The Tomato Food & Drink November-December 2014

Formerly City Palate

Take a bite of your city | November December 2014 | thetomato.ca

Entertaining with pork Explore Daniel Costa’s Tavola app Gifts from rich uncles and cash-strapped friends

Contents Features

Editor Mary Bailey marybee@telus.net

Check out the new cooking app that’s fun, cool and homegrown | Mary Bailey

Publisher BGP Publishing

Contributing Writers

Illustration/Photography

Departments

18 Pantry The gourmet pantry | Mary Bailey

22 Beer Guy Seize the beer | Peter Bailey

Distribution For editorial inquires, information, letters, suggestions or ideas, contact The Tomato at 780-431-1802, fax 780-428-1030, or email marybee@telus.net

5 Dish Gastronomic happenings around town

Bossanova Communications Inc.

Greenline Distribution

26 A Scotch Lover’s Guide to Whisky Heaven Six days in Scotland | Graham Usher

John Quark

Printer

20 The Saavy Cookbook This year’s crop of tasty cookbooks | Mary Bailey

Advertising Sales Design and Prepress

14 Gifts From Your Rich Uncle and Cash-Strapped Friend Wine and spirits for every budget

Peter Bailey Judy Schultz Graham Usher

Dong Kim Steve Drake, NICHEmagazine.ca Gerry Rasmussen

10 Entertaining with Pork Chefs share their favourite holiday pork recipes

Copy Editor Don Retson

6 A Tavola Christmas

24 The Proust Culinary Questionnaire Scott Parker, Moët Hennessey Brands

30 Wine Maven

For advertising information call 780-431-1802.

36 Kitchen Sink

The Tomato is published six times per year:

January/February March/April May/June July/August September/October November/December

What’s new and notable

38 According to Judy Foodies, foodologists and futurologists | Judy Schultz

Cover photo: Daniel Costa’s Walnut and Anchovy Pesto Crostini, see recipe on page 6. Photo by Dong Kim.

by BGP Publishing 9833 84 Avenue Edmonton, AB T6E 2G1 780-431-1802 Subscriptions are available for $25 per year. thetomato.ca

The Tomato | November December 2014 3

ICS_Santa_3-4_Ad_F.pdf

1

10/11/13

10:00 AM

you know you want more...

9929 – 109 Street NW

www.pampasteakhouse.com 780.756.7030

Dish

gastronomic happenings around town object of desire

take a look at lazia

La Marzocco’s GS/3 has been heralded as the home machine for professional baristas, being as close as you can get to a commercial machine. It comes with digital display, a pre-heating system and dual boilers, which optimize espresso brewing and steam. The AV (auto-volumetric) is semi-automatic, $7,500 and the MP (Mechanical Paddle) system is $7,800. The folks at National Cappuccino will walk you through every single aspect of this remarkable machine, which, when you are laying down enough cash to buy half a Fiat 500, is the only way to go.

“Nicola of Irvings Farm custom-makes a spicy Malaysian sausage for us, blending Berkshire pork with our Rendang curry sauce,” says Richard Lim, chatting about the new menu at Lazia Restaurant. It’s not just a new menu but a complete overhaul of the dining experience, from suppliers on up. The kitchen team led by Jimmy Ng is working closely with local suppliers such as Irvings and organic vegetable grower Peas on Earth, offering sustainable seafood, and serving smaller, more modern portion sizes. The room has a new look and a DJ on Saturday nights. We love the Malay flavours in the KL seafood hot pot and also this earthy kale salad.

get cooking yeg!

culinary journey through canada’s desert Photo courtesy Lazia

Kathryn Joel, the owner of Get Cooking Edmonton, officially opened her new teaching/catering space on the main floor of the MacEwan University student residences in October.

One of Get Cooking’s chefs, Stephen Baidacoff, leaves for NYC in December for a year-long gig at Eleven Madison Park, probably the top restaurant in the USA right now. The evening was also a sneak preview of Prairie Noodle, a fledging ramen business.

The best taste of the night? Chef Israel Alvarez’s puffed tortillas. Israel deep-fried palm-sized tortillas, made a hole, piped in refried beans and topped them with a creamy disc of ripe avocado and a spicy crunch of jalapeno. We’re calling the delightful tidbit a Mexican bismark.

They eat the cabernet at Culmina, but at Tinhorn they love the Muscat and Viognier, which Tinhorn Creek Vineyards doesn’t grow a lot of; winemaker Sandra Oldfield says it’s a race between the bears fattening up and the crews getting the grapes off. Last year was the first year they didn’t go back up into the hills, but denned in the gully.

They hang out in the trees during the day, and come into the vineyards at night to eat grapes. They looked benign, sitting in a tree across the gully, like in a storybook, but across the gully is about as close as you would want to get, ever.

Steve Drake – NICHEmagazine.ca

tinhorn bears

From the top: number one on every coffee lover’s wish list; Lazia’s kale salad; the Get Cooking team from left to right, Stephen Baidacoff, Israel Alvarez, Wendy Mah, Kathryn Joel and Eric Hanson; above left: got bears? Below right: got Bessie.

It’s how we want travel now — to dive into a country, experience it in a personal way, not just watch it go by from a car or train window. We think of it as a European thing, such as a farm stay, or visiting food markets in southeast Asia. For those who travel on their stomachs (and who doesn’t really) it’s the only way to go. But to do it at home? Why not? Watermark Resort in Osoyoos has created a guest experience called the Culinary Journey through Canada’s Desert. The resort partnered with Covert Farms, their vegetable supplier, to help guests make a direct connection with the Okanagan landscape. They bop along verdant fields in a li’l red truck (’52 Mercury), wander through vines, feed wildflowers to Scottish Highland cattle, forage on the farm, tasting fruit, picking veg, and bring the bounty back to Watermark for a farm-to-fork dinner.

It’s remarkable country, a rare antelope-brush ecosystem, Canada’s only pocket desert with steep bluffs that are home to 18 species of bats, and a sandy plateau where a glacial ice dam burst 10,000 years ago. The Watermark Covert Farms Signature Experience is the brainchild of Ingrid Jarrett, general manager of the Watermark, lover of the Okanagan region and Slow Food advocate, and it’s now part of the Canadian Tourism Commission’s Signature Experience Collection, which shows the world what Canada is all about. And, it’s right next door.

The Tomato | November December 2014 5

A Tavola Christmas We are a bit obsessed with Tavola, the innovative new cooking app by Corso 32’s Daniel Costa. Imagine, all your favourite Italian recipes in one place, and using it is easy-peasy. Put the app on your phone to buy ingredients for a dish; cook from your iPad, tune into the music and try the wine suggestions with every dish.

It’s fun, it’s cool, and best yet — it’s home grown. The recipes suit our seasons and use ingredients we can readily find here in our city.

“I wanted to expose and explore the simplicity of Italian food in a different way,” says Daniel. “An app can evolve and change more quickly than a cookbook. Tavola is an entire experience, exciting, and immediate.”

Enjoy this collection of recipes from Tavola, suitable for dinner with family and friends throughout the season.

Buon appetito!

The Tavola concept and all recipes are by Daniel Costa, photos by Dong Kim. The Tavola app, by Versett, is available at itunes.apple.com

Walnut and Anchovy Pesto Crostini This walnut mixture creates intense flavours of umami and fresh herbs. Try spreading it on a sandwich with some fresh mozzarella or use as a sauce with spaghetti. ½ cup shelled walnuts 1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley removed from stem 4 sprigs fresh oregano, removed from stem 4 sprigs fresh mint, removed from stem 1 handful fresh basil, removed from stem ¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil juice of 1 lemon 4 olive oil-preserved anchovies, minced

6 November December 2014 | The Tomato

1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 clove garlic, cut in half 1 baguette or rustic loaf, cut into 1-inch slices

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place the shelled walnuts on a sheet pan, bake in the oven until lightly golden, about 10 minutes.

Allow walnuts to cool.

On a large cutting board place the parsley, mint, oregano and basil and chop finely. Place the chopped herbs in a bowl. Place the walnuts on a cutting board and roughly chop. Add the chopped walnuts to the bowl of herbs.

Stir to combine the olive oil, salt and lemon juice into the mixture. Add the grated cheese and stir to incorporate.

Season to taste with salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil.

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Roast slices of bread (crostini) until dark golden. As soon as the bread is removed from the oven, rub the halved garlic clove over each slice.

Place a spoonful of the pesto on each crostini. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6 as an antipasto.

Wine Pairing Poggiobello Ribolla Giallo (Colli Orientali del Friuli)

Radicchio, Roasted Walnut and Gorgonzola Salad A great example of how a few ingredients can work together perfectly. This is a fantastic salad to serve with grilled beef.

2 heads radicchio, outer leaves removed, ripped into desired-sized pieces, washed and spun ½ cup shelled walnuts 200 grams gorgonzola ¼ cup good quality young balsamic vinegar Please see “Tavola” on page 8

Photos facing page from top: Radicchio, Roasted Walnut and Gorgonzola Salad; Halibut with Roasted Tomatoes, Shaved Fennel and Pine Nuts. This page: Beer Braised Rabbit.

Overleaf: Parmigiano with Truffle Honey and Black Pepper.

The Tomato | November December 2014 7

Tavola Continued from page 6

½ cup high-quality extra-virgin olive oil kosher salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Place the walnuts on a sheet pan and bake until golden (about 8 minutes).

size by about 50 per cent (depending on variety, the time may vary so keep a close eye on the tomatoes). Stir the tomatoes every 10 minutes to avoid burning. Allow the tomatoes to cool at room temperature. Place the tomatoes and all the roasting juices and oil in a bowl. Gently stir to combine and season to taste with salt.

While the walnuts are roasting, place the balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a boil, whisk until emulsified, season to taste with salt and pepper. Put the radicchio and walnuts in a bowl, drizzle in the vinaigrette. Using your hands, toss with just enough vinaigrette to coat the radicchio, season to taste with salt and vinaigrette. Scatter on a big plate, crumble the gorgonzola over the salad and serve.

Place the pine nuts in a small nonstick frying pan and cook over medium lowheat until golden, stirring frequently, for approximately 8 minutes. Keep a close eye as the pine nuts can burn quickly.

Serves 4 as a antipasto or 6 as a contorno (vegetable side).

Season the halibut fillets with salt and a little cracked black pepper. Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over high heat. Once the pan is smoking hot, gently place the fish in the pan. Cook for approximately 2 minutes or until golden, flip the fillets and remove pan from the heat. Place the pan in the oven.

Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until just cooked through.

Wine Pairing Fritz Haas Pinot Grigio (Trentino Alto-Adige)

Halibut with Roasted Tomatoes, Shaved Fennel and Pine Nuts The depth of flavour of roasted tomatoes, fresh fennel and fatty pine nuts works perfectly with halibut. You can roast your tomatoes in advance but ensure they come to room temperature or just above before serving.

Place the lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Using a whisk, emulsify the lemon and oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Increase heat to 425ºF.

While the halibut is cooking, place the fennel, parsley, pine nuts and just enough lemon vinaigrette to coat the fennel in a bowl. Toss, season to taste with salt.

8 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Remove the halibut from the oven.

Place the fillets on 4 plates, put a spoonful of the roasted tomatoes on top of each fillet, drizzle a little of the tomato oil around the plate. Top with a small handful of the fennel salad. Serve immediately.

2 teaspoon kosher salt

Serves 4 as a secondo (main course).

4 pieces halibut fillets 4 tablespoons olive oil 2½ cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced across the grain ¼ cup pine nuts 1 bunch Italian parsley, stems removed ⅛ cup fresh lemon juice ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. In a bowl mix the tomatoes with the olive oil and kosher salt. Spread the tomatoes out on a baking pan. Place in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes or until caramelized and reduced in

Wine Pairing Marotti-Campi Verdicchio (Morro d’Alba, Le Marche)

Beer Braised Rabbit Perfect for a cold day. You can substitute wine for the beer, but I like the slight bitterness the beer contributes. Serve with grilled bread and braised greens.

6 rabbit legs* 2 cups Peroni beer 2 stalks celery, large dice

8 November December 2014 | The Tomato

2 carrots, peeled, large dice 1 large Spanish onion 4 cloves garlic 1 bunch thyme 1 bay leaf 4 cups chicken broth 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 100 g pancetta, small diced

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Season the rabbit legs with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat.

Sear the rabbit legs until dark golden on all sides. Remove the rabbit legs from the pot. Add the pancetta, cook the pancetta until lightly golden, add the celery, carrots, onions, garlic cloves, thyme and bay leaf. Fry the vegetables until golden. Add the beer to the vegetables, cook for 2 minutes, place the legs back into the pot, cover with enough chicken broth to just cover the rabbit. Place a lid on the pot and put in the oven. Cook for 1½-2 hours or until the rabbit is fork tender. Allow the rabbit to rest in the liquid for 20 minutes.

Gently remove the rabbit from the pot.

Place the pot of braising liquid on high heat, add the vinegar, reduce the liquid by half or until a thin sauce consistency,

season to taste with salt and pepper.

Return the rabbit to the braising liquid and serve.

Serves 6 as a secondo (main course).

Wine Pairing Cos Nero D’Avola (Sicily)

* Rabbit is available at some farmers’ markets, D’Arcy’s Meats, Acme Meat Market, Buffalo Valley and the Italian Centre Shops.

Parmigiano with Truffle Honey and Black Pepper I always prefer cheese instead of a dessert after my meal. Try substituting the Parmigiano with other aged Italian cheeses like Tuscan Pecorino or aged Piave.

Parmigiano Reggianno truffle honey black pepper

Cut or chunk the cheese into desired sizes. Allow it to come to room temperature for 10 minutes.

Drizzle truffle honey over, and top with a few cracks of black pepper.

Serve with or without bread.

Wine Pairing Donna Fugata Passitto de Pantelleria (Sicily)

Perfectly placed to make fine wine and good friends. www.tinhorn.com

This Christmas, come home to Alberta Pork. ~ Wishing you all the joys of the holiday season, the warmth of home, the love of family and the laughter of good friends.

For great recipes visit passionforpork.com

ENTERTAINING WITH PORK WHERE TO BUY HIGH QUALITY ALBERTA-RAISED PORK FARM DIRECT Big Coulee Farms bigcouleefarms.com First Nature Farm firstnaturefarms.ab.ca/wp/ Four Whistle Farm fourwhistlefarm.ca Irving’s Farm Fresh irvingsfarmfresh.com

Chefs share their favourite holiday pork recipes Enjoy a fresh take on the cocktail party standby, bacon-wrapped dates; a crowd-pleasing pasta; tasty fritters; toothsome pork shanks and shoulders cooked low and slow, and of course, pork belly.

Bodega BaconWrapped Dates Chef Lino Oliviera, Sabor Divino The bacon-wrapped dates at Sabor Divino are always the first thing to disappear from the table. The chef ’s secret? Quince!

16 pitted dates

Pork and Lentil Frittella “We like to serve these fritters with salsa verde and a shaved radish salad.” Rosario Caputo, Cibo Bistro 4 pork shanks and trotters (optional) braised, cooled and shredded 2 cups dried lentils simmered in water

Pork Belly with Ponzu Butter Sauce Andrew Fung, Nineteen Nineteen serves this savoury pork belly dish with a sous vide poached egg.

2.5 pounds (about) belly of pork, the

with 1 clove of garlic and 1 bay leaf

leaner, the better

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 heads garlic, halved horizontally

size of the date, should fit inside.

1 carrot, small dice

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 slices of bacon halved crosswise

2 sticks celery, small dice

1 handful of thyme sprigs

Serben Free Range serbenfreerange.com

⅓ cup balsamic vinegar

1 red onion, small dice

olive oil, to drizzle

⅓ cup quince marmalade (available at

½ red pepper, small dice

4 cups white wine

Sunshine Organic Farm sunshineorganicfarm.com

any Portuguese store)

½ cup chopped parsley

2 cups chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Prep a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut a lengthwise slit in the dates. Stuff each one with cheese. Pinch dates closed.

Wrap each date securely in a piece of bacon, secure with a toothpick, and place seam side down on a wire rack set on the baking sheet.

½ cup flour

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

6 eggs

Untie the belly of pork if it is rolled and lay flat on a chopping board. Score the skin evenly in a criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife. Turn the belly skin side down and cut a slit through the thick end of the pork to open it out like a butterfly so that the meat is evenly thick throughout. Lie flat in a pan, rub all over with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, then pour over wine and stock. Cover tightly. Braise at 350ºF for about 2.5 hours.

Meadowcreek Farms meadowcreekfarms.ca Nature’s Green Acres naturesgreenacres.com

Sunworks Farm sunworksfarm.com TK Ranch tkranch.com

BUTCHERS AND MEAT SHOPS Acme Meats (Pine Haven Colony) acmemeatmarket.ca Freson Bros. (Olymel) freson.com Italian Centre Shop (Irving’s) italiancentre.ca K&K Meats (Olymel, Pine Haven Colony) kandkfoodliner.com Real Deal Meats (Pine Haven Colony) realdealmeats.com Sunterra Market (Trochu plant) sunterramarket.com

½ cup (approx) manchego cheese, crumbled into pieces to correspond to

2 lemons juiced zest from one lemon salt and pepper to taste

Take dates out of the oven and brush with quince balsamic reduction while still warm. Remove toothpicks before serving.

In a large bowl combine the shredded pork and cooked lentils and lightly season. Add garlic, carrot, celery, red pepper, and parsley. Lightly mix until everything is evenly combined, add lemon zest, lemon juice and season to taste. Add eggs and flour and mix until it all comes together as a thick batter.

Scoop batter (about a tablespoon’s worth) and fry fritters in a deep fryer or a pot half filled with oil. Cook until golden brown. Once fritters are cooked, lightly season with salt and pepper.

Makes 16 stuffed dates.

Makes 24 fritters.

Bake the stuffed dates for about 20 minutes, or until the bacon is browned and crisp; turn each date after 10 minutes.

While dates are baking, place balsamic and quince in a pan over low-medium heat and reduce to a syrup.

10 November December 2014 | The Tomato

Drain the belly, cover in foil or parchment and place a heavy weight on top (a pot or pan) so as it cools it keeps a flat, uniform shape.

To serve: Once pork belly is pressed, cut into pieces, pan-sear and keep hot in the oven. Pour hot ponzu butter sauce on top.

Ponzu Butter Sauce 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon lemon juice ½ tablespoon rice vinegar 1 teaspoon mirin 1 tablespoon butter

Put everything in the pot and heat.

1 tablespoon hickory seasoning (optional) 2½ teaspoons ground mustard 2 teaspoons paprika ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in ⅛ cup water

Serves 6-8 as an appetizer.

pork shoulder (approx 2 kilo)

Barbecued Pork Rillette

Make the sauce, and pour over pork shoulder. Cover and cook at 300ºF for 4-6 hours. Let cool in the sauce.

Nathin Bye, Ampersand 27 Rillette is a French country dish similar to a rustic pâté. Rabelais called rillette “brune confiture de cochon” the brown jam from the pig. Its unctuous texture is achieved through slow cooking and lots of pork fat.

BBQ Sauce 1¼ cup ketchup 1 cup dark brown sugar ¼ cup molasses ¼ cup pineapple juice

Serve chilled with toast or crackers.

If desired, pour pork fat on top of the rillette for longer storage. Keep refrigerated.

fry until just lightly golden. Add the breadcrumbs and salt. Fry until golden brown, stir frequently. Remove from heat, cool. Reserve at room temperature.

Tagliatelle with Cotechino and Cabbage

Pasta

“Cotechino is a very special pork sausage from the Emilia Romagna region. Traditionally it is served with lentils on New Year’s Eve. I love the flavour of the Christmas-spiced cotechino with the sweet cabbage, and the texture of the pangrattato adds the perfect crunch in every bite.” Daniel Costa, corso 32

stems removed

500 grams tagliatelle ½ medium head of savoy cabbage, 450 grams cooked cotechino, casing removed and cut into bite- sized pieces 8 leaves sage 1 cup heavy cream 2 cups milk

Separate pork from liquid and reduce the sauce by 50 per cent.

Pangrattato

Meanwhile, shred the meat with two forks, then place in a mixer with paddle attachment or tear into smaller pieces if preferred. Add the reduced liquid in small amounts for a ratio of approximately 2 parts shredded pork to 1 part sauce. Season, adding more paprika if desired. Mix for two minutes or until desired consistency. Place in a container and refrigerate.

ground into crumbs

juice of 1 lemon

2 knobs unsalted butter

¼ cup grated Parmigiano, more for

2 knobs of butter

1¼ cup 1-3 day old bread ripped or

grating on top

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 handful Italian parsley, stems removed

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon kosher salt

pinch kosher salt

Heat the butter, olive oil and garlic clove in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Allow the garlic to gently

black pepper

Continued on following page

The Tomato | November December 2014 11

Pork

2 bay leaves

Continued from page 11

2 sprigs thyme

Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a handful of salt.

Blanch the cabbage leaves in the boiling water for 5 minutes or until tender.

Then, using a slotted spoon, place the cabbage in ice water to stop the cooking process.

Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat, add the cotechino, fry until golden. Add the sage and continue to fry for 30 seconds. Add the milk, cream, salt and a few cracks of black pepper.

Cook for approx 5-8 minutes or until the cream has reduced by 25 per cent.

Drop the tagliatelle in the salted boiling cabbage water. Just before the pasta is al dente put the cabbage in with the pasta and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water.

Drain the pasta and cabbage and add to the pan of cotechino and cream.

Return the pan to high heat and cook for 30 minutes or until the sauce is just coating the tagliatelle, add pasta water if necessary. Remove pan from heat, stir in the butter, lemon and Parmigiano.

Season to taste with salt, adding more lemon and cheese if necessary.

Serve immediately with more grated Parmigiano and pangrattato on top.

S

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Serve 4-6 as a first course.

12-Hour Braised Pork Shank with Succotash

G F

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Charla Padilla, Madison’s Grill Pork shanks, sometimes called hocks, vary widely in size. Look for six that are similarily sized to ensure even cooking and less bargaining at the dinner table.

12 November December 2014 | The Tomato

Succotash 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1½ cups chopped onion coarse kosher salt 1 large clove garlic, minced 3 cups chopped red tomatoes 2¼ cups corn kernels 2 cups cooked beans 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

3 sprigs rosemary

Serves 6.

2 medium carrots, chopped 2 medium celery ribs, chopped

DI N E N I N ETE E N .COM

Strain the liquid, pressing hard on the solids. Discard the solids. Return the liquid to the casserole and boil until reduced to 4 cups, about 20 minutes.

Spoon off the fat, pour the pork gravy over the braised shanks and serve with succotash.

6 cups vegetable stock

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 medium onion, chopped

At Nineteen, we believe that great food speaks for itself. It doesn’t have a list of rules for dress code and etiquette, and it doesn’t care about salad forks and string quartets. It only cares that you love delicious food, because that’s what we serve.

In a thick-bottomed casserole dish, sauté the onion, carrots, celery and garlic until softened, and nicely caramelized. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Simmer until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.

Place the roasted pork into a braising pot and pour the wine and vegetables over the pork. Add the stock, rosemary, bay and thyme. Tuck the pork shanks into the liquid so that they’re mostly submerged. Cover the braising pan with foil and cook at 250ºF for 12 hours or until the meat is very tender. Once cooked, transfer the braised shanks to a large deep platter. Cover and keep warm.

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sprinkle with coarse salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.

Add garlic, stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, corn, and lima beans. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until corn and lima beans are tender and tomatoes are soft, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add basil just before serving.

6 pork shanks, about 1½ pounds each

DOESN ’ T HAVE A DRES S CODE.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Season the shanks with salt and pepper. Place on a rack and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the shanks cooks are golden brown.

6 cloves garlic, minced 1 cups dry white wine

Pork Sugo “This recipe uses a slow-braised pork shoulder, which will fill the house with great aromas while it’s cooking. The key is to brown the roast and let it cook low and slow.” – Brad Smoliak, Kitchen by Brad 3-5 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of fat ¼ cup olive oil 1 cup onion, fine chopped 1 cup carrot, fine chopped 1 cup celery, fine chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste 4-6 cloves garlic, or more 2 cups red wine 1 cup chicken stock 1 tablespoon oregano 1 teaspoon thyme 1 can (28 fl. oz) tomatoes 1 cup whole milk kosher salt and pepper

Pre heat oven to 300ºF Heat a heavy braising pot (something with a heavy bottom and a lid) over medium-high heat. While heating, liberally season the pork with salt and pepper. Brown it on all sides, then remove from the pan and set aside.

Drain all but 2 tablespoons of fat, add the onions, carrots and celery. Reduce heat to medium and cook until lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook another 5 minutes. Add the garlic and put meat back into the pot. Add the wine and scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Add tomatoes, chicken stock and herbs. Cover, and braise in oven for 4-5 hours or until meat falls apart.

Remove roast carefully and let cool until you are able to shred it, the meat should truly fall apart.

While roast is cooling, skim the fat from the liquids in the pan, then place on stove and reduce over medium-high heat for 30 minutes or until desired thickness. Stir in milk, and cook another 15 minutes on low heat. Add shredded pork and adjust seasoning. Serve over pasta, gnocchi or ravioli.

Serves 6-8.

Potato and Pork Tartiflette “Comfort food to warm you this winter, inspired by the street food of Lyon, using our local ingredients.”

Add ham, pork hock and cream, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Turn off heat, add sliced potatoes and stir to combine all ingredients.

Transfer to an ovenproof dish.

Put in 375ºF oven for 20-25 minutes.

Remove, check that potatoes are tender, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in arugula, have it wilt into the sauce.

(fingerling, red bliss or bintje) or 3 large potatoes 1 large leek, ends trimmed 1 onion (to make 1 cup diced) 1 tablespoon butter ½ cup chicken stock

Put sliced Sylvan Star cheese to cover the top. Put under the broiler to melt, or use a torch to melt cheese. Serve. Be careful it is hot.

14536 - 115 Ave. • 780.420.6700 info@chefs-hat.com • www.chefs-hat.com

Serves 6.

Pork Saltimbocca with Couscous

bonjour

Tony Krause, Privada Wine & Tapas Saltimbocca means jump in your mouth, referring to something so delicious you just can’t wait. If you are fortunate to have leftovers, they will make a tasty sandwich the next day.

1 bay leaf

1 pork loin

2 sprigs thyme

18 fresh sage leaves

2 pieces smoked pork hock,

12 slices prosciutto di Parma

pulled off bone

1 teaspoon fresh ground long pepper

¾ cup smoked country ham,

or black pepper

medium dice

½ cup dry white wine

¾ cup smoked bacon, medium dice

4 cups couscous

1 clove garlic, minced

6 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

1½ cups small dice mirepoix

3 good handfuls arugula

(carrot, celery, onion)

1 wedge mild Sylvan Star Gouda

pinch sea salt

salt and pepper

8 paper-thin shavings of lardo or bacon

Slice potatoes into ½ centimeter-thick rounds.

Julienne leeks and onion, wash thoroughly, spin dry.

Put bacon into braising pot, render for 3 minutes, add butter, then add garlic, leeks and onion and sweat on low heat.

Stir a couple of times and cook for 1520 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add bay leaf and thyme to pot, turn heat to low, put a cover on and cook for 10 minutes.

CHEF GEAR A hat for every head.

Blair Lebsack, RGE RD 12 small waxy yellow or red potato

Locally made

Try our new Ancient Grain Purple Wheat Bread with cranberry and walnut. It’s delicious and nutritious.

8612-99 Street 780.433.5924 www.bonjourbakery.com

2 bunches of pea shoots

Pre heat over to 425ºF Lay half of the prosciutto on a work surface, layer in half the sage leaves evenly and place loin on top. Place the rest of the sage leaves on top of the loin, then cover with the remaining prosciutto, folding over until the loin is fully wrapped.

Please see “Pork” on page 32

The Tomato | November December 2014 13

Gifts It is our firm belief that when it comes to wines and spirits there is quality in every price range. To illustrate this we enlisted some help from those who live, breathe and sell wine for a living.

Their mission? To suggest the best-value drink under $20 they would be happy to receive from a pal with more taste than dosh; and the brilliant wine or spirit they would most love to see under the tree from the drippingin-cash and oh-so-generous uncle Bob (or aunt Roberta).

Offerings this year include numerous selections from Spain, the land of stellar bargains, and of course lots and lots of bubbles. It is a celebratory time of year after all.

Misun Bu, sommelier, Tavern 1903 From my cash-strapped friend 2012 Tawse Sketches Riesling (Niagara Peninsula, Canada) $19 My value-hunting friend will leave this seductive and wonderfully balanced Canadian Riesling for my humble cheese plate or Korean-inspired Christmas dinner.

From rich uncle Bob Baron Otard XO (Cognac, France) $200 Winter in Edmonton is long, and my uncle understands I can warm my heart and my cold feet with this rich, smooth and sweetspiced Cognac.

Juanita Roos, AIWS, Color de Vino Wine & Spirits From my cash-strapped friend 2011 Animus Vincente Leite de Faria (Douro, Portugal) $16.50 Animus (Latin for soul) will warm the soul indeed with terrific value. The blend is composed of the same indigenous varietals used to produce the finest Ports; Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca. Spicy, earthy, with plenty of red fruit, drink up!

From rich uncle Bob 2002 Bollinger R.D. (Champagne, France) $325 Rarest of the rare, even 007 may have a hard time procuring a bottle of this recently disgorged bottling;

14 November December 2014 | The Tomato

from your rich uncle and your cash-strapped friend

only 2,000 bottles or so are available after 11 years of aging on lees.

The fruit for this prestige cuvee (60 per cent Pinot Noir, 40 per cent Chardonnay) comes from 23 different sites within mostly Grand Cru vineyards (71 per cent). The taste is rich and fresh — apples, citrus, roasted nuts. Who doesn’t want to drink this!

Rob Filipchuk, The Glass Monkey Gastropub From my cash-strapped friend 2005 Hacienda Lopez de Haro Reserva (Rioja, Spain) $18 Medium-bodied with notes of leather, spice and a hint of vanilla; incredible value for a wine that has nine years of bottle age, including 20 months spent in oak barrels.

From rich uncle Bob 1996 Penfolds Grange Bin 95 (South Australia) $600 One of the most iconic wines in the world, for good reason. Grange wines are massive and unwieldy in their youth, but once they reach twenty-plus years of age, they achieve an incredible level of elegance. I have had several opportunities to taste Grange vintages dating back to the early ’70s and have always been blown away by the layers of aromas and flavours of this great wine.

Patrick Saurette, The Marc Restaurant From my cash-strapped friend 2012 Domaine de L’Amauve Vin de Pays (Vaucluse, France) $18 I love Grenache! Sweet nose, brooding black fruits and a finish that will not stop. Did I say I love Grenache?

From rich uncle Bob 2012 Chateau Figeac Premier Grand Cru Classe (Bordeaux, France) $120 Doris (my wife) and I love this wine! We have so many great memories around this wine. Our love affair with it began at the 1978 vintage. A pleasure with roast lamb and serve a blueberry pie for dessert just because.

Peter Seepish, Crestwood Fine Wines From my cash-strapped friend 2013 Mourgues du Grès Galets Dorés (Costieres de Nimes, France) $20 This Marsanne, Rousanne, and Grenache Blanc blend from southern France over-performs with flavours of ripe stone fruit, minerality, and a lively, mouthwatering acidity. A versatile white when it comes to food pairing.

From rich uncle Bob Arran Malt Devil's Punchbowl III (Scotland) $130.

Not the most expensive single malt Scotch on the shelf, but one of the most interesting. The third and fiendish finale of master distiller James MacTaggart’s trilogy is blended from 21 selected casks (Oloroso sherry, French barrique, and bourbon) and bottled at a natural cask strength of 53.4 per cent. Not peated like the first two releases, big and fruity. We just love what this young distillery is doing.

Doug Hicks and Marcia J. Hamm, Hick’s Fine Wines, St Albert From my cash-strapped friend Adega de Borba (Alentejo, Portugal) $13 This little beauty, made from a blend of three local grapes, is packed with blackberry fruit and hints of mushroom and forest floor. Feliz Natal!

From rich uncle Bob 2003 Dom Perignon Rosé, (Champagne, France) $299 Dom Perignon Rosé is known as the dark jewel of the brand. Rarely has a vintage deserved this title more than the 2003, with rich fig and strawberry on the nose leading to a silky smooth palate, well-structured, ending with a crisp, minerally finish.

Tara Smith, wine specialist, Sherbrooke Liquor Store From my cash-strapped friend Domaine Ste Michelle "Michelle" Brut (Washington, USA) $16 I will always suggest bubbles for any occasion, and this traditional method sparkling is chock full of fresh vibrant fruit with a crisp acidity that keeps you coming back for more.

Bonus: the elegant packaging means that you can take this bottle anywhere, even to your in-laws, without having to dress her up too much.

From rich uncle Bob Bruichladdich Cuvee 382 La Berenice (Scotland) $160 “A sensuous, decadent and flirtatious whisky with more than a hint of forbidden fruit,” says Jim McEwen, Bruichladdich’s master distiller.

How can you not want to have a dram with a description like that? This 21-yearold single malt is finished in both Barsac and Sauternes casks. Limited availability, don’t wait.

www.themarc.ca

@themarcedmonton

Eberhard Tamm, Enotri Wine From my cash-strapped friend 2013 Corte di Giacobbe Dal Cero Ramato Pinot Grigio DOC (Veneto, Italy) $19 A fun wine with a lot of depth, which carries the memories of a great summer and the promises of a spring to come.

Rich, yet refreshing.

From rich uncle Bob 2007 Cava Agusti Torello Mata Kripta (Cava, Spain) $110 Sublime purity in every sensation, delivering the flavours of an uncorked mystery, it’s a festive celebration on your palate.

Deb Pirker, Grady Wine Marketing From my cash-strapped friend Anna de Codorniu (Cava, Spain) $16 If you can’t afford Champagne, why not get the next best thing for a fraction of the cost? The top-selling Cava in Spain, with aromas of tropical fruit, creamy texture, lots of juicy acidity for balance and a lingering finish. If you can’t afford a card, just write your message on the striking white bottle.

From rich uncle Bob 2008 Tua Rita Redigaffi, IGT Toscana (Tuscany, Italy) $220 This Merlot from a tiny Tuscan estate has achieved cult status and outstanding ratings from the world’s most prestigious wine critics and publications. Opulent, intense, perfect for the cellar.

Continued on next page

The Tomato | November December 2014 15

Gifts

of cherry, strawberry, earth, cinnamon and vanilla.

Simply great everyday Pinot.

continued from page 16

Lisa Rogers, Select Wines & Spirits From my cash-strapped friend 2012 Trivento Amado Sur Red (Mendoza, Argentina) $17 A deliciously drinkable mostly Malbec blend with Bonarda and Syrah.

From rich uncle Bob pic 2001 Faustino I Gran Reserva Rioja (Rioja, Spain) $42 Decanter Magazine’s number one wine of the year in 2013. Beautiful aged aromas and flavours of umami, tamari and dried strawberries. Velvety textured with a lingering finish and lots of freshness still.

Alison Phillips, FWS Aligra Wine & Spirits From my cash-strapped friend Monasterio De Las Vinas (Cariñena, Spain) $15 The 70-per-cent Grenache, 30-per-cent Tempranillo blend is from Aragon in northeastern Spain. It has a wonderfully aromatic nose with bold, powerful fruit in the mouth; fresh with good acidity, and a lovely finish.

From rich uncle Bob Clase Azule Ultra Extra Anjeo Tequila (Jalisco, Mexico) $2,049 Ultra-premium extra Anejo, from 100 per cent Tequiliana Weber Blue Agave, double distilled and aged a minimum of three years in heavily charred, hand-selected sherry casks.

The decanter is spectacular. Hand-made ceramic vessel (which takes 40 days to make) adorned with a hand-made pure silver medallion by renowned artist Leon Fernandez; hand-painted with pure platinum paint by Tomas Saldivar; a label of 24K gold; topped with pewter and presented in a fine wooden case by artisan Fernando Tanaka. Wow!

Paulette Scott Pacific Wine and Spirits From my cash-strapped friend Fess Parker Parker Station Pinot Noir (Central Coast, USA) $19 Looking for a great-tasting Pinot Noir at a great price? Look no further. Fess Parker’s wine maker Blair Fox makes a delicious Pinot, brimming with aromas and flavours

16 November December 2014 | The Tomato

From rich uncle Bob Taylor Fladgate 1863 Single Harvest Port (Oporto, Portugal) $3,900 Something extra special for Christmas, from the last great Port vintage before phylloxera spread throughout the Douro Valley.

The wine is drawn from Taylor’s collection of rare and valuable cask aged Ports, with exceptional density and complexity, yet also a vitality and freshness remarkable in a wine of this age. Like a time capsule, it offers a fascinating glimpse into a distant past.

Nelson Gomes, FineVine Wine Imports From my cash-strapped friend Vila Real Colheita (Duoro, Portugal) $15 A fresh, white blend with floral and citrus notes from high altitude vines in the Douro region.

From rich uncle Bob 2006 Salton Talento Reserve (Brazil) $40 Red fruit aromas with hints of vanilla, coconut and fresh tobacco from this delicious Cab, Merlot and Tannat blend.

Anita Jarmolicz, International Cellars From my cash-strapped friend Segura Viudas Brut Reserva (Cava, Spain) $16 This fresh, balanced and slightly creamy-textured sparkling wine with tasty apple puree, pastry cream, anise and preserved lemon notes is made in the traditional method of Champagne.

From rich uncle Bob Champagne Nicolas Maillart Brut Plantine, (Champagne, France) $60 Pinot-dominated Champagne made from fruit grown in premier and grand cru-rated vineyards. The nose is clean, fresh, and yeasty with lemon brioche, white mushroom and apple blossom aromas. Bright and balanced acidity with solid length.

Stacey-Jo Strombecky, Renaissance Wine Merchants, Clarus and Nobilis Wine Importers.

From my cash-strapped friend 2012 Java Rosé Cotes du Gascogne (Gascony, France) $15 Bright red berry and spice notes dominate this Bordeaux varietal-based rosé from the southwest.

This fresh and fruity treat has a fair amount of body, making this a beautiful winter rosé. I am drinking an embarrassing amount of it lately.

From rich uncle Bob 2010 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Enrico VI (Piedmont, Italy) $150 The fruit is from Castiglione Falletto, one of the most revered hillsides Barolo in a landmark vintage from one of the greatest producers in Barolo. The result is a complex array of aromas and flavours of mature fruit, spice, violets and herbs. A wine for the cellar, a treasure for those with patience. This powerhouse will age longer than I will.

Jason Somerville, The Wine Cellar From my cash-strapped friend 2010 Heartland Shiraz (Langhorne Creek/Limestone Coast Australia) $19 Who doesn’t like a nice bottle of shiraz? Especially one made by the masterful Ben Glaetzer. Dark and spicy, this firm-textured red keeps the cherry and black pepper flavours on a narrow beam, finishing with fine texture.

From rich uncle Bob 2006 Bodegas Roda Cirsion (Rioja, Spain) $293 Bodegas Roda is a shining star in Rioja known for exceptional wines of the postmodern Rioja style. Cirsion is a luxury cuvée made only in exceptional vintages. Dense and polished, powerful yet graceful, with black currant, espresso, licorice and mineral notes, drink now or cellar.

Mary Bailey AIWS, The Tomato food & drink

FLAVOURFULLY IMAGINED

Locally Immersed Innovative Dining Open Now

ampersand27.com

From my cash-strapped friend 2013 Tinhorn Creek Gewurztraminer (Okanagan Valley, British Columbia) $18 This is the ultimate fridge door wine, the wine you need to have on hand all the time, for unexpected guests, to have a glass while cooking, or just because. The style is dryish, with inviting muskiness and hints of lychee and ginger.

Always refreshing, never cloying, as suitable with roast turkey today as it will be with the turkey tetrazzini tomorrow.

From rich uncle Bob pic 2012 Culmina Hypothesis (South Okanagan, British Columbia) $50 Hypothesis is a delight. A Bordeaux-style blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc; fresh, elegant, concentrated, with ripe, well-modulated tannins; tasting of juicy justdried cherries, plums and lovely blackcurrant fruit along with the grace note of subtle herbaceousness that southern Okanagan Cab Franc brings to the party. Hypothesis shows tremendous promise — its journey will be one worth following. The trick? Getting your hands on some, then having the discipline to hide a few bottles of each vintage away in the cellar.

Find these wines at Aligra Wines & Spirits, Bin 104, Color de Vino, Crestwood Wines, Hick’s Fine Wines, The Wine Cellar, Unwined Wines and Spirits and other fine wine shops.

Not all wines at every store.

The Tomato | November December 2014 17

Pantry

Mary Bailey

The Gourmet Pantry Small packets of delicious things are like catnip to food lovers, ideal to give or receive as a hostess gift, stocking stuffer, or to gather into a gift basket.

Who wouldn’t want to receive a gorgeous On Our Table walnut board with cheeses, fancy crackers, fruit, wine and a couple of jars of condiment? That’s practically dinner, and much more welcome than a cat sweater.

Seggiano Fig Ball

An Outstanding Boutique Selection For All Your Corporate and Personal Needs Specializing in Wine & Food Pairings Visit Our Website For Upcoming Events

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Friends gave me a fig ball a few seasons ago after a trip to Italy. I am happy to report that now you can buy them here.

The Seggiano fig ball is a traditionally ingenious way of preserving the juicy Calabrian Dottato fig. Picked when plump, air-dried under nets, then cooked for 18 hours at low temperatures, all the while becoming deliciously sticky with caramelized fig juice. They are wrapped in fig leaves by hand and cooked for another two hours. Totally natural, no added sugar or preservatives, just sweet figgy goodness. Have with a glass of rich Amarone, $20.

Scottish Marmalade Why are the Scots so good at marmalade?

Even better, adding whisky? That’s nothing short of brilliant.

Mackay’s Orange Marmalade with Macallan 10-Year-Old Single Malt has complex flavours of orange fruit, whisky, and heather honey, delicious on rustic whole-wheat toast, $12.

The Bowmore 12-year-old Single Malt Whisky Orange Marmalade is a thick-cut marmalade made with fresh oranges, blended with smoky 12-year-old Bowmore Islay malt, $12.

18 November December 2014 | The Tomato

Macallan Highland Fudge Macallan Highland Fudge is a butter-rich fudge infused with Macallan 10-year-old single malt Scotch whisky, and, according to My Fitness Pal, only 90 calories a piece, $12.

Mrs. Bridges Mrs. Bridges makes delicious preserves and chutney in a wide variety of flavours.

We’re especially partial to the seasonal spreads; the Christmas Preserve loaded with berries and mulled wine, and the spiced fruit Christmas Chutney would be lovely on a cheese board, $9.50.

Newget Newget, that lusciously chewy confection chock-full of nuts and dried fruit, has become a classic holiday tradition, and it’s made right here in Edmonton. Try serving with an assortment of cheese and roasted almonds for dessert, effortless and delicious, $7 and up depending on size.

Makers & Merchants Mulled Cider Syrup Just the thing to pump up the flavour in a holiday punch bowl, $15.

Christmas Cake

Christmas comes only once a year.

Cococo’s The Twelve Days of Christmas Collection This set includes four winners from the 2014 Canadian National Chocolate Awards; milk chocolate with star anise and honey; caramel and milk chocolate with fleur de sel; dark chocolate with apricot jelly and lavender flowers; and a milk and dark chocolate with Cointreau, nutmeg, and hazelnut. We’re having chocolate fantasies just thinking about it, 12 pieces, $21.

Mrs. Weinstein’s Toffee Buy two boxes of the irresistible Mrs. Weinstein’s Toffee Dark Pecan Toffee Squares, one for you and one as a gift, you’ll never go back to Almond Roca, $16.

Victoria Gourmet Turkey Rub Victoria Gourmet Turkey Rub is a savoury blend of celery seed, garlic, onion, fennel and sea salt, redolent of fresh sage, marjoram and thyme in a handy tin. Use to brown and crisp the skin on your bird or rub under the skin, $ 9.

Shoecalates You can have your shoes and eat them too. Annie Roggero, a maitre chocolatier in Montreal, puts together two of a woman’s favourite things, chocolate and shoes, and calls it a Shoecolate.

So does this cake.

The stylish chocolate high-heeled shoes filled with bon-bons are colourful and fun, $29.

8720–149 Street, Edmonton bonton.ca

Nefiss Lezizz Orange-Stuffed Olives Calgary-based Moustafa Cetin started Nefiss Lefizz to bring his family’s olive oil to Canada. Now the business imports sumptuous dried apricots, olive oil soap and delicious green and black olives from the family farm in northwestern Turkey.

Varieties include almond-, cheese curd-, red pepper- and lemon-stuffed; we are partial to the orange-stuffed, finding the bittersweet tang of the peel a pleasing contrast to the richness of the green olives, $5.50.

Cavern Cheese Club Know someone who loves cheese? Get them a cheese club membership of handmade artisan cheese delivered to their door monthly. Cavern used formaticum ‘cheese breathing paper’ to wrap their cheese. It’s said to extend the life and good flavour by preventing cheese from suffocating inside plastic wrap.

Available at Bella Casa, Bon Ton Bakery, CC on Whyte, Call the Kettle Black, Cavern, Cococo, Freson’s, Hillaby’s, The Italian Centre Shops, The Pan Tree, Sandy View Farms, The Wired Cup, Zocalo, and other fine shops. Not all items in every store. All prices approximate.

Simply Elegant Entertaining

Our 2014 Holiday Collection cookbook is perfect for all of your celebratory meals.

Only $ 15 +tax

Spicy Hot Chocolate Mix

(from our 2014 Holiday Collection cookbook) ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 1 tsp cinnamon 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar / 8 tsp cayenne pepper 1.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

2.

Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place. Makes about ½ cup.

Nutritional analysis per 1 tbsp serving: 31 calories, 0.4 g fat, 0.5 g protein, 8.1 g carbohydrate, 1.1 g fibre, 1 mg sodium

To Make Spicy Hot Chocolate: Stir mix before using. For each serving, pour 1 cup milk into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until steaming and just beginning to simmer.

Do not boil. Whisk in 1 tbsp mix for each serving, whisking until mix is dissolved.

Pour into mugs and serve.

Order your copy today! atcoblueflamekitchen.com or call 1.800.840.3393

The Tomato | November December 2014 19

The saavy cookbook Why do cookbooks still matter? A good cookbook fires the imagination.

Nothing tells a story or explains a cook’s point of view better than a book. There’s nothing like a cookbook for armchair travelers, to be taken away to a bison ranch or to Ferran Adria’s kitchen. Only a cookbook looks better with a few smudges of butter and drifts of dried flour on the pages.

Pucker, A Cookbook for Citrus Lovers, Gwendolyn Richards (Whitecap Books), $29.95.

“Forget truffle oil, fancy salts and expensive spices; for about 50 cents, a lemon or lime adds instant luxe.” says Gwendolyn Richards in her cookbook Pucker. How can you not love a cookbook that begins with superb recipes for classic cocktails, includes household and beauty secrets, imparts thrifty hints, and considers curd a kitchen staple, like vinaigrette. Home truths abound; “there is no substitute for fresh citrus juice.” Lively recipes for lemon and lime we expect, yet the author’s affection and respect for grapefruit as the queen of the citrus fruit basket is what really makes this book shine.

The Duchess Bake Shop Cookbook, Giselle Courteau and Jake Pelletier (Duchess), $45.

We love our very own Duchess bakery, and now we have our very own Duchess cookbook too, filled with recipes for pie, cakes, sweets, and of course, the iconic Duchess macaron. Co-owner

20 November December 2014 | The Tomato

Garner Beggs says he is happiest with the macaron recipe; “It has taken Giselle so many years to tweak that recipe, probably over 80 variations, to arrive at one she feels is perfect.” Available at Duchess Provisions.

The Family Cookbook, Ferran Adria (Phaedon), $35.

One of the best places in town to buy cookbooks is Knifewear. You know the kind, the oversize cheffy titles, filled with glorious full-page (and expensive) photography. The kind of book with multiple-step recipes you dream about spending a day in the kitchen making.

Maybe you don’t have to.

I asked Jordan Fritz what was the Knifewear crew’s current favourite on the shelf. “Everybody’s fave book right now is Ferran Adria’s Family Meal. It’s full of easy recipes, and it’s one of the only books that gives you a layout, a time line for every recipe so everything is ready at the same time.” And, considering the book is by the god of molecular cuisine, and owner of one of the most storied restaurants in the world, E Bulli, it’s not even expensive.

The Boreal Feast: A Culinary Journey through the North, Michele Genest (Harbour Publishing), $27.

The world is gaga for Rene Redzepi and Nordic cuisine. Yet many of these ingredients can be found right outside our door. Genest takes the reader on a journey to Norway, Finland and Sweden

Mary Bailey to discover what other northern people do with the same wild ingredients that live and grow in the Canadian boreal forest. It’s part travelogue, as the best sort of cookbooks are, with stories of cloudberry hunting on the Dempster Highway, birthday parties on the Kaskawulsh Glacier, and chanterelle harvesting in Nordland. Featuring prized northern ingredients, like morel mushrooms, birch syrup, coho salmon, spruce tips and blueberries, The Boreal Feast is a celebration of boreal food and forest.

From the Farm, the Alberta Farmers’ Market Association Cookbook, compilation of recipes

by Alberta chefs (AFMA), $22.

“We asked cooks and chefs from every corner of the province to contribute, says Sharon Johnston, 2014 AFMA board president. “There are recipes from Top Chef and Chopped Canada contestants, from chefs fresh out of culinary school to those with decades of experience; from cooking instructors to good home cooks.”

Each recipe uses seasonal ingredients from small producers, readily found at farmers markets. “People will be able to look at this book and say, ‘oh I can pick up these ingredients this week at the market.’” says Sharon Johnston.

(Full disclosure, I edited the book for AFMA. Ed.)

Buffalo Girl Cooks Bison, Jennifer Bain (Touchwood Editions), $29.95.

AVERTON HOMES

Jennifer Bain is an award-winning food journalist who splits her time between Toronto and her husband’s bison ranch near Foremost. She is well-versed on the subject of bison — what bison means to the Prairies, how to raise bison, and the importance of respecting the animal enough to use every cut. Buffalo Girl Cooks Bison’s recipes use every part of the animal, offering plenty of culinary inspiration for hump to hoof cooking.

This is a collection of personal family favourites with a difference; every recipe is gluten-, corn-, dairy- and soy-free. Food allergies led Lloydminster resident Laura Jacques-Gilmour to create this cookbook filled with a collection of family favourites, from muffins to pot roast.

EVENTS CENTRE

HILLABY’S

LIQUID HARVEST

SANDYVIEW FARMS

WELLNESS WITHIN

EVOOLUTION

THE FLORAL STUDIO

Gluten-Free gets Good!

Laura Jacques-Gilmour (Choice Publishing), $39.95.

reasons to visit THE BAKERY

GLASSHOUSE BISTRO

Nothing says good dog like a healthy homemade snack for your pooch, and who better to whip up those snacks but you. The revised and updated version of this beloved cookbook by Calgarian Julie Van Rosendaal features 70 easy snack recipes with an entire chapter on grainfree treats, and information on how to customize each recipe to suit your dog’s specific diet. This book is the best way to make sure your pet gets only the best.

AMARANTH FOODS

In the Dog Kitchen, Julie Van Rosendaal (TouchWood Editions), $19.95.

twelve great

HOLE’S GREENHOUSE

find your something special at • Amaranth Whole Foods Market • Averton Homes • Events at the Enjoy Centre • Evoolution Olive Oils and Vinegars • Floral Studio at Hole’s • Glasshouse Bistro & Café

• Hillaby’s Tools for Cooks • Hole’s Greenhouse • Liquid Harvest Fine Wine, Spirits & Ales • SandyView Farms • The Bakery at the Enjoy Centre • Wellness Within Health Spa and Yoga

unique shops • original products 101 riel drive, st. albert (just of f the Henday) | enjoycentre.ca

The Tomato | November December 2014 21

Beer Guy Seize the Beer: A Year in Beer Life’s too short to drink bad beer.

Or boring beer. Seriously – it is.

NOW OPEN! Monday 11 - 7 PM Tuesday 11 - 7 PM Wednesday 11 - 7 PM Thursday 11 - 8 PM

Friday 11 - 8 PM Saturday 11 - 7 PM Sunday 12 - 5 PM

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I turned 50 this year. With both my kids at university in British Columbia, I’m an empty nester. At a liquor store a while ago I asked why the cost of a bottle of wine was less than I expected. “Oh, I gave you the seniors’ discount,” replied the clerk. An era ended with the passing in August of Alberta brewing icon Ed McNally, founder of Big Rock Brewery.

Tempus fugit. Time flies.

On the plus side, I’ve lived long enough to see craft beer reaching critical mass. Years from now perhaps 2014 will be known as The Year That Craft Broke.

Certainly craft beer has reached mainstream acceptance next door in British Columbia.

By year’s end the province will have 100 craft breweries, with more in the pipeline for 2015. In the last five years craft beer has grown from 10 per cent to 20 per cent of beer sales, and craft brewers have seen their sales triple (Phillips) or even quintuple (Central City), according to David Jordan in BC Business.

planning stages. In 1990, just 24 years ago, there were only 90 breweries in the U.S. I also spent time in Toronto this year and can report the Ontario craft beer scene is in full ferment. Yes, that’s right – staid, sedate, small c conservative Ontario has embraced the new! A recent post in BlogTO selected “The Top 50 Beers Made in Toronto.” It wasn’t long ago that it would have been hard to find 50 Toronto beers, period.

But does a rising tide of craft beer raise all boats? I hope so.

Alberta has fallen behind its provincial pals, but there were many positives in 2014 that give me hope for the future. Industry stalwarts Big Rock returned to craft, pushing out a dizzying array of seasonal beers while completely re-branding.

Meanwhile, the young turks at Hog’s Head continued to push the envelope with their beers and opened a Tap Room with full food menu at the St. Albert brewery. The Alberta Small Brewers Association moved ahead, with Greg Zeschuk as Director. Shane Groendahl and Edmonton Beer Geeks Anonymous continued spreading the craft beer gospel through cask events such as the EBGA Real Ale Festival. The new beer barns in town, Craft Beer Market and Beer Revolution, along with MKT and The Underground, have carved out a role, bringing newbies to craft beer without ignoring the demands of beer geeks.

FEB

JAN

NOVEMBER 13-16

FOOD ON FILM Chefs, cooks, foodies, faddists; heaters of water, makers of reservations; kill your dinner, cook it raw; paleos, vegans, vegetarians, gluten freeists; beer geeks, wine lovers, cocktailists.

Whatever wolf pack you belong to we have a movie for you during Relish Fest, a film festival about food culture.

Enjoy savoury drama, spicy comedies and food-for-thought docs including the Western Canadian premiere of the Slow Food Story.

Speakers to inspire conversation.

Food and drink experiences.

A place for food lovers to gather.

All-Dressed Passes on sale now!

French language food films at La Cité Francophone English language food films at

For a full schedule of films and events:

www.relishfilmfest.org

(includes all screenings at Metro, Opening Night Reception and Saturday night’s Big Cheese after party)

Dinner and a Movie

Wednesday November 12 Get Cooking YEG, Tortilla Soup Friday November 14 Kitchen by Brad, Springhammer Sunday, November 16 Culina Millcreek, Tampopo

22 November December 2014 | The Tomato

DEC

It has been a real joy to see our west coast neighbour’s craft beer industry take flight. On trips back from seeing kids at UBC, I’ve been filling the minivan with B.C. beer that isn’t available east of the Rockies; Driftwood, Bomber, Hoyne, Bridge. British Columbia still has a way to go to catch up with fellow Cascadians, Oregon and Washington State, but they are on their way. And it isn’t just a Pacific coast bubble. This summer the United States passed the 3,000 breweries mark, plus an estimated 2,000 breweries in the

My favourite local beer thing this year was Craft Beer Market, its hip, sexy space bringing a little glamour to craft beer. On a sunny summer afternoon at Craft’s rooftop patio there was no better place to carpe cervisi (seize the beer)!

Peter Bailey

Year in Beer Six-Pack Red Racer ISA, Surrey, BC The beer style of the year was ISA (India Session Ale). Beer style purists scoff, but ISA is a new hybrid style that is a lighter IPA: less alcohol, less bitterness. ISAs are light enough to be sessionable, that is, to have more than one in a session. As usual, Central City hits the bull’s-eye with a crisp, bitter but quaffable ale.

Tuatara Aotearoa Pale Ale, Paraparaumu, New Zealand In 2014 craft brewing grew all over the globe. Far from markets and suppliers, New Zealand brewers have had to make their own way. Tuatara initially brewed their APA with American hops, but when supply dried up they turned to local hops like Pacific Jade, NZ Cascade, Nelson Sauvin, and Wai-iti, creating a uniquely Kiwi beer.

Amsterdam Boneshaker IPA, Toronto Amsterdam began as Toronto’s first brewpub back in 1986, just down the street from the future SkyDome. An old brewery can learn new tricks, as shown by this citrusy, hoppy, unfiltered American India Pale Ale, first brewed for a local IPA-brewing contest. A Pacific Northwest IPA brewed on the shores of Lake Ontario.

Deschutes Black Butte Porter, Bend, OR

just in time for christmas!

2014 saw an American invasion, with several of larger U.S. craft breweries finally coming to Alberta, with Colorado’s New Belgium and Oregon’s Deschutes making their way to town. I don’t think any beer gave me more consistent pleasure this year than this dark, deep, delicious porter. A true classic.

Rogue Double Chocolate Stout, Newport, OR Like Big Rock’s Ed McNally, Rogue Ales founder Jack Joyce was a craft brewing legend, an iconoclast who showed the way for Oregon brewers and brewers everywhere. Jack passed away in May of this year. Here Rogue’s ground-breaking Chocolate Stout is amped up with more of everything. A perfect holiday beer.

Alley Kat Olde Deuteronomy Barley Wine, Edmonton Beer geeks near and far cheered when Alley Kat announced the return of their classic barley wine as the brewery’s 2014 Christmas seasonal.

Olde Deuteronomy is a classic of the style, a rich, full-bodied brew with aromas of dried fruits and caramel malts, like Christmas cake in a glass.

From the Farm is a collection of favourite recipes from Alberta chefs and cooks, all using ingredients you can find fresh at your local farmers’ market.

For details or to purchase, visit www.albertamarkets.com

When not seizing beer around town, Peter Bailey works as a local library director. He tweets as @Libarbarian.

The Tomato | November December 2014 23

The Proust Culinary Questionnaire Scott Parker, Möet Hennessey Brands 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.

Scott Parker’s career in food and wine spans three decades. He brought the first Wine Spectator Award in the city to Pack Rat Louie’s in the mid-80’s, and for the past several years has worked with Möet Hennessey brands, marketing highly-coveted drink such as Möet Chandon, Veuve Cliquot, Ardbeg and Belvedere vodka.

At the peak of his career Scott has chosen a new road, moving to the west coast with his young family.

We say adieu to the funny and charming bon vivant, and send Scott off with a glass of Möet. Salut!

Hometown?

Regina

Years drinking Champagne: 20 years. We built the bubble lounge parties to help foster the idea that Champagne was not just for special occasions,

Where would you like to live?

A penthouse in the sky in NYC.

Your favourite food and drink?

I love duck and rabbit with Champagne and Bordeaux or Burgundy.

What’s your dream job?

I loved working in wine and spirits. My first love is music, so to be a musician, not a musician-slashsomething else would be a dream job.

What do you most appreciate in your friends?

Generosity. A sense of humour, a sense of daring.

Your favourite qualities in a dish?

Great presentation, texture, depth of flavour and character.

24 24 November November December December 2014 2014 || The The Tomato Tomato

Authentic Italian flavors with a modern twist.

A wine?

I like a wine that is well-balanced and refreshing.

Everything local, fresh and made in house.

Who would be at your dream dinner table (dead or alive)?

I would love to have dinner with Jaco Pastorius, the avant-garde jazz bass player. He was a big influence.

Who would cook?

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Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Take your pick: You know. I feel. You used to be a lot of fun, what happened to you?

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Current obsession/exploration?

I have the opportunity now to explore life through the eyes of my one-year-old daughter.

Meaningful experience?

Two poignant amazing experiences I will not forget; my first time in Bordeaux picking the 2000 vintage at Mouton Rothschild and having an exclusive multi-vintage tasting of Dom Perignon at the birthplace of Champagne, the abbey in Hautvilliers.

RGERD.CA

join our feast of gourmet

IDEAS

Best professional thing that ever happened to you?

Being able to meet so many creative and passionate people in food and wine.

Mentors?

Claude Buzon, who taught me l’arte de vivre and attention to detail. Werner Schönberger, who gave me such opportunity.

Philosophy?

Live life like you mean it.

What’s next?

It’s an open book, a whole new chapter.

I’m not 100 per cent sure what’s next but I’m really looking forward to it.

IN LITTLE ITALY AT 10826 - 95 ST, EDMONTON, AB TEL: 780.428.0754 WWW.ZOCALO.CA OPEN: MON-WED 9-6, TH-FRI 9-8, SAT 9-6, SUN 11-5

The Tomato | November December 2014 25

a scotch-lover’s guide to

whisky heaven graham usher I love Scotland, and not simply because of the great golf courses and incredible whiskies.

26 November December 2014 | The Tomato

I decided to bookend my visit with some rounds of golf at Royal Troon and Turnberry as well as a few lesser-known gems. I flew to Glasgow, then drove three hours west to Campbeltown on the southeast tip of the Mull of Kintyre.

I met with my friend Ranald Watson, the global brand ambassador for Springbank Distilleries, to play a round of golf at Royal Macrihannish Golf Links (opened in 1876 and partially redesigned by old Tom Morris in 1878).

Campbeltown has a storied place in whisky lore, at one time boasting as many 37 distilleries in the late 19th century, being every bit the whisky engine of Scotland that the Speyside region is today. Sadly, only three producing distilleries remain in Campbeltown: Springbank, Glengyle and Glen Scotia.

After a truly Scottish golf experience — rain and wind — followed by fish and chips at the clubhouse, it was back on the road to Glasgow to meet up with the boys from SCN. Day One Our group, nine whisky-loving men, set off on the first leg of our distillery adventure, three hours north east to Speyside. First stop: Aberlour distillery, one of the top selling whiskies in France.

Facing page: Islay sand dunes.

FRES E D

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Next up was the Glen Moray Distillery to choose the next cask for SCN members. After a brief tour of the o distilling facilities we got down to m business, starting off by nosing three separate barrels of whisky. Nosing a cask is pretty much what it sounds like, LaziaTomatoAd_20.10.14.indd the bung (plug) is removed and the members smell the whisky in the cask.

It is amazing what you can determine about a cask and the whisky contained inside by merely smelling. We did not know the age of each whisky or the origin/type of each barrel (we later found out the barrels were Chenin Blanc, Bourbon and Madeira). Once everyone had the opportunity to nose each barrel, we ranked our choices, then moved to the visitors’ centre for round two. We tasted each of the three barrels (in an undisclosed order) and ranked our choices. Both rounds were tabulated and our favourite was chosen.

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This past fall I visited several distilleries dotted all over the Scottish countryside, including the Western Isles of Islay and Arran, with a group of private whisky buyers. The organization, called the Single Cask Nation (SCN) is a whisky society that sells single cask offerings selected for its membership (of which I am the only Canadian). Our task was to sample whiskies in the barrel.

Best known for using sherry casks for aging, Aberlour is now using some bourbon casks as well, reducing the sweet berry notes while increasing the more cereal elements. This is most apparent in the A’bunadh. All in all, a pleasant experience to start our trip.

REDEFINED menu

H

I love Scotland because my heritage demands it and it’s where my soul truly feels at peace. So whenever the opportunity presents itself for a visit back to Auld Scotia, it’s akin to going home.

You might not think that this is a big deal, but France as it turns out, is the number one nation for the consumption of whisky by volume (the United States spends more on whisky than any other country).

MA

After all, world-class malts are produced in exotic locales such as Japan, Taiwan and India. And, there are few finer golf experiences than Stanley Thompson’s gem at the Jasper Park Lodge or the magnificent Pebble Beach Golf links alongside Monterey Bay.

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a

Edmonton City Centre Ste. A 113, 10200 -102 Ave. Edmonton, AB T5J 4B7 780.990.0188 www.lazia.ca

21/10/2014 8:26:22 AM

Once all the hard work was out of the way we headed to a local Elgin eatery to celebrate our first day, and later at the Drouthy Cobbler Pub, to sample some fine drams. In the pub we overheard much civilized and good-natured discussion surrounding the impending vote on independence.

Day Two The GlenDronach Distillery, in Aberdeenshire near Huntly.

GlenDronach, noted for its sherried expressions, has undergone a significant transformation since its purchase in 2008 by the BenRiach Distillery. The plan was to restore the distillery to its former glory and importance to the world of whisky (as it had been from 1826-1996). With this renewed sense of purpose, GlenDronach is again Continued on next page

The Tomato | November December 2014 27

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

Barrels at Bruichladdich. All photos courtesy Bruichladdich Distillery.

Scotch Continued from previous page

THINGS TO EAT OR DRINK

IN EDMONTON

2015

Accepting entries January 5 - 23

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t n e v a d s r a d n e l ca

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28 November December 2014 | The Tomato

producing a beautiful, light and elegant spirit. The gentle sweetness is no doubt due to the selection of exceptional sherry casks, carefully managed and masterfully blended.

end, our visit to GlenDronach proved to be an enlightening experience with many members of the group purchasing single cask bottles from this terrific distillery.

A popular misconception is that all single malt scotches are from a single cask. In fact, unless the bottle states the source as single cask on the label, all single malt whiskies are a blend of several casks from the same distillery, usually from the same year. We were introduced to the 15-, 18- and two 21-year-old special bottlings as well as tasting the new spirit, the clear spirit that comes directly from the spirit still.

Our last distillery in the Spey is one of my personal favourites, Cragganmore in Ballindalloch, Banffshire. Diageo brand ambassador Douglas Colville started us off with a 12-year-old and a 21-yearold Cragganmore followed by the Old & Rare Mortlach whisky, which had a wonderfully creamy mouth feel and Christmas cake flavours of currants, dates and raisins. Afterwards, Douglas took us in to the warehouse to show us how they managed the casks. Position within a warehouse has an effect on the maturation of the casks due to the higher temperatures closer to the ceiling.

Cragganmore has much lower ceilings than many distilleries and, as a result, does not stack their casks more than three layers high.

In Scotland, new spirit cannot be called whisky until it has spent a minimum of three years and one day in oak. This affects the colour and the flavour in a significant way — as demonstrated by the side-by-side tasting of matured whisky and the new spirit. The difference was fascinating, offering a great insight into how the wood affects the flavour and colour. For example, spirits aged in port or sherry casks are a darker, richer red colour than the same spirit aged in refill bourbon casks. In the

Day Three We were on the road early to drive six hours across the picturesque northern highlands. Along the way we saw signs

dotting on the hillsides proclaiming “Yes” for those Scots in favour of Scottish separation from the United Kingdom, and “No Thanks” for those supporting the current arrangement.

While the rest of the world watched the various news agencies trying their best to whip up pubic sentiment, we did not see any outward signs of acrimony. My favourite news piece was the declaration that the Glasgow Rangers Football Club could no longer avoid bankruptcy, due to the fact that the board of directors could not sell shares or otherwise solicit funds from the fan base because of uncertainty over the British Pound being recognized as official currency after the vote. As with all things Rangers, it turned out to be much ado about nothing.

Once we hit the west coast we turned south, driving through the charming village of Oban and on to the port of Kennacraig where we caught the ferry to Islay. We planned to visit six iconic distilleries on the island, considered mecca for lovers of boldflavoured, heavily-peated whiskies that age in warehouses perched on craggy outcroppings, in barrels that seem to breathe the bracing and turbulent sea air.

Surprisingly, as we sailed into the terminal at Port Ellen, we were greeted with beautiful sunny weather. Once settled into our accommodations, we were treated to our finest meal yet at the Port Charlotte Hotel. Good thing we were able to get our bellies full of food to offset the torture we were about to put our livers through over the next two days.

Day Four Our first distillery was Laphroaig with guide Bryony Boyd, who just happened to be the actual owner of Shorty; the Jack Russell Terrier used in the entire Ardbeg distillery adverts. (Sadly, we found out Shorty had recently passed

at age 16). Laphroaig is a distillery with a foot firmly planted in the old ways.

Although it pumps out more than 1.2 million litres of whisky every year, Laphroaig continues to malt 25 per cent of its own barley — which they just happened to be doing at the time we visited the malting floor. Against all British Health and Safety rules, the kiln doors opened and we stepped inside the peat-smoke filled chamber to experience the drying of the malt first-hand. Even for a seasoned whisky drinker and distillery visitor, this was a phenomenal experience.

We traveled a few short kilometers east along the southern shore to Ardbeg. This quirky, lesser-known distillery (except among peat heads) has been turning out some of the most interesting special bottlings (Alligator, Supernova, Galileo) of any distillery for the past 15 years.

The highlight was a wee taste of Ardbeg distilled in October 1964, matured in wood for 42 years, bottled in 2006.

At that point, the alcohol content was dipping down near 40 per cent alcohol by volume (abv), the lowest a whisky can have and still be called whisky. It showed a side of Ardbeg rarely seen. Rather than being an aggressive, smoky mouthful, this expression had a soft, subtle flavour with almost no iodine or peaty-ness.

Granted it still had some smoke but it almost felt like an after-thought.

After lunch we toured the facilities and one of the warehouses, then back to the visitor centre to try the Ardbeg Alligator, the standard 10-year-old and a 17-yearold that did the Ardbeg reputation proud — peat on the front of the tongue and sea salt on the finish, perfect.

We headed back up island to Bruichladdich, located in Port Charlotte, where we were able to sneak in just before closing. This Remy Cointreau-owned distillery is the very embodiment of a whisky-Phoenix.

Mothballed in the early 1990s due to poor sales, the distillery was resurrected in 2002 by a group of investors (including one ex-university chancellor from Edmonton) and, under the tutelage of master distiller Jim McEwan, became the number three selling Islay whisky. It was only just recently sold to Remy Martin for a record £58 million.

Please see “Scotch Lover” on page 34

TASTING

EVENTS

MacTaggart Ridge Tasting Centre 5962 Mullen Way 780-432-2258 For tickets or to view more great tasting events visit:

coopwinespiritsbeer.com/events

Get to Know Rum – The Dark Side

Come to the dark side, as we explore the world of pirates, molasses and grog. Rum is taking the spirit world by storm, finding a foothold on our shelves and a growing appeal with our spirit-savvy customers. Join us as we dive into the elements of fine drinking rums, with a focus on the dark styles.

November 8, 7-9pm • $40

Guess the Expensive Wine

This has become a signature event in our tasting rooms. Get ready for an evening of great wine and a little friendly competition. Pinpoint the expensive offering hidden in a flight of wines.

There’s a prize for the most astute participant, so come with your taste buds ready.

November 14, 7-9pm • $25

The Vixen Named Vodka

It’s time to set it straight! Straight vodka, that is. Let’s line up some premium vodka and see who really can lay claim to the title of “smoothest.” We will taste a flight of top-shelf vodka in a blind and deductive format, take score and see if we can taste the difference price makes.

Perhaps we can make a few cocktails, too!

November 21, 7-9pm • $35

Chocolate, Wine and Cheese with JACEK Chocolate and Cavern Cheese

The tasting trio you have been waiting for: We’re partnering with sinfully decadent chocolatier JACEK Chocolates and cheese guru Tricia Bell from The Cavern to bring you the most incredible wine and food pairings your mouth has ever met. Our sommelier will select only fine wine pairings for this divine evening.

November 22, 7-9pm • $65

Library Tasting – Vintage Wines

We’ve secretly been hiding wines in our cellar for years. They rest lazily in a controlled environment until they’re at least 10 years of age, slowly evolving deep and complex characters.

Now, we’re opening the cellar door and blowing off the dust on some of these beauties, and we want you to join us! This flight will include wines and styles from around the globe.

November 27, 7-9pm • $45

Scotch Whisky Battle – Blends vs Single Malt

Think you know whisky? There’s a stigma that blended malt whisky is subordinate to single malt whisky. We’ll discuss the differences and taste a blind flight to see if we can discern a difference in the quality of the drinking experience. This is sure to be a fun evening for any whisky enthusiast.

November 28, 7-9pm • $40

Napa Cab vs Washington Cab

Since the 1970s the Napa Valley has enjoyed global reverence and even domination for its wonderfully rich and opulent Cabernet Sauvignons. Recently, the wines of Washington state have been turning heads and pleasing palates as the region slowly builds its reputation for premium wines. Let’s compare, contrast and, most importantly, enjoy a flight of Cabernet Sauvignon from these two regions.

December 5, 7-9pm • $35

Holiday Wines – Ports

When winter’s grip is tight, port is the perfect wine to warm you up and share with family and friends during the holiday season. We’ll delve deep into Portugal to discover these deep and delicious wine styles.

December 13, 7-9pm • $35

Sign up for our E-newsletter Stay up-to-date on our latest tasting events. coopwinesandspirits.com/news/email_updates

The Tomato | November December 2014 29

Wine Maven “INTERESTING THING ABOUT WHISKY,” says David Farran, of the new Eau Claire Distillery.

“If you can make good beer, you can make good whisky.”

He would know. David started his career at Big Rock where he first met Eau Claire’s master brewer and distiller Larry Kerwin. “Larry knows grain, he knows brewing, he knows distilling — he’s a mad scientist.”

Eau Claire is Alberta’s first craft distiller. Home is a 1929 theatre in Turner Valley, close to the grains they buy direct from local ranchers. They have just released their first products, a rich and full-bodied vodka with a zesty lemon note on the finish; and a soft and fruity gin made with 15 botanicals (one of which being saskatoon berries.) Look for their distinctive bottlings at better wine and spirit shops.

NEW TO ALBERTA IS CLAIRETTE DE DIE, a traditional Muscat-based, naturally sparkling wine from a small area in the Rhone, southeast of Valence in the hilly Drome river valley.

Made from 15 per cent Clairette, and 85 per cent Muscat, the wine forms its soft bubbles through the traditional methode Dioise ancestrale unique to the area. Here’s how it works. The grapes are picked and undergo a long slow fermentation. The wine is bottled before the fermentation is finished, leaving some natural sugars in the must, then ferments quietly over the winter, stopping naturally at about seven per cent alcohol. The result? The Cave Monge Granon Clairette de Die has fresh fruit salad flavours, refreshing acidity and just a touch of sweetness. Delicious, and affordable, around $20.

SEBASTIAN ALVIAL OF MONTES (Chile) led a group through a tasting of current releases over lunch at Pampa.

Montes Alpha delivers great value and flavour. The Chardonnay, for example, puts paid to the idea that new world Chard in oak must be big and buttery rather than focused and elegant.

This wine is a delight. Every year the Folly label features a different painting by Ralph Steadman, after he and founder Douglas Murray struck up a friendship on a plane. Folly, from Syrah Sebastian Alvial, Montes, tasting at Pampa. planted high on volcanic slopes, is concentrated, heady, with white peppery and menthol notes. The biggest change at the winery is the commitment to sustainability. Dry farming is being phased in, saving water, reducing the size of the crop and increasing the quality of the fruit.

Alison Philllips, Aligra, master distiller Jim McEwan, Bruichladdich, Tara Smith, Sherbrooke, and Steve Buzak, Royal Glenora.

Mikael Falkmann, Taittinger; Larry Stewart, Hardware Grill, Eileen Crane, Domaine Carneros.

IT DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS FOR LOVERS OF BUBBLE. Tasting Taittinger and Domaine Carneros with Eileen Crane the doyenne of Sonoma’s Dom Carneros, a self-professed, dyed-in-the-wool bubblehead, and the gregarious and sophisticated Mikael Falkman from Champagne Taittinger at a dinner at the Hardware Grill.

30 November December 2014 | The Tomato

TASTING WITH JIM MCEWAN. He’s telling the story of the early days of Bruichladdich, trying to make gin, not knowing how, asking botanists on Islay to pick wild plants, making the gin (The Botanist) in a beaten-up old pot still called Ugly Betty. Telling us the gin kept Bruichladdich alive.

We’re riveted, this guy is an amazing storyteller. We haven’t had a drop of malt and we’re on the edge of our seats. He’s funny and yes, the accent helps. He should go on the road. Oh, he is on the road. The perseverance paid off, they bought the distillery for six million and sold it for close to $60. “All employees had shares, even toilet cleaners, everybody got 30,000 or so, pounds.” Apparent above all, is Jim McEwan’s fierce love for Islay, his pride in its people and his appreciation of good whisky.

Respected brands make respected gifts

Sign up for weekly cooking classes. Gift Cards also available!

For information call 780.464.4631 or visit register.thepantree.ca #550, 220 Lakeland Dr. Sherwood Park, AB @PanTreeKitchen Kevin and Kimberley Judd (Greywhacke) at lunch at Continental Treat.

KIMBERLEY AND KEVIN JUDD are on the last leg of a trip that had them crisscrossing the US and Canada for several weeks.

“We export 93 per cent of our wines,” says the man who helped create the worldwide thirst for Kiwi wine with his first vintage for Cloudy Bay in 1985. “We have to go to the other side of the world to see our customers.”

Now the Judds make wine under their label Greywhacke, named after a rock, a type of sandstone common in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. I have been an unabashed fan since my first whiff of Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc a few years back. But it’s not just Sauvignon Blanc with the Judds. The Pinot Gris is rich, spicy, textural, with a honey charcoal aspect, and long finish. “I like to pick the gris ripe, when it starts to shrivel,” says Kevin. “Sometimes there’s a bit of botrytis.”

The Riesling also has a savoury note with lovely acidity.

Both have spent time in barrel.

What would be Kevin Judd’s last drink? Chardonnay.

I don’t know why I’m surprised by that answer. The Chardonnay we just tasted is outstanding, hand picked, whole-bunch pressed, with full throttle ripe pear notes — a lovely combination of power and finesse.

/ThePanTree

hardware grill est. 1996

hardware grill est. 1996

hardware grill hardware grill est. 1996

est. 1996

seasonal prairie cuisine • the evolution of tradition www.hardwaregrill.com / 780.423.0969 / 9698 Jasper Ave also visit our newest downtown restaurant: tavern 1903 at alberta hotel

The Tomato | November December 2014 31

Pork

Nourishing Entertainment!

Metro Cinema is a community-based non-profit society devoted to the exhibition and promotion of Canadian, international and independent film and video. metrocinema.org

Give the Gift of Metro Cinema Metro passes make a great gift for the film lover in your life. Get a locally designed card to match!

Gifts starting at $30

Spotlight: Robert Altman Altman is an in-depth look at the life and times of filmmaker Robert Altman. Also screening: M*A*S*H, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, & The Player

November 28 - December 3

It’s A Wonderful Life - Food Bank An angel helps a frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed.

December 21 @ 1:00

Free admission with a donation to Edmonton’s Food Bank!

Metro Cinema at the Garneau 8712-109 Street | metrocinema.org

Continued from page 12

Heat a large skillet to just under the smoking point. Sear the loin until browned on all sides. Turn heat off, add white wine to the pan, season with pepper and place in the oven. Cook for about 25 minutes (to internal temperature of 145ºF/63ºC). Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

“I like using Irving’s Farm Fresh because they have done an excellent job with their Berkshire pork products.” – Jimmy Ng, Lazia Restaurant

Apple Bacon Jam 3 rashers smoked bacon, fine diced 1 cup onions, thin slices 1 whole Gala apple,

While the pork is cooking, bring vegetable or chicken stock to a boil in a large pot. Add the couscous, mirepoix and salt. Stir, cover with a lid, and turn off the heat until ready to serve. Right before serving, add chopped pea shoots.

peeled and fine diced

Tart Cherry Condiment

In a frypan or small saucepot, render the bacon for 1 minute. Add onions to bacon to caramelize on medium heat.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the bacon-onion mixture. Cook on low heat for 12 minutes until the apple is soft.

1 cup tart (sour) cherries 2 tablespoons sugar

Wash and pit cherries (omit washing if using canned). Put cherries and sugar together in a bowl and smash with a fork. Let sit in a warm place for about 20 minutes.

To serve: Spoon couscous on to each plate, followed by a slice of saltimbocca, top with two shavings of lardo/bacon, a generous spoonful of cherry condiment and pan jus from the loin.

FINE WINE, SPIRITS AND ALES

Berkshire Pork Sliders

Serves 6.

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar ½ cup apple juice 2 tablespoon brown sugar ½ teaspoon black pepper

Sriracha Aioli ½ teaspoon roasted garlic 1 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce

Mix all the ingredients together and keep chilled.

Berkshire Pork Patties 600 grams ground pork, (about 1.32 pounds) ½ cup smoked cheddar, shredded 1½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Mix the ingredients together by hand.

Make 10 or so small patties. Pan-sear in non-stick skillet and transfer to baking dish to oven at 400ºF for 5 minutes or until meat reaches 160ºF.

Coming soon to Edmonton Centre!

780.458.4777 • info@unwined.biz www.unwined.biz • 2, 512 St. Albert Trail

32 November December 2014 | The Tomato

Toast small slider buns or dinner rolls.

Butter. Spread the Sriracha aioli on bun tops and bottoms. Put the hot patties on the bun bottoms with some apple bacon jam. Garnish with sliced fresh tomatoes and shredded bibb lettuce. Cap slider with bun tops and start enjoying your delicious mouth-watering gourmet sandwich.

Serves 5.

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The Tomato Food & Drink

Scotch Lover

Continued from page 29

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Kitchen Design Awards o to Fo Submissions open:

March 2, 2015

Touring around the facility, the group was most impressed by, of all things, the gin mill named Ugly Betty, where the impressive Botanist Gin is distilled twice a year. Back in the visitor’s tasting room, our host appeared with the yet-to-bereleased Octomore 6.3. The intent of this expression was to see how high they could push the phenol, a measure of the peat content. Past expressions have averaged between 65 ppm (parts per million) and 167 ppm (by comparison the Ardbegs and Laphroaigs usually register around 40 ppm range). At 63.5 per cent abv the Octomore 6.3 clocked in at an astounding 258 ppm — a monster dram, to be released in Canada around Christmas.

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ma notified by: Finalists o T e April 29, 2015 May 29, 2015 Th Submissions Deadline

Winners will be feaured in the July/August 2015 issue of The Tomato and online at thetomato.ca and in all press releases and materials related to TKDA

The Tomato Food & Drink thetomato.ca

Kitchen Design Awards

Day Five Still on Islay, we returned to the southern coast and an early morning visit to Lagavulin. We arrived just in time for a quick scoot through the mash tun, washback and stills rooms (each distillery’s hardware and method of distillation affects the whisky produced) before heading into the warehouse for a tasting of seven different expressions.

The standouts were a 1966 sherried cask and a 37-year bourbon cask (each sample drawn directly from the cask).

Warming hearts one plate at a time A finished plate means a full belly and a warm heart. Help provide Edmonton families in need with the means to serve up their own traditions.

Donate today at ChristmasBureau.ca

34 November December 2014 | The Tomato

Lagavulin has struck a fine balance between the smoky characteristics of an Islay whisky and the elegance associated with malts from the Highlands and Speyside. Much of Lagavulin’s output is chill-filtered, which strips out some of the less desirable taste elements but also removes out some of the fatty acids and oils (fats equal flavour and complexity).

Cold-chill filtering has been a hot topic for discussion ever since the process was invented (for the movies, ostensibly to keep the whisky from going cloudy when you added ice) and its pros and cons will likely continue to be discussed well into the future. It’s perhaps more germane to acknowledge that some distilleries feel the need to chill-filter while others do not.

After lunch we headed to the Bowmore distillery. We toured the facilities (again with a visit into the peat kilns for some) and headed down into the Number 1 warehouse, the most famous warehouse

on Islay because it is actually located below sea level. We tasted nine current versions of which none were truly memorable even though all good solid offerings. However, the visitor centre lounge, with its comfortable leather furniture, huge fireplaces and terrific view of Laggan Bay would be great place to gather and watch a lashing west coast squall.

Our last distillery of the day was the newest distillery on the island, Kilchomen. Built on a sheep farm high up in the hills behind Port Charlotte, Kilchomen is the only distillery on Islay that performs the entire process from start to finish, beginning with the malting of 100 per cent Scottish barley (some of which is Islay grown) through to the bottling. We had the extreme pleasure of meeting the owner/founder, Anthony Wills while he was pitching in on the bottling line. An English wine merchant in an earlier life (he was a definite No Thanks voter), Mr. Wills began distilling single malts a decade ago and has been turning the whisky world on its ear ever since. Kilchomen famously bucked industry trends by selling three- to five-year-old single malts. What he realized was that when you use choice ingredients and employ excellent distilling techniques you do not have to barrel age the spirit as long in order to get a smooth, flavourful whisky. This model has been copied by new distilleries from Sweden to Taiwan and it has forced many of the established distilleries to reconsider their methods and results.

Day Six Two lovely surprises on the ferry trip from Port Askaig to Kennacraig.

Anthony Wills was on the ferry! We had a wonderful chat with him about the whisky industry and where he saw it headed. Also, a young lady was traveling back to Edinburgh, bringing a mandolin for a friend. One of the members of our group, a graduate of the Berkeley School of Music, treated us to some early morning Celtic reels. With that, the day was off to a terrific start.

We headed down to the Springbank distillery in Campbeltown, one of the oldest family-owned distilleries in Scotland, where Ranald Watson gave us a personal tour. Springbank also chooses

to source and use barley from local farms whenever possible. What ultimately sets Springbank apart is its commitment to its community. Although the annual output is in the neighbourhood of 750,000 litres, the distillery employs over 65 full-time staff (compared to Aberlour let’s say, which produces 3.2 million litres and employs less than 10 full-time staff). The current Springbank owner, Hedley Wright, has arranged for the distillery to be placed in trust for the benefit of the citizens of Campbeltown in perpetuity.

Cadenhead is the independent bottling division of Springbank. A visit to that warehouse was like hitting the jackpot — a selection of casks from various distilleries they have been overseeing for decades.

We were allowed to bottle (straight from the cask) a 1974 Inch Murrin, a 1986 Highland Park, a 1979 Dallas Dhu and a 1991 Caol Ila. Ranald told me afterwards that our group set a record for the most money spent in a single visit — nearly $4,000 on 22 bottles. Sadly we were not able to purchase a cask from the distillery — which would have been a tremendous coup.

After lunch we headed up the coast to catch the ferry to our last stop, the island of Arran and the Arran Distillery, which opened in 1995. Of all the distilleries we visited, Arran was (in my mind) the most logically set up with all the processes located in one big room. This reduces the need for miles of pipes connecting the mash tun to the washbacks and the washbacks to the stills. I was impressed with the efficiency of this distillery and even more impressed with their warehouse inventory system. I purchased a small bottle of 18-year-old, single Tuscan cask as a souvenir from this very slick distillery.

There was much lingering at the end of the tour as we realized this was our final distillery visit. We caught the ferry and drove up to Glasgow for one last meal at the Bon Accord Pub. In hindsight it seems rather fitting that the group decided to hold its farewell dinner and drinks at this pub in the heart of Glasgow. There are well over 200 single malts behind the bar, many of which are extremely rare (and expensive). The owner, Paul McDonagh, irascible, charming and incredibly knowledgeable about whiskies, was very generous with our raucous group of North Americans. He brought over a bottle with its label covered, poured us all a dram and asked us to guess what it was. A lively discussion ensued.

It turned out to be a 1978 Port Ellen (Gordon and MacPhail bottled) that usually pours for £90/ounce, and he poured 12 of them for our group.

We did our best to repay his generosity by ordering some outstanding whiskies, not the least of which was a 35-year-old Bhora.

A Sensory Experience!..

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The Tomato | November December 2014 35

Kitchen Sink Restaurant Ramblings Congratulations Blue Chair Cafe (9624 76 Avenue, 780-989-2861, bluechair.ca) on 10 years of great food and good music. Their new menu has unusual flavours and ingredients with several items to keep vegans, vegetarians and the gluten-challenged happy.

Cibo Bistro (11244 104 Avenue, 780-757-2426, cibobistro.com) celebrates its third anniversary with a wine dinner featuring Montalcino’s Terralsole Vineyards, Monday, November 10. Enjoy a five-course, Tuscan-inspired menu by chef Rosario Caputo with wines to suit, $125/p + gst and grat. There are three seatings, 6pm, 7pm and 8:45pm. Call 780-757-2426 to reserve.

Several restaurants are collaborating with Relish Food on Film Festival to offer Dinner & A Movie nights. On Wednesday, November 12, Get Cooking Edmonton (MacEwan University City Centre Campus Student Residence, 11050 104 Avenue, 780-566-2106, getcookingedmonton.com) screens the American comedy Tortilla Soup, $55/p + gst, cash bar. Kitchen

by Brad (kitchenbybrad.ca) will show the documentary Springhammer, Friday, November 14, and Culina Millcreek (culinafamily.com) screens the Japanese classic Tampopo on Sunday, November 16. Visit relishfilmfest.org for more info.

The brand new Ampersand 27 (10612 82 Avenue, 780-757-2727, ampersand27.com) has two private dining spaces with all the AV and WIFI bells and whistles anyone could desire. The Memory Bank seats up to 30, and the Mixer, seating up to 60, is an amazing space to mingle, mix and socialize.

The Cavern (#2, 10169 104 Street, 780-455-1336, thecavern.ca) feels intimate and sophisticated after dark. Celebrating New Year’s Eve there would feel as though you are in a romantic Parisian boite, rather than downtown Edmonton. Save your money for Champagne and the seasonal four-course menu. Two Seatings, 5:30 and 9pm-midnight-ish), advanced booking required, 780-455-1336.

Mark your calendars! Lovers of rustic French food will enjoy The Marc Restaurant (9940 106 Street, 780-429-2828, themarc.ca) as it celebrates the region of Alsace, January 12-17, with belly-warming dishes. On the menu, choucroute, torchon, tarte flambe and tarte tatin, paired with delicious Alsatian beers and wines.

36 November December 2014 | The Tomato

The gauchos are coming to Calgary. Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse is opening a 155-seat location in Calgary at Centre 10, 521-10 Avenue SW. Visit pampasteakhouse. com for all the details.

Brad Smoliak, Kitchen by Brad (#101, 10130 105 Street, 780-757-7704, kitchenbybrad.ca) has a solution for the same-old office holiday lunch called the Express Cooking Class. Instruction, three courses and a glass of wine for $100/p + gst for up to 10 people. Finding it hard to get together for an evening during the holiday season? What about an Afternoon Kitchen Party?

Come to Kitchen for substantial grazing and a glass of wine, and be home in time to watch the hockey game or kid’s Christmas concert. Available from 3 pm onwards, Monday-Thursday, $135/p + gst for up to 24 people. Enjoy Dinner & A Movie, Friday, November 15, $135/p + gst. To book any events at Kitchen, email info@kitchenbybrad.ca.

Wine Tastings, Happenings and Events Tickets for Relish Food on Film Festival, November 13-16 at Metro Theatre are on sale now. Featured on opening night: To Make a Farm and American Meat followed by a lively panel discussion with four young farmers: Vicky Horn, Tangle Ridge Ranch; Rhonda Headon, the Cheesiry; Jenny Berkenbosch, Sundog Farm, and Cathryn Sprague, Reclaim Urban Farm.

We love their food; here’s the chance to hear what being a farmer means today, relishfilmfest.org.

Unwined Fine Wines, Spirits and Ales (512 St. Albert Trail #2, St Albert, 780-458-4777, unwined.biz) tasting line up: November 5, Book Club with Laurie Greenwood (The Sisters Brothers), $25; November 25, The Bold and the Beautiful, Big Reds, $40; November 26, Four Regions Scotch Tasting with Dave Gordon; December 9, Champagne and the Wannabes, $25. All tastings begin at 7:30pm.

Join Nicole Weinkauf and Daniel Costa at the next Prova, Sunday, November 16, for an exploration of the flavours of Piemonte, 7pm at Bar Bricco (10347 Jasper Avenue, 780-421-4622, barbricco.com). Tickets at eventbrite.com The Edmonton Epicurean Society presents dinner on Tuesday, November 25, members $80; non-members $90. Tix, edmontonepicurean.com.

Support Community Options’ early education programs at the Bid ’N Sip Classic Wines 101 wine tasting, art auction, and wine collection draw November 7, 7pm, $30. Call 780-455-1818 for info and tickets, communityoptions.ab.ca.

Aligra Wines & Spirits (Entrance 58 WEM, 8882 170 Street, 780-483-1083, aligrawineandspirits. com) tasting lineup: November 19, Sherry, Not Your Grannie’s Drink Anymore, $30; December 3.

Brandies and Cognac; Is There a Difference?, $40.

Enjoy complimentary in-store tastings every Friday and Saturday from 3 -7 pm.

The pantree (550, 220 Lakeland Drive, Sherwood Park, 780-464-4631, thepantree.ca) is holding a Robbie Burns Dinner with Chef Toll on January 23.

Enjoy Dinner & A Movie at Get Cooking Edmonton (part of the Relish Food on Film Festival) Wednesday, November 12. Kathryn Joel and Israel Alvarez are serving a four-course Mexican inspired dinner and screening Tortilla Soup. $55/p + gst, cash bar.

Tix at getcookingedmonton.com.

Product News The pantree (550, 220 Lakeland Drive, Sherwood Park, 780-464-4631, thepantree.ca) will be open Sundays on November 30, December 7, 14 and 21 and Thursdays in December until 8pm. They are stocked for the season with several clever gift ideas, such as the Make Cheese kits, which contain everything you need to make feta, mozzarella, cheddar or poutine curds at home, $30-60. Tea Forte has introduced a whimsical limited-edition holiday pattern called Snowflake, available in their Kati cups and Pugg teapots. We like the Urban Accents Turkey Brining kits, with everything you need to prepare a mouthwatering Christmas bird, $20.

Where to find Newget, our fave made-in-Edmonton candy this season? St. Albert Country Craft Fair, November 15-16, Make It Edmonton November 20-23, Santa’s Little Helper, November 30 and Silver Bells event on December 15. Newget delivers locally and ships across Canada, order at newget.ca or call 780-995-1115. The Perfect Pear flavour, creamy white chocolate loaded with pistachios, roasted almonds, sweet dried pear and fresh rosemary, is only available in November and December. Order today!

We are fans of the Cook’s Corner dips, made by chef Maryanne Korn, available at the Bon Ton Bakery (8720 149 Street, 780-489-7717, bonton.ca). Try

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How to roast an amazing bird: use Brad’s BBQ Rub, ideal for turkey, Boulangerie Bonjour Treestone chicken, pork, even fish or tofu, with (8612 99 Street, 780 433-5924 just the right amount of heat, salt yvanchartrand.com) now stocks cheeses and savouriness, 300 gm container, from the Fromagerie Domaine Feudal $9 at Kitchen by Brad (#101, in Berthierville, Quebec. Le Noble a FILM FOODisON 10130 105 Street, 780-757-7704, creamy Camembert-style cheese ideal kitchenbybrad.ca). for snacking or with fresh fruit. The Guillaume Tell is bathed in Ace du Send new and/or interesting food and Vignoble De Lavoie ice cider giving the drink related news for The Kitchen Sink cheese a winey, apple windfall flavour. to thetomato.ca.

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Metro Cinema Screenings Thursday November 13 5:30 pm Opening Reception 7:00 pm To Make a Farm 8:15 pm Young Farmers Panel Discussion FOOD ON FILM followed by American Meat

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7:00 pm Next Floor (short), followed by Blood into Wine 9:15 pm Hey Bartender Saturday November 15 2:00 pm Ratatouille, in collaboration with Metro’s Reel Family Cinema 4:00 pm Conservation Caravan, Operation Grassland Community 4:30 pm Salmon Confidential 7:00 pm Slow Food Movie Western Canadian premiere 9:00 pm Big Night

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La Cité Francophone

French language screenings, schedule TBA

Dinner & A Movie

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Tortilla Soup, Get Cooking Edmonton

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Springhammer, Kitchen by Brad

Sunday, November 16

Tampopo, Culina Millcreek

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The Tomato | November December 2014 37

According to Judy

Judy Schultz

Foodies, Foodologists and Food Futurologists …

Here it comes: the annual avalanche of predictions by foodies, foodologists, food futurologists (and I didn’t make that one up, honest). Then there are the rest of us who simply love to eat.

MEATY THOUGHTS: All praise for the pig, that tasty beast, we’ll continue to eat everything but the squeal. In 2015, pulled pork stays on the table. The everpopular pork belly will be eclipsed by pork jowls, the gelatinous bit of cheek meat with even greater flavour. Need I say, bacon stays, probably forever, but with fewer cutesy versions. Bacon cupcakes will disappear, as will bacon ice cream, replaced by candied bacon.

(Sprinkle slices with brown sugar and chopped walnuts, bake on a rack until crisp. Yum!) BLACK IS BACK: Bitter chocolate so dark it’s black, along with black sugar, puffed black rice (except in Australia, where anything puffed is now out) and black sesame seed. Squid ink black pasta is still on the table, joined by black quinoa, taking its colour and flavour from black olives.

VEGETABLES: After kale, what? More kale, with half a dozen new varieties coming on-stream in 2015. Parsnips, least-likely-to-succeed among vegetables, will come to the table deeply, darkly oven-roasted, drizzled with buckwheat honey. Parsnips, along with beets and carrots, will also show up as Moroccanspiced dips, and as chips, deep-fried or smoked.

PASTA: Relax, the world’s number one comfort food is never going away. Expect to see pasta sharing the plate with more grains and beans, ancient and otherwise.

We’ll eat more spelt, amaranth, quinoa, lentils, edamame.

BREAD: Bread got the boot when gluten became the food allergy du jour, but it’s back in spades, with artisan bakeries popping up in unlikely spots. Give thanks, bread really is the staff of life.

38 November December 2014 | The Tomato

You loved naan with garlic and onion?

Imagine naan with chocolate.

SPREADS: Instead of the ubiquitous puddle of olive oil for dipping, watch for cultured butter, hand-churned, aged three days, chilled and sprinkled with sea salt. For this we’ll pay extra.

LOCAL: “From the farm of…” will show up on more menus, except in Australia, where the naming trend has come and gone. Up here, we’re just scratching the surface of the local-is-better movement.

However, purists need to remember that “imported” is not a four-letter word.

FARM KITCHENS: You thought food trucks were the ultimate mobile cuisine?

In 2015 the Food Network will climb into more farm trucks. They’ll bounce over the backroads with Ree Drummond and her ilk, carting tailgate meals to hard-working kids and square-dancing spouses. Shows like Heartland Table and Farmhouse Rules will emphasize down home cooking. Expect to see vats of chili, acres of cornbread and biscuits. Sadly, none of the hosts thus far have mastered the ultimate southern-style biscuit, made with buttermilk, yeast and grated frozen butter.

BEER and MORE BEER: But let it be craft beer, with wildlife taking over the labels. Rutting elk, grumpy bears.

Various hogs, dogs and serpents. If the people who sell and serve the stuff can now learn the subtle differences among the brews, and the niceties of a perfect pour, we can get this party started.

HEATING UP: Sriracha will fade as more chefs riff on kimchi, with Korean food the next big trend.

MORE PARTIES: We’re loving the return of the dinner party. Small, pretty tables for five or six, with easy food, a good bottle of wine (or two)…a perfect way to spend a cold winter night.

Judy Schultz is a food and travel writer.

She divides her time between Canada and New Zealand.

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