to Mission adding South Block to Comery and Hayden Blocks – this time with beer! Taking over the former Wurst space on 4th St. S.W., South Block brings its own lineup of local brews to the tap with some real delights. We loved the Big Lick, a lager which we’re told is tough to find in the local craft market because it takes twice the time to brew and offers nowhere to hide imperfections with its clean, minimalist approach to flavour. The barbecue is, of course, on point.

South Block Barbecue & Brewing Co. 2437 4th St. S.W. | 403.764.4227 southblockbbq.com

SAY UNCLE The Korean fried chicken craze has found its way south as the team behind Okotoks’ Yokozuna Sushi has opened Uncle K’s Korean Fried Chicken and Katsu a few blocks away.

As the owner and most of the staff hail from Korea themselves, the offering is authentic and super delicious.

We loved the honey butter cheese chicken (trust us!), which we enjoyed with a crispy vegetable croquette. We’ll be sure to visit again for the katsu offering.*

Camie Leard

Major Tom | 4000, 700 2nd St. S.W. | 403.990.3954 | majortombar.ca

Uncle K’s Chicken

Uncle K’s Chicken | 195, 31 Southridge Dr., Okotoks 403.995.0388

1516 17 Ave. SW, Calgary, AB • 403.244.9059 • oneononefitness@shaw.ca

*Hosted our meal, but did not approve the story 6 S EP T EM B ER » O C TO B ER 2021

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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 A HAPPY CASE OF THE MONDAYS

JEWEL IN A JAR

Just Baked cake in a jar at Artisan Collective

You know when you have a hankering for cake, and you know if you bake one you’ll eat the whole thing in a spiral of self-loathing and sugar highs?

No? Just us? Either way, we found the coolest little treat from local baker Sarah Stadnyk, founder and “head hustler” of Just Baked YYC. The offering: cake in a jar. All you need is a spoon or fork (or a finger, in a pinch) and a sweet treat in a serving size is all yours. We tried the birthday cake (yum!) but Just Baked has 15 flavours to choose from.

We discovered our jar of delight at a new shop in Deerfoot Meadows called Artisan Collective, which features hundreds of YYC-made products.

It’s definitely worth a stop next time you’re in the area. You can also order from the website.

Camie Leard

We finally had a chance to visit the delightful Mondays Plant Café in Bridgeland and enjoyed a lovely plant-based lunch in a sunny and cheerful space. Formerly called Raw Eatery and Market, the Mondays team changed the name and moved from Kensington to a sweet little house just north of Reconciliation Bridge. The food is fresh, colourful and packed with so much deliciousness, you might forget it’s good for you. The mini-market also offers local vegan products for sale. Try the Farro Za’atar bowl and a cookie for dessert.

Mondays Plant Café 208 4th St. N.E. 825.222.9080 mondaysplantcafe.com

Farrow Za’atar

Just Baked | 403.993.4754 | justbakedyyc.com Artisan Collective | 33 Heritage Meadows Way S.W. 403.258.2818 | Facebook: @artisancollectiveyyc.com

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that Village Brewery has resurrected a classic local brand in its new Calgary Beer.

Much to the delight of hopheads young (18+ of course) and old, the classic cowhead logo is adorning stylish new tall boy cans, which are filled with a crisp, light lager perfect on the last of our summer afternoons on the patio.

Available in bars and liquor stores everywhere.* Village Brewery 5000 12A St. S.E. 403.243.3327 villagebrewery.com

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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A POCKET OF HEAVEN FOR FOOD LOVERS We recently found ourselves in Willow Park Village and were delighted to see such great offerings for food fanatics all in one place.

From the ever-popular (and always wellstocked) Willow Park Wines and Spirits, to local lovelies like Springbank Cheese and Crave Cupcakes, one could host an incredible dinner party from amuse bouche to aperitif with just one stop! We selected two great local businesses to highlight in this issue:

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Mitch Kern

Celebrating

YEARS Calgary, thank you for one more year of your support!

Honey cake

#EATATMINAS

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

Churrascaria & Restaurante OPEN FOR DINE-IN, TAKEOUT, DELIVERY & CATERING

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BEYOND THE PIEROGI Strolling the aisles of Kalyna European Food Market and Ukrainian Deli in Fisher Park, one can’t help but conjure visions of sprawling feasts on gorgeous hand-embroidered tablecloths, the aroma of garlic and cabbage and sausage wafting over bowls of bright borscht and flaky peroshki.

Well, we were lucky enough to have a Baba growing up, so these visions may be pure nostalgia on our part. Either way, Kalyna is so worth a visit – if not just to learn a thing or two about eastern European cuisine. With salted fish and hard candy and everything in between, Kalyna is a portal to another (delicious) place. The deli and bakery make trying something new easy. This is where we found the honey cake (medovik) that graces this month’s cover. Made by a (rather shy) woman who only speaks Ukranian, this labour of love is beautiful, delicate and one of the most delicious things we’ve ever tasted. You can buy it by the gram to save some money and your waistline, but do try it. You won’t be sorry.

Kalyna/Kalinka European Food Market and Ukrainian Deli | 8, 7400 Macleod Tr. S.E. 403.457.0990 | kalynastore.ca

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

Camie Leard

When Su Jin Kwon graduated from SAIT’s cooking program in 2002, she got her first job at North Sea Fish Market. Little did she know then that she’d end up owning the place! After a career as a fishmonger for various shops and markets, she took the entrepreneurial plunge nine years ago and bought the shop that started it all. North Sea Fish Market is a delightful shop offering fresh and frozen fish from Canada and Iceland where quality Atlantic stock abounds. Kwon says people have branched out in the past year in terms of their culinary adventures and sales of sushiSu Jin Kwon at North Sea Fish Market grade fish have increased as folks try their hand at maki, nigiri and sashimi or even Hawaiian poke which has become a favourite over the last couple of years.

Kwon still gets to exercise her cooking chops as the shop offers a large selection of pre-made meals featuring seafood (of course) and other treats like meat pies. She says her Boston clam chowder is the most popular with her customers as are the lobster mac ‘n’ cheese and crab cakes.

North Sea Fish Market at Willow Park 300, 10816 Macleod Tr. S.E. | 403.225.3460 | @northseamarket on Facebook

FRUITS OF THE LAND Prairie Farms Local Market was a wonderful surprise for us as we had no idea such a beautiful little market existed in Willow Park Village. Owner Zeery Nunez takes great pride in the gorgeous presentation of local products.

Everything is local – except the olive oil, because, well, winter – but even that is imported by a Calgary woman whose family orchard in Spain makes the stuff. We were lucky enough to catch a delivery of pickled vegetables and other sundries from a Hutterite vendor whose three boys were thrilled to pick a treat from the colourful and juicy BC fruit currently on display.

We opted for some sweet, crunchy baby carrots, ourselves (yum!).

Camie Leard

FRUITS OF THE SEA

Zeery Nunez at Prairie Farms

In addition to fresh produce from local farms, Nunez carries packaged foods by area makers by the shelf load, including a honey vinegar (you had to know we’d bring honey into this) made in Three Hills by Nature’s Finest.

Visit Prairie Farms Local Market this fall where you’ll find everything you need for your thanksgiving feast – from Winters turkeys to pumpkins for your pie – all local, with no use of pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics or hormones.

Prairie Farms Local Market 580, 10816 Macleod Tr. S.E. | 403.613.6429

OPENING S OON

PIE JUNKIE - CROWFOOT CROSSING IN TIME FOR THANKSGIVING

826 CROWFOOT CRESCENT NW • 403.241.3475 K EN SIN GTON

1081 2ND AVENUE NW • 403.287.8544 SPR U C E C LIFF / W ILD W OOD

8 SPRUCE CENTRE SW • 403.452.3960 M A HOGA N Y

2171 MAHOGANY BLVD SE • 587.623.1144

@piejunkieyyc | piejunkie.ca

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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

HIDDEN GEM: ISLAND LAKE LODGE You’ll have to drive a little further to discover this issue’s hidden gem, but we promise you, it’s well worth the trip. Island Lake Lodge, just outside of Fernie B.C., marries spectacular views in a rustic setting with luxurious service and exceptional food. Chef Mark Butcher leads a talented team to take fresh local ingredients and showcase them in a way that inspires and delights. The regular menu is complemented by vegan daily market features using what’s most delicious that day.

A daily dessert feature showcases pastry chef, Annabelle St. Marseilles’ exceptional creativity and sense of play.

With two restaurants to choose from, diners can ogle the gorgeous Lizard Range with a post-hike (or snowshoe) beer in the Bear Lodge Bistro or treat themselves to the elegant Tamarack Dining Room in the main lodge. We really loved the grilled Pacific squid featuring Creston stone fruit and tomatillo salsa as an appetizer. Our favourite main was the Fraser Valley pheasant served with a unique ancient grain porridge.

St. Marseille’s take on a St. Honore (patron saint of pastry chefs!) cake was really something special with cornmeal shortbread, local haskap bavarois, skyr Chantilly, maples choux and popcorn crème diplomate.

Open for the summer June-September, this is a delightful escape from the city within a few hours’ drive. Catskiing begins mid-December – but as of press time, there’s only one spot left in the 2021/22 season!

Make your reservations now for next summer’s adventure. Oh, and a hot tip: treat yourself to the luxurious Spa at Island Lake Lodge before dinner. You’re welcome.* Island Lake Lodge | Cedar Ave., Fernie, B.C. | 1.888.422.8754 islandlakelodge.com Tamarack Dining Room’s Pacific halibut

Lomo Saltado

Taste Latin America Mi Mercado Es Tu Mercado

Order Online

unimarket.ca 128 50th Ave. S.E | 2405 Edmonton Trail N.E (403) 255-4479

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

Brussels Sprouts B y E L L E N K E L LY I l l u s t ra t i on s b y A L I S ON M A RT I N I’ve always thought everyone should be as delighted as I am by these miniature cabbages; so cute, so tasty, so versatile, but we all know the trouble with Brussels sprouts. You had an unfortunate experience as a child. Your mother overcooked them and plopped too many mushy, grey-green balls on your plate fully expecting you to devour them with gusto. And you’ve never forgotten it. And now you’re an adult and you still won’t eat them.

Well, it’s time to get over it.

Let’s address the first rule in dealing with this much maligned vegetable, a dictum that holds true for almost everything, but especially the cabbage family. Do. Not. Overcook. Period. Next, try switching up the cooking method from boiling (or even steaming) and oven roast the little darlings. Brussels sprouts have more natural sugars than you might expect, and roasting does a lovely job of caramelizing them. Flavour, flavour, flavour. Now, add some toasted nuts, buttered bread crumbs, dried cranberries, bacon, maple syrup, flavoured vinegar, shallots… you get the idea.

Finely shave the raw sprouts and turn them into a unique slaw or morph them into a comforting gratin with lashings of cream and cheese.

I find simple oven roasting is the very best way to make converts. Less chance of overcooking and smelling up the kitchen, too. Toss 500 g (about 1 pound) trimmed Brussels sprouts in olive oil, 75 ml (1/4 cup) grated parmesan, 5 ml (1 tsp) lemon zest, Maldon salt and grated fresh black pepper to taste, along with a light sprinkling of garlic powder. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 200 C (400 F) for up to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the sprouts, until golden and dark brown around the edges. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Another tasty way with Brussels sprouts is as follows: Start with the requisite pound of trimmed sprouts, roasted with salt and pepper until very golden, almost burnt in places. While hot, drizzle with 15-30 ml (1-2 Tbsp) balsamic vinegar, 15 ml (1 Tbsp) liquid honey and 15 ml (1 Tbsp) olive oil and a generous pinch of hot pepper flakes. Toss and serve.

Still another, toss together 500 g (1 pound) trimmed Brussels sprouts, 45 ml (3 Tbsp) olive oil, 45 ml (3 Tbsp) maple syrup, 4-5 slices thick bacon, cut into 1.25 cm (½ inch) pieces. Season with a little salt and black pepper.

Spread out on a baking sheet and roast for 30-45 minutes at 200 C (400 F.) Meanwhile, toast a handful of walnut pieces until fragrant and serve on top of the finished sprouts.

If you’re buying loose Brussels sprouts, look for hard, tightly compacted heads without blemishes. Choose sprouts all the same size for even cooking. The smaller ones have a sweeter flavour, while the larger heads taste more of cabbage and might be better suited to a gratin. If you’ve purchased an entire stalk, you have what you have. Cut larger heads in half to keep up with the smaller ones. Untrimmed sprouts will keep well for 2-3 weeks refrigerated.

Be bold, be brave and vanquish those childhood vegetable boogeymen.

Brussels sprouts belong to the cabbage family, with cousins like cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, kohlrabi and kale - all members of a species called Brassica oleracea. The inimitable Deborah Madison refers to the genus as the “sometimes difficult crucifers;” none are shy of robust flavour or aroma. The worst offenders are the long-boiled, or in her words, “boardinghouse cabbage.”

Oven roasted at high heat, or gently cooked with cream, the feared brassicas can be magically transformed into dishes both elegant and refined.

Trim and halve 500 g (1lb) of similar-sized Brussels sprouts and toss in olive oil, Maldon salt, fresh rosemary leaves and freshly ground black pepper.

Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 200 C (400 F) until browned, but still firm, about 20 minutes. Cook 4-5 strips of bacon until crisp; drain and set aside. Bring 250 ml (1 cup) of heavy cream to a simmer. Add 5-10 ml (1-2 tsp) Dijon mustard. To this mixture, add 250 ml (1 cup) grated parmesan, 250 ml (1 cup) grated gruyere, 125 ml (½ cup) aged cheddar and a good grinding of white pepper. Whisk until smooth.

Liberally butter an oven-proof dish and create a layer of Brussels sprouts.

Crumble the bacon and scatter over the sprouts. Pour over the cheese sauce and top with lots of buttery bread crumbs mixed with a little more parmesan cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 175-200 C (350-375 F.) Brussels sprouts are a late-season crop, requiring a mild frost to develop their distinctive nutty flavour. Like their relatives, they keep well into the winter months and are important mainstays in northern climes. It’s becoming more and more common to purchase an entire stalk at markets these days and what fun that is - just pluck off the sprouts as needed. What is even more fun is coming upon a field of commercially grown Brussels sprouts. They grow two meters (7-8 feet) tall or taller, wider at the bottom tapering to a comical floppy crown of large, cabbage-y looking leaves. It’s a sight to behold!

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LET’S GET SAUCY

B y WA N DA B A K E R

Shop Local!

Fall harvest, Thanksgiving, Halloween – so many things to be thankful for this season. In this issue, we are shining light on a few of Alberta’s well-known movers and shakers plus sending kudos to those who started new businesses during the pandemic.

The celebrations in your homes may look different for many reasons as some of us reflect on loved ones lost but will also be a time to create new memories, and relish in time spent with those we care about most.

POWERED BY BIRCH BARK Like many business owners trying to stay afloat, former engineer Paul Poutanen knows a thing or two about facing adversity.

His distillery Tippa Inc. makes handcrafted small-batch gin and rum (Lovebird Gin, Wood Duck Oaked Gin and Magpie Rum,) but when the pandemic hit and sales started to drop, he switched gears to producing hand sanitizers.

Another slow-down forced him to rethink his plan leading to the creation of Alchemist Vinegar using a secret ingredient to ramp up production. Poutanen explains vinegar is made from alcohol and his process involves starting with making a honey mead using yeast for fermentation. Once the cycle is complete and the solution turned to alcohol with no sugar remaining, the vinegar process starts using the secret ingredient – birch bark. The vinegar debuted late last year at Christmas markets and sold out. There are 20 vinegars currently in the line-up with more in the testing phase. While more common in the Middle East and Mediterranean, this style of vinegar is slowly catching on in Canada using local, raw honey. The Honey Blackened Garlic is the most popular of the bunch offering a deep garlic flavour, the Honey Pineapple is delicious on ceviche, or in cocktails, and the Honey Curry vinegar packs a punch and is great in soups. All vinegars are unpasteurized and contain the mother. Currently available for purchase online.* Alchemist Vinegars | Alchemist Vinegar | $14-$17 tippadistillery.square.site 1 2 S EP T EM B ER » O C TO B ER 2021

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Making healthy nutritious meals has never been easier. Sunterra Market has launched a new program featuring fresh pastas and sauces made in-house from scratch. A trip to Italy inspired the team to create their own pasta using simple yet quality ingredients. Chefs make the pasta using only omega 3 eggs and durum semolina flour from Italy which, when combined, give the pasta its rich golden yellow hue offering a coarse texture for the sauce to cling to. Freeze it or keep it in the refrigerator for up to one week. Available shapes include casarecce, orecchiette, lasagna, spaghetti alla chitarra, fettuccine or rigatoni. The sauces are also made in-house using market fresh ingredients with six varieties to choose from. The jar redemption initiative allows you to return the empty Sunterra pasta jar for a $2 refund. Pick up fall meal kits, market-made soups, fresh made artisan bread, the pasta with a sauce at any of the Sunterra locations or shop online for delivery straight to your door.

Fresh Pasta and Sauce | Sunterra Market | $9.99 - $13.99 sunterramarket.com

BUZZING WITH EXCITEMENT Bees are an essential part of our ecosystem and the relationship they share with humans an important one. These fascinating little creatures are naturally resilient and popular among hobbyists including former pilots turned bee keepers, Art and Cherie Andrews. These two decided to leave the airline business to start Chinook Honey, a honey farm located outside of Calgary in the midst of a nectarladen alfalfa field. The duo sets itself apart from the pack by offering educational programs, a learning centre with a live observation hive, retail store and, in recent years, Chinook Arch Meadery, offering award winning mead. All products like honey jams, honey-made candles, honeycomb, home-care products and apitherapy are available online or in the store. With so many products to try and love, we are obsessing over the Honey & Almonds, made with the farm’s natural alfalfa honey and superfood almonds combined in a glass jar. They are the best desk snack, eaten with a spoon to avoid drips, or adding to a charcuterie board. Another must try is the mead, a wine fermented with honey, dating back thousands of years and once consumed in a horn. The Bodacious Black Current mead we sampled is made with locally grown black currents featuring a light, fruity taste delicious with chocolate. The Chinook Honey team started running their education programs again midsummer and hope to get back to full programming and events within the year. Check out the triedand-tested recipes online, and watch for additional products to be added in the future. Purchase this non-pasteurized, non-filtered honey through the website or through Best of Calgary Foods.

Honey Almonds + Bodacious Black Current Mead Chinook Honey Company and Chinook Arch Meadery $9.50 - $22.75 chinookhoney.com

Did you know Alberta was the province with the highest volume of honey produced in Canada in 2020 at 29.9 million pounds?

S U M M E R E A T S and Treats | S H O P L O C A L GIFTS MADE FOR GIVING The season of celebrations and gift giving is fast approaching and we are always on the lookout for a special gift.

On a recent visit to Springbank Cheese Co., we discovered these stunning porcelain serving platters and bowls and may have picked up one or two ourselves. Adrian and Carie Lee Watters are passionate about cheese. So much so, they struck a deal with owner Tom Hemsworth to open and operate the Willow Park Village and Crowfoot locations. Today there are three owners and four stores in Calgary, each unique in characteristics, offerings, and all worth a visit. The Watters showcase over 400 types of cheese in their two locations, plus seasonal varieties and all kinds of accompaniments made for entertaining. Here you’ll find big bold flavours in hot sauces, jellies and jams and more because, according to Adrian, balance is boring so go big or go home. In addition to all the delicious edibles, there are all kinds of accessories, like platters, perfect for any cheese lover. Indigenous artist Kelly Robinson uses his art to tell the stories of the Nuxalk and Nuu-chah-nulth people, their land and culture.

He examines stories of the supernatural, potlatch societies, and the land and sea in his artwork. Kelly’s work is shown on the orca and raven platters and bowls available in Watters stores. Klatle Bhi is an Indigenous artist of Squamish and Kwakwaka’wakw ancestry. His name means “head killer whale of a pod of killer whales” and his art is an expression of his personal and spiritual journey, as well as a reflection of his cultures. Klatle is known for creating moon artwork, also showcased on the platters and bowls in the store. Drop in for a visit and a chat with Adrian or Carie Lee to find all kinds of goodies you never knew you needed or to pick up the perfect gift.

TASTE THE DIFFERENCE James Waddock and Clint Jensen are two local entrepreneurs showcasing high-quality grains grown on the prairies. Research and studying technologies in flour making that retain nutrition and flavour led them to start Harvest Moon Mills using grains from Jensen’s family farm (Jensen Farm) and an old-fashioned method of stone-milling. They tell me this ancient method of making flour is enjoying a modern-day comeback and for good reason. The results are a product rich in nutrition and flavour without any added chemicals, bleach or fortifying. The temperature of the grain is not increased during the stone-milling process ensuring no nutrients are lost. As of press time, the flour line-up includes sifted bread, hard white wheat, durum flour, pastry and all-purpose, plus whole grain bread, and rye flour.

Waddock and Jensen say they’re committed to creating new products, educating the public about the importance of supporting local businesses, and how much better stonemilled fresh flour is nutritionally. Order your flour online for all your baking and pie making needs this holiday season and taste the difference. Coming to retail stores soon.

Did you know that durum flour is what is used in most Italian pastas and pizzas?

Most of the durum flour that is milled in Italy today comes from Canada (even from Jensen Farm!) So, the next time you consider buying that “made-in-Italy” flour or pasta, know that it is a locally grown product that is now available for you to purchase directly!

All-Purpose Flour | Harvest Moon Mills | $13.95 harvestmoonmills.com

Raven and Orca or Moon Platters and Bowls | Springbank Cheese Co. Willow Park Village and Crowfoot | $5.95 - $24.99 | springbankcheese.ca

Mi Mercado Es Tu Mercado

Latin Cravings

Made In-house

Authentic Taste

unimarket.ca

128 50th Ave. S.E | 2405 Edmonton Trail N.E S EP T EM B ER » O C TO B ER 2021

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Honey Photos and story by J U L I E VA N RO S E N DA A L We have a lot of great honey in Alberta, particularly on the prairies — Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba account for almost 80 per cent of our national production, and bees provide vital pollination to farmers growing other crops as well.

At the market, we’re lucky to have access to jars of honey in a range of colours and clarities, in shades from pale gold to amber to deep mahogany. Generally speaking, the darker the colour, the stronger the flavour, which is ultimately determined by the flowers on which bees feed, like clover, alfalfa or manuka. Terroir, weather conditions, and even time of year can contribute to the nuances in the taste and texture of honey — if you’re tuned into it, you can choose your honey like you might pick a specific jar of jam to spread on your morning toast.

When you’re cooking or baking with it, the subtleties in honey will come through in simpler dishes like creme brûlée or buttery cakes that are unobscured by chocolate or other ingredients. Keep in mind honey is sweeter than sugar, so you won’t need as much of it. It’s also a liquid, which can throw a recipe off when used in place of dry sugar, and it has humectant properties, meaning it draws moisture from the air — both these factors make it better suited to cakes, muffins and other baked goods that have a naturally cakey texture. And because its primary sugar is fructose, honey also browns more quickly, so whatever it is you’re baking will turn golden earlier in its baking time than if it was made with sugar. Most honey is thick, clear and pourable, but creamed honey is more solid and opaque; if you need a liquid honey, warming will transform both creamed and crystallized back to its liquid state.

If you really love honey, here are a few things to do with it: make a batch of baklava, which puts honey on a pedestal; or pour it over oats, nuts and seeds to make a batch of granola. Or if you like things sweet and spicy, add chilies and pour it generously over fried chicken and waffles.

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Baklava with Alberta Honey Sticky baklava is one of the best ways to enjoy honey; stack phyllo pastry with ground nuts and butter, bake and douse it in a spiced honey syrup that saturates the layers while it’s still warm. You may be accustomed to buying baklava, but it’s worth making your own — particularly if you have a type of honey you really love.

Baklava

Honey Syrup

1 pkg phyllo sheets, thawed

250 ml (1 cup) sugar

1 L (4 cups) walnuts, almonds and/or pistachios, finely chopped 125 ml (½ cup) sugar 5 ml (1 tsp) cinnamon 2.5 ml (½ tsp) ground cardamom 125 ml (½ cup) butter, melted

125 ml (½ cup) honey 125 ml (½ cup) water 1 cinnamon stick A thick strip of lemon peel (optional) Preheat the oven to 175 C (350 F.) In a small bowl, stir together the nuts, sugar and spices.

Make sure your phyllo is completely thawed, and keep it covered with a tea towel or piece of plastic wrap to keep the pieces from drying out. To use a round pan, pull out 8-10 sheets in a stack, place a 9-inch pan over it and cut around them with a sharp knife. (Alternatively, do this with a square or rectangle pan.) Place two sheets in the bottom of the pan and brush with butter. Repeat with the remaining phyllo (save 8-10 sheets for the top), and spread the nut mixture over top. Repeat with another 8-10 sheets, placing them on top; brush the top sheet with butter as well. Tuck in any sticking-out edges.

Cut into diamonds, wedges, or any shape you like. (This circle with the wedges around it is how they do it at Anatolia Turkish Cuisine in the Crossroads Market — they also import brilliant green pistachios, and make their own phyllo from scratch.)

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until deep golden.

While the baklava bakes, combine the sugar, honey, water, cinnamon and lemon peel in a pan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and take out the cinnamon stick and lemon peel.

When the baklava comes out of the oven, immediately pour the hot syrup evenly over top.

Let the baklava stand at room temperature until completely cool.

Slice through each piece completely before serving.

If you like, top each piece with a sprinkle of finely chopped nuts.

Serves about 16.

W hat’s cooking | J U L I E ’ S K I T C H E N Clumpy Honey Granola Honey is the very best ingredient for granolamaking; you don’t even need to measure, you can just free-pour mild or strong honey over old-fashioned oats, nuts and seeds, until they’re coated to the point where they start to clump together. (Add some melted butter too — or not.)

Spread the mixture out on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until it’s pale golden and toasty. And if you want to do a smaller batch, toast it all in a skillet on the stovetop, adding dried fruit last so it doesn’t burn. (Feel free to add cinnamon, ginger, cardamom or other spices, but if you leave them out, the flavour of the honey is more paramount.)

750 ml (3 cups) oldfashioned (large flake) oats 125 ml (½ cup) shredded coconut (optional)

250 ml (1 cup) nuts and or seeds (almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews) 80 ml (¹/³ cup) seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin) 1.5 ml (¼ tsp) salt 80 ml (¹/³ cup) melted butter, coconut oil, or vegetable oil 160 ml (²/³ cup) honey 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla 125-250 ml (½-1 cup) slivered dried apricots, raisins, cranberries or other dried fruit Preheat oven to 150 C (300 F.) In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut, nuts, seeds and salt. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the melted butter and honey, warming the honey if it’s too thick. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir to coat well.

Spread the mixture evenly onto a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until pale golden. Set aside to cool completely, then stir in the apricots or other dried fruit. Makes about 1.25 liters (5 cups.)

Fried Chicken + Waffles with Hot Honey Butter Honey and heat are a magical combination, particularly drizzled over fried things like corn fritters or crunchycoated chicken. The waffles are optional, but make a tasty vehicle.

Fried chicken 250 ml (1 cup) buttermilk (or plain yogurt thinned with water)

500 g (1 lb) skinless, boneless chicken breast or thighs 185 ml (¾ cup) all-purpose flour 5 ml (1 tsp) garlic powder 5 ml (1 tsp) salt 3 ml (½ tsp) black pepper Canola oil, for frying Waffles 250 ml (1 cup) all-purpose flour 10 ml (2 tsp) baking powder 1.25 ml (¼ tsp) salt 250 ml (1 cup) milk 1 large egg 30 ml (2 Tbsp) canola oil

Hot Honey Butter 80 ml (¹/³ cup) butter 30-45 ml (2-3 Tbsp) honey 5-10 ml (1-2 tsp) Sriracha In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg.

Cut the chicken into ½ to 25-mm (1-inch) strips and add to the buttermilk mixture, coating them all well. In a shallow dish, stir together the flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Remove the chicken pieces from the egg mixture and dredge in the flour, pressing as much onto the chicken as you can (particularly those damp bits of buttermilk and flour). Transfer to a rack set over a baking sheet. (If you want extra coating, dip them again in the buttermilk and another batch of seasoned flour.)

Heat 25-50 mm (an inch or two) of oil in a heavy medium saucepan or deep skillet until it’s hot, but not smoking — a scrap of bread should sizzle when dipped in, or it should be about 175 C (350 F) on a thermometer. Fry the chicken strips in batches, without crowding the pan, until crisp and deep golden, about 6 minutes.

Transfer to a paper towellined plate.

To make the waffles, in a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. In another bowl or measuring cup, whisk the milk, egg and oil. Add to the dry ingredients and stir just to combine. Cook in a preheated waffle iron until golden and crisp.

Serve the fried chicken over the waffles, passing the spicy honey butter at the table.

Serves 4.

1 egg

A Happier Thanksgiving A country oasis offering beautiful mountain views and bucolic landscapes.

Relaxing atmosphere to enjoy a drink, a meal or afternoon tea in our restaurant or on the patio.

The boutique is a shopper’s delight with a selection of unique and handmade products and gifts.

Explore our extensive selection of fully prepared take-home dishes from our freezer.

Reserve today for our annual THANKSGIVING SUNDAY LUNCH on Sunday, October 10th.

40 minutes north of Calgary | 403.337.2800 or 1.800.679.7999 | www.pasu.com S EP T EM B ER » O C TO B ER 2021

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Story and photos by C AT H E R I N E VA N BRU N S C HO T

HANGING with the honey b ees

It’s time.

I flip the hood over my head; blink twice as my vision adjusts to the mesh hanging in front of my face. I ask for a final inspection of my suit and the beekeeper rips the Velcro away for readjustment before patting it firmly over the zippers at my neck.

Participants heading for the hives Bees – closeup

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Examining the bees

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Chinook Honey Company – store interior

Mea

ad tasting

“Looks good,” she says. “Are you ready?”

I am SO ready.

“Let’s do this,” I say. And I pick my way through the dandelions toward a pair of bee boxes bright against the sky.

I’ve arrived at Chinook Honey Company – just a stone’s throw from Okotoks’ Big Rock erratic – to join seven other participants in the farm’s Backstage with the Bees experience. It’s my own personal tribute to 2021’s Year of the Beekeeper - and a good excuse to indulge my fondness for honey.

Seems we humans have had a predilection for honey since the first Homo Sapiens braved the barbs of bees to plunge their hands into a cavity and plunder its sticky treasure. That’s the image portrayed in an 8000-year-old cave painting in Spain’s La Cuevas de la Arana – the oldest archaeological evidence of humans gathering honey. Similar rock paintings occur in India, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Once discovered, we couldn’t get enough. Both the Greeks and the Romans used honey widely as a cooking liquid. The 10th century Chinese invented the first honey-cake. Mi-king honey bread was said to be standard fare in the saddlebags of Genghis Khan’s horsemen – a sort of early energy bar to fuel their exploits.

But honey bees are not native to North America, so our history with them here is relatively short.

European settlers brought hives of Apis mellifera to the continent in the 1600s, keen as much for the slow, smokeless burn of beeswax candles to light their homes as they were for sweetener at the table. Honey bees continue to be predominantly a farmed livestock species in Canada, as our cold winter nights usually prove too difficult for them to survive in the wild.

For the founders of Chinook Honey Company, beekeeping began as a happy experiment.

Art and Cherie Andrews were both busy airline professionals when they got a pair of hives to pollinate their garden some 25 years ago. Two hives turned into ten; ten became fifty, and in 2004 they launched a retail outlet to sell their surplus honey.

Since 2007, the apiary business has been the couple’s full-time occupation, and the tiny outlet has grown to encompass a bee education centre, a meadery, and a country store filled with

everything bee-related, from honey and beeswax items to ice cream and health and skincare products. Some 20,000 visitors arrive annually at the farm through tours, school groups, and special events like “Backstage with the Bees”.

For our visit to the hives today, we’ve been assigned a task: to step into the shoes of a beekeeper and check for signs of hive health.

While we’re distinctly lacking in prior experience, we’ve been primed by a half-hour orientation with beekeeper, Jocelyn Walker, a University of Alberta-trained entomologist and former beetle fan until the sophisticated social behaviour of the bees won her over to the black and gold.

Her in-depth insights have us excited for the task, but we’re hesitant at first. We lift the hive lid gingerly; squeeze the smoker bellows slowly to keep the bees calm. Soon awe trumps trepidation as we pry out the frames one-by-one and watch thousands of worker bees go about their tasks: festooning wax into honeycomb; feeding pollen to larvae; and transforming nectar into honey stores meant to feed the tribe. We find a few hairy male drones lolling about, awaiting that brief moment of reproductive destiny that precedes their violent death. And we thrill to the discovery of each hive’s queen, her bee attendants clearing a passage for her long, slender body, as she strives to meet her daily laying quota of 2000 eggs.

They now produce 20 varieties, and Art walks us through the tasting of three of them: King Arthur’s Dry, with a crisp finish destined to pair well with poultry; the Black & Blue, whose marriage of black currants with blueberries cries out for a sangria application; and the fortified Raspberry Redemption, lingering with sweet red fruit.

As we sample our meads and nibble at individual charcuterie platters, Jocelyn coaches us through the crafting of our own beeswax lip balms. She also delves into a bee conundrum: while honey bees pollinate about 1/3 of the food we eat – and are critical to Canada’s commercial production of blueberries, apples, and seed canola – our country is also home to 800+ species of native bees. These wild bees pollinate crops, too – and 70% of other plants in our eco-systems. But most native species are solitary bees, which puts them at a numbers deficit in the competition for food resources with their colony-building cousins. “It’s tricky. A lot of people want to have hives to save the bees,” says Jocelyn, “But that’s not necessarily how to do it.”

While honey bees and many native bees have shown alarming declines in recent years, research and changing management practices have helped honey bees rally. The fate of wild bees remains uncertain; diversity of habitat seems to be key. Gardens can help, says Jocelyn.

“Plant things that bloom throughout the year… so there’s always a food source for [the bees].”

An hour passes quickly at the hive before we take our seats again in the afternoon sun. Here, Art And my own conclusion as I head into the introduces us to mead: a tradition of fermenting shop to stock up on honey and mead? Much honey with water and yeast into an alcoholic as I love those honey bees, I think I’ll leave beverage that long preceded wine- and beerthem to the canola fields and offer my making. Initiated by the Chinese in 7000 BC, the garden’s resources to the solitary and wild. practice was taken up in India, Africa, and Europe, and remained a popular tipple until the 18th century. As interest in craft beverages has Alberta is Canada’s Since honey is sweeter grown in recent decades, mead, too has seen a resurgence. Still, leading honey producer. than sugar, use ½ to ²⁄³ of it took significant government In 2019, the province the amount of sugar called lobbying by the Andrews produced more than for in a recipe. before their Chinook 25 million pounds of honey Re-liquify crystallized honey Arch Meadery became (Value = almost $46 million CAD). by placing the container in the first licensed to sell mead in Alberta Honey flavour and colour is a warm water bath. in 2007.

THE LOCAL BUZZ

determined by the nectar sources used by the bees. A varietal honey comes from the nectar of a single flower variety (like dandelions or fireweed).

Multiple-source honey (often called wildflower honey) is derived from many different floral nectars.

Honey possesses anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties and contains 181 distinct compounds, including sugars, proteins, amino acids, anti-oxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Pure honey never goes bad.

Unspoiled honey has been discovered in Ancient Egyptian tombs.

Native bumblebees are used widely in Canadian greenhouses to pollinate tomatoes.

Studies show that cities can actually have a positive effect on wild bee diversity due to the plant variety available in residential and public gardens.

Shop for Chinook Honey Company products at their country store near Okotoks or online. You’ll find Chinook Arch mead at Coop Wine/Spirits/Beer (Calgary, Okotoks, Airdrie, & Red Deer) and other select liquor stores around Alberta. chinookhoney.com

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HONEY BUTTER CAKE

Cake 625 ml (2½ cups) all purpose flour 12.5 ml (2½ tsp) baking powder 2.5 ml (½ tsp) salt 125 ml (½ cup) honey 250 ml (1 cup) buttermilk 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract 250 ml (1 cup) unsalted butter 500 ml (2 cups) granulated sugar 4 large eggs (room temperature) 2.5 ml (½ tsp) cinnamon

Since we’re celebrating honey this month, we’ve recruited a set of sweet siblings to help us with our harvest issue Masterclass.

Nyakong (20) and Kuerengke (14) Yang run a home-based bakery that started as a fun family project and became a growing concern.

Their honey butter cake combines sweet and savoury to bring a world of flavour and a tantalizing aroma to your kitchen this fall.

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2.5 ml (½ tsp) nutmeg 2.5 ml (½ tsp) ginger

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Vanilla Icing Preheat your oven to 175 C (350 F.) Line 3, 6” x 3” round cake pans baking pans with parchment paper.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the honey, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Set this aside.

To your stand-mixer bowl, add in the unsalted butter and granulated sugar. Mix until fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula as needed.

Add the dry and wet ingredients into the stand mixer by alternating and mixing/stirring in between.

Mix in ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Once everything is combined, stop mixing. It is very important not to over mix the batter.

Divide the batter evenly into cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted to the centre comes out clean Cool the cakes in the freezer or a cooling rack.

500 ml (2 cups) unsalted butter (room temperature, but holds structure) 250-750 ml (1-3 cups) confectioner’s sugar (to your taste) 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract 15 ml (1 Tbsp) whipping or heavy cream – optional Beat the unsalted butter in a stand mixer/bowl until fluffy.

Gradually mix in the confectioner’s sugar.

Add the rest of the ingredients and combine until fluffy.

Once your cakes are cool (you never want to frost a warm cake), cut off the tops and bottoms using a long, serrated knife to ensure your cakes are flat.

Apply icing to the top of the first cake and stack the second on top.

Repeat with the third cake.

Apply a thin layer of icing all around (crumb coat) and put the cake into the freezer for about 10 minutes.

Remove from fridge and apply more icing to the whole cake, saving 80 ml (1/3 cup) for rosettes.

Decorations This is where you can exercise your own creative vision.

Maybe you create a fondant honeycomb or make some honey tuille to beautify your creation. We suggest a honey caramel sauce drizzled over the top of your cake adorned with icing rosettes and crispy salted caramel cookies.

S t or y a n d ph ot o s b y N Y A KONG Y A NG , YA NG C ON F E C T ION S

Honey Cinnamon Caramel Sauce 60 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter 125 ml (½ cup) honey 250 ml (1 cup) heavy cream Pinch of sea salt Dash of cinnamon In a small saucepan, melt the butter and honey together over medium heat, stirring until combined.

Increase the heat slightly and simmer for 10 minutes until the mixture is a bit thicker and darker.

Whisk in the cream and allow to come to a boil.

Remove from heat and stir in the salt and cinnamon.

Let stand until the sauce is cool, but pourable.

Rosettes Insert a 1M or 1B piping tip (or whatever your artistic preference is) into a piping bag and fill the bag with the remaining icing using a spatula. Starting with a dab for the centre, work your way out in three or four circles to create rosettes for the top of your cake. Do as many or as few as you like or have icing for.

Toppings We used a store-bought crispy salted caramel cookie in our rosettes. Feel free to use whatever strikes your fancy and taste.

Drizzle over your cake with your own creative flair.

Dinner just got easier!

Find scratch made, authentic Italian dishes ready to heat-and-serve in our coolers daily.

Grocery. Bakery. Deli. Café.

italiancentre.ca

EDMONTON | CALGARY | SHERWOOD PARK S EP T EM B ER » O C TO B ER 2021

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S t or y b y BR I T H A RT

NE C TA R OF T H E G OD S

The Need for Mead Mead, or honey wine, is considered to be the ancestor of all fermented drinks and the history of mead is long and storied, with roots going back to Africa, India, Greece and China.

Each account tells a tale of honey, intentionally or not, being mixed with rainwater and left to ferment, thus creating a delicious, boozy concoction to sip.

Mead was once the drink of the gods but today, it is oft associated with Medieval times and Renaissance fairs, conjuring up images of goblets and chain mail.

In Alberta, we have embraced mead. Our honey is considered to be some the best in the world, thanks to our hearty crops of clover, alfalfa and wildflowers, and an enthusiastic number of entrepreneurs have taken to making mead and receiving worldwide praise for the innovative beverages. Here are some of our must-tries: Chinook Arch Meadery in Okotoks has been around since 2006, making honey and mead while also hosting a number of events and educational sessions throughout the year. Their King Arthur’s Dry (see the medieval influence here) is a great starting place if you’ve never had mead before. It offers classic aromas of honey and florals with a waxy mouth feel, but is drier than your typical offering, making it more food friendly. Pair it with a little snack board filled with aged cheddar, cured pork, toasted almonds and of course, a dollop of local honey.

"A fresh, tangy white ... full-bodied, dense and layered.”

92

points

“A polished wine with a long, earthy finish.

Very pleasant.”

90

points

Certified Vegan

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Fallen Timber in Water Valley is one of the most innovative meaderies in North America, being the first to step outside the box and offer session meads, more akin to a canned cocktail than the medieval drink we were talking about earlier. They do have more classic offerings as well as a well curated barrel program for their special releases.

Their Hopped Session Mead is a perfect gluten free alternative for beer drinkers with its light, hoppy character, but also offers a surprising dose of acidity thanks to the honey itself. Pair this with creton or pork rillette and crab apple jelly as the sweet, salty, tart flavours work beautifully with the floral, citrussy hops.

Sunny Cider in Calgary is an urban cidery focused on using local produce and building community. They began making mead in 2020, using locally sourced honey and fruit available through Sunny Cider’s fruit donor program. Cupid’s Kiss is made with sour cherries to create a sweet, port-like mead. The colour is a beautiful, vibrant cherry colour and the wine is rich and sweet with a pleasant tart that helps keep it balanced. The key to capturing all the cherry flavour is using whole cherries, pulling colour and flavour from the skins and the pits, not just the juice. This pairs beautifully with flourless chocolate cake or a hunk of blue cheese.

t e k r Ma rt Repo B y G R AC E WA NG SNACKINGTONS, MILLARVILLE

REEM’S KITCHEN HILLHURST/SUNNYSIDE

Cathy Philipow and her family make some of the most memorable pretzels on the market.

Her Snackingtons original seasoned pretzels are topped with layers of local butter and a secret homemade spice blend and roasted in small batches right here in Calgary.

Reem Albrasi of Reem’s Kitchen is easy to spot at markets — you’ll find her cheerful smile at a table full of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean baked goods. Reem’s Kitchen offers up a bevy of traditional breads; there’s Arabic flatbread, which is individually pan-fried to chewy perfection, colorful focaccia decorated with bright peppers, tomatoes, and onions, and boat-shaped cheese bread reminiscent of Turkish pide. Reem’s irresistible cheese bread features a mix of mozzarella and feta and is topped with za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice mix made up of thyme, oregano, sesame seeds, sumac and marjoram.

Cathy’s dedication to pretzels goes back more than 20 years, when she started experimenting with making flavored pretzels after a neighbor gifted her a batch. In 2019, while volunteering at the South Health Campus hospital, she gave out bags of her seasoned pretzels to other volunteers, who were quickly hooked and encouraged her to start a business. The time finally seemed right, and Cathy started Snackingtons shortly thereafter.

Snackingtons offers original seasoned pretzels, a salty treat with buttery flavour and a tangy note, as well as perfectly sweet-and-salty caramel dark chocolate pretzels. Each batch of the latter is drenched in homemade, from-scratch caramel and finished with a drizzle of dark chocolate. Due to popular demand, Cathy also spent over a year coming up with a gluten-free seasoned pretzel. She continues to experiment with different flavours in the kitchen (including a chipotle cheddar flavour!) and has plans to expand her pretzel empire in the future. In the meantime, you can find Snackingtons pretzels at Millarville Farmer’s Market and retail locations in Carstairs, Okotoks, and Airdrie.

Snackingtons | Millarville Farmer’s Market | 306097 192 St., Millarville | 1.800.291.4909| snackingtons.com

Reem’s flair for baking led her to start Reem’s Kitchen in 2016, and says it is her way of simultaneously expressing her culture and pursuing her business ambitions. Everything is handmade and homemade, doubly impressive when Reem reveals she is the only chef in the kitchen. The most popular items are her samosas and spinach rolls, both of which are dusted liberally with sesame seeds.

The baked samosas are hefty, filled to the brim with potatoes and peas, while the rolls resemble burek, with layers of phyllo pastry wrapped around a delicious mix of spinach and salty feta cheese.

Reem’s Kitchen | Farmers & Makers Market at cSPACE, Triwood Farmers Market, Hillhurst Sunnyside Farmers’ Market | 1721 29 Ave. S.W., 2244 Chicoutimi Dr. N.W., 1320 5 Ave. N.W.|306.515.1051 @reemkitchenyyc

For those with a sweet tooth, not to worry!

Next to the breads and savory pastries are boxes of baklava loaded with pistachios and almonds, and an assortment of sweet date-filled pastries and cookies.

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S t or y b y TA N Y A S C H A A P

Honey, Honey A CRASH COURSE IN LIQUID GOLD

DID YOU KNOW?

What’s all the buzz?

What exactly is honey?

Honey bees collect two raw ingredients from flowering plants, pollen and nectar. While pollen is used mostly as protein, nectar is used to make honey. After slurping up all the nectar they can carry with their straw-shaped tongues, these little foragers carry it back to the hive where worker bees take over. In order to transform the watery nectar into thick, silky honey, these busy bees create an assembly-line, passing the nectar mouth-to-mouth until the moisture content has reduced. The bees then deposit the newly formed honey into honeycombs.

“HONEY, HONEY” BY ABBA WAS THE SECOND SINGLE OFF THE ALBUM WATERLOO IN 1974.

CHINA PRODUCES AND CONSUMES THE MOST HONEY IN THE WORLD.

Shop local

A WORKER BEE ONLY MAKES

There’s a reason Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba produce 80 per cent of Canada’s honey.

Produced from the nectar of clover, thistle, alfalfa and other wildflowers, Alberta honey reflects the flavours of this unique terroir.

0.42 ML (¹/12 TSP) OF HONEY ITS WHOLE LIFETIME.

• Mitch Kern

DRIZZLE HONEY Sold at Blush Lane and Calgary Co-op locations drizzlehoney.com

• MOB HONEY Sold online at mobhoney.com

• It’s kind of a honey stor y

CHINOOK HONEY

The history of honey dates all the way back to 6000 BC. How do we know? An early cave painting was discovered in Spain depicting a figure harvesting honey from a wild hive. Ancient Egyptians also held honey in high regard.

Sold at their retail outlet in Okotoks and online at chinookhoney.com

• PEACE RIVER ORGANIC HONEY

As Honey for Dummies tells us, Egyptians would float beehives up and down the Nile during flowerblooming season providing these bees with the cruise of a lifetime across the entire length of Egypt. Honey was used for paying taxes, curing infections and even in the embalming process for mummies.

Sold online and at Calgary Co-op locations peaceriverhoney.co

• BEELAND Sold at Beeland Market Calgary at the Calgary Farmer’s Market Hand model, Larissa Innes

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beeland.ca

What’s in a name

The Bees Knees

Liquid gold, nectar of the gods, nature’s candy… honey goes by many names.

And many labels.

Let’s break it down.

Honey in cocktails?

Yes, please.

Invented during the Prohibition era, the Bees Knees is a simple gin sour with one notable difference – it’s sweetened with honey syrup.

◆ Raw honey is

unprocessed honey straight out of the hive.

◆ Pasteurized honey is honey that has been heated to a certain temperature.

◆ Unpasteurized honey is honey that is only partially heated.

YO U H A D M E A D AT H E L L O As the saying goes, as grapes are to wine, honey is to mead. Touted as the oldest alcoholic beverage in the world, mead is made by fermenting honey and water with yeast. And this classic medieval libation is enjoying a little renaissance lately.

Check out the Alberta meadery Fallentimber based in Water Valley. With honey harvested from the foothills of Alberta, Fallentimber brews a range of styles and flavours including traditional and session meads. And no, you don’t need to dress like Jon Snow to enjoy it. Although no one’s stopping you. fallentimbermeadery.ca

TRY IT ON PIZZA FRIED CHICKEN CORN BREAD WHIPPED FETA OR GOAT CHEESE

PARMESAN, BLUE CHEESE OR CAMBOZOLA WHIPPED BUTTER (WITH BISCUITS)

GRAPEFRUIT ROASTED PARSNIPS & CARROTS

Why do we call it a honeymoon?

While it’s now synonymous with Mai Tais in Maui, the term honeymoon has its roots in the 5th-Century wedding ritual of providing the bride and groom with mead during the first month of marriage.

It then became a way to reference the sweetness of those first 30 days.

As the legend goes, resourceful bootleggers of the 1920s made gallons of the nowfamous, foul-tasting, (sometimes-deadly!) bathtub gin. The bottles were too tall to fit in kitchen sinks, so they were forced to move the operation to the bathtub. In order to conceal the taste of the industrial alcohol, a wave of sweeter-than-usual cocktails were invented, including the Last Word, the Mint Julep, the French 75 and the Bees Knees.

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THE BEES KNEES 2 oz Your favourite gin ¾ oz Fresh-squeezed lemon juice ¾ oz Honey simple syrup Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into coupe. Garnish with orange or lemon peel.

HONEY SIMPLE SYRUP Dissolve ½ cup honey in ½ cup water on the stove Cool.

Honey syrup keeps for up to a month in the fridge.

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Quick Bites AN URBAN FOOD HALL First Street Market has opened its doors as a gathering space with community in mind.

The licensed food hall will host chef-inspired vendors and a full-service bar specializing in local craft beer and cocktails. Drop in to visit Actually Pretty Good, Alforno Bakery & Café, Bar (by First Street Market), Friends with Benedicts, Hi5 Burgers Shakes & Chicken, La Mano, Moose and Poncho, Pure Street Food, Raw by Robyn, and Saffron Street.

First Street Market | 1327 1st St. S.W. | fsmyyc.com

Tony Migliarese

SAME SPACE, NEW PLACE

Your one-stop connection to Brazil!

Watch for new Italian eatery D.O.P. YYC to open in the space previously occupied by Von Der Fels.

Former VDF Chef Alessandro Chinea will be in the kitchen and D.O.P. owner Tony Migliarese (Pizza Face) welcoming guests into his latest creation. Website coming soon.

D.O.P. YYC | 1005A 1st St. S.W.

STEEPED IN PURPOSE Local company Grounded Tea imports fair-trade teas and blends them locally in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. One tree is planted for every bag of Grounded Tea sold through their one-for-one partnership with Trees for the Future ensuring sustainable food and income sources are available.

Products available online.

We deliver anywhere in Canada.

136 2 Street SW, Calgary AB BRAZILCONNECTION.CA

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Grounded Tea | 403.874.1401 groundedtea.ca

D.O.P. YYC

Wanda Baker

N E W S , notes & happenings | Q U I C K B I T E S

MODERN, RUSTIC, MEDITERRANEAN Chef Kenny Kaechele returns to the restaurant scene this fall with new restaurant Kama, located in The District at Beltline. Expect a modern-rustic Mediterranean influenced menu with re-imagined classics and innovative new dishes inspired by the region including a cocktail and wine menu with an outdoor patio. Opening November 2021.

Bon Ton Meat Market recipe shish tawook made using boneless skinless chicken breasts from Bon Ton

Kama (in The District at Beltline) | 211 11th Ave. S.W.

OKTOBERFEST

100 YEARS IN CALGARY

Fahr Brewery in Turner Valley presents Oktoberfest September 17-18. Event includes a beer stein, vendors featuring traditional German food, Schuhplattler dancers, music, activities, beer tents and German beer.

Seating is outdoor so come prepared for the weather. Buy tickets online.

Bon Ton Meat Market has been serving Calgarians quality, locally sourced meat since 1921.

Discover all your favourite proteins including beef, poultry, pork, lamb and veal plus an assortment of exotic items like quail, rabbit, duck, goose, elk, venison, and caribou.

Fahr Brewery presents Oktoberfest 123 Kennedy Drive S.E., Turner Valley fahr.ca/events

Bon Ton Meat Market | 28 Crowfoot Circle N.W. | 403.282.3132 | bontonmeatmarket.com

PIZZA & BEER Pizza Face is set to add another location inside the soon-to-be-open Tailgunner Brewing Company at 1602 10th Ave. S.W. Order your favourite Pizza Face pie and grab a brew while you’re at it.

Pizza Face in Community Natural Foods Chinook Market | 202 61st Ave. S.W. 587.585.8669 | pizzafaceyyc.com

QUA L I T Y M E AT S & SPECI A LT Y PRODUC T S

DE LI HOU RS MONDAY - FRIDAY 8 AM - 6 PM SATURDAY 9 AM - 5 PM SUNDAY C LOSED ON LI N E ORDE RI NG S HOPVALBE LL A .CA

Made with European Traditions since 1978.

104 ELK RUN BLVD | CANMORE 4 03.678. 4109 @VALBELL AGOURMETFOODS

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M&E

Wanda Baker

PIZZA FOR CHARITY

FALL INTO CHAMPAGNE & FONDUE

One of Calgary’s favourite food festivals, YYC Pizza Week is back for another 10 days of pizza pie eating. Purchase a pie between September 17 – 26 to support both the restaurant and Calgary Meals on Wheels.

Moonlight & Eli, Calgary’s only champagne & fondue bar has new fondues on the menu this fall. Make a reservation and try the Italian Fondue with Italian cured meats, fontina and cambozola cheese and pair it with an Amalfi Spritz or mini-Prosecco.

YYC Pizza Week | yycpizzaweek.com

QUALITY BEER FOR QUALITY PEOPLE

Moonlight & Eli 627 1st Ave. N.E. 825.437.9202 | moonlightandeli.com SB

TGB

Tailgunner Brewing Co. is for beer lovers looking for a beer hall experience modeled after the spirit, sacrifice and determination of the greatest generation. It’s set to open in November under the direction of Cael Tucker and Mike MacLeod with head brewer Blake Enemark. Pizza Face will be the exclusive food provider in this new brewery.

Moonlight & Eli fondue

MAKE IT CHEESY Saucy Burger is the latest burger eatery to make waves in Calgary located in the old Nellie’s location on 17th Avenue S.W. Created by Chef Michael Dekker, a culinary instructor at SAIT, there are breakfast burgers, saucy burgers and an assortment of toppers and add-ons.

Tailgunner Brewing Co. 1602 10th Ave. S.W. tailgunnerbrewing.ca

Saucy Burger | 1001 17th Ave. S.W. | 403.454.3697 saucyburger.ca

Tailgunner Brewing Company Beers

ESCAPE ORDINARY

Delight your guests with a new delicious

All occasion catering for 2–100 3, 4, or 5 course customized menu options for lunch, brunch or dinner.

In-home Chef Services. Individual or Group Cooking Lessons.

Non-Kosher Jewish catering.

Meraki-on-the-Go food truck available for private functions. (seasonal)

B u t t e r P o a c h e d L o b s t e r o r G r i l l e d B e e f Te n d e r l o i n S p r i n g P e a R i s o t t o , g r i l l e d a s p a r a g u s , c r i s p y s a g e

Gift Certificates available.

Traditional family meals. Classics with new twists. Innovative new dishes.

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Reserve soon for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

merakicuisine.ca 403.619.COOK (2665)

TT

N E W S , notes & happenings | Q U I C K B I T E S A HISTORICAL MOVE One of Calgary’s oldest tea sellers is relocating. Tea Trader in Inglewood has moved a couple doors down to the historical Ramsay Design Centre. Lots of parking at this new location, plus all your favourite teas and accessories.

FOUR IS MORE

PJ

Tea Trader | 1902 11th St. S.E. 403.264.0728 | teatrader.com

Arin Hiebert Company

Pie Junkie is celebrating its sixth year in business and Tea Trader tea opening a fourth location

in Crowfoot Crossing at the end of September. This will be their biggest store, open in time for Thanksgiving featuring fall favourites like turkey dinner pie and pumpkin pie.

PLAYFULLY DELICIOUS TREATS. www.arinhiebert.com

CAKES | COOKIE SANDWICHES | CUSTOM CAKES CUPCAKES | WEDDING CAKES | CAKE SQUARES

Pie Junkie Crowfoot | 826 Crowfoot Cres. N.W. | piejunkie.ca

THE DISTRICT AT BELTINE

An exciting new food hall is opening its doors this month with a few vendors ready to go, and others set to open in November. The District at Beltline is community focused featuring shopping, food, and retail. Save the date and plan to visit several of Calgary’s favourite eateries and a few new ones: Green Fish (Chef Darren MacLean), Takori (Chef Duncan Ly), Shrub and Bloom (Chef Adam Ryan), Modern Burger (Stephen Deere), Fire and Flora (Chef Adam Ryan), Deville Coffee, Oishidesu Ramen Shack (Arce Morales), Central (curated by P.J. L’Heureux) and 33 Acres Brewing Company.

LUCKY NUMBER THREE Modern Steak is opening its third location in mid September. This new location will be home to Modern Steak’s locally sourced menu and Modern Ocean’s raw bar. This modern steakhouse and cocktail lounge will continue to showcase Alberta beef.

Wanda Baker

The District at Beltline | 211 11th Ave. S.W. | thedistrictbeltline.com

Modern Steak 10606 Southport Rd. S.W. | modernsteak.ca

Watch for Modern Steak/ Modern Ocean Southport’s opening this fall

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Camie Leard

FULL RODIZIO MENU IS BACK

¡BUEN PROVECHO!

Bolero Brazilian BBQ has re-opened its doors for dinner service. If you’ve never enjoyed a genuine churrasco experience, you’ve really been missing out.

Enjoy as much as you like from their 13 delicious, slow-roasted skewers at your own pace; turn your cue to green side up, signaling the gaucho chefs to begin table side service. Flip it to yellow when you need a break or red to stop!

Thank You Hospitality continues its love affair with Mexican food with its latest offering, Fonda Fora in the Westley Hotel (a transformed office building on 4th Ave. S.W.). With Yucatanborn Chef Rafael Castillo at the helm in the kitchen, the menu teems with seafood and Mayan influenced flavours in a gorgeous and airy space designed by, who else but Frank Architecture.

KI

Bolero | 6920 Macleod Tr. S.E. | 403.259.3119 | bolerocalgary.com

Chef Naoki Kimura’s rolls and more

Kamado Izakaya 1213 1st St. S.W. 403.389.1094 kamadoyyc.ca

SPIRITED SUSHI Longtime Thank You Hospitality chef Naoki Kimura has branched off with his own ghost kitchen concept: Kamado Izakaya. Operating out of Thank You’s A1 Bodega and Cafe in Victoria Park, Kamado highlights chef Kimura’s innovative take on Japanese cuisine, which marries traditional techniques and ingredients with the global influences found in Calgary.

Fonda Fora’s Pescado Zarandeado

Fonda Fora | 630 4th Ave. S.W. | 403.764.6260 | fondafora.com

NOT JUST ANY CUP OF JOE! The city’s hub for specialty coffee gear has a bright new showroom and café. Try out the newest barista-approved gear before ordering your favourite drink from Calgary’s top coffee pros.

Eight Ounce Coffee | 2040, 2600 Portland St. S.E. | eightouncecoffee.ca @eightouncecoffeeclub on Instagram

Soulful recipes inspired by our families 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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RKK

Roy’s Korean Kitchen

N E W S , notes & happenings | Q U I C K B I T E S

PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF After construction snafus and pandemics, pop-ups and other adventures, Chef Roy Oh has finally been able to open Roy’s Korean Kitchen in Mission. With Oh’s trademark dedication to craft and bold flavours, the Kitchen is the perfect place to enjoy Korean comfort food in an upscale space. Perfect for date night this fall!

Roy’s Korean Kitchen | 2024 4th St. S.W. | info@hwatu.ca | royskoreankitchen.com

MUSIC TO OUR MOUTHS Two of Calgary foodies’ favourite purveyors have joined forces to offer a fun new sandwich concept in Ramsay. Eighty-Eight Brewing Co. hosts the Donna Mac team’s Mixtape, featuring sammies like the Chicketta, Brisket Biscuit, Cubano and Is this Vegan? as well as sides and sweet snacks.

Mixtape (inside Eighty-Eight Brewing Co.) | 1070, 2600 Portland St. S.E. | mixtapeyyc.ca

FOOD TRUCK FANTASIES If you have been dreaming of taking your food creations on the road, Peter Izzo of Cappuccino King fame may have the answer.

He and a partner have secured the Canadian sales rights to these Italian 3-wheeled marvels – The Piaggio Apé. He is also working with another Italian firm that customizes Apé’s into the most incredible compact creations. Check out their website at apecanada.com

HELP WANTED | FOOD LOVERS NEED APPLY Savour Calgary is looking for an outgoing, positive, enthusiastic, self-motivated and professional food lover to be our new advertising sales contract rep.

Work from home, part time, talking about your passion 20-30 hours per week.

Savour Calgary | Send your resume and cover letter debbie@savourcalgary.ca

S i n c e 19 7 0

Residential • Commercial • Automotive All insurance and all cards accepted 24 hour EMERGENCY service 112 17 Ave. S.W. economy-glass.com 403.228.6961

L o c a l ly o w n e d a n d o p e r at e d s i n c e 19 3 9

Experts in collision repair for all makes and models Free estimates AND We work with all insurance companies 112 17 Ave. S.W. superiorpaint.com 403.297.1880

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F U N F O O D T A L E S f rom the f ront line | F U N N Y B O N E S

B y L I N DA K U PE C E K Spring heralds hope. We skip around with light hearts, juggling asparagus stalks and lilac bunches, warbling happy songs while sliding frothy food on the table.

Autumn is heavier. Especially when you try to lift a gigantic squash or pumpkin. In addition to the back pain, I find the harvest season lends itself to contemplation and quietude.

Eating mindfully allows us to think deeply about the past year, not only in terms of the food we have eaten, but also our own journey. In my case, I had victories and defeats in the kitchen (I am trying to forget the corned beef pickle pasta which sank to a new nadir in dining) and also, pandemic-related depressions, tantrums and general nuttiness. (Did I really weep at the Safeway pharmacy because my prescription wasn’t ready? And will those poor young pharmacists be scarred for life?)

This past year has not been fun. It is hard to be upbeat about heartbreak, pestilence, corruption and Buttergate. Come on, even butter has problems?

Onward! Rich orange, red, rust, yellow and cinnamon vegetables warm the soul as the days get colder. September challenge: cook an entirely orange hued meal. After so many grim and colourless months, let’s party.

There is nothing like a jolly pumpkin as a table centerpiece. My only caveat is not to get too fond of a cute pumpkin with an endearing felt pen face, because then it hurts too much to say goodbye.

Many tears have been shed in my household over cooked pumpkin. We felt heartless.

But hey, unlike the pumpkin, we survived.

(Some of us even survived my cooking.) We can contemplate the past year, and look forward to some sort of closure and a shift to better times.

Sure, I blubbered when my computer crashed, I thought I was going to die after my second COVID vaccination, the dust bunnies piled up in my condo, while dishes piled up in the kitchen. Obsessing about dinner became my major creative outlet.

Next step: autumnal feasts.

Here is my cheat sheet of harvest recipes: 1 Hire a sous chef to hack up that spaghetti squash, pop it into the oven with a shamefully excessive amount of butter and garlic, sit and listen to Ella Fitzgerald for an hour or so. Then revel in every single golden strand.

2 Introduce a butternut squash to a few apples.

Dress them up in curry and chicken broth.

Let them dance on the stove while you write a harvest poem. Enjoy.

3 Find some large carrots with lots of personality.

Chuck them into a roaster in the oven, and tell them they are on their own.

4 Throw a cute little frying chicken in the oven, with every spice you can find, as consolation for the sensory deprivation you may have felt these past months. Fall (bonus!) allows you to fill the oven with everything in sight, as opposed to standing over the stove, stirring and sobbing disconsolately. Put your feet up and write a novel instead. Play online scrabble! Or dance!

So hey, harvest! Bring it on!

Ribeye of the Sky photo: Brad Fenson

PREP TIME 20M COOK TIME 5-10M

The nickname says it all! Sandhill cranes are considered one of the best tasting migratory birds hunted during waterfowl season. Just remember, it’s imperative to not overcook the meat to achieve that tender texture.

Ingredients:

TOTAL TIME 4-50H

• 2 boneless sandhill crane breasts • ¼ cup olive oil • 2 tbsp soy sauce • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce • juice from 1 lemon • 1 clove garlic, minced • 1 tbsp seasoned pepper, such as Montreal Steak Spice • 1 tbsp poultry seasoning

SERVINGS 4 kCal/SERVING 192

SANDHILL CRANE

Energy (kCal) Protein (g) Fat (g) Cholesterol (mg)

153 21.7 2.4 123

Based on a raw, 100g portion. Source: North Dakota State University.

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Directions: 1. Trim breasts of bruising or shot trauma. Cut into one-inch cubes for kebabs, or leave the breast whole, like a steak.

2. Combine olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic, pepper, and poultry seasoning in a sealable bag.

3. Place the meat in the marinade, push out any air, and seal. Toss the bag to ensure the marinade covers all surfaces. Marinate in the fridge at least 4 hours, and up to 48 hours.

4. Allow the meat to come to room temperature before grilling. Heat your barbecue to 400°F. Remove the crane from the marinade and place it on the grill. Sear each side 4 minutes. A larger crane may take 5 to 6 minutes per side, and kebabs 2 to 3 minutes per side.

5. Remove the crane, wrap in foil, and let it rest 4 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

HarvestYourOwn.ca

THE DEFINITIVE DESTINATION FOR SEAFOOD IN CALGARY

MODERN OCEAN

KENSINGTON

|

SOUTHPORT

W W W. M O D E R N O C E A N . C A TURF

ê SURF CALGARY’S BEST STEAKHOUSE - SEVEN YEARS RUNNING

MODERN STEAK

KENSINGTON

|

STEPHEN AVE

|

SOUTHPORT

W W W. M O D E R N S T E A K . C A

é

LOCAL

SHOP. EAT. LICENSED.

5:30-7:30p

Dinner & a Movie:

Lift your spirits at the end of the day with live music and tasty food.

Dine in. Take out. Buy your ingredients.

11:00a-8:00p

Each of 20 culinary kitchens has a feature entre that will include an adult ticket to the Canyon Meadows Cinema.

All Day Appies $5:

11:00a-8:00p

Each of our culinary chefs will have a special appetizer for you to try every week.

Sundays

Live Music Night:

Fridays

Thursdays

EVENTS

We specialize in creating wild and unstructured modern designs, using locally grown flowers and plants wherever possible.

Hand-made products which are all natural, vegan and use sustainably sourced herbs and botanicals, by a certified herbal therapist.

Saturdays

The most exquisite flavors from Latin America. Prepared foods, cheeses, delicatessen, groceries, frozen pastries, drinks, desserts and much more.

All Day Brunch:

11:00a-5:00p

Bring friends and family to taste a world of flavours.

Open All Year Long Fresh & Local Market + Kitchens is Calgary’s premium destination for buying local ingredients, tasting foods created by 20 local chefs and heart-warming gifts from talented artisans.

Calgary’s Local Food HUB brings together passionate shoppers and sustainable local food artisans and gift ideas throughout the year.

Local just tastes better!

Calgary’s Local Food HUB in Avenida Village 426, 12445 Lake Fraser Drive SE Thursday – Saturday 11a-8p; Sundays 11a-5p

Buy online at www.FreshAndLocal.ca