Formerly City Palate
The flavour of Edmonton’s food scene | September October 2011 | thetomato.ca
Harvest Issue Down by the Buffalo Jump Harvest Recipes Putting Things By
OPEN MAY 21 TO THANKSGIVING WEEKEND.
Est. 1996
haute comfort food three course early dining: monday to saturday 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. $50/person monday to friday 11:30 am to 2:00 pm.
lunch: dinner: monday to saturday from 5:00 pm.
located at the corner of 97 street and jasper avenue reservations 780-423-0969 www.hardwaregrill.com wine spectator magazine award of excellence 1997-2003 / best of award of excellence 2004-2011
The 2011 MS Wine Gala & Live Auction is a magical experience for those who love fabulous wine accompanied by great food in a chic black-tie setting. 2011 MS Wine Gala & Live Auction October 22, 2011 Coast Edmonton East Hotel & Conference Centre 2100 Premier Way, Sherwood Park AB, T8H 2G4 Evening Entertainment: The PJ Perry Dance Orchestra Ticket Sales Table 10 guests for $2000.00 Table 8 Guests for $1600.00 Table 6 Guests for $1200.00 4 Guests for $ 800.00 Single Tickets $ 250.00 Sponsorship Opportunities food course • truffle tower • ice sculpture • auction items
Take a WSET class
with The Art Institute of Vancouver. Classes start in October. Level 1, Foundation in Wine & Wine Service starts Monday October 3. Level 2, Intermediate Studies in Wines & Spirits starts Tuesday, October 4. Level 3, Advanced Wines & Spirits Studies starts January 2012
Love French wine?
Become a French Wine Scholar. Intensive weekend courses begin winter 2012.
To register www.winecollege.ca or 1-800-667-7288
MS Society ‐ Alberta and NWT Division 150, 9405 ‐ 50 street Edmonton, AB T6B 2T4
Lovewine?
Contact: Email: Phone:
Graham Metzger or Cheryl Rose graham.metzger@mssociety.ca c.rose@aumhotels.com 780.463.1190 Fax: 780.479.1001
Highly practical and exciting professional wine education programs by the London based Wine Spirit Education Trust (WSET) are designed to satisfy every palate from novice through enthusiast to expert. Widely considered the gold standard and offered in over 50 countries. The Art institute of Vancouver, shortlisted three times for WSET Educator of the Year and awarded the WSET Highly Commended Trophy in 2009, offers the WSET program in Edmonton.
editor
Contents
Mary Bailey marybee@shaw.ca
Features
publisher BGP Publishing
copy editor Amanda LeNeve
designer Bossanova Communications Inc.
contributing writers Deepti Babu Peter Bailey Jan Hostyn Judy Schultz Alison Phillips
illustration/photography Amanada LeNeve Kevin Kossowan Mary Bailey
design and prepress Bossanova Communications Inc.
printer Transcontinental
distribution The Globe and Mail For editorial inquires, information, letters, suggestions or ideas, contact The Tomato at 780-431-1802, fax 780-433-0492, or email marybee@shaw.ca. For advertising information call 780-431-1802.
the tomato is published six times per year: January/February March/April May/June July/August September/October November/December by BGP Publishing 9833 84 Avenue Edmonton, AB T6E 2G1 780-431-1802
6 10 14 16 20
Harvest Recipes Recipes to make during the shoulder season
Thanksgiving Masala Celebrating family and food | Deepti Babu
Down by the Buffalo Jump Rge Rd cooks at Nature’s Green Acres farm | Mary Bailey
Putting Things By The canning bee
| Mary Bailey
On the Wine Road to Piceno Mary Bailey
Departments
5 8 18 22 24 28 30
Dish Gastronomic happenings around town
Feeding People Fear of pie | Jan Hostyn
Beer Guy The road to beertopia | Peter Bailey
Drinks A conversation with flying winemaker Cameron Hughes | Alison Phillips
Kitchen Sink What’s new and notable
The Proust Culinary Questionnaire Cindy Lazarenko, Highlands Kitchen
According to Judy Gram and Thanksgiving | Judy Schultz
Cover photo: Donna Wynn makes tomato sauce. Mary Bailey photo.
Subscriptions are available for $20 per year.
thetomato.ca
KeepEdmontonOriginal.com Exercise your power as a consumer thoughtfully.
The Tomato | September October 2011 3
Now that’s Italian! Bakery • Deli • Produce Specializing in European Products
DOWNTOWN • 10878-95 Street 780-424-4869 • 9-9 Everyday
www.italiancentre.ca
SOUTHSIDE • 5028-104A Street 9-9 Everyday • 780-989-4869
gastronomic happenings around town | spill the beans with Julie One of our favourite cooks, Julie Van Rosendaal, has a new book out in October, Spilling the Beans, Cooking And Baking With Beans Everyday, Whitecap, written with her pal Sue Duncan. Julie and Sue explain it all, from beans and flatulence to cooking with dried beans and lentils. High in fibre, protein and cheap, beans and lentils are practically wonder foods, and the duo’s recipes for turkey chickpea sliders, white bean risotto with sun-dried tomatoes, and pumpkin chocolate chip loaf cake make using more beans easy. Find their recipe for red lentil pumpkin pie at tomato.ca. There are plans afoot to bring Julie to the city in late November. Visit the Alberta Pulse Growers website for the final dates, pulse.ab.ca
hush, your wine is here If your Thanksgiving runs more to various rellys, kids and both sets of grands balancing paper plates on knees, you may want to reach for Summerland’s Dirty Laundry Winery rosé called Hush. The label is a conversation starter; the wine is congenially off-dry, able to please both the bone dry and fully sweet camps; the flavours are berryrich and delicious. It’s predominately food friendly Cab Franc with Pinot Noir, Cab and Merlot creating a slightly darker-coloured, fuller-flavoured-thanusual rosé. Perfect to drink on warmish fall days. $24
feel the heat Edmonton-based condiment queen Joanne Zinter has developed a tasty new rub called Spicy Seoul Seasoning. The garlic and red chile heat, cooled by a waft of mint, is an excellent partner to seafood, pork and beef. At the Italian Centre shops, zinterbrown. com and other retailers soon. Find the Zinter Brown recipe for Spicy Seoul Beef Meatballs at tomato.ca.
applejack made easy All this talk about making like a pioneer — picking fruit, urban homesteading, canning, pickling and restoring other lost kitchen arts to the modern culinary experience has us wishing for tools to cut the drudge factor (so, let’s be honest here, we might all do these things more than once). Here’s the ticket: a nifty apple machine that peels, cores and slices apples all at the same time, and quickly too. You’ll be on to the tomatoes in a jiffy. $34.94 at Dansk.
dish
soul food Tagines, the conical, two part cooking pot of North Africa, are a beautiful piece of kitchen equipment. Now, you can actually learn to use it for more than Morrocan lamb and veg once or twice a year. Pat Crocker’s new book 150 Best Tagine Recipes makes using a tagine as easy and practical as a sauté pan. Not only will you learn to cook fish, seafood, duck and hot and spicy chickpeas with almonds in your now indispensable tagine, there are several recipes for dips, spreads and accompaniments, including one for your very own pomegranate molasses. It includes a comparison between manufacturers of modern tagines — such as Emile Henri and Le Crueset — tagine Q&A, a herb and spice guide and helpful tips for the beginner or accomplished tagine user. Find the toothsome recipe for beef tagine with squash and beets at tomato.ca. 150 Best Tagine Recipes by Pat Crocker, Robert Rose Inc.
oaky, works with turkey, but it doesn’t rhyme Lammershoek Chenin Blanc 2008 pleases unrepentant lovers of oak, with full-on vanilla aromas and flavours, coupled with the luscious marmalade honey citrus that Chenin is known for, balanced by a steely minerality and lively acidity. Full-bodied, creamy-textured, call it a white wine for red wine lovers — just the thing for an elegant turkey dinner. $23
chief cook and bottle washer Think you have what it takes to open a resto? Or do you just love beating the pants off your friends over a board game? Either way, Duck Soup, The Restaurant Game is for you. We first heard about it when TOMATO contributor Karen Virag (freelance writer/editor, and half of CBC Radio's Grammar Gals) finished editing over 1100 questions for the Trivial Pursuitstyle board game about food, drink and the restaurant industry. The game’s developers, Edmontonians Greg and Martin Thompson, had owned and operated a restaurant in their younger days and used that experience to create this fun, informative and competitive board game. Available at select Indigo and Chapters, River City Games, Zenari's and ducksoupgame.com.
The Tomato | September October 2011 5
Recipes
harvest The morns are meeker than they were,
The nuts are getting brown;
The berry's cheek is plumper, The rose is out of town.
The maple wears a gayer scarf, The field a scarlet gown.
Lest I should be old-fashioned, I'll put a trinket on.
— Emily Dickinson
It may be September, but we are not yet tired of tomatoes or summer squash, or any fresh vegetable right out of the garden. We want something more substantial than salad for dinner, but aren’t quite ready for the root vegetables and hearty stews of winter. We asked some of our favourite chefs for recipes to make during the warm days and crisp nights of the shoulder season.
pear carpaccio, with wild arugula, roasted walnuts and moliterno
“We use Okanagan walnuts for this antipasti and they are delicious. Shelling them is tedious but it is worth the effort. Moliterno is a sheep (pecorino) cheese from Sardinia, which is lavished with black truffles. If you cannot find Moliterno use another aged/sharp Italian sheep cheese or Parmigiano Reggiano.” Daniel Costa, Corso 32.
grilled summer vegetable Salad
“This recipe came from what our veg suppliers have this time of year — colourful little summer squash, small potatoes perfect to leave whole and the second crop of radishes.” Cindy Lazarenko, Highlands Kitchen
1 lb summer squash, zuchini, yellow crookneck, pattypan, cut into thick slices (we use Sparrow’s Nest)
3
ripe pears (Bartlett or Bosc)
1 bunch radishes, trimmed and cut in half
1
lemon juiced
½ c
shelled roasted walnuts
? peppers red, orange and yellow cut into wide strips (we use Gull Valley)
? Moliterno 4 handsful wild arugula extra virgin olive oil (we are using Lorenzo No.1, D.O.P. Valli Trapanesi*) sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper Roast the walnuts on a baking pan at 375ºF for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Thinly slice the pears with a sharp knife or mandolin. Spread the pears on 4 plates, drizzle a little lemon and olive oil over the pears, season with salt. Toss the arugula with a little more lemon, olive oil and salt. Place a few leaves on each plate. Shave a few pieces of Moliterno over the carpaccio with a peeler. Top with roasted walnuts, more olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately. * From Sicily, available at the Italian Centre Shop.
½ lb small potatoes (we use Greens, Eggs and Ham almonds or rosy reds) 1 T fresh thyme or marjoram or both
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper Boil potatoes in a large amount of salted water until almost tender. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 1 T of the fresh herbs, oil and salt and pepper. Toss squash, peppers and radishes with the same. Turn barbecue on medium-high and grill vegetables until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl and toss with vinaigrette.
Vinaigrette 1 lemon, juice and zest (3 T of juice, or so) 2 T
minced shallot
1 clove
garlic, minced
1 t
Dijon mustard
1 T or so fresh thyme or marjoram or both Whisk then gradually add ¼ c extra virgin olive oil plus 2 T. Season with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Add cherry tomatoes (halved) and a sprinkle of feta if desired. Serve warm or cold.
6 September October 2011 | The Tomato
grilled baby bok choy with cauliflower antipasto “Peas on Earth is an organic vegetable farm just on the northern edge of Edmonton. The passion and hard work of Eric and Ruby really shines through in their vegetables, which is why I love to use them so much. Bok choy is one of their signature vegetables and with the beautiful color and flavour of the cauliflower, I just knew I had to put them together in one dish.” Blair Lebsack, Rge Rd. 4
baby bok choy (cut in half )
1
small white onion
1
fresh cayenne pepper
1/3
c
1 clove
canola oil garlic
Blanch bok choy in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove and drain. Thinly slice onion, cut cayenne pepper in half. Put sauté pan on medium-high heat and add canola oil. Add onion, cayenne and cook, stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and remove from heat. Allow to infuse while cooling a bit. On barbecue or grill, lightly brush bok choy with the spicy oil. Grill on high heat for 2 minutes per side, remove and toss bok choy and onion mixture together. Reserve.
cauliflower antipasto ¼ head each of colored cauliflower (two colours) ½
red pepper
2 shallots 1
green onion
1 package enoki mushrooms (or beech) 1 T
red wine vinegar
3 T
first press canola oil
1 T
chopped lemon balm
pumpkin gnocchi with puree of spinach, aged kitskoty pecorino and pine nuts “Making gnocchi with pumpkin is fun and a little bit different. People underestimate the versitility of the pumpkin.” Tracy Zizek exec chef/co owner, Cafe de Ville
Gnocchi 1 pumpkin weighing about 2 lbs ½ t
grated nutmeg
½ t
salt
¼ t
white pepper
2¾ c
flour
“I was inspired by char on recent trips to Vancouver— great flavor and it’s easy to cook at home. The chardonnay makes for an amazing finish for the butter sauce.” Shane Chartrand, L2 Grill 4 filets char (both fresh and salt water, easy to attain as well as Oceanwise) 8-10
fresh Brussels sprouts
10-12 small to medium young cipollini onions, peeled
The Cheesiry’s Kitskoty pecorino for garnish
1 c
chicken stock
12
fresh chives
¾ c
unoaked Chardonnay
1 c
butter
2 cloves
garlic
toasted pine nuts for garnish
Preheat oven to 400ºF degrees. Bake pumpkin whole for about 1 hour 45 minutes until a sharp knife can be inserted with ease. Allow to cool until the pumpkin can be handled. Cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds. Scoop out flesh and puree in robot coupe or food processor. Place puree into a large bowl. Add seasonings and flour and mix by hand. The dough will be quite sticky still. Flour countertops and hands. Take small parcels of dough and roll to the thickness of your index finger. With a floured sharp knife, cut into small bite sized sections. If the dough is too sticky to work with, you can add more flour if desired, but keep in mind that the more flour added to the dough, the more dense and heavy they will be. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and put gnocchi in. Cook for roughly 5 minutes or until al dente.
spinach purée
Cut off smallest florets possible from heads of cauliflower. Blanch cauliflower in boiling water for 30 seconds, drain and cool immediately. Roast red pepper, shallots and finely chop with green onion. Toss all ingredients in vinegar, oil and lemon balm. Season with salt and pepper and allow to marinate for at least hour.
1 sml bag fresh spinach
To plate: put 2 pieces of grilled bok Choy on each plate and top with cauliflower antipasto.
Sauté onion and spinach in butter until most of the moisture has left the pan. Purée in blender. Season. In a separate pot add white wine and reduce by ¼. Add spinach purée and simmer until a sauce-like consistency is reached. Finish by whisking in cream. Take off heat.
Enjoy as a side dish or vegetable course for lunch or dinner.
pan seared arctic char with sautéed brussels sprout leaves, cipollini puree, buerre blanc and burnt chives
½
medium yellow onion, diced
¼ c
white wine
1 T
butter
1-2 T
heavy cream
sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
To serve: after gnocchi has been boiled and drained, heat a large pan with olive oil. Place gnocchi in pan and fry until golden. Add spinach purée and toss to coat gnocchi. Place in pasta bowl. Grate the Cheesiry’s aged pecorino over, and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.
sea salt and freshly cracked pepper Linen smoked sea salt (or a finishing salt, that is your preference) Place the peeled onions in the stock and gently simmer to tender. Remove the Brussels’ leaves from the bulb, leaving the centre of the bulb behind (this is the chalky center that you tend to get the bitter flavor from. If you want to use it up, you can put the hearts in with the onion). Place chives in a dry pan and cook at a very high heat on a burner, until they begin to turn very dark, flip over gently. Once dark on both sides, they will look almost burnt, remove and set aside. Purée the onion and season, adding butter, salt and pepper. Reserve. Sear the fish skin side down, then gently flip. Turn down the heat, and add butter and wine. Tilt the pan and spoon the butter onto the fish as if you are basting it (this butter and wine will be your sauce so be careful not to have too much heat or it will separate. If it does split, add a bit more butter, mix in separately and re-season). Sautée the Brussels leaves gently at medium heat. Season. Dollop the onion puree onto a white plate using the tip of a large soup spoon. Gently place aside your Brussels sprout leaves and finish with the char. Spoon your butter sauce over the fish, lay your burnt chives on top and sprinkle a touch of finishing salt on the fish for a beautiful finish. Please see “Harvest” on page 9
Serves 6 The Tomato | September October 2011 7
It’s as easy as
1-2-3! 1.
The largest selection of Beer in Canada!
The largest selection of Rum in Edmonton!
3.
2.
The largest selection of Scotch on our block!
11819 St. Albert Trail, Edmonton www.sherbrookeliquor.com
Sip up. Slurp. Kiss the noodle.
Sherbrooke_12V.indd 1
feeding people
| jan hostyn
Fear of pie Ever since I can remember, I’ve baked. You name it, I baked it: cakes, cookies, cupcakes, muffins, scones, biscuits, crisps, whatever — give me a bowl, a spoon, some measuring cups and whatever other ingredients I was able to rustle up and I was content. Under my mother’s mostly patient tutelage, I thrived. Except for the whole pie thing, that is. Pies were a different creature altogether — for me, anyway. After all, they have crusts.
Not a resounding success, evidently. Pies stayed my mom’s thing and I deliberately avoided having anything to do with them. I did not venture into pie territory again for a very long time. Then I married a pie-lover: a serious apple pie-lover, to be exact. I got out my recipe books. I tried this recipe and that technique. I cut in butter, or shortening, or lard, or an ever-changing combination of the three. I attempted piecrusts
I should bake more cakes, I just knew; it was time to admit defeat in the pie category. Then one day, my sister — my pie-baking sister, I might add — breezed in the door with her latest garage sale treasure. It was old and scuffed and slightly bent. Even though it had obviously been put to good use over the years, it still looked strong and sturdy and, well, capable. It was a pastry-cutter. “Oh come on, just try it,” she sighed with exasperation as she tossed
10-12-10 7:44 AM
Japanese ramen & Shanghai noodle dishes enjoy! Open daily except public holidays 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
中華美食 日式拉麵 韓風燒烤
Noodle Maker Restaurant By Siu To 9653 102 Ave., Edm.
From the moment my fork first cascaded through the flaky layers of one of my mom’s lighterthan-air pie crusts, I started to develop a crazy fear. Perched on my little stool, I watched her concoct this finicky monstrosity, over and over again, expertly cutting and dusting and rolling and, well, crafting. I took it all in: this needed to be just so, that needed to be exactly that, and oh, never, ever consider doing this. Crusts were obviously challenging and delicate and finicky. Downright scary. I attempted pie — once. One summer, when I was in my early teens, my mom became impossibly busy. Pies, usually a summer staple in my house, became a distant and much-pined-for memory. My stomach began to revolt. When it became clear there was no way I could make it through another day without a bite of saskatoon pie, I relented. It was challenging, and frustrating. But I did it; I made a from-scratch piecrust. When a much beloved aunt popped in for a visit and was presented with a piece of this, my first-ever pie, she declared it an admirable effort before leaving the rest of her crust languishing forlornly on her plate.
8 September October 2011 | The Tomato
with vinegar, or not, with eggs, or not. Some turned out better than others but, no matter what I did, making pies became a frustrating, arduous and unenjoyable task with disappointing results. Although my husband dutifully consumed every last morsel, once he started hinting that perhaps
it onto my counter. “Really, what have you got to lose? It’s not like it can make your pie crusts any worse.” Although the remark didn’t thrill me, it was true. That very afternoon, I put my new, very old pastry cutter to work.
Harvest continued from page 7
roast pork loin with alberta caponata It worked. It transformed — or helped to transform — my assorted piecrust ingredients into a relatively flaky, definitely edible crust. It wasn’t perfect but, considering whose hands were not-so-deftly gripping and manipulating the newfound gadget, it was downright amazing. All of a sudden, piecrusts were no longer my enemy. Cutting the butter and shortening into the flour was so much quicker and simpler and, bonus, relatively mess-free; I guess taking my warm and over-exuberant fingers out of the equation was just what my crusts needed. It has been years — years — and I still have that very same pastry cutter. I’ve hauled it out from its place of honour in my baking drawer countless times now and it has joined me in making oodles of pies: saskatoon, blueberry, bumbleberry, rhubarb cream cheese, pumpkin and of course, apple. Loads and loads of apple. Its blades are a tad more wonky, but I can’t imagine retiring it, ever. It has made my house into the very best thing a house can be — a pie house. No matter how many pies Jan Hostyn bakes, no two are the same. They each have their own very unique quirks and personalities.
“A roast pork dinner signals the end of the summer and is one of our family favourites. Caponata is a Sicilian dish, basically a sweet and sour vegetable stew served with the meat course. My wife Leanne makes an Alberta version to go with the roast pork.” Brad Smoliak, Brad Smoliak Cooks
Fine Wines by Liquor Select Fine Wines | Exceptional Staff | Private Tasting Room Join us for weekly tastings, private events and corporate functions in our private tasting room — equipped with LCD projector and screen. 8924 149 Street | 780.481.6868 | liquorselect.com | wine@liquorselect.com
1 rack pork loin, allow 1 bone per person kosher salt and cracked black pepper
canola oil
8 cloves
garlic
rosemary sprigs
All about home ...
Make little slits in the pork loin and stuff with the rosemary and garlic cloves. Season well, and let sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. Roast in a 300ºF oven until the internal temperature is 120ºF, rare. Remove from oven, turn oven up to 450ºF and then put roast back in oven and cook till 140ºF. Rest the roast for 1520 minutes before carving. Note: the meat will come up about 10 degrees while resting.
Gourmet kitchen, tabletop and fine linens. •
Bridal registry
•
Crestwood Centre | 9646 142 Street | 780.437.4190 | www.bellacasaDCL.com
alberta caponata 2 c
diced carrots
2 c
diced turnips
2 c
diced parsnips
2 c
diced onions
Canola oil
½ c
water
¼ c
dried cranberries
¼ c
diced apples
3 T
red wine vinegar
1 T Jam Lady Hot Carrot Glaze (or honey)
kosher salt, pepper
2?
butter
Whisky alfresco Yes, our patio’s open!
1 T chopped rosemary, thyme, sage or combination Heat a large sauté pan, add canola oil, add the vegetables and toss well, cook over medium heat till lightly brown. Add water and cook until vegetables are tender — you may need to add Please see “Harvest” on page 26
5482 Calgary Trail
780.761.1761
The Tomato | September October 2011 9
— Deepti Babu —
Thansgiving Masala Thanksgiving is my favourite holiday. It’s a time to celebrate family and food. And honouring those two things is how I try to live my life. Food is larger than life in my family. I could probably create a fairly accurate timeline of my childhood by using memories of my mother and father’s meals as guideposts. My first Thanksgivings were in the U.S., my original home. We’d have an elaborate meal following intensive days of planning and preparation, all directed by Mom. My brother and I helped as we got older, making it a group event. He had a thing for making pumpkin pie; I floated around to whatever looked interesting. My mom kept to tradition with turkey (or “Mr. Tom” Turkey, as my mom still calls it), which perennially took center stage, but held its place next to hearty platters of potatoes, both sweet and white, other vegetables and stuffing. Mom spent time making her cranberry sauce with whole berries and orange juice, but to her dismay, my brother and I turned up our noses at it. We preferred the gelatinous blob that best describes the canned jellied variety. And so both types were always on the table. (Here’s a little dirty secret: I still prefer the blobby variety.) And that was Turkey Day, year after year. At least until I married my husband, moved to Canada, and started celebrating the holiday here. Other than it being a month earlier, the premise was the same: spend time together as a family and eat. But the meal was different. Cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes made their appearances, but weren’t guaranteed. In came corn and peas, my mother-in-law’s scrumptious
10 September October 2011 | The Tomato
homemade bread (if we were really lucky), and eating everything in a bowl. At first it was a little disorienting, but now it’s completely natural. Given that both families immigrated to North America from India, I wondered: how did Thanksgiving become a part of their food cultural landscapes? And how did my two families come to approach the holiday so differently? In search of answers, I asked my mother to travel back in time to 1974, not long after she arrived in America as a new bride. My father had already been in the U.S. for some time, so by November he had told her about it as something “Americans did.” Mom also read about it in newspapers and magazines; holiday recipes were featured on many covers and she was intrigued. Celebrating it seemed like a natural thing to do. Everyone else would be, so why not? Thanksgiving 1974 was spent as guests of Dad’s work colleague. The next year, my parents would host their very first Thanksgiving for family and close friends. A safe audience, just in case Mr. Tom didn’t cooperate. I was an infant for that first Thanksgiving dinner. Given what I now know about being a parent during the first few months of your child’s life, I am astounded that mine even attempted to host a fancy dinner. I considered myself lucky if I brushed my teeth every day when my kids were this young! Leading up to dinner was plenty of recipe research and analysis, something that still remains my mother’s M.O. Mom’s signature dish was a molded Jell-O salad in a loaf pan. It had flowers made
of carrots attached to “stems” made of green onions. It was the talk of the table and helped to make dinner a success. I can only imagine how beautiful it was, and how proud she must have been to bring it to her guests. She still uses that loaf pan today, only now it’s used to bake banana bread. In fact, I never knew Mom made Jell-O until she told me this story; she certainly didn’t grow up with the stuff, which makes it even more impressive that she attempted her molded salad for this special meal. We were stationed in Germany for my junior high years. Military families tend to stick together while stationed overseas, forming a surrogate family. This became especially obvious at Thanksgiving. Food-wise, many holiday mainstays such as frozen turkeys, cranberry sauce and canned pumpkin were found at the military commissary where we shopped. Having a traditional Thanksgiving meal made us feel like we were home, even if just for one evening. The menus weren’t the same every year, but Mom is quick to point out that roasting a turkey is still her gold standard. She roasted a pheasant once, but it was disappointingly dry. I remember trying a deep fried turkey in New Orleans, and it was juicy and tasty. Sometimes the turkey is stuffed, and sometimes it’s not. And pumpkin pie used to fly solo for dessert, but now it’s accompanied by pecan pie. I guess that’s the influence of Dad’s sweet tooth. So how did each side of my family arrive at their current Thanksgivings? Mom’s approach
over the years seems like a culinary challenge, I think, rather than something driven by a need to acculturate. She certainly has similar approaches to other holidays and cuisines, which speaks to how continually fascinated with food — for food’s sake alone — she has remained. My husband’s side also treasures sharing meals, but are less fixated on the food itself. Thanksgiving represents family time, and the meal is the means to facilitate that. Regardless, Thanksgiving remains a highlight for me every fall. My move to Canada means that I get to celebrate my favorite holiday twice. We’ve hosted the dinner for my family here, and the menu is a hybrid of my past and present. My husband’s side of the family is a little less obsessed about what’s on the menu. Last year, we went rogue and made roast beef instead of turkey (sorry, Mom), which went over well. And if turkey can be dethroned, who knows what will be next? That it can be turned on its head and still be enjoyable is what I love about Thanksgiving. As my life has taken its own natural twists and turns, different culinary influences have marinated and infused into my consciousness. This becomes apparent at holidays like Thanksgiving, which is different than it used to be, but no less delightful. To me, it is a delicious masala that represents my family, something that is always dynamic and evolving. For now, anyway, Thanksgiving isn’t right until I’m eating turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, corn and peas… and my husband and his sister are beside me, eating theirs in bowls. Deepti Babu is a genetic counsellor who hopes to find the gene for gastronomic passion one day. Her family is living proof that it exists.
Shop where the chefs shop.
278 Cree Road in Sherwood Park • 780.449-.3710 Open Monday to Thursday 10-5 • Friday to Saturday 9-6
Mom’s Cranberry orange sauce 1¼ c
sugar
½ c
freshly squeezed orange juice
½ c
water
2 c
fresh cranberries, rinsed
2 T
cognac/Grand Marnier
2 T
orange zest
Combine sugar, orange juice and water in a saucepan. Heat on low until the sugar has dissolved. Add cranberries and cook for 15-19 minutes until they are cooked through. Roughly mash berries with the back of a wooden spoon. Cool 5 minutes and add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Cool completely and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Golden Glow Salad Adapted from Helena Gavin, pg 184, 1979 edition Pamper your Palate, Zonta Club of Edmonton 1 pkg
lemon jello
1 c
hot water
1 c
pineapple juice
½ t
salt
1 c
diced pineapple
1 c
grated raw carrot
1/3
c
The Truffle Shuffle Le Creuset’s latest colour — Truffle. Available exclusively for Western Canada at Call The Kettle Black.
chopped nuts
Dissolve jello in hot water. Stir well. Add pineapple juice and salt. Stir. Chill until slightly thickened, then fold in pineapple and carrot. Pour into mold, chill until firm. Unmold on lettuce, garnish with ripe olives and mayonnaise. Serves 8-10.
www.callthekettleblack.com
Vancouver
Edmonton Downtown 12523 - 102 Ave T: 780.448.2861
Riverbend 444 Riverbend Sq T: 780.434.1622
Edgemont Village 3-3069 Edgemont Blvd T: 604.990.7274
Kerrisdale 2150 West 41st Ave T: 604.261.3599
Kitsilano 2294 West 4th Ave T: 604.736.1412
The Tomato | September October 2011 11
12 September October 2011 | The Tomato
The Tomato | September October 2011 13
Down by the buffalo jump
Kevin Kossowan photo
mary bailey Top from left: Rge Rd’s Cory McGuire, Caitlin Fulton, Yen Chuang and Blair Lebsack. Left: Shannon and Danny Ruzicka of Nature’s Green Acres. Above: pork and beans. Right: Culina’s Brad Lazarenko and Maureen Metz.
Mary Bailey photo
Mary Bailey photo
Amanda LaNeve photo
Rge Rd cooks at Nature’s Green Acres farm
We are late. We see several cars parked around the farmyard, some chickens wandering about, a few contented-looking rabbits in a hutch. No people, no sound, not even a curious dog. “Do you hear something? Music? voices?” We follow a cart track around a stand of trees and see in the distance a truck and some smoke. Further off, silhouetted against a pale, jade sky are a few cattle. We walk towards the smoke; the farm buildings getting smaller, on a landscape that is pure Dorothy Knowles. We can see for miles in every direction. It’s a balmy night in late July, not as warm as we might like, but clear with a fragrant breeze, only a few non-threatening wisps of clouds above. The prairie grasses are green thanks to the rain filling up the dugouts and aquifers, welcome moisture to this usually arid land. We’re at Danny and Shannon Ruzicka’s family farm, Nature’s Green Acres, near Viking, east of Edmonton. For dinner: the table, set for 40, is beside a creek running silver in the evening light. Talk and laughter and friendly faces are all around. We’re just in time for the shot of pea soup with pansies, crisp, clear flavour unsullied by heavy cream or seasoning — the essence of spring. The phone call was irresistible. A dinner at Danny and Shannon’s farm cooked by Blair? Of course! Will drop off the cheque at the market. Blair Lebsack, the former chef at Madison’s Grill, has a project while he looks for a location for a restaurant. He’s cooking this dinner at Shannon and Danny’s plus similar dinners at Peas on Earth, Prairie Gardens
and Elk Island National Park. He’s practicing the simple pleasure of seasonal food in the outdoors. But simple isn’t necessarily easy. This dinner was preceded by several long days of hauling stoves and maplewood, picking, butchering, dressing, smoking, prepping, setting, organizing. Range Road or RGE RD as it says on the chef’s jackets. Brilliant. Every farm in Alberta is on a range road. So is Blair. “I first met Danny and Shannon a few years ago, when I was at Madison’s. We bought beef from them,” said Blair. “When I got back from France I wanted to do something like this, have a dinner where everything was from one farm, full-on. It’s kind of an experiment. I approached Danny and Shannon; they were game. Caitlin (Caitlin Fulton, Blair’s partner) and I put in the vegetable garden and I’ve been out here at least once a week — more usually — moving pigs, weeding. “We planted mid-May, things we thought we’d need for the dinner, peas, potatoes, arugula. The green beans didn’t grow, so Tracy Zizek (chef at Café de Ville) picked them up for us and brought them to dinner. “The beef is their nouveau beef; the pig, we slaughtered and dressed last week. Everything else we foraged — the alfalfa for the beer and the alfalfa flowers, the stinging nettles. The raspberries came from down by the buffalo jump.” We had missed Danny’s shoeing demonstration (Danny is the local farrier) and the tour through the movable pigpens and a visit to the buffalo jump, on the west side of the property. But we can imagine it, and we relax into the glorious setting.
We eat and drink wine and share a few stories. The laughter gets louder as we get closer to the Saskatoon tart. Everything we ate tonight was cooked over wood, the hint of smoke adding to the deliciousness, as well as keeping the fierce mosquitos at bay. After dinner, everyone mills about to chat, to get a closer look at the stoves, and feel their heat; the night chill is coming on. As the pearlescent sky fades to black, the crew gathers around the fire with a few beers, reluctant to let the evening end. Nor are the guests willing to let the magic go. We slowly wander back across the field, chatting with new and old friends, make our long goodbyes and drive home.
Canapés Roasted pork belly with rhubarb compote Country style terrine with pork, chicken liver terrine and pickled beet leaves Smoked nouveau sirloin with harissa on crostini
Dinner A shot of chilled pea soup with pansy Chicken and chorizo stew with spelt dumplings Pork and beans: brined roasted rack of pork with green beans and smoked tomato concasse Roasted root vegetables en cocotte Nouveau beef two ways: braised ribeye, roasted sirloin
Amanda LaNeve photo
Saskatoon berry galette with raspberry granola and stinging nettle ice cream
The Tomato | September October 2011 15
Putting things by Mary Bailey
We discover
it’s way more fun
to have a canning bee than to go it alone
Mary Bailey photos
in your kitchen.
16 September October 2011 | The Tomato
We met one Sunday last fall, upstairs in the airy prep kitchen at Culina Millcreek — Culina founder Brad Lazarenko, Cindy Lazarenko (Lilge) with her girls Reese and Laine; Kirstin Kotelko, along with her cousin Chelsea and Aunt Donna (our cover model). We were ready to make some tomato sauce. Brad had picked up several cases of utility tomatoes (Okanagangrown tomatoes used for canning) at the Italian Centre, different vegetables, plus several dozen Bernardin jars. We scoped out the Culina pantry for herbs and spices to flavour our sauces. We were playing it by ear or, more accurately, by taste. The tomatoes were dunked in boiling water to loosen the skins. Next, we peeled and rough chopped them, filling large bowls with tomatoes ready for sauce making. Brad manned a stockpot sizzling with butter, oil, onion, garlic, celery, a little carrot — the flavourful base of each sauce. In went the rough-chopped tomatoes, their juice and a whack of seasonings, fresh herbs, or vegetables, depending on the batch.
Recently, while poking about the back of the fridge I found a lone jar of lemon pepper, tangy with lemon zest and chunks of lemon and tomato — amazing with good pasta and a generous hand with the Parmigiano. Enthusiastic canner Johwanna Allyyne organized a Slow Food Edmonton canning bee at St. Josaphat’s parish hall in August. She also picked 20 litres of Evans cherries from Pat Mecready’s tree. The black currants and raspberries came from an Edmonton organization called Operation Fruit Rescue. (See sidebar).
Cindy Lazarenko and daughters Reese (L) and Laine Lilge.
Sour Cherry Walnut Conserve Johwanna’s luscious cherries.
entailing a straw over a bottle. The group enjoyed a pyrohy supper provided by the hall after and went home with some delicious preserves. Johwanna’s bee had a lovely feel. The brightly-lit church hall basement; the spotless kitchen; the hall ladies milling about, ready to provide assistance with processing or clean up, or a chat; the round tables of strangers in hair nets, getting to know one another over bowls of pitted cherries.
Next stop was the water bath, a large pot on the stove. We lost a few jars (either too full or too rolling a boil, I was to learn). When finished in the water bath, the jars were taken out and cooled by the windowsill. It was a hot, steamy, messy afternoon but the results were well worth it. We each went home with about a dozen jars of several variations on tomato sauce: lemon
The volunteer group Operation Fruit Rescue organizes bands of pickers to help homeowners harvest burgeoning trees and bushes. The bounty is split between the pickers, the homeowner and a charity. This wonderful organization has more trees waiting to be picked than people to harvest. If you have an afternoon to volunteer, visit their web site ofre.wordpress.com
with black pepper, mixed herb, fresh basil, celery and Indian spices. The cost? $50 each.
“I really felt plugged into my community,” said Johwanna. “And it took a community for it to happen.” The next Slow Food Edmonton canning bee is September 18: Pickles. More info: mail@tobeinpictures.com Kirstin Kotelko seals tomato sauce. Chelsea Corbett in a pretty apron.
About 15 people brought 12 jars each. “People were excited,” says Johwanna. “Some didn’t know what canning was or how it works. We had all kinds of skill levels.” They all learned how to prepare and preserve fruit. The group put up batches of Evans cherries in simple syrup, cherry walnut spread, sour cherries in balsamic with vanilla; as well as cocktail cherries (heavier syrup with spice; the prettiest cherries went in that), along with a black currant/ raspberry jam. Pitting Evans cherries can be tedious, but Johwanna devised a clever method
Adapted from Bernardin Guide to Home Preserving 3 c
tart apples (4 medium)
3 c
pitted sour cherries
3 ½ c
sugar
¾ c
water
3 medium oranges 3 lemons ¾ c
chopped walnuts
¼ c
Amaretto
Peel, core and chop apples. Combine cherries, with their juice, apples and water in a large stainless steel saucepan. Using a zester or grater, remove zest from oranges and one lemon. Add to cherries. Remove remaining white membrane and peel from citrus fruit, discard seeds and chop fruit. Add to cherries. Bring fruit mixture to a full boil, stirring constantly. Stirring frequently, gently boil 10 to 15 minutes or until cherries are soft. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Boil gently, stirring occasionally until mixture thickens and reaches a gel stage, about 30-40 minutes. Stir in walnuts. If using liqueur remove conserve from heat and stir in Amaretto. Return conserve to a boil; stirring constantly, boil until mixture reaches desired consistency, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Ladle hot conserve into hot jars leaving ¼ inch head space. Remove any air bubbles, wipe rims, place lids and screw on. Place jars in boiling water bath. Process for 10 minutes. Let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars, cool and store. Makes 7 250 mL jars.
The Tomato | September October 2011 17
beer guy
| peter bailey
The Road to Beertopia In the autumn a young person's fancy turns to thoughts of beer. Fresh-faced kids flood into the big city for school and they might just change the world. But, first, they need a beer. They come from all over, stopping in at U of A, MacEwan or NAIT before heading out to academia’s main street: Whyte Ave. Back in my day, the mid-80’s Whyte Avenue wasn’t party central. There were stalwart dives like the Strath, the Commercial and the Park, plus restaurants like Yianni’s and the Keg. But bars like O’Byrne’s or The Black Dog didn’t arrive until the 1990s.
The French Fling
Returns Explore the tastes of France At La Cité Francophone
8627, rue Marie-Anne-Gaboury (91 Street)
Friday, October 28, 2011 from 7-10 pm • Many regional French Wines • Catering by Bistro La Persaud’s award winning Chef Emmanuel David • Live Music & Auction
For the love of fine wine, fine food and in support of:
Early Bird Tickets available online for $60 until October 14 at http://frenchfling.eventbrite.com Call 780-466-2265 for questions or for more information
Sponsored by
18 September October 2011 | The Tomato
So we made our own fun, by God. I lived in a fraternity house just off campus which had a pop machine in the basement converted to accommodate stubbies, the ubiquitous little brown beer bottle of the era. We were a Carling O’Keefe house as they gave us a better deal than Molson or Labatt. For 75¢ you had your pick of icecold Old Vienna, Calgary Export or Black Label. Back in those days our in-house future lawyers had a flexible interpretation of liquor laws. We held open parties where hundreds of folks would stop by to enjoy our company and my mix tapes — and, oh yes, the cheap beer. A certain star Edmonton Oiler was an occasional guest. Looking out at the crowd from behind the bar a future captain of industry or librarian would inevitably say, “If someone opened a place like this on Whyte Ave they’d make a fortune.” Well, someone did open a place like that on Whyte Avenue, and if they haven’t made a fortune they are certainly doing okay. The first Hudson’s Canadian Tap
House opened in Edmonton in 2003, expanded around town, then Calgary, Vancouver and soon across Canada. They took the frat party aesthetic, refined it and bottled it. With sports on screens, macro beer, Roots store/Banff condo décor and air so thick with testosterone you can cut it with a knife, Hudson’s is the quintessential Whyte Ave bar, perfect for the Canadian pastime of watching NFL football while drinking a Bud. And yet, Hudson’s is tinkering with success. This year Hudson’s launched Beers Across Canada, a selection of 12 Canadian craft beers, including faves like Propeller IPA and St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout. Matt Salucop, a Hudson’s marketing manager, told me it’s part of its bid to brand itself as Canada’s Pub, but also a response to customers. He noted that tastes in beer are changing, with young drinkers both having and demanding more beer options. Was Hudson’s converted to craft beer on the road to beertopia? No, but Beers Across Canada was Hudson’s most successful beverage promotion and they’re planning expansion. Perhaps Hudson’s experiment signals that Whyte Avenue has turned a corner too. Certainly the weekends are still full of young folk barrelin’ down the boulevard, lookin’ for the heart of Saturday night, as Tom Waits sang. But five years after the Stanley Cup Final riot perhaps the Ave has mellowed. Places like Next Act Pub and Wunderbar have changed hands, now owned by craft beer fans looking to serve the discerning tastes of older folks and woo the changing tastes of the Hudson’s crowd. Whyte Ave is no beertopia yet, but maybe those fresh-faced kids have started us down the road.
Whyte Beer Six Pack A walk down Whyte Ave and the streets nearby gives you many delicious beer options. The beers below are also available at better beer stores like Sherbrooke Liquor, except Amber’s Zombie Apocalypse, available only on tap.
Paddock Wood 606 India Pale Ale, Saskatoon Ask for this delightful IPA at Hudson’s Campus (11113 87 Avenue) or Hudson’s Whyte (10307 82 Avenue). Unlike hop bomb American IPAs from the Pacific Northwest, this is a mellower English-style IPA. Lots of hops are balanced with a solid malt background.
Alley Kat Red Dragon Double IPA, Edmonton The new owners of Next Act Pub (8224 104 Street) are unabashed Alley Kat fans. One of their taps is reserved for Alley Kat’s current seasonal. For fall, Alley Kat heard the plaintive cries of local hop fans and brewed a monster double IPA that comes with a warning: this beer is intended for Hop Heads, 100+ IBU.
Amber’s Zombie Apocalypse Red Lager, Edmonton The Wunderbar’s (8120 101 Street) motto warms the hearts of beer geeks: Life is too short for crappy beer. Their only-local beer taps include Apocalypse, born when people touring Amber’s tasted Sap Vampire Maple Lager before the maple was added. That beer was a Vienna red lager, rechristened as Zombie Apocalypse.
Hopworks IPA, Portland, Oregon Slightly hidden just off Whyte, Accent Restaurant (8223 104 Street) has a civilized European feel. Their well-chosen beer menu includes a classic Pacific Northwest IPA, new to Alberta in 2011. At 75 IBU (bitterness) this beer is a hop bomb, but nicely tempered with three different malts.
Mill Street Lemon Tea Ale, Toronto High Street stalwart Urban Diner opened a south side location (8715 109 Street) recently, with Yukon beers on tap. But try this unusual wheat beer infused with black tea leaves and lemon. A refreshing taste of the sunny summer we never had, easing us nicely into autumn.
Brooklyn East India Pale Ale, New York The Sugar Bowl (10922 88 Avenue) has mainly Belgians on tap, but from time to time they’ll feature this yummy IPA from Brooklyn. This is an English-style IPA, similar to Paddock Wood, heavy on hops but fully balanced with mellow malt and 100% scrumptious.
The Tomato | September October 2011 19
The distinctive shape of Pecorino
O N T H E W I N E ROA D S
in Piceno MARY BAILEY
A week in June tasting the wines of Piceno with our guides from the Consorzio Vini Piceni: Director Luigi Massa, and Assistant & Translator Angelica D’Andrea. “Are you not going to eat those?” asks Andrea Bianco, export manager for Azienda Velenosi, gesturing at the untouched plate of olives Ascolani. “The owner’s grandmother made those, and when a nonna makes something you better eat it,” he says, laughing. It’s day four of an intensive wine trip in Piceno and we have been offered the signature dish of the region, hearty stuffed and fried olives, at every stop. We eye them longingly — it’s not that we don’t want to, but we’ve learned that once we start it’ll be a feeding frenzy until the last crumb of crispy, deep-fried deliciousness is gone. We’re trying to maintain some sort of journalistic objectivity here. Can we hang on, until, at least, we’re most of the way through the wine tasting? Because, another thing we’ve learned is that olives Ascolani go really well with vini Piceno. What, exactly, is vini Piceno? The wines of Ancona, Macerata and Ascoli Piceno province in south-
20 September October 2011 | The Tomato
east Le Marche, an Italian region bordering the Adriatic. Or, you could say east of Tuscany, on the other side of Umbria. Still whites and reds are made, along with dessert wines from dried grapes (like Tuscany’s vin santo) and sparkling wine. The family-owned wineries are not huge, ranging in size from 15 to about 100 hectares, a reminder of the smallholdings tradition of farming in Le Marche. The topography is hilly, with the Sibillini Mountains on one side and the Adriatic sea on the other. Hot summer days are cooled by ocean breezes, lessening humidity, and keeping the acidity in the grapes fresh. Verdicchio is the best-known white of the region (and possibly, of Italy) especially wines made further north near Jesi. However, in Piceno we’re in Passerina and Pecorino country. The two are often blended with Trebbiano in a light and lively wine called Falerio. Passerina, an ancient grape (biancame) of the region, can be
a delicious drink, especially as an elegant sparkling wine. My money is on Pecorino, which makes full-bodied, beautifully aromatic wine. The grape variety had all but disappeared in the region until Guido Cocci Grifoni got wind of some abandoned vines near the Tronto River in 1982. These vines were known for their reluctance to bear much fruit and a proclivity to grow on hillsides among the grazing sheep. Trials were started, and the long road to acceptance began. By 1992 Pecorino was awarded IGT status, then Pecorino DOC in 2001, Pecorino Offida was awarded DOCG with 2010 vintage. Tenuta Cocci Griffoni 50 hectares near Ripatransone and Offida The view from the terrace at Cocci Grifoni is drop dead breathtaking in a land where no view is a slouch. We gaze over hill and dale covered in orderly vines, with a smattering of crops, forest, vines and the occasional solar panel array toward the medieval town
of Riptransone perched on an outcropping. We are greeted by a whirlwind of energy, good will, and graciousness in the form of Guido’s daughters Marilena and Paola who now operate the farm and winery. Making lunch is Mrs. Cocci Grifoni. Guido died earlier this year. With lasagna bianca and grilled vegetables we taste a range of Cocci Griffoni wines including two vintages of Colle Vecchio Pecorino Offida DOC. They are subtle and elegant, beautifully balanced, with spicy floral aromas of freesia and ginger. I do not want to take my nose out of the glass. We are dragged away from our contemplation of wine and landscape to look at Pecorino in the vineyard. While Mrs. Cocci Grifoni tidies shoots that have had the temerity to wander, enologist/ daughter Paola tells us about dirt and grapes, weather and harvest, favoured topics of conversation in every vineyard.
Please see “In Piceno” on page 26
Simone Lanciotti, enologist at Vinicola Carassanese / Az.Montevarmine.
From left Adriano Lorenzi (director, Collevite), Giovanni Vagnoni (Le Caniette, VP Consorzio Vini Piceni), Angelica D’Andrea, and Luigi Massa (Consorzio Vini Piceni).
Marilena Cocci Grifoni (centre) and her two daughters Marta Capriotti (left), and Camilla Capriotti.
Paola Cocci Grifoni, Marilena’s sister — both are daughters of Guido Cocci Grifoni who rediscovered the Pecorino grape.
A fresco in Santa Maria della Rocca abbey, Offida.
Left: Walter Bartolomei and Massimiliano Bartolomei, of Ciu’ Ciu’. (Massimiliano is the President of Consorzio Vini Piceni)
The small dog of Simone, named Trilly.
The Tomato | September October 2011 21
drinks
| alison phillips
A Conversation with Flying Winemake Approachable, balanced, great now, but will continue to age, are terms used to describe good wines. Or, in this case, the negociant/winemaker Cameron Hughes. “I love good wine, but I’m basically cheap,” says the relaxed young man sitting across from me. “I was brought up with frugal, midwestern values where I learned to look for bargains without compromising on quality. I found a way to make it work for wines.” We had the pleasure of hosting Cameron at a customer appreciation event at our store, Aligra Wine & Spirits earlier this year. Grant and I were intrigued; who is the man who has developed a completely modern approach to selling wines?
Liquor Depot presents
Celebrate Alberta’s largest selection of fine wine, premium spirits, import beer & gourmet food
2011 GRAND TASTING HALL EDMONTON October 21 - 22 Shaw Conference Centre Friday 4 - 10 pm | Saturday 3 - 10 pm
Come taste the winners of the 2011 Wine Access International Value Wine Awards Minors are not permitted
For tickets & festival details visit rockymountainwine.com
22 September October 2011 | The Tomato
“A bottle of wine doesn’t cost a lot to make. It’s everything else about it that makes wine expensive,” says Cameron. Experience in the bulk wine market from his days with the French importer opened up doors to many growers and wineries. He concentrated on selecting the upper one per cent of their quality juice for his bulk wine operation. The virtual wine company was born. The concept is about value and keeping overhead, distribution and sales costs at a minimum. Cameron boasts that he has the overhead of a 10,000 case a year winery selling in excess of 30,000 cases annually.
He continues to be actively involved in sourcing, blending and selling the wines. His Lot Series contains juice from some of the best vineyards and wineries in the world. But After completing you won’t know English and from which philosophy degrees winery the at university, various Lot wines Cameron Hughes discusses wines at Cameron worked hail. Lot Series Aligra Wine & Spirits with his father in wines are often a direct marketing $10-$30 cheaper campaign selling wine. He turned than the winery’s own bottles, but out to be very good at it, and contain the same fruit. discovered he loved wine. Next, Cameron, who admits to having no he worked for a wine importer in formal wine education and learned France. Eventually, Cameron was about wines by tasting them, asked to look after their California insists that his wines reflect a true market. Instead, he and Jessica (his expression of their terroir and wife and business partner) decided place. He is open to trying different to do their own thing and bought blending styles, but really wants 500 cases of wine on spec and tried the wine to find its own voice. selling them from out of the back of He finds current trends in US his car. That was in 2001. winemaking disturbing. Sweet reds In short order, he says he ran the are being made by adding sugar to company into the ground. However, make the wine palatable for new lesson learned: investing in a wine drinkers. “Red wines by their product in advance of sales doesn’t nature are not meant to be sweet.” work. You have to have it sold Certainly sourcing riper fruit and before you buy it. He developed creative blending can produce what this idea further and along with his may taste sweeter on the palate, desire to bring good quality wines but adding sugar is simply not the to market at great prices, his Lot profile he’s going for. His personal Series was born.
authentic - inspired - delicious
er Cameron Hughes style and taste leans toward Spanish varietals and the cool climate wines from Chile. As for the Canadian market, he is really enthusiastic about how well the wine business is faring here and says that Alberta is his biggest market. He likes the dynamic and innovative ways that Alberta gets wine in front of consumers through both retail and restaurant distribution. He travels here from his home outside San Francisco two to three times a year to do promotions and meet with the sellers of his products. “There’s a lot of diversity with wine right now, and great opportunities for consumers who are generally a lot more educated about their tastes and choices than ten years ago,” he says. When not on the road selling and promoting his wines, Cameron enjoys relaxing and entertaining at his home with Jessica, or skiing or playing on the beach with their two young daughters and their chocolate Labs. I’m told that wine is usually involved.
2010 Cameron Hughes Riesling Chenin Blanc Lot 259, Columbia Valley, Washington Bright and lively, with a soft edge to the pretty tangerine, white peach and floral character, lovely acidity, a vibrant juiciness and a hint of mineral and light sweetness on the refreshing finish. Great with salads and Asian inspired dishes.
2009 Cameron Hughes Sauvignon Blanc Lot 217, Russian River Valley California Fresh and lively, with bright citrus, kiwi aromas and flavours, with lots of grassiness, pleasant acidity and a crisp clean finish. Works well with nacho chips and a big bowl of guacamole.
2009 Cameron Hughes Chardonnay Lot 212, Carneros, California Strikes a nice balance between rich, toasty, buttery, baked apple pie, spicy pear and hazelnut aromas, flavours and textures that are smooth and stylish, with a full finish showing lemon and spice.
fine artisanal and farmstead cheeses gourmet and specialty foods | gift boxes and cheese platters 45th avenue & riverbend road www.everythingcheese.ca 780-757-8532
2009 Cameron Hughes Syrah-GrenacheMourvedre Lot 241, Arroyo Seco Monterey, California Floral and bright black fruit aromas with lovely, full flavours of blackberries, black cherries, dark plum, pepper, and a nice meaty quality, velvety tannins and good acidity that provide a juiciness to the wine. Finishes long and lingering, with a hint of bittersweet chocolate.
2008 Cameron Hughes Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 200, Napa Valley, California Sourced from three of Napa Valley’s most well known sub regions: Stag’s Leap, Rutherford and Oakville, Cameron Hughes states that the winery he acquired this wine from does not sell a bottle of wine for under $200 a bottle and has multiple 100 point scores! On the nose are hints of plum and cassis, the palate is currently displaying significant amounts of star anise and dark chocolate as well as plummy tannins. Right now this wine is just too young, it is not ready to enjoy to its fullest. This wine is going to get significantly better over the next year, so some patience and proper storage conditions are a must. Newly minted French Wine Scholar Alison Phillips is co-owner of Aligra Wine & Spirits in West Edmonton Mall.
The Tomato | September October 2011 23
kitchen sink
| what’s new and notable
restaurant ramblings corso 32 will be closed from September 12 re-opening September 27. Kitchen crew Daniel, Ben, Phil, Christopher and Megan will be in Italy expanding their collective food and wine knowledge — aka eating and drinking their way through Campania and Emilia Romagna. The Hardware Grill (9698 Jasper, 780-4230969) celebrates 15 years of feeding people in October. Plans for the birthday party are still under wraps but it’ll be pulled off with the usual Hardware style and generosity. Also new this fall; Hardware Grill joins restos such as Calgary’s Rouge in installing a Q water system, the environmental way to serve bottled water, qwater.ca, and will have a revamped lunch menu. Enjoy the latest in the series of Farm to Fork Dinners at Madison’s Grill (10053 Jasper Avenue 780-401-2222), Wednesday, October 12, 6:30pm. $75 per person plus tax. Reservations: unionbankinn.com. Taco hour starts in September at the Blue Chair Café (9624 76 Avenue, 780-989-2861) from 3-6 pm, Wednesday to Saturday. Harold says: “The tortillas are made in Edmonton, and Rosalba, who has been with us for three years, is Mexican. We will exploit her talents to provide some real authentic tacos.” Cory Welsch, former Hardware Grill sous, is now behind the stoves as exec chef at Moriarty’s Bistro Wine Bar (10154 100 Street, 780-757-2005). Expect good things: a new menu with a larger and more authentic small plate offerings; a chef’s mussels and wine pairing; and a diverse happy hour menu 3pm-6pm. Perfect for after work drinks and a nosh. Coming soon: a new wine list and the Citadel Theatre Dine and Play dinner package promotion. Madison’s Macallan Scotch Dinner is Wednesday, October 26. Visit unionbankinn.com for the menu and reservations. Thinking holiday parties? Madison’s Vintage room seats 14 for private dinners. Dining room can be booked for larger office or social events. Christmas feature and Christmas Day menus will be available soon. Enjoy fine dining and spectacular theatre with Dine & Play citadeltheatre.com.
24 September October 2011 | The Tomato
wine tastings happenings and events Love wine? Take a wine course! Highly practical and exciting professional wine education programs by the London-based Wine Spirit Education Trust (WSET) are designed to satisfy both novice enthusiasts and experts. The courses, administered by the Art Institute of Vancouver, are lively, stimulating, and concentrate on developing the wine palate. Level One, Foundation in Wine & Wine Service is a practical, entry-level program for those with little or no previous wine background begins Monday, October 3 to November 7 (no class Thanksgiving weekend). Level Two, Intermediate Studies in Wines & Spirits, focuses on principle grape varieties by examining their regions of production in depth; Tuesdays, October 3 to December 13. Level Three Advanced begins winter 2012. The French Wine Society’s French Wine Scholar programs begin winter 2012. For more info, or to register for any of the above, visit winecollege.ca or call 1-800-667-7288. Taste Alberta’s largest collection of wine, spirits, beer and sample gourmet food offerings at the The Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival, October 2122, Shaw Conference Centre. Visit rockymountainwine.com for tickets and festival details. Don’t miss Robust Reds, a fundraiser organized by the Gateway Rotary Club, Thursday, September 29, 6:30pm-10:30pm. Tickets: $65, lionel@kegncork.com. Have a French Fling to benefit Cystic Fibrosis Canada, Friday, October 28, 7pm-10pm at La Cité Francophone (8627 rue Marie-Anne-Gaboury). Tickets: frenchfling.eventbrite.com, $60; after October 14: $65. Visit liquorselect.com to sign up for Fine Wines by Liquor Select’s email newsletter. The bonus? Free admission to the informal, and informative, Staff Education Nights. Liquor Select’s Oktoberfest tasting is always a good time. Taste over 50 brews: hearty ales, lagers and stouts from Canadian craft breweries and around the world. Saturday, September 10, 2-5 pm. Also, sample single malts any Sunday between 2-5 pm.
Bin 104 (5454 Calgary Trail South, 780-4368850) offers two short courses this fall: The Perfect Match, Mondays, September 26, October 3, October 17. Oak, Flavours, Styles and Influence, also Mondays, November 7, 14, 21. Both courses run from 7-9 pm, $125, book at bin104.com. When London Calls, Canada will answer. Gold Medal Plates, the professional chefs competition to raise money for our best amateur athletes, is set to roll Thursday, November 3 at the Shaw Conference Centre. Chefs competing for the chance to represent Edmonton at the Canadian Culinary competition in Kelowna next year include: Tim Barath, Red Piano; Paul Campbell, Café de Ville; Shane Chartrand, L2; Andrew Ihasz, Fairmont Hotel Macdonald; David Omar, Zinc; Deependar Singh, Guru; Robert Simpson, Madison’s; Jan Trittenbach, Packrat Louie; Jason Durling, D’lish. Don’t delay; it’s always a sellout. Call 780-448-5957, or email edmonton@ goldmedalplates.com for tickets.
culinary touring and cooking classes Two really good reasons to visit the Okanagan: One, dinner with Sandra Oldfield. Five courses by Miradoro’s exec chef Jeff Van Geest, each paired with Tinhorn Creek wines, such as the limited Oldfield Series 2Bench Red and Syrah. Winemaker Dinner at Miradoro Thursday, September 29, and Thursday October 6, 6:30pm, $110 plus tax. Two, drinking with Sandra Oldfield. Sandra digs deep into the library to explore the effects of aging, how to cellar wine and why and how to pair food and wine with dishes created by chef Jeff Van Geest. Limited seating. Cellaring and Food Pairing Seminar, Saturday, October 8, 11am, $150 plus tax. Call 250-498-3743 to book. Peter Blattmann’s Culinary & Wine Tour of Alsace-Germany-Austria, October 7-20, 2012.Visit Roman monuments in Trier, Germany's oldest city. Take part in hand's-on cooking classes. Taste acclaimed Riesling and unique Grüner Veltliner. Cruise scenic rivers, lined with the world's steepest vineyards. Indulge in the pastries, concerts and operas of Vienna. For details: gourmet-experience.com.
New Seasoned Solutions Culinary Tours: Eastern Townships, October 13 to 18; Vietnam and Cambodia, March 9 to 24, 2012. Contact Kerry at Worldwide Quest kerry@ worldwidequest.com to book these tours. For their weekend culinary tour of the south Okanagan, September 16-18, contact Courtney Fossett at cfossett@ watermarkbeachresort.com. For the Sonoma Spa and Wine Tour, February 17 to 20, 2012, contact Gail at gailhall@shaw.ca. Full itineraries at seasonedsolutions.ca. Gail Hall’s Market Fresh Classes run September 10 and October 8. Each class is $175 plus tax and limited to ten people. Details, seasonedsolutions.ca. Join CBC Calgary’s House Wine sommelier Laurie MacKay on the Wine Insider Tour of Okanagan Valley, September 23-25. It’s part of a Continuing Education Arts & Culture series called Live a Better Life developed by Bow Valley College. For more details or to register, visit bowvalleycollege.ca Sunterra’s Red Seal chefs provide a delicious edible education as they demonstrate themed meals enjoyed with wine, $49.99 plus tax/ person; Tuesday, September 20, Cucina Italiana; Tuesday, October 4, The Art of Entertaining: Turducken and Turkey Classics; Tuesday, November 29, The Art of Entertaining: Hors d’oeuvres. Classes begin at 6:30 pm at Sunterra Market, second floor Commerce Place, 10150 Jasper Avenue. Call 780-426-3791 to register.
product news Broaden your pepper horizon! Check out the array of BC field peppers at the Italian Centre Shops (10878 95 Street, 780-4244869, 5028, 104A Street 780-9894869) hot banana, doves, blue jays and Hungarian, to name a few, for stuffing, pickling, frying, roasting, grilling and eating out of hand.
Edmonton research chef Brad Smoliak has been working with Good Earth Coffeehouse and Bakery to create a new line of paninis, soups and sandwiches. You can try them soon at every Good Earth location, including the brand new Scotia Place location opening in late September. One of our favourite cheeses is made by Rhonda Headon/The Cheesiry, at their Kitscoty area farm. Young pecorino ($6.50/100 grams) is available at Paddy’s (12509 102 Avenue, 780-413-0367). Jackaroo, a soft Camembertstyle, the blue sheep, as well as the aged pecorino called Rustico is available soon. Deliciously tangy 20-year old Spanish sherry vinegar along with organic oils and balsamic vinegars arrive weekly. Paddy’s Saturday wine and cheese tastings start later this fall. Java Jive Coffee Factory (9929 77 Avenue) has something new for true coffee fanatics, the espro press. It’s patent pending micro filter makes precision press coffee, without the grit. The double-walled stainless steel construction and durability (it’s dishwasher safe) guarantee it’ll get used — every morning. Try the new Mavea Elimaris water filter pitchers: for great tasting drinking water, coffee and tea in two sizes and four colors.
Matahari
A PA N - A S I A N D I N I N G E X P E R I E N C E
Dining, Takeout, Catering & Special Events 10108B – 124 Street • 452-8262
Ample free parking at rear with rear entrance available. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday, hours vary.
bonjour boulangerie
artisanale Artisan Bakery
8612-99 Street 780.433.5924 www.treestone.ca
CBC’s Flavours of Edmonton cookbook is now available at The Italian Centre, The Food Bank, Greenwoods Bookshoppe and Audrey’s Books. It’s $24.95 well spent, all proceeds support Edmonton’s Food Bank. Dansk Gifts (334 Southgate, 780434-4013) is stocking a brightlycoloured, fish-shaped ceramic jug by Wade of England which gurgles merrily while it pours — good for a giggle. In white and blue, from four inches to 15 inches high, $55. Everything Cheese (14912 45 Avenue, 780-757-8532) stocks several American Cheese Society Please see “Kitchen Sink” on page 27
The Tomato | September October 2011 25
specializing in
GREEK FOODS olive oil olives Greek cheeses spanakopita/tiropita homemade dips
harvest
in piceno
continued from page 9
Continued from page 21
more water. Once vegetables are tender, turn up the heat, and crisp the vegetables. Add cranberries, apples, red wine vinegar and glaze/honey, season with salt and pepper. Finish with the butter and fresh herbs. All can be done ahead of time and reheated to serve. Serves 6.
jenny’s cherry pie
12407 - 109 AVENUE 780-455-8168 JUST OFF 124 STREET ON THE AVENUE
no preconceptions. The best way to enjoy our wines is to allow them the opportunity to entice your senses—you are your best wine critic. The Other Red™ from raspberries. The Barb™ from rhubarb.
www.barr.ca
780-819-9463
MODERN
FRENCH CUISINE
OVER ONE HUNDRED
CELLARED WINES
“We have an Evans cherry tree that is super abundant. I like to make pie and serve it with Smoky Valley chèvre. I am a fly-by-the-seat-of my-pants cook and don't follow a written recipe, but this is how I do it.” Jenny Berkenbosch Sundog Farm 5-6 c
pitted Evans cherries
1 c
sugar
3 T
cornstarch
Mix together the sugar and cornstarch. Stir the sugar mixture into the cherries so they are evenly coated. Roll out one pie crust (recipe follows) so that it will overlap your pie plate by 4-5 inches. Lay it into your plate with the extra dough trailing over the edge. Fill with the cherry mixture. Gently lift the extra dough over the cherries so that you have a partial top formed from the bottom crust. Pinch together the pleats and, if needed, seal them with a touch of water. Brush the top with a little milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 50-60 minutes in a 350ºF oven, keeping an eye on the crust for over browning. Serve with a spoonful of Smokey Valley chèvre sweetened with some honey.
grandma aarsen’s pie crust 5 c
flour
1 lb
Butter
2 eggs
For reservations and events visit www.somervillewine.com 780.454.WINE (9463) 10723 124 Street Edmonton
26 September October 2011 | The Tomato
2 T
brown sugar
3 t
vinegar
1 c
cold water
Cut butter into flour until mixture is crumbly. Add remaining ingredients and stir gently until mixed, but not over mixed. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Freeze or refrigerate what you don’t need. Makes 4 generous crusts.
Azienda Le Caniette 15 hectares near Ripatransone Le Caniette takes a slightly different approach to Pecorino, aging it in barrique for two years, adding an extra dimension and a certain gravitas to the wine. Giovanni and Luigi Vagnoni now operate the organic farm first planted in vines by their grandfather. Before that, their great grandfather Raphael raised white bulls — the iconic white bull of the Marche, which has been adopted as the symbol of the Piceno wine group. The new addition to the winery is a lovely bit of modernist architecture, open, airy, facing the sea with the barrel room built partially underground for natural cooling. Giovanni spent quite a bit of time with us (he’s vp of the consortium) and I’d like to think Le Caniette wines reflect his personality; smart, with an impish sense of humour and a big heart. Highlights: Morellone Rosso Piceno DOC, Iosonogaia Non Sono Lucrezia Offida Pecorino DOC. The red grape of Piceno is Montepulciano, often blended with Sangiovese. International varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot are also grown, even some Pinot Noir and Petit Verdot. Mouth-filling generosity, coupled with firm tannins and, sometimes, high alcohol levels is the signature of Montepulciano in Piceno. Better vineyard management and clonal selection (this grape can be quite vigourous) has tamed the most egregious rusticity without stripping personality. Some, such as Le Caniette, display a pronounced and attractive minerality as well. Azienda Collevite 200 hectares near Monsampolo del Tronto, Ripatransone, and Spinetoli Collevite was created in 2008 by a group of local wine producers interested in high quality wine production. They make wine under three labels; Collevite, Zeroquindici and Villa Piatti which is small production, barrique aged wine, and are making some
experiments with artisan beers — Bionda Passerina and Rosso Rosato. Highlights: Collevite Rosato, Villa Piatti Pecorino, Marche Rosse (Montepulciano, Cab, Merlot blend) Cui Cui 120 hectares near Offida, Acquaviva Picena, Castorano Brothers Massimo and Walter Bartolomei carry on the work started by their parents in 1970. As well as very good wine of character, Cui Cui (choo choo), like other Piceno producers such as D’Angelis, make a beautiful olive oil. Highlights: Oppidum Marche IGT, (100 per cent Montepulciano), Esperanto Offida Rosso DOC, Lacemakers Brut. La Cantina dei Colli Ripani 750 hectares near Ripatransone, Montefiore, Montalto delle Marche, Offida, Cossignano, Cupramarittima Colli Ripani is the exception to the general perception that co-ops can only make average quality wine. Over 450 farmers contribute grapes to a spotless modern facility near Montefiore. Lead winemaker is Marco Pignotti. A wise wine person once said; “anybody can make good wine when they have the best grapes and unlimited budget, the real key is the entry level.” This holds true for this co-op. The cheap and cheerful, colourfullylabelled Colli Ripani wines are tasty and great value. Top end Pharus highlights: Brezzolino Falerio dei Collio Ascolani DOC, Leo Ripanus Offida Rosso DOC Vinicola Carassanese/ Montevarmine 50 hectares near Carassai, and Azienda Domodimonti 45 hectares near Montefiore Both of these wineries had spectacular settings near the sea and holiday apartments for rent. Montevarmine is owned by the Polini family. They grow Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Merlot, Cab Sauv, Passerina, Pecorino and Chardonnay. Enologist and son-in-law Simone Lanicotti led us through a technical tasting under the loggia. Highlights: Boffo Rosso Piceno DOC Offida Passerina.
Domodimonti is the dream of Le Marche-born Canadian scientist and businessman Francesco Bellini. The setting and winery are so beautiful, it’s easy to forget wine is their reason for being. Highlights: Picens Marche Rosso IGT, Déjà V Offida Passerina DOC, LiCoste Offida Pecorino DOC. A few Piceno wines are available here; D’Angelis (Tomato cover story M/J2010) Cocci Grifoni, Velenosi and Domodimonti. They offer great value (Rosso Piceno, mid-teens, Rosso Superiore rarely over $20. The whites between $15 and $25, the icon wines $30-$45). The reds are generous, with full flavours and work with grilled meats — we love meat, they love meat. The sprightly and delicious whites are perfect alone or with tapas. Rosso Piceno is the perfect go-to wine for weeknights, easy on the wallet, and not heavily tannic or alcoholic.
kitchen sink continued from page 25
award winners including, Soeur Angele, Bleu d’Elizabeth, Cendre de Pres, Grey Owl, Niagara Gold and Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar. The event, held for the first time in Canada, was the largest judging in North American cheese history — 1,676 cheeses entered by 258 producers from Mexico, United States and Canada. Ken Komik builds beautiful pieces of furniture by hand, without nails or power tools. We first saw Ken’s impeccable work at the Bonne Nuit B&B in Smoky Lake. His company Rustic Beginnings will be at the Downtown Farmers’ Market September 10. Glenmorangie whiskies have garnered eighteen Gold Best in
Wine is a big business, and many wines taste like it — with all the right components: deep rich colours, check; aromas, check; ripe tannins, check; appropriate wood, check; and so on, yet somehow, soulless. A good drink? Perhaps. But they could be from anywhere. The wines of Piceno, as contemporary and well-made as they are, have something else as well. They have a sense of place, the wonderfully apt phrase coined by U.S. wine writer Matt Kramer to help us North Americans understand terroir. A romantic, fuzzy-headed notion? Have I fallen hard for a beautiful place and lovely people? Maybe. But I’ll take vini Piceni, thank you. More Piceno, and the recipe for Olives Ascolani at tomato.ca Mary Bailey, ISG Certified Sommelier and Tomato editor, teaches WSET and French Wine School programs in Edmonton.
Class over the past five years at the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) the most internationally recognised awards body. This year five Glenmorangie took the medal, the Original, Nectar D’Or, 18 Years Old, Quarter Century and the Signet.
®
Moriarty’s Bistro|Wine Bar Rice Howard Way 10154 100 St 780.757.2005 moriartysbistro.com
WINE BAR LUNCH DINNER PATIO WORLD BEER GREAT SELECTION OF WINES
SAVOR WHAT’S NEW
&
ENJOY
s e t i r u o v a f d l o Youre some h av riends. ne w f
Celebrate International Grenache Day on Friday, September 23. Drink Grenache! In a hurry to pick up some wine? Fine Wine by Liquor Select (8924 149 Street, 780-481-6868) makes it a cinch. Visit the Fabulous Under 50 wall featuring 150 top values under $50. Time to look? Browse through over 900 hand-selected wines under $30. New and/or interesting food and drink related news for The Kitchen Sink can be faxed to 780-433-0492.
classified ad cheddar & co specialty foods for sale
Have your cake and eat it too. For Sale: a successful diversified Specialty Food Shop, Café and Cheese Emporium. Located on Beautiful Vancouver Island where the mountains meet the sea. This turnkey operation has been in business 4 years, new equipment, tastefully designed, great street appeal with an awesome location. This is the ideal business for the food savvy. For more information, contact 250-830-0244 (have a look: cheddarandco.com).
The Albertan Panini
Our Menu Evolution Inspired by Chef Brad Smoliak
www.goodearthcafes.com
The Tomato | September October 2011 27
the proust culinary questionnaire Cindy Lazarenko, Highlands Kitchen In the late nineteenth century, French novelist Marcel Proust participated in an exercise, which could be thought of as the Facebook of its era — he answered a questionnaire about himself in a friend’s Confession Album. Proust’s answers have been published, in one form or another, for more than a century. Many have used the questionnaire for their own devices, the most notable being Vanity Fair’s Proust Questionnaire featuring celebrities. The Tomato now gives it a culinary twist. Culina Highlands, the great neighbourhood place tucked away in the Highlands, part of the Culina family of restaurants, became Highlands Kitchen mid-summer. Owners Cindy Lazarenko and her husband Geoff Lilge realized around the time of the departure of Annand Ollivierre, their capable and much-loved kitchen manager, that attempting to operate Culina Highlands and be a functional family was not working. “The menu was more than we could handle. It was too much restaurant for this little kitchen.”
28 September October 2011 | The Tomato
So Culina Highlands became Highlands Kitchen. It’s a shift in thinking rather than a wholesale change in style.
Cindy. “The new hours and menu make a more efficient use of time and our kitchen staff, Kelsey Johnson and Andrea Ouellett.”
“We work with the same local suppliers,” says Cindy. “We have several dishes still on the menu, such as the Kalyna plate, which is Marchyshyn’s kubasa, our version of lazy cabbage with marjoram, tomato and kim chee, Baba’s own pyrohy, topped with a bacon gremolata and beet salad. We still serve my favorite dish, nachynka (the recipe for this cornmeal casserole is from a 60-year-old cookbook) with braised rabbit and a tomato vodka cream. And, of course, borscht.
Highlands Kitchen is open five days a week from Thursday to Monday, noon to 8 pm (later on weekends). Reservations available at Open Table (www.opentable.com/ highlands-kitchen).
“We have lowered the prices a bit and are serving healthier-sized portions,” says Cindy.
Where would you like to live? I have a soft spot for Vancouver, I’ve lived there a few times. It’s inspiring — the food scene and being able to walk everywhere.
“The new name allows us to grow and explore our own identity separately from the other Culina restaurants,” says
Hometown? Edmonton Years cooking? Since I was 11.
Your favourite food and drink? Really good pasta, homemade ravioli with a glass of red wine. Actually, roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy and Yorkshire pudding would be my last supper.
What would you be doing if you weren’t cooking? Something with kids; maybe a kindergarten teacher. What do you most appreciate in your friends? I really appreciate how our friends are always offering to help out when things get crazy with the resto. Your favourite qualities in a dish? Simple, clean flavours, not overly complicated. A cook? Focus on that one thing and get into it. A wine? Well-balanced, flavourful, suits what I’m eating. I don’t like cheap wine. Who would be at your dream dinner table (dead or alive)? My dream dinner was the Italian dinner that we had at the restaurant before going to Salone del Gusto as a Terra Madre delegate. And my Baba — the food has come full circle. We didn’t really appreciate it when we were growing up. Who would cook? Baba, my dad’s mum. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Oh, whatever. When I can’t think of the word (especially when training; there’s so much talk) I say instead: just put some of that zjah zjah in there.
Cindy Lazarenko, her husband Geoff Lilge, and daughters Laine and Reese Lilge.
Current culinary obsession/exploration? Sauerkraut. I have tried to make it two times unsuccessfully; our space is too hot. I’d like to be able to serve our own sauerkraut with caraway, cranberries and apples. Meaningful/crazy cooking experience? We catered a dinner in a tiny apartment kitchen. The hosts wanted it dark so they couldn’t see the light from the dining room. We had about a foot of working space with four of us crammed in the kitchen trying to cook and plate. I felt like a food whore. We had to hand wash all the dishes and glassware in the dark, it was 12 or so courses, gold leaf — I still have nightmares. Best (cooking) thing that ever happened to you? Going to dinner at Il Re with (Barolo producer) Batasiolo on the Salone trip. How gracious everyone was, showing us how they did things in the amazing kitchen — the glassed in pastry area, the girls cleaning with buckets of hot soapy water — everything. That meal and the dinner we had at our agriturismo on the last night are the highlights of my culinary life so far. Mentors? My brother Brad. Favourite casual cheap and cheerful/afterwork food? El Rancho for pupusas, a cold beer, and that salad! Philosophy? I’m learning to focus on the positive. Reese tells me that all the time; “focus on the good stuff.” I’m grateful for the resto, grateful for the food — so fresh and local — grateful for the customers. What’s next? A cookbook is in the works and, maybe, something on TV.
The Tomato | September October 2011 29
according to judy
| judy schultz
Gram and Thanksgiving “To everything there is a season,” my maternal grandma used to say as September rolled around. “Today, it’s pickles.” Gram had once been a practicing Nazarene, and could quote the Good Book backwards. She lived upstairs, made daily forays to the kitchen, and had a biblical reference to cover every eventuality, from hellfire and damnation to the best day for making pickles. Gram’s pronouncements included the full complement of “Thou shalt nots” from the Ten Commandments (both versions, Exodus and Deuteronomy). Whenever she needed another commandment, she’d make one up, and long before I was old enough to covet my neighbour’s ox, ass, or manservant, I got the message from upstairs, usually prefaced with the words, “The Good Book says… “Thou shalt not sass thy mother.” “Thou shalt not leave dishes in the sink.” “Thou shalt not play that awful music. I’m trying to sleep.” Things improved when, come September, she’d switch to Ecclesiastes. “To everything there is a season…” Whether from the mouth of Gram or “that young fella, Pete Seeger,” whom she adored, the change of seasons from summer to fall was a good sign. For one thing, it moved in a direct path toward the great Thanksgiving feast, the rich excesses of Halloween, and Christmas, every kid’s annual excuse for unbridled greed. For another, it prefaced some of the best meals of the year.
Serving lunch & dinner 5 days a week Open Thursday to Monday 12 noon - 8pm (open a bit later Friday and Saturday nights)
We are located in historic Highlands, at 6509-112 Avenue
Telephone : 780.477.2422 www.highlandskitchen.ca
30 September October 2011 | The Tomato
Twitter : @highlndskitchen
The turning season and the first meals of fall still tickle me. Having avoided turkey and yellow turnips all spring and summer, paid little attention to cabbage or squash and deliberately ignored the warmer spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg) — ta dahh! They’re back. This is a hedonistic season, a
mellow, leaf-drifting time when pleasure is as simple as a good stew and a big red wine on a nippy evening. As someone who cooks for the joy of it, I love my kitchen when it’s running full tilt, heading for one of those Norman Rockwell Thanksgivings: turkey in the oven, gravy on the stove, pumpkin pud cooling on the counter, children underfoot. My theory: people who think Thanksgiving dinner is a corny myth probably never had a good one. On the other hand, was it ever as good as I remember? You can’t rush autumn cooking. It’s slow by nature. That’s the way the women in my family have always done it, Gram, my mom, all the aunts. Me too. I like the bird less travelled, one that hasn’t been frozen for a couple of years before it lands in the roaster. For vegetables, I grow my own, with squash from a woman who lives not far away, as mine were a total bust this year. Cranberry sauce I make from scratch because I like the popping sound, the sweet-sharp smell, and the finished texture, which still chews like berries. The table? What the heck, it’s Thanksgiving, break out the crumpled paper turkey, the horn of plenty, the gourds and the pumpkins. Light the candles, build a fire, sit around and crack walnuts. Talk about all we have to be grateful for. Back when Gram still ruled our kitchen on feast days, I’d have banged out a snappy version of “Bringing in the Sheaves” on the piano, loud pedal down all the way. Her quavery old soprano would’ve pitched in with that final ecstatic line, “We shall come rejoicing…” We’d have finished off with some Pete Seeger, considerably speeded up. “Turn, turn, turn… And a time to every purpose under heaven.” Catch Judy’s food and travel blog at Judyink.ca
RESTAURANT
NOW OPEN!
NATURALLY SOUTH OKANAGAN tinhorn.com