EAT Magazine Issue 13.01 Jan | Feb 2009

R E S TA U R A N T S | R E C I P E S | W I N E S | C U L I N A RY T R AV E L

L o c a l | S u s t a i n a b l e | F r e s h | S e a s o n a l

Celebrating Food & Drink in British Columbia

January|February2009|Issue13-01|FREE

vancouver:TheDrive isAlive

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BCWineListWinners

+Healthful Food TrendsBeetsCellaring WineLocal KitchenSan FranciscoThe Best NoodlesA Quebécois DinnerPopcornSeattle

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www.eatmagazine.ca

WINNERBEST FOOD PUBLICATION

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3www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

H appy New Year to all and welcome to our first issueof 2009. Looking ahead you’ll find a newly balancedEAT—one that not only keeps you up-to-date on

new restaurants, but one that also seeks out restaurants thatmay have been overlooked and that offer great value. Iexpect the hyper-ampedVancouver scene to cool and I knoweaters will be searching for ways to dine out well withoutunnecessary and expensive frills. Expect social and sharedplates dining to gain traction—it’ll be all about good foodwith friends and family.We’ll continue to support local food and wine producers

but we’ll also spend more ink on telling you where you canfind the products and great ways to cook with them.Wewantto provide solutions for those wanting to cook well, healthyand sustainably at home this year.

Gary Hynes, Editor.

Concierge Desk . . . . 5Restaurant History . 6Good for You . . . . . . . 8Food Matters . . . . . . 9My Seattle . . . . . . . . 10Epcure at Large . . . . 11Restaurant Reporter 12San Francisco . . . . . 24Québec Dinner . . . . 26Local Kitchen . . . . . 30What’s in Season? . 33The BC Scene . . . . . 34Liquid Assets . . . . . 38Wine & Terroir . . . . .40Chefs Talk . . . . . . . .42

Best Australian Producer 2003, 2006 and 2008International Wine and Spirit Competition

www.peterlehmannwines.com martins4443

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T h e P E O P L E , S T O R I E S & W I N E ST H A T M A K E t h e B A R O S S A F A M O U S

Editor’s Note

CoverRecipe: Local Kitchen photo by Rebecca WellmanSee page 30 for the recipe. Visit Rebecca’s website www.eatmagazine.ca

!IN THIS ISSUE

ONL INE EXCLUS IVES@ www.eatmagazine.ca

•New:SpecialtyFoodReviews• IslandChef’sCollaborativeExecutiveElected•Report on theFarmlandsConference•RedFifeboothatTerraMadre08•IronChef cooksatVictoriaCactusClub•30Chefs fromParis to cook inMontreal•Meinhardt's introducesReady toEatmeals•Victoria’snewStreetLevelEspresso•BCandWorldFoodNews•Recipe&Wineof theweek,Cookbookreviews•Reader letters

AndouilleSausage &Chicken Stew

eatmagazineJanuary | February 2009

JanuarySCOTTISH MOFOODSFeaturing Sconeys, jams, bof course, thfrom Jan.19thbagpipes willOld City Quarthat includeshaggis. 426 Fi11TH ANNUALJan 11 The winsort combineand Late HarvCountry. For tsip, this shosort.comCOOKING CLASpice Up Yourheld Tuesdaytwo classes ovanced Skillsskills with lots1 - 22. Visit faiHALIBUT withJan 14 Joinseafood menuutive Chef atBring an apperecreate someper person, stREDWINES toJan 14With thfew festivitiesdark and rainythe fire with rand pasta andnet Sauvignonitivo and theHouse Wine wwines to warmCall 604.780.4EARLY BIRDPLAYHOUSE IJan 15 This mof the biggestworld and isnent's premibiggest, bestworld. Ticketssale Jan. 27, aon sale Feb. 3Visit playhousFIRST ANNUACHINESE CUISJan 15 An awChinese cuisinCasino, Plazathe dining pubby registeringTen membershave a chanceof the winninwell as 2 tickJanuary.RAW FOODSTHRIFTY’S TUThe CookingTuscany Villa

4 EATMAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

Editor in Chief Gary HynesContributing Editor Carolyn Bateman,

Vancouver Contributing Editor Julie PeggEditorial Assistant Katie Zdybel

Local ReportersVictoria: Katie ZdybelNanaimo: Su GrimmerComox Valley: Hans Peter MeyerTofino | Uclulet: Kira RogersVancouver: Julie PeggOkanagan: Jennifer Schell-Pigott

Contributors Larry Arnold, Michelle Bouffard, Jennifer Danter, Pam Durkin, Gillie Easdon,Andrei Fedorov, Jeremy Ferguson, Nathan Fong, Lorraine Forster, Duncan Holmes, MaraJernigan, Chris Johns, Tracey Kusiewicz, Tara Lee, Andrew Lewis, Ceara Lornie, SherriMartin, KathrynMcAree, MichaelaMorris, Julie Pegg, Karen Platt, Treve Ring, Kira Rogers,John Schreiner, John Sherlock, Elizabeth Smyth, Chris Mason Stearns, Michael Tourigny, SylviaWeinstock, Rebecca Wellman

Art Direction Gary HynesPublisher Pacific Island Gourmet | EAT ® is a registered trademark.Advertising:Lorraine Browne (Vancouver Island), Paul Kamon (Vancouver), Kira Rogers(Tofino), Gary Hynes (agencies, regional and national).250.384.9042, [email protected] departmentsBox 5225, Victoria, BC, V8R 6N4, tel. 250-384-9042, fax. 250-384-6915www.eatmagazine.ca eatjobs.ca epicureandtravel.comSUBSCRIPTION RATES: $35 for one year (plus GST) in Canada.To subscribe, contact EAT Magazine at the number or address above oremail [email protected] 1998 | EAT Magazine is published six times each year. No part of this publication may bereproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Although every effort is taken to ensure accuracy,Pacific Island Gourmet Publishing cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions that may occur. Allopinions expressed in the articles are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the publisher. PacificIsland Gourmet reserves the right to refuse any advertisement. All rights reserved.

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Montreal, Quebec will be celebrating in style this winter season with its one–of-a-kind Montreal Highlights Food and Wine Festival being held fromThursday, February 19th to Sunday, March 1, 2009. For ten days the city

will host one of North America’s premier gourmet events and to commemorate its 10thyear Montreal has invited thirty of Paris, France’s top chefs to participate.This year’s Honorary President is master chef Alain Passard, whose restaurant

L’Arpege is considered one of the very best in Paris. “We have put together a group ofyoung chefs that represent the Paris scene today,” said Passard from his restaurant inthe 7th Arrondissement near the Eiffel Tower. “They represent the most talented,enthusiastic and creative of the Parisian chefs.”“The two key factors in Paris cooking are creativity and research,” continues Passard.

You will find this in all types of restaurants—from bistro to gastronomic. Chefs areincorporating cuisines fromMorocco and Asia, highlighting simple yet premium qualityingredients and using their creativity to present their dishes in new ways. For example,a simple dish of beets are prepared in a salt crust to maximize their flavour.”During the festival, the Paris chefs will join with Montreal chefs to share the stage and

cook at their counterpart’s restaurants. Chef Passard will co-host the festival’s openingnight dinner with Norman Laprise at Toqué!. Like Passard’s L’Arpege, Toqué! is known forsourcing sustainable products and giving credit to the producers on their menus. SaysPassard. “In Paris, customers are demanding to know the provenance of their foods.”Passard expects to discover new products while in Quebec for the Toqué! dinner. “Themenu will revisit some of the classic dishes from my restaurant but I expect to beinfluenced by spontaneity as I discover wonderful Quebec.”Another highlight of the festival will be the Ten-star Event, which will be a rare

opportunity to taste the cuisine of ten Michelin star chefs.—By Gary HynesVisit the Festival Web site atmontrealhighlights.com

MONTREAL HIGH LIGHTS FESTIVAL

JanuarySCOTTISH MONTH at MCLEAN’S SPECIALTYFOODSFeaturing Scottish cheeses, oatcakes, chut-neys, jams, biscuits, and teas all month. Andof course, the Annual Haggis Extravaganzafrom Jan.19th - 24th. On Jan. 24th, the skirl ofbagpipes will resonate throughout Nanaimo’sOld City Quarter with a toast to Robert Burnsthat includes copious amounts of whisky andhaggis. 426 Fitzwilliam St., Nanaimo.11TH ANNUAL ICEWINE FESTIVALJan 11 The winter wonderland Sun Peaks Re-sort combines with world famous Icewinesand Late Harvest wines from Okanagan WineCountry. For those who love to both ski andsip, this shouldn’t be missed. sunpeaksre-sort.comCOOKING CLASSES at FAIRBURN FARMSpice Up Your Suppers cooking classes will beheld Tuesday nights, Jan. 13 - Feb. 10. $99 fortwo classes or $180 for four. Basic and Ad-vanced Skills class teaches a wealth of usefulskills with lots of great new recipes. Runs Feb.1 - 22. Visit fairburnfarm.bc.ca for details.HALIBUT with CHEF KAREN BARNABYJan 14 Join us tonight for another greatseafood menu with Chef Karen Barnaby, Exec-utive Chef at the Fish House in Stanley Park.Bring an appetite and plan to be inspired torecreate some amazing dishes at home. $60per person, starts at 7pm. wellseasoned.caREDWINES to BEAT theWINTER BLUESJan 14With the holiday season over there arefew festivities to distract you from the cold,dark and rainy weather. It’s time to cozy up bythe fire with rib-stickin’ fare like meat stewsand pasta and fuller bodied reds. Think Caber-net Sauvignon from Australia, hedonistic Prim-itivo and the structured beasts of Portugal.House Wine will pour these and many morewines to warm the soul. O’Douls, Vancouver.Call 604.780.4788.EARLY BIRD TICKETS for the VANCOUVERPLAYHOUSE INTERNATIONALWINE FESTIVALJan 15 This much-loved festival attracts someof the biggest industry names from around theworld and is firmly established as the conti-nent's premier wine event and among thebiggest, best and oldest wine events in theworld. Tickets to all consumer events go onsale Jan. 27, and tickets to all trade events goon sale Feb. 3. Festival takes placeMar. 23-29.Visit playhousewinefest.comFIRST ANNUAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE INCHINESE CUISINEJan 15 An awards ceremony celebrating theChinese cuisine of Vancouver at the EdgewaterCasino, Plaza of Nations. Starting October 21,the dining public will be invited to vote onlineby registering atwww.VoteDinersChoice.com.Ten members of the general public will alsohave a chance to win dinner for six at any oneof the winning Diner’s Choice restaurants aswell as 2 tickets to the awards ceremony inJanuary.RAW FOODS COOKING CLASS at theTHRIFTY’S TUSCANY VILLAGEThe Cooking & Lifestyle Centre at Thrifty’sTuscany Village will be hosting six cooking

classes throughout January and February in-cluding Raw Foods with Elyse Nuff: All Break-fast. More classes at thriftyfoods.comCHINESE NEW YEAR DINNER with Les ChanJan 23 ‘The Year of the Ox’ $35 Gold CityRestaurant, 250.383.7317AUTHENTIC ITALIAN PASTA-MAKING CLASSJan 26 Chef/Owner Adam Pegg of Kitsilano'sLa Quercia will reveal a few of his pasta-mak-ing secrets for this class, with a menu whichwill include stuffed, hand made and dessertpasta and noodles. In typical decadent Quincefashion the class will enjoy the evening's cre-ations with paired wine at the harvest table inour Gallery. Call 604.731.4645

FebruaryNICHOL VINEYARD DINNER at Cafe BrioFeb 5 Five Courses - 5Wines $95 (tax and gra-tuity not included). 944 Fort St., Victoria, 250-383-0009DECONSTRUCTING WINE WORKSHOP ATQUAIL’S GATEWINERYFeb 7 Join resident Sommelier, Jon Randle ashe guides participants through a series of ed-ucated blind tastings of international and localwines. Enliven the pallet and senses with thedifferent styles of wine that the world has tooffer. Each workshop is themed by a grape va-rietal or viticultural region. quailsgate.comCHEF FOR A DAY PROGRAMFeb 7&21 Join Chef Cari Reid as she shows youwhat its like to be Chef For a Day. From plan-ning the menu, to shopping for ingredients,preparing the meal and then sitting down andenjoying the benefits of your hard work, thisis hands-on class full of fun. For more detailsvisit edible-britishcolumbia.com3rd ANNUAL VICTORIA TEA FESTIVALFeb 14-15 Held in the Crystal Garden, The Vic-toria Tea Festival is the largest public tea exhi-bition in North America and is hosted inbeautiful Victoria renowned for its heritagewith tea. Tea tastings, delectable tea-food se-lections, complimentary lectures and muchmore support Camosun College Child Care Services. Tickets $20. victoriateafestival.comVIVE LA FRANCE CHEESE TASTINGS at LesAmis du FromageFeb 17 Make room in your schedule for thisfantastic cheese tasting where youwill exploresome of the many regions from France. Thistasting promises to highlight some of the bestthat France has to offer, and will include someclassic cheese pairings with wines from the Al-sace, Loire valley and Bordeaux. Sells outquickly. buycheese.comSEEDY SATURDAYFeb 21 Stick it to Monsanto! Come out to acommunity event that features organic, her-itage and unique seeds for sale by small grow-ers, master garderners on hand for questions,a community seed swap, and lots more. Ad-mission is $5, under 12 are free. Victoria Con-ference Centre, 720 Douglas Street.BEAT THE FEBRUARY BLAHSFeb 21 BC wine tasting, 40 new releases,Advance tickets only $25. VQA Wine Shop atMattick's Farm 250-658-3116.


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THECONCIERGEDESK by Katie ZdybelFor more events visit THE BULLETIN BOARD at www.eatmagazine.ca

BRING FILM TO LIFE

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JAN 30TH - FEB 8TH 2009WWW.VICTORIAFILMFESTIVAL.COM

Follow Michael Stadtländer, his family and a team of apprentices on a culinary tour of the islands off the coast of British Columbia. Piling into a customized bio-diesel/kitchen school bus called “The Liberator” Stadtländer and crew travel across Canada to fi ndthe freshest food imaginable at the farms, harbours, markets and co-ops of the islands. The result is some of the most beautifully presented and obviously delicious food around documented in a charming, eccentric and entertaining film. Michael Stadtländer in attendance.

with its one–g held fromays the cityrate its 10th

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An Industry Matures

F rom the fire and fury of Pierre Koffel at the Deep Cove Chalet to the elegance andbeauty of more convenient haunts such as Chez Daniel, La Petite Colombe, CaféFrançais, The French Connection, Chez Ernest and Micheline’s to present day

Restaurant Matisse and Chez Michel, Victoria has a significant Gallic legacy. Vital to thechefs’ creations and to Victoria’s early restaurant development was North Douglas Dis-tributors, which Armando Barbon started in 1972. What is now a huge corporation (it wasacquired by SYSCO Corp., North America’s largest foodservice marketer and distributor, in2000), began in a small, 1,100-square-foot deli, with restaurateurs sourcing quality ingre-dients out the back door.A year earlier, another French restaurant, Chauney’s, with a focus on seafood, was

opened by past Empress Hotel banquetmanagerDominique Chapheau andmaitre d’Harryde Zwager. Chauney’s celebration of seafood was unprecedented in Victoria. “One womansent back these enormous beautiful prawns because the eyes were looking at her,” saysChapheau. “So, we cut off their heads and sent them back out. Then she was fine.” It wasa time when oysters were available from the East Coast only and even then, they arrivedpre-shucked in a bucket. Chauney’s, with its high ceilings and pillars and a gorgeous lo-cation across from the Empress, was the site of the “most powerful lunch in Victoria,” rem-inisces Chapheau. In 1981, Chapheau sold his half of Chauney’s to de Zwager and openedthe stunning Chantecler, taking with him dishwasherMichael Clark, who ran the restaurantfor years.George Szasz, another integral part of Victoria’s European connection, grew up in Van-

couver steeped in the restaurant business. His grandparents had come over from Hungaryin the 1950s and had established Szasz, a delicatessen that served up Eastern Europeancomfort food for more than 35 years. After a few years with a restaurant in Smithers withLinda and their children, George heard through the grapevine that Daniel Rigollet wasplanning to sell Chez Daniel in Victoria. Not keen on returning to Vancouver, the Szasz fam-ily moved to the Island in 1997.Furthering the tradition of fine French food in Victoria, John Philips andDavid Reimneitz

opened Matisse in 1997 with George Szasz. A year later, Daniel Rigollet sold Chez Daniel’slocation to George and Linda Szasz, who opened Paprika in 1998.The two were impressed by the abundance and excellence of local produce and livestock

and, George relates, “deeply moved and inspired” by the support and welcoming commu-nity of the restaurant industry in Victoria. In mid-2007, George and Linda opened Stage, aFernwood establishment that has changed the neighbourhood, giving it a foodie destina-tion of its very own.

Victoria Comes of Age: The Herald Street Caffe“The French guys made the standard and then Greg came along,” says Larry Arnold,

manager of Spinnakers Spirit Merchants and a wine columnist for this magazine. Let’sbacktrack for a moment and revisit the landscape of Victoria’s cuisine in the late 1970swith its boats of béarnaise sauce, sweet and sour pork and chicken cordon bleu. Now pan

CHAPTERTHREEAsFrenchchefssolidify theirhautepositioninVictoria, a group of newcomers turn an oldChineseroominghouse intoone thecity’smostendearing eateries.

A restaurant history series by Gillie Easdon

Victoria’sCulinary

DNA

O Bistro & LoungeRelax and catch up with friends over weekly specials

and tasty O bites!

Martini Mondays: special “O”-tinis of the weekWine Wednesdays: featuring BC wines

Flute Fridays: try our sparkling wine creations

The Oswego HotelTel: 250-294-7500500 Oswego Street @ Kingston Streetwww.oswegovictoria.com

Herald Stre

What betsparklingand all thfrom Chile

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over to a dining room as friends Greg Hayes, Mark Finnigan and Helen Bell finish off asumptuous meal and a bottle of wine or two. “Let’s cost this meal out,” says one of them.And with this unassuming suggestion, the fertile seeds of Herald Street Caffe were sownfor future Victoria restaurant greats—a herald indeed.The building at 546 Herald Street had been an old Chinese rooming house, and the ini-

tial inspection yielded a “bizarre trip down memory lane with pigeon shit,” says Hayes.Following a turbid barrage of backers, backer-outers, rebackers, relatives and friends, Her-ald Street Caffe cracked open in 1982 with the help of an idealistic team of investors andbelievers–including the electrician hired tometamorphose the space into a working restau-rant.“Greg Hayes pushed the city beyond its limits,” saysGlenn Barlow of BCWine Guys and

a popular local wine consultant. With a delicious late-night menu, an all-star crew and aneclectic, fervent mess of people lined up down the block every weekend screaming for atable, Herald Street Caffe was “a party every weekend.” The food, with pastas from $4.75a plate, was simple and delicious. An attempt to remove the curiously addictive gingerchicken was met by a barrage of letters from staunch Herald Street disciples. It was theplace for industry folk to decompress after work, for people to continue the revelry andcarousing after other restaurants had shut for the night. And when they finally kicked thelast guest out around 3 a.m., it was time for the staff to unwind. The legend of Herald Streetendures as past servers, such as Barlow, smile wide and shake their heads at the memo-ries of the antics that ensued. “Daniel Rigollet used to love to come to Herald Street and Iloved to serve and then sit with him,” says Barlow.Eventually and inevitably the hem of the once idealistic team of investors and believers

started to fray. Due to professional and visioning differences, the initial team disbanded,leaving Mark Finnigan and Helen Bell with the Caffe. In 1993, Greg Hayes and partner Sil-via Marcolini turned their attentions to the Marina with owner Bob Wright, where theyspent three years. The space was redesigned by JC Scott. The food was extraordinary, andthe award-winning wine list did not change the fact that, according to Hayes, “when youdo food that people think is a bit chichi, you get the foodies and the reviews, but not thepeople.”Next Issue: chapter four - Cafe Brio, Camille’s


elegance andolombe, Cafépresent dayy. Vital to theDouglas Dis-ration (it wasdistributor, inquality ingre-

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Herald Street Caffe interior circa 1980’s

What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with a glass of pinksparkling wine that has been spiked with fresh strawberries? Toast loveand all that is innocent in this world with a flute of this sweet charmerfrom Chile. Fresita $17.95 (#299404)

!Bubbles for my Valentine


WBuchko’s kitcabbage rollsLucy’s borschwith a generoloved the luxthe exceptionalone in my afamily friendsimage was owith the turnThe beet h

onto fine dinbeets, the lescandy-cane sprologue to ashaved overnately with owith a splashInn on the LaMcCaffrey p“snow,” a berare. And I mpickled beetsspiced subtlyRecently

vodka/dill viroasted beetinto 3 Tbspvodka, 1 Tbshoney, sea staste. Lightlybeet. Top blacold beef, orwith horseraperfect “ladgence, sip a donion gracingon ice.Beets serv

simply. Boil

FOOD M

DaThiseNewresearch is constantly spawning food trends.

Couture runways aren’t the only places you can spot trends—you can find them inthe aisles of your favourite food store. Even health foods are subject to a certaindegree of “trendiness,” often fuelled by both the current Zeitgeist and the in-

creasing onslaught of ever-changing news from the world of nutritional science. What arethe trends awaiting health-conscious consumers in 2009? Let’s look at some likely bets.

HEIRLOOM FOODS You may have seen them at your local farmer’s market—misshapentomatoes, knobbly squash, imperfect apples.What these unattractive goodies lack in aes-thetics theymore thanmake up for in taste. I’m speaking of heirloom fruits, vegetables andto a lesser degree grains. By definition, heirloom foods have been cultivated from seedsthat have been in use for 50 years or more. How do they differ from standard fare? Mostfood you buy is grown from seeds that have been hybridized—cross-bred to make theplants produce a product uniform in size and shape, resistant to pests, hardy and, unfor-tunately, often lacking in taste. But heirloom seed varieties are slowly making a come-back—and nowhere in Canada is it as strong as on Vancouver Island. “When I talk topeople from other parts of Canada, they are amazed at the grassroots heirloom-seedmovement here,” says Bernie Martin-Wood of Two Wings Farm, a local supplier of heir-loom seeds. Researchers at Rutgers University recently determined heirloom produce ismuch more nutrient dense than produce grown from hybridized seeds.

BLACK RASPBERRIES Several years ago, when researchers at Tufts University hailed blue-berries as superstars in the fight against cancer, the demand for the little blue fruit rosealmost as fast as its price. That scenario is about to be repeated with the newest star onthe berry bush—the black raspberry. Researchers at Ohio State University recently com-pared the antioxidant properties of black raspberries with those of blueberries and straw-berries and black raspberries prevailed. They have 11 timesmore antioxidant activity thanthe much-hyped blueberry. Preliminary studies suggest black raspberries can help wardoff oral, esophageal and skin cancers to name but a few.With scientific validation like this,it won’t be long before black raspberries are added to everything from energy bars to yo-gurt.Thankfully, a Denman Island company specializing in wild fruit jams—Lily Plain Summer

(www.lilyplain.com)—is ahead of the trend. The company is already producing a succulent,low-sugar Wild Black Raspberry Jam that is disappearing fast off the shelves at Victoria’sChoux Choux Charcuterie and Granville Island’s Edible BC.

TEA BARS Today’s trendsetting tea bars offer a completely different experience than thecozy, faux-British tearoom of old. Thesemodern spaces offer innovative libations, all madefrom premium-quality, loose-leaf teas. And they’re popping up all over major North Amer-ican cities—including Vancouver and Victoria. Yaletown’s Ocha Tea Bar, West Cordova’sMuzi Tea Bar and Victoria’s recently opened Good Health Teas are perfect examples. Whyis tea so hip? Susanne Gregory, owner of Good Health Teas, explains. “The health bene-fits of tea are astounding—there is irrefutable evidence that shows tea can help fight heartdisease, cancer, Alzheimer’s ... even osteoporosis. “And,” she enthuses, “whereas coffeeis sort of a one-note wonder, tea comes in so many delicious flavours.” Cozy up to a teabar near you and see for yourself.

SOURDOUGH BREAD Sourdough bread a trend? Yes, thanks to a recent study publishedin the British Journal of Nutrition. Professor Terry Graham and a team of researchers atGuelph University examined how people responded to different types of bread after eat-ing them at breakfast and dinner. Of all the breads tested—white, whole wheat, wholewheat with barley and sourdough-white bread—the sourdough had themost beneficial ef-fect on blood sugar and insulin levels. Surprisingly the whole wheat bread had the mostdeleterious effect. Why is that important? An increase in both blood sugar and insulin lev-els—as was witnessed after study participants ate whole wheat bread—has been asso-ciated with an array of health problems. Keep in mind this study tested only those fluffywhole wheat breadsmade strictly from flour—not the heavy, European-style whole wheatbreads made from intact grains. Just what is it that makes sourdough bread so healthy?Sourdough bread undergoes a fermentation process that alters its starches, changing theway it is digested in the body. This same fermentation process has been found to aid in nu-trient absorption and create beneficial bacteria that help keep our immune systems strong.All this good news combinedwith sourdough’s bold, intense flavour ensures its “rise to thetop.”

GOODFORYOU —by Pam Durkin

NowChow


W hen I was a little girl, my par-ents and I spent many Sundayafternoons in Lucy and Jimmy

Buchko’s kitchen feasting on perogies andcabbage rolls. Best of all for me, though, wasLucy’s borscht (“barszcz” in Polish), toppedwith a generous dollop of thick sour cream. Iloved the luxurious red beetroot soup. Withthe exception of my dad, however, I was quitealone in my ardour for the earthy orb. Mostfamily friends avoided beets in any guise; itsimage was one of poverty, right down therewith the turnip.The beet has struggled up from the dirt

onto fine dining tables. Common red gardenbeets, the less common orange Chioggas orcandy-cane swirled, beets make a deliciousprologue to a main course when roasted andshaved over micro-greens. Or sliced alter-nately with orange and red onion and toppedwith a splash of lemon and olive oil. At TheInn on the Lake outsideWhitehorse, chef PhilMcCaffrey prepped a salad with beetroot“snow,” a beautiful setup for beef, roastedrare. And I must give a nod to my father’spickled beets—briny, but not vinegar-sharp,spiced subtly with clove and cinnamon stick.Recently I stumbled on a recipe for

vodka/dill vinaigrette that’s a natural withroasted beets. Whisk 3 tsp minced shallotsinto 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar. Add 6 Tbspvodka, 1 Tbsp fresh dill, 2 Tbsp olive oil,honey, sea salt and ground black pepper totaste. Lightly toss with chunks of roastedbeet. Top black rye with smoked salmon orcold beef, or tongue if you dare, garnishedwith horseradish cream, and you have theperfect “ladies” luncheon. For true indul-gence, sip a dry Vodka Gibson (that’s a pearlonion gracing the glass, instead of an olive)on ice.Beets served warm should be prepared

simply. Boil unpeeled beets until tender if

FOOD MATTERS—by Julie Pegg

Dancing to theBeetThis earthyorb chasesawaywinter’s chill.trends.

find them int to a certaint and the in-ce. What aree likely bets.

—misshapens lack in aes-getables andd from seedsd fare? Mostto make they and, unfor-king a come-hen I talk toirloom-seedplier of heir-m produce is

y hailed blue-lue fruit rosewest star onecently com-es and straw-activity thanan help wardtion like this,gy bars to yo-

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nce than theons, all madeNorth Amer-st Cordova’samples. Whyhealth bene-lp fight hearthereas coffeey up to a tea

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young or bake if mature. In a roasting pan,place one bunch of whole, washed but notpeeled beetroot, about half a cup of water,a good splash of olive oil, sea salt andcracked pepper. Cover with aluminum foiland bake in a 400ºF oven for about 45 min-utes. Pierce the beetroot with a thin knife orskewer. (Do not use a wide blade as beetswill bleed profusely.) Slip boiled or bakedbeets from their skins, slice or chunk, addsalt, pepper and butter—maybe a smatter-ing of fresh dill.But winter’s chill really begs for a steam-

ing bowl of borscht. I love making it, partlyfor the pleasure of trying the many adapta-tions on its eastern European roots, as richas the soup itself. Russian Jews are mainlygiven credit for bringing borscht to America.And the comforting soup has even found itsway into Russian/American literature. In So-viet-born Lara Vapnyar’s short story“Borscht” (from Broccoli and Other Tales ofFood and Love), soup is the glue that holdstogether two struggling Russian immi-grants. Sergei comes to America to earnmoney and fights solitude by hiring aclumsy Russian prostitute. When their sex-ual encounter is unsuccessful, the two findcomfort in sharing homemade borscht.If time is tight, I fix quick borscht: one

diced onion, two or three clovesminced gar-lic, one largeminced celery stalkwith leavesand one large peeled and diced carrot thathas been sweated in oil (1-1 ratiocanola/olive) in a large saucepan. To this Iadd one bunch of roasted, peeled, gratedbeets, then pour over about four cups ofvegetable or chicken stock. Salt and pepperto taste, sometimes a pinch of smoked pa-prika or dillweed, and that’s that. Whenheated through, half the soup gets a whirlin the blender (not food processor) and re-turned to the unblended mixture. I serve itsteaming (chilled in summer). Toppedwith aboiled Yukon gold potato and a dollop ofgood quality yogurt afloat, this is beetborscht, earthy, sweet and simple.More complex recipes include shredded

brisket or beef shank, tomatoes, cubed po-tatoes, maybe kielbasa or bacon and cab-bage. (All-cabbage borscht is Mennonite orDoukhobor in origin.)Lee Bailey’s excellent tome Soup Meals

(Clarkson N. Potter, 1989) serves up Lamband Beet Soup southern U.S. style. Substi-tuting slow-baked thick lamb chops (350ºFoven for about 90 minutes) for beef in anyborscht recipe should work.It’s cold. It’s rainy. Think I’ll curl up with

Broccoli and Other Tales and make a com-forting cauldron of borscht. I wonder if Lucystill makes borscht.

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A s an event designer for one of Victoria’s well-known caterers, I often find it difficult,if not impossible, to escape during busy times of the year. However, it is just thosetimes that I truly need the break and a change of scenery.With Seattle a short ferry

ride or floatplane hop away, it’s an easy, last-minute mini-break I can book on a whim. I stillmarvel at the simple and elegant “harbour to harbor” travel, and unlike on BC Ferries, onecan indulge in a glass of wine during the crossing of the Juan de Fuca Strait.My typical and ideal itinerary goes something like this.After a morning tramping through Pike Place Market, I try to find a great spot for lunch

and settle in for some local fare. Up a few flights of stairs and just slightly off the beatentrack is “Matt’s in the Market.” The menu reads as if someone is walking through the fishstalls and produce shops calling out the best of the season: “Fresh halibut! Seared ahi tuna!Oysters!” In fact, while we ordered lunch, we watched the chefs bring up boxes of fresh fishand vegetables from the market below for the evening menu. I swooned over the steamingbowls of tender clams and mussels served with local breads and paired with a crisp Wash-ington Sauvignon Blanc. The market paella with roasted chicken, chorizo, mama lil’s pep-pers, seafood and saffron bomba rice for $16 is a bargain. If the food isn’t enough (and itshould be), take in the easy ambience of locals lounging over lunch framed bymassive archedwindows that overlook the market and the iconic Public Market signage.SAM (the Seattle Art Museum) is justly well regarded, but I tend to skip the art on the walls

for the art on the plates at the museum’s aptly named restaurant Taste. This cool oasis hasa solid local menu and an incredible selection of Washington wines. Flights of wines arepaired with miniature dishes that allow diners to compare all the flavours and textures invarious combinations. Taste has also chosen to celebrate its growers and producers by de-scribing them as partners—listing not only the name of a farm on the menu but full contactinformation should you be inspired to go directly to the farm. From the lunchmenu I tried, andloved, the spring frittata with melted spring onions, sweet peas, quillisascut chèvre andspring mix salad for $10. My travel partner adored his mini organic beef burger with locallymade Gouda and frites.After I had spent an afternoon and a small fortune in the shopping district, it was cocktail

time. Downtown’s Vessel on Fifth Avenue takes cocktails to a whole new plateau; pleasedon’t go if you’re craving a Smirnoff Ice with a straw; you will be disappointed andmost likelydismissed. They make their own tinctures, foams, syrups and bitters and use seasonal fruitsand herbs. The attention to craftsmanship means whatever you order, classic or nouveau,will be made just right. I tried the Rubicon, a mix of Chartreuse, gin, fresh rosemary andlemon, flamed, then served with cracked ice. It easily took the edge off toomany fitting roomsand not enough perfect fits. A short savvymenu of smallish dishes like petit croque-monsieurwith Mornay sauce or sweet corn fritters with sour cream and caviar will tide you over untilthe main event dinner destination.Finding good Spanish food in B.C. is a challenge so whenever I visit Seattle I head to the

Harvest Vine. This time I tried their newest restaurant (actually more of a bar) called Txori(pronounced “chori”). This neighbourhood-style gem serves genuine pintxos (small bitesfrom the northern Basque region of Spain) from an open kitchen. We love to linger over theselection of expected traditions such as tortilla española ($1.75) and potato onion omelettewith aioli. A glance at the chalkboard reveals the limited daily dishes like baby eels in hot oliveoil or octopus tentacle served on a tart of earthymushrooms. Many of the staff and chefs havetravelled to Spain; they often take an extra moment to share the authentic details of themenu and the intriguing cocktails. Finish the experience with a flan: a lovely silky version of

crème caramel. There was word of an outside dining area nestled between buildings thatwas expected to open in the spring.Another cuisine that is done well in Seattle is Japanese, and Shiro’s in Belltown may just

offer the best sushi south of the Strait. I highly recommend ordering omakase style at the bar;this allows you direct communication with master chef Shiro Kashiba and his apprentices.Each serving of nigiri or other raw bar delicacy is presented with a description of where thefish is from and a moment of anticipation from the chefs as they await your expression ofdelight. The sushi chefs will pace your meal, serve you the best fish and await your signalto conclude the seemingly endless sushi selection.Perfect sushi is the ideal way to end my perfect mini break—some new restaurant explo-

ration, shopping for the perfect sweater, wandering through art galleries and sipping a cock-tail mid-afternoon. And, I’m back in time to be at my desk Monday morning refreshed andready to go.


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For the final part of our ongoing series on Seattle, Victoria event designer Christine Smart gives us her take on the Emerald City

Art on the plates, ultramodern cocktails, pintxos and Belltown’s best sushi. By Christine Smart

Taste at the SAM,1300 First avenue 206.903.5291Vessel,1312 Fifth Avenue 206.652.5222

Txori,2207 Second Avenue, 206.204.9771Shiro’s ,2401 Second Avenue 206.443.9844

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A s a boy in the 1950s, I grew upwithin shouting distance of threeneighbourhoodmovie theatres. In

those days, before TV steamrolled themovies, double bills ran for three days at atime. Sunday movies were forbidden—theclergy linked that prospect with the fall ofthe Roman Empire—but even then, I couldtake in a dozen movies in a summer week.I ate popcorn through every cattle stam-

pede, Apache ambush, pirates’ duel andgangsters’ shootout. Movies and popcorn,in my mind, fused in the art of pleasuring.And for me, popcorn became the last wordin comfort food.If North Americans can hardly imagine

movies without popcorn, well, maybe we’rethe only ones. The French think we’re bar-barians and would probably prefer theirmovies with oeufs en cocotte avec foie gras.The Brits sniff at it as an insult to the “cine-mer” and whine about Romeo and Juliet ex-piring to a soundtrack of chomp, munch,crrrrrrunch.All this is because of a simple miracle of

physics. There are five kinds of corn andonly one that pops. These kernels containresidual moisture. Heated to the boilingpoint, it vaporizes, expands and boom—blows the kernel apart.The less moisture, the smaller the pop.

This is the difference between ordinary and“gourmet” popping corns. The latter have acarefully controlled moisture content of 11to 14 per cent, guaranteeing a light, fluffyresult with every pop.Popcorn has a history as noble as any.

Corn was first cultivated inMexico and Cen-tral America 6,000 years ago. Ears of pop-ping corn almost that old have been foundin bat caves in NewMexico. Thousand-year-old popcorn kernels have been found inInca tombs in Peru, treasure they rankedalongside gold and jewels. The kernels are,astoundingly, still poppable. Historically,methods of popping progressed from fling-ing the kernels on glowing coals to heatingthem on giant clay poppers more than twometres across.

Columbus introduced corn to Europe but,in a lamentable lapse of judgment, deemedpopcorn unworthy of the voyage.Popcorn stole the show at the first

Thanksgiving in 1621, however, when Indianchildren tossed kernels into the fire andcaught the popped corn in their hands. Ithas remained an American passion: Ameri-cans chomp their way through a billionpounds a year, and we Canadians probablymatch them on a per capita basis. I’m cer-tainly prepared to do my patriotic duty inkeeping up.Popcorn swept into movie theatres dur-

ing the Great Depression, when it was theonly munchie people could afford. Thereinbegan the unstoppable liaison betweenpopcorn and movies. When TV came alongand thousands of neighbourhood theatresemptied out forever, the snack moved intothe home. Remember TV Time popcorn?High in dietary fibre, with relatively few

calories and no cholesterol, the stuff passeswith contemporary health gestapo. Nutri-tionists, who can’t get beyond food as fuel,suggest you eat it stark naked—no oil, nobutter, no salt, nothing. Predictably, theychampion the hot-air popcornmaker, an ex-ercise in austerity born to serve as the cen-trepiece in a thousand lawn sales.I’m prepared to pay for prime kernels.

Saint Orville Redenbacher spent 40 yearsexperimenting with 30,000 different pop-corn hybrids before coming up with his ex-cellent bestseller.Choosing a popcorn maker can be ridicu-

lously complicated. You can fork out morethan $5,500 for one state-of-the-art poppersold on the Internet. I use an inexpensivestovetop popper, a simple contraption witha manually operated rotating paddle andflip-top lid. Follow the rules and it popsevery kernel to the max every time. It popsabout six quarts. Just enough for one per-son with a movie of average length.When the corn is perfectly popped, fluffy,

radiant and redolent of corn, I pour it intomy popcorn-shaped ceramic bowl and saltit to raise my blood pressure about 10points. Lately, I’ve been washing it downwith a tumbler of single-malt whisky (fol-lowing the Julia Child principle of “every-thing in moderation includingmoderation”). This oddball, deeply gratify-ing alchemy romps through the corridors oftaste with the resonance of an escaped con-vict.Then, while it is still hot to the touch, I lie

back, close my eyes and let the movie rollin the theatre of my head, where they stillmake ’em like they used to.

EPICURE AT LARGE —By Jeremy Ferguson

P-P-P-Popcorn!One man’s paean to the wondrous miracle that is poppable corn.

AM (r)

January and February are hunker down in front of the fireplace months. What bet-ter strategy to avoid the winter squalls outside than to bring a restaurant-qualitymeal into your living room? This month’s Victoria restaurants are not restaurants atall; they are providers of high quality frozen foods, locally and lovingly made, that

you can heat up at home.A steaming, rich, dark steak and mushroom or steak and kidney pie, a traditional Melton-

Mowbray pie, Spanish bean casserole…these are but a few of the pies and casseroles madeby Jenny’s Olde-Country Fare in Sooke. Attendants at the Sooke Fine Art Showmay find someof these dishes sound familiar if they have visited Jenny’s catering concession there. Thesteam rising from the Spanish bean casserole is scented with her stated “magic ingredients”:tamarind and a dollop of dijon. The body of the casserole is rich in lima beans, onions, toma-toes, and red peppers, and is free of soy; Jenny’s pet peeve is vegetarian food that pretendsto bemeat, when it should simply taste like vegetables. Other vegetarian or vegan dishes areon her menu: Fisherman’s Pie, Gardener’s Pie (with lentils), and ratatouille. Several dishes,both vegetarian and meat-based, are also wheat-free. The steak pies are definitely not meator wheat-free, but do meet my carnivorous needs. The pastry is firm enough to encase therich sauce, yet still maintains its moistness – a coup that I have never accomplished inmy ownkitchen. Themeat pies are all dense with moist, gravy-soakedmeat – a real deal at $11.50 fora 9-inch pie. Another pie, the Melton-Mowbray, is a pork pie traditionally eaten cold, whichis traditionally something I’d never dream of eating. I was proven to be a fool however; thisis an exceptional, flavourful pie with seasoned diced lean pork literally packed in with the flatof a spoon and the arm power of Jenny’s brawny sailor husband. This is $7.50 or so, de-pending on the retailers, which include Red Barn Country Market, Slaters, and Market onMillstream. But…wait for it…aforementioned brawny retired sailor will make a freezer-stock-ing delivery to your door if you live in Victoria or the Saanich Peninsula. To your door! For justa $50minimum order! For me as a busy professional with a young family, this is almost as ex-citing as winning a dinner for two at Sooke Harbour House.For food with some fancier Saturday dinner options as well as midweek hot meals, go by

the Feys and Hobbs catering centre to raid their freezer that’s located just inside their frontentrance. It may contain some or all of these meals for one or two: Five Spice Pork and Pear,Lamb Shanks Puttanesca, Stuffed Cowichan Bay Chicken Thigh, Meat Cannelloni, maybemore…As with Jenny’s Melton-Mowbray pie, I had the lowest expectations for the cannellonibecause it sounded, well, plain. Again, I was proved to be a fool, as this was actually myfavourite dish by a hair, or by a decorative sliver of green onion to be more thematic. Thecannelloni, for one thing, turned out to be delicate crepes, which encased a surprisingly lightmixture of mixed ground meats and cottage cheese. Bechamel sauce over top provided anelegant accent, and besides all that, the little “cannellonis” are just plain cute. Five SpicePork and Pear is a delightful jumble of Michell Farms squash, roast pear, and pork with a fewgreen beans, all in a rich reduction sauce. And the stuffed Cowichan Bay chicken thighs aredecorative as well as delicious, with each thigh sliced into five pieces and displayed like a fan,

showing off the dark green filling of spinach and blue cheese. Two-portion servings rangefrom between $18 and $26.If your foodie star is tarnished because you as a Victoria resident have yet to visit the In-

dian food mecca in Vancouver known as Vij’s, you need no longer hang your head in shame;you can get it frozen at Charelli’s Delicatessen. Tip: you need to get on their email list soyou know when the shipments come in. You then need to drop all other tasks and chargedown there before the marauding gourmand hordes in this town wipe out the stock, leavingthe slowpokes to wait another month. The menu is long, but you can start your explorationwith Coconut and Ginger Green Beans, Punjabi Daal, and Coconut Beef Curry. I appreciatehow the vegetable dishes are clearly differentiated from the protein ones; they aren’t simplyvegetables in the same sauces as the meat dishes. The green beans at $11.50 have a herbalaroma and a pleasing crunch that complements the more liquid curries. The Punjabi Daal for$13.50 has rich brown baby lentils dotted with the occasional red kidney bean. Heat slipspast the satin of the beans and warms the body, resulting in a dish that is


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WinterSquallStrategiesPie delivered, gourmet-to-go and Vij’s in Victoria: 3 dine-in solutions to help you hunker down. by Elizabeth Smyth

both soothin$14.40, will schunks of belike me and darates into lamake it an ev

Your ownwlectable freezto deliver freeyear and a haity leave forDon’t even amember. Somwhen peopledoor createdand nurturedextra chore tcould have goto help carelems is moreeration.

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ther alerts yoit. Cocktails tcisco Pisco Swith pomegrup if you subBeyond the

section devotwines availabcheese & mefrom QuebecLarge platesWest Indian O($15). 542 He

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Jenny’s will deliver traditional Melton-Mowbray pie right to your doorstep!

Chef David Feys with a selection of his prepared meals to go.

Amie Shepherd, Carmen Lassooij & Nicole Ingram at Charelli’s with Vij selections

RESTAURANT REPORTER: VICTORIARebecca

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CANADIABangbellyflour, raisins ainstead of riceeggs are addfrying), pourequarter in an

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o visit the In-ad in shame;email list sos and chargetock, leavingr explorationI appreciatearen’t simplyhave a herbalnjabi Daal forn. Heat slipsdish that is


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Smyth

1327 Beach Drive at the Oak Bay Marinawww.marinarestaurant.com

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both soothing and stimulating at the same time. The Coconut and Natural Beef Curry, for$14.40, will soon be a staple in my freezer; flavours of onion and cumin coalesce in thechunks of beef, and coconut dances on top. Please don’t ruin the experience by being lazylike me and dumping this curry straight from the bag onto your plate as the curry then sep-arates into layers of oil, then sauce, then meat. Break down and dirty a serving dish andmake it an event; after all, it’s Vij’s.

~

Your ownwinter torpor is reason enough to pick up or get a delivery of some of these de-lectable freezer meals for yourself. But I’d like to share with you how meaningful it can beto deliver freezer meals to someone in need. My husband had a serious cycling accident ayear and a half ago. He cracked two vertebrae and broke both wrists, and was on disabil-ity leave for six months. I started to crumble under the stress and picked up bronchitis.Don’t even ask me how our then three-year-old was being parented, because I can’t re-member. Some people sent flowers, which was sweet. But what really helped us out waswhen people went the practical route and sent casseroles. A casserole dropped off at thedoor created time for us – time to heal, time to be together. It also made us feel motheredand nurtured. I actually started to feel sad when we got flowers – sad that I then had anextra chore to do in setting them up and later cleaning them up, and sad that that $40could have gone toward something we really needed – ameal. Using companies like theseto help care for an injured friend, a family with a new baby, a senior with mobility prob-lems is more than giving a gift of wonderful food – it’s a gift of love and profound consid-eration.

Jenny’s Ode-Country Fare, 6596 Sooke Road, (250) 642-2425, allen&[email protected]’s and Hobbs Catered Arts Inc, 1-845 Viewfield Rd, (250) 380-0390,www.feysandhobbs.comCharelli’s, 2863 Foul Bay Road, (250) 598-4794, [email protected]

SOLOMON’S TASTING ROOMWhen Herald Street Caffe shut its door witha thump and finality, the empty space it leftcreated a big vacancy sign which was up fora long time—despite a number of ill-consid-ered interludes to make it work again. I hadalways thought the expansion at Herald StCaffe might have been to blame—makingthe space too big and thus too unaffordablefor most start-ups. Why not sever off theroomwith the bar, I thought—it wouldmakean ideal Vancouver ‘Salt’-style bar. Well,turns out someone did exactly that. Behold,Solomon’s, an eccentric centre of avant-garde mixology, obscure beers, charcuterieand odd-sounding dinner dishes. Definitely,a funky groove going here.The long, narrow room nearly half filled by

the bar is inviting in an untailored way, whilethe constant rattle of the cocktail shaker fur-

ther alerts you to its raison d'etre. The three-page menu, which is two-thirds drink, sealsit. Cocktails take center stage and run from the rediscovered South America via San Fran-cisco Pisco Sour to the trendy Apollo’s Chariot Two—a molecular merge of Metaxa brandywith pomegranate, aged bitters and lemon honey foam. Prices are $8-$12 but can rocketup if you substitute liquor from the top shelf.Beyond the cocktail there’s an extensive liquor list, a range of Fentimans sodas, a whole

section devoted to aperitifs, numerous international craft beers and a basic wine card withwines available in 2-ounce, 5-ounce portions or the bottle. Foodwise, the menu lists $15cheese & meat boards: choose three of each such as Tiger Blue from BC, Brie de Mansfrom Quebec, Spanish Serrano Ham or a Canadian pickled herring roll mop. Small andLarge plates seem to incorporate liquor or bitters frequently. Witness the Mussels withWest Indian Orange Bitters ($8) or the Beer Brined Duck Breast with Limoncello Vinaigrette($15). 542 Herald St., Victoria, 250.590.solomons —Gary Hynes

Solomon Siegel and VanessaWright

oorstep!Rebecca

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CANADIAN FOOD REFERENCEBangbelly An evocative Newfoundland word for a rib-sticking dessert made from molasses,flour, raisins and salt pork. Some people make Bangbelly from leftover bread soaked in waterinstead of rice and flour, though using bread makes it more like a bread pudding.Occasionallyeggs are added. Everything is mixed together (including the fat rendered out of the pork whilefrying), poured into a greased square or rectangular cake pan, and baked for an hour and aquarter in an oven. It develops a crispy pastry outside, while the inside stays "squidgy."

W ith its opulent Victorian-eradécor, long black granite barand carefully prepared

gastro-pub food, the recently openedBard & Banker transcends the kitschy,stereotypical English pub. But make nomistake: This smartly appointed drinkinghole is as friendly a meeting place as theDublin version.Located in a former corner bank build-

ing on Government Street, the pub drawson a cross-section of business types,beer-lovers and those simply looking fora spot of good times. The expansive,23,000-square-foot space spreads outover two levels and is a labyrinth of nooksand crannies, intimate leather booths andprivate dining rooms. Dark wood, pol-ished brass railings, tiled floors, Victorian-era chandeliers, five fireplaces and a glasscanopy at the entrance complete the styl-ized interior.The menu offers both classic and gas-

tro-pub fare. Youmight try a 2 For 1 all-dayspecial such as Pizza and a Pint for $12.95or drop in at happy hour for a dozen freshoysters at a mere $.0.69 apiece. If you’rein the mood for something more gastro-nomic, there’s a short selection of dailyspecials that shows-off the talent in thekitchen. Pan-seared local halibut ($18)struck the right balance, with three prawnand sesame encrusted filets moistened bybeurre blanc, a classic French buttersauce, paired up with chanterelle mush-rooms, sea asparagus and enough whiterice to soak up the buttery sauce. The fishwas fresh enough to satisfy themost ded-icated ichthyologist and was cooked justright to so that the fish flaked but was notat all dried out.

The bar running the length of the westwall is home to some of the best beerspigots from around the world - a wide as-sortment of local, Irish and continentalales. Service was friendly, affable and fastthanks to Kirsten our server.On the heels of the successful Irish

Times Pub, Victoria pub impresario MattMacNeil has done it again—amagnificentheritage restoration, which also happensto be a successful pub operation knownas The Bard & Banker.—G. Hynes

1022 Government Street, Victoria250.953.9993

P orkNooto

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ple, but thetook the timthe chef evestart, our sprime rib stlarge pair othem on thmiddle ofaway surroublanched bfish cakes,and other deically comesdishes). Wvodka-like swas smootfood. I oftencuisines; ththe lack of cfor the exceto the Pork Bdles. Convenated betwmess of fooand eating.selves hom


Bard&BankerPub

W hen La Belle Patate ownerNathieu Lott arrived here twoyears ago he found authentic

Quebecois cuisine sadly lacking. So, he setout to create something very La BelleProvince and decidedly rustic. La BellePatate’s specialties are Montreal smokedmeat, poutine and le hot-dog. (For theuninitiated, poutine is a dish of Frenchfries, dressed with thick beef gravy andtopped with fresh cheese curds). Patate’spoutine is a ninja attack of comfort foodthat left us utterly satisfied. Patate’s Mon-treal smoked sandwich is a fine-tuned bal-ance of thinly shaven meat (about 6 to 8ounces) with just a enough fat to graduallysoak two thin slices of good rye bread –braced on a paper plate with a kosherpickle. The chien-chaud ($3.99 alldressed) is a steamé revelation and servedon a bun with cheese, bacon, and friedonions. We washed it all down with a bigbottle of spruce beer ($3.25).—C. Newell

Lunch for two with more protein than issocially responsible? $22 dollars.

La Belle Patate keeps the nearlyimpossible hours of: Monday-Thursday,6am-11pm - Friday, 6am-1am Saturday, 7am-1am 250-220-8427 plus they deliver!

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Melissa Szewczok and Beau Mirchoffsport the ‘Bard’ look while servinggastro-pub quality cooking andperfect pulls of Guinness.

(250) 642-35961831 Maple Ave. Sooke

www.markuswharfsiderestaurant.com

Vancouver Island’sbest kept secret

Markus’Wharfside Restaurant

APa—Gillie E

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P ork Belly and Squid with YamNoodles. That is almost all I haveto say about Moon’s Korean

BBQ. This one dish summed up an entireexperience that was nothing short of won-derful.The vibe at Moon’s is relaxed and sim-

ple, but they are busy. Nevertheless, stafftook the time to be very welcoming andthe chef even came out to pay a visit. Tostart, our server cut perfectly marbledprime rib strips into small pieces with alarge pair of scissors and then placedthem on the personal barbecue in themiddle of our table. The meat sizzledaway surrounded by small white bowls ofblanched bean sprouts with sesame oil,fish cakes, kimchee, a zucchini medleyand other delectables (Korean cuisine typ-ically comes with many banchan, or sidedishes). We tried Soju, a traditionalvodka-like spirit made with rice wine thatwas smooth and married well with thefood. I often drink beer with many Asiancuisines; this was a nice departure. Also,the lack of carbonation meant more roomfor the excellent food. And now I’m backto the Pork Belly and Squid with YamNoo-dles. Conversation ended as we alter-nated between staring into the gorgeousmess of food steaming away in front of usand eating. Utterly divine. We rolled our-selves home carefully before the immi-

nent food coma hit. Moon’s Korean BBQ isquite inexpensive, a great place for a din-ner out with friends.Moon’s Korean BBQ, 250-592-4244,

766 Fort St., Victoria

I had been keeping a close eye on theconstruction of this casual but fairly funkyeatery at the corner of Fisgard and Dou-glas. After weeks of pressing my faceagainst the window, Sura has opened topacked houses. It was a pleasure to finallysit down to a plate of beef Bulgogki, lus-cious paper-thin sliced prime rib-eye withauthentic Korean barbecue sauce. But itwas the Kimchee Jjigae, a spicy kimchee(traditional fermented vegetables and var-ied seasonings, the staple of Korean cui-sine), tofu and pork soup/stew thatsealedmy future with Sura. It arrived bub-bling away in a cast-iron bowl. The rich,pungent and smoky flavours of this deli-cacy are a tasty way to ward off any blues,winter or otherwise. I returned the follow-ing week to enjoy Haemul Sundubu, aspicy soft tofu soup with squid, prawns,mussels and vegetables as well as crispand savoury house-made pork dumplings,both delicious. Sura is open for lunch anddinner and has excellent takeaway-onlylunch specials.Sura Korean Restaurant, 250-385-7872,

1696 Douglas St., Victoria


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LEFT TO RIGHT: Dolsot bibimbop – rice topped with 6 kinds of veg, ground beef,egg in hot stone pot.Kimchi Jjigae – spicy kimchi tofu soupwith pork. Samgyetang(chicken ginseng soup) – soup made of whole young chicken stuffed with gin-seng, sticky rice, garlic, jujubes and chestnuts at Sura

SPECIALITY FOODSFentimans: This line of botantically brewed soda drinks from the 105year-old UK company Fentimans is showing up in the best fridges and bars aroundBC. We found it at Plenty, Market on Yates and Vista 18 in Victoria and Araxi andNester’s in Whistler. Unlike most soda (a cheap mix of synthetic syrup andcarbonated water), these premium beverages are brewed for seven days usingnatural herbs and contain .5% alcohol to better blend with liquors. The CuriosityCola tastes as coke should: not too sweet, copious flavour and a herbal edge—idealfor toasting Fidel with a Cuba Libre. Top rated is the Orange Jigger combining thetang of Seville and Mandarin orange with juniper for a ripe, pudding andmarmalade profile. Slack your thirst for the unusual. Comes in 125 ml or 275 ml.Stylish cocktail idea: Try Fentimans Tonic Water with white port and crushed mint.


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VictoriaNewsA good back-up plan to cooking fresh

every night is the new What’s ForDinner. A kitchen away from the

kitchen, you sign up for six to twelve menu se-lections, come in and assemble the meals, thentake them home to store in your freezer untilone of those hectic nights where everyone ar-rives home at the same time famished and tootired to cook. Visit their website,www.whats4dinner.ca, for full menus, the soon-to-come take away dishes, and more informa-tion. Seems Fort St. is opening a hip new shopevery week turning this avenue off main streetinto a central hub of the city. Keep your eyesopen for the new Street Level Espresso onFort (near Douglas). Owner and chief barista,Ken Gorden is a veteran of the bean, hailingfrom the well-loved Café Fantastico and Habitso you can expect an exquisite cup. ReadMoreat eatmagazine.ca The Chateau VictoriaHotel and Suites is ushering in the new yearwith the novel Clive’s Classic Lounge. Open-ing its doors mid-December the lounge willthrow its official grand opening celebrationsearly January. Named after hotel owner ClivePiercy the modern and elegant lounge offerslocal beer on tap and sparkles with local arti-san-designed glass and mirror pieces, plus apair of cozy fireplaces to warm up the wintermonths with. If you haven’t visited it yet, checkout the new Spinnaker’s Sips in James Bay, atasting bar from the Spinnakers’ crew. No needto bicycle across the blue bridge on a slick andrainy night (at least, that’s how this biking Spin-nakers’ fan gets over there for her monthly fixesof good beer and a burger), just head over toJames Bay for a bite and a sip. The retail shopnext door carries ongoing deals throughout theyear and spotlights some of the best wines fromVancouver Island. With Moss St. Marketpacked up for the winter, those who waited inlong lines for Cliff Leir’s baguettes and perfectlyParisien pains aux chocolats will be thrilled toknow his new bakery over in the DocksideGreen is poised to open during the holiday sea-son. A wheat silo and hand-built wheat grinderare the foundation of what is sure to be a bak-ery par excellence. The new name will be FolEpi (meaning wild wheat stalk) and the boules,baguettes, croissants, and schneckes will be asoutstanding as always, making Victoria one ofthe best places outside of Europe to source aheavenly loaf of bread.A few changes are afoot in the Victoria epi-

curean scene. The Reef has been accepted bythe Ocean Wise program and has shifted theirmenu to highlight local seafood such as Qual-licum Bay scallops, BC Spot Prawns, and Al-bacore Tuna as well as sourcing local andorganic herbs, greens, and vegetables (oftenchoosing heirloom), free-run eggs, and organiccoffee. To boot, their spicy Miss Kitty Hot sauce

(which you can buy to take home) has nopreservatives ad is made in house. Little Piggyhas just made your Saturday nights a little eas-ier and a lot more delicious by adding their Sat-urday night take-out menus. A far cry frompizza in a cardboard box, this take-home noshfeatures the likes of Smoke Sablefish Croquetteswith Piment D’Escpellette Rouille and a tradi-tional pound cake baked with custard filling.Visit their website (www.thelittlepiggy.com) forfull menus that change weekly. Ken Winches-ter has handed over the reins of Victoria Ginproduction to Barking Dog Vineyard ofSaanich. The labour of love that took manyyears to perfect a complex recipe involving ju-niper, coriander, orange, lemon peel, rosepetals, and some secret ingredients that cannotbe revealed, will be no doubt be meticulouslycarried on by the good folks at Barking Dog.Sustainable Gastronomy courses will con-

tinue through UVic this semester with Don Gen-ova’s Intro to Food Culture taught on campus,Exploring Local Foods at the Thrifty Food’sTuscany Village, and Coffee Talk at the DrumRoaster Café in Cobble Hill. Visit the UVicwebsite and download the calender for moreinformation.With winter in full swing, start looking ahead

to spring by signing up for your Full Circle Gar-dening Course, a hands-on class beginning inJanuary that introduces novices and seasonedgardeners to the generous variety of organicvegetables that can be harvested from Octo-ber to May. Get inspired, then come out in Feb-ruary to Seedy Saturday (see event details inthe Concierge section.)Madrona Farm has successfully reached its

first target fundraising goal -congratulation toNatalie and David and the many, many activecitizens who have helped. This has been anenormous feat, but the next target is evenlarger. Stay tuned to their website,www.madronafarm.com, and to ours as well,www.eatmagazine.ca, to see how you can helpprotect this vital farm.This just in: At the Annual General Meeting

held Monday, November 24th at OlympicView Golf Club, the members of the IslandChef’s Collaborative elected Cory Pelan(Ristorante LaPiola) as their new President. CoryPelan is Chef and General Manager atRistorante La Piola on Quadra street. Overthe years he has formed strong relationshipswith local producers and is passionate aboutfood security on Vancouver Island. Throughfundraising and education Cory and the ICCwill continue to work toward the vision of asustainable local food and agriculture system.Go to www.eatmagazine.ca for the full

exective roster or visit www.iccbc.ca

EAT BUZZ—by Katie Zdybel

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It’s mid-afternoon at Abruzzo Cappuccino Bar and three old-timers sit outside ban-tering in Italian, good-natured hand gestures punctuating their light-hearted dis-cussion. On the other side of the street, three teenagers in dreadlocks and fadedcargo pants head for vegetarian fare at Café Du Soleil. They move aside to makeroom for a young mother and her stroller stuffed with a cranky six-month-old andgroceries. This is Commercial Drive, a neighbourhood with an exuberant range of

cafés, delis and restaurants that reflects the eclectic and vibrant makeup of the community.“The Drive” started off in Vancouver’s pioneer days as a skid road used to transport logs

to Burrard Inlet. It lost its original moniker, Park Drive, in 1911 shortly after the street becamepart of the 1891 Vancouver-New Westminster interurban streetcar line. Along with the linecame prosperity as entrepreneurs and real estate speculators turned their attention to thearea. But the economic slump of the Great Depression put the brakes on.It wasn’t until afterWorldWar II that Commercial Drive and its food culture really came into

being. Italian immigrants, their cargo filled with OldWorld recipes and ingredients, moved intothe area and introduced Vancouver to its first checkered-tablecloth restaurants. Vancouver’sown “Little Italy” was born.We fell in love with heaping plates of spaghetti with plenty of redsauce at establishments like Sortino’s, Gondola andMoka Ristorante. At Il Corsaro, ownerRino Tessuti kissed women’s hands as they entered, charmingly recommending the tenderscallopine alla marsala, while at Arriva, restaurateur Paolo Frau wooed with his prawns inwhite wine sauce. Another competitor was Tommy O’s brassy New York-style eatery—sport-ing ceramic animals and marble tabletops—where Irish owner Tommy O’Bryan served uposso bucco with fettuccine on the side.Starting in the 1960s, immigrants from other parts of the world were also adding their di-

verse flavours to the dining menu. Restaurants like the Budapest, the Shanghai Palace andthe Vietnamese Saigon gave a distinctively global feel to the Drive. This ethnic beat was ac-companied by the drums of political activism in the 1980s as the neighbourhood found its hip-pie calling. “[The Drive] transformed from the ‘Little Italy’ of post-WWII to something verymulticultural, political and environmentally conscious,” explainsMichelle Barile, executive di-rector of the Commercial Drive Business Society.Now, her non-profit society serves roughly 60 restaurants in its Business Improvement

Area or BIA (a geographic area that city council designates as an improvement area). Whilethe Drive and her association are continually seeing new entrants, remnants of the past en-dure. Just beyond the BIA’s radius at Frances Street sitsNick’s Spaghetti House, a place thathas served as a home away from home for three generations of residents. Stepping insidefeels like a time warp back to an era when wood panelling, red-and-white checkered table-cloths and good service were the pillars of ambiance. Old friends chat at a back table whilestaff, some who have been working at Nick’s for more than 30 years, mill around at the front.Nick Felicella came from Naples, or the “old country” as he refers to it, in 1952. He liked

cooking somuch that he launched his own place three years later in 1955. At first, he cateredto patrons whowanted diner grease, like hamburgers and fish ‘n’ chips, but slowly, he startedto concentrate on his own cuisine: baked lasagna, meat ravioli and the hearty spaghetti andmeatballs that have remained house favourites. Those were the days before he was alloweda liquor license and when 75 cents an hour was generous pay. Felicella admits that, unlikehis wage, his décor hasn’t changedwith the times. Still, he insists that his patrons want it thatway: “Nobody wants me to change. They say if I change, they’ll quit coming here.”Lina Christiano, owner of Caffe Bella Napoli, is someone who has grown up on the Drive

along with iconic restaurants like Nick’s. She remembers lazy Sundays getting ice creamwithher parents, or going to Gallo D’Oro (nowWaazubee Café) for a special dinner out. She saysthat the Italian character is “fading,” but she welcomes the changing times. “I think womenbefore would be afraid to go to a coffee bar because it was aman’s world. Now, women comewith their kids,” she says.On a weekday afternoon at the Caffe, a few middle-aged women gossip quietly, in no ap-

parent hurry to leave for the day’s errands. For over a decade, this long, narrow coffee shophas been a familiar place for locals, many of whom invite Christiano to their weddings as anhonoured family guest. She, in turn, rewards their patronage during the Euro and the WorldCup, when regular customers get first dibs on prime seats for the games. Asked what soccerdoes for the Drive, she responds: “It’s like being high for a month because it’s fast paced

and exciting. It’s fabulous!” Just the mention of soccer brings an excited rise to her voice.Events like the World Cup and the Car-Free Festival (a raucously fun block party in mid-

June) remind us of what makes a great neighbourhood: energy and community. And nothingcaptures residents’ willingness to support the community like their farmers’ market. “Thereis a passion on the Drive and a respect for local food in diverse cultural cooking and growingtraditions. There are a lot of people—generations of families—who have been growing [pro-duce] in their backyards and they still get together to cook,” says Tara McDonald, executivedirector of the Vancouver Farmers’ Markets. Walk through any of the residential streets offthe Drive and you’ll find front and backyards that are rambling vegetable gardens full oftomato vines, lettuces and basil plants. The comforting smells of home cooking waft fromkitchen windows on any given night.It was only natural then that in July 1995, a rough collective of residents called the Grand-

view-Woodlands Neighbourhood Group, set up the first farmers’market at the Croatian Cul-

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TheDrive isAliveVancouver’s Commercial Drive neighbourhood honours its roots while continuing to branch out.By Tara Lee

RESTAURANT REPORTER: VANCOUVER

LIME chef Masa Aki with salmon sushi, lobster rolls, ahi tuna tataki

tural Centre. That inaugural market had only about a dozen vendors, but since then it hasmoved to its present location at Trout Lake where approximately 50 vendors sell their waresto an average of 6,000 people each Saturday.Well over half these people are from the sur-rounding area, and they eagerly shop for blueberries fromMission’s Beckman Berry Farmand sausages from Pinantan Lake’s Jay Springs Lamb. The buzz and energy is reminiscentof the days of yore when markets served as the hub of the community in many Europeantowns. The Trout Lake farmers’ market may have to move once again due to Olympic 2010redevelopment, but McDonald is not concerned. “I’m confident that there will always be afarmers’ market in this neighbourhood. There’s just too much support for it,” she insists.When locals aren’t browsing at Trout Lake, they can be found at the many other grocers

on the Drive. East End Store Food Co-Op, Drive Organics and Eternal Abundance Organicare just a few grocers that cater to those who are locally and organically minded. Large or-ganic chains haven’t yet infiltrated the market; instead, the vibe at a store like Drive Or-ganics is unassuming and grassroots. Sounds of the Pixies, an American alternative rockband, play in the background while staff are encouraged to come as they are, free of cor-porate-branded uniforms. “It’s pretty easy going and casual. If it wasn’t, I don’t think the

neighbourhood would feel as comfortable shopping here,” says Jeff Emmett, assistantmanager.Emmett likes the broad cross-section of people who frequent the store, something he

feels is quintessentially Commercial Drive. He also enjoys the dialogue with customerswho are always recommending and requesting organic products that even he isn’t awareof. Consumers are so passionate about ingredients that a bakery like Uprising Breadsprides itself on fair-trade coffee and organic baked goods free of preservatives and GMOcanola oil. Assistant manager Fiona Harrod insists that this “friendly community bakery,”now owned by Don McGinn, has remained popular because it has stayed true to its 1976co-op beginnings (plus, the freshly baked raspberry oatmeal muffins and sourdoughpumpernickel bread are heavenly).A walk north from Uprising on Venables is an impressive tour of the culinary spectrum,

from lobster ceviche atHavana to injera (flatbread) and lamb stews atHarambe EthiopianCuisine. Despite all of this plenty, there is still room for new businesses. Mary MacIntyrewas a local parent and terribly enthusiastic about her neighbourhood, but she still felt thatsomething was missing. “There weren’t many cafés accessible for parents with strollers. Ithought there were a lot of nice coffee places, but not a lot of places for a bite to eat for par-ents,” she explains. Her answer: Little Nest, a kid-friendly café with a whimsical retro touchand plenty of toys for the tots.On a sunny day, a group of friends and their infants in strollers sit around outdoor tables

and hash out the week over lattes and baguettes of prosciutto, cambozola and housemadefig jam. Inside, a mother and son sit at a large centre table, the child busily scribbling onrecycled computer paper. Meanwhile, a mother with her newborn waits expectantly off tothe side with a “Breastfeeding Social” sign in front of her. For MacIntyre, this place epito-mizes Commercial Drive: “There’s a very DIY aesthetic. Everything is recycled and came offCraigslist. We try to pay attention to things like fair trade and local [ingredients]. We havealways been a word-of-mouth business. I’m reluctant to advertise and I’m just going withthat. I think that’s a specifically Commercial Drive ethos.”


her voice.party in mid-And nothingarket. “Thereand growinggrowing [pro-ld, executiveal streets offardens full ofng waft from

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TraceyKusiew

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tataki

Liisa Ingimmundson at the REEF

A head of Lumiere/Boulud and Shangri-la/Vongerichten in Vancouver’s wave of five-star debuts, thenew Loden Hotel brings understated glamour from the Los Angeles-based KOR Hotel Group, whoseultra-chic “urban retreats” include Beverly Hills’ Avalon and Chamberlain West Hollywood.

On the edge of the going Coal Harbour district, Loden has 77 luxe rooms and much to like: Enough mar-ble to give the Taj Mahal a makeover. A complimentary Espresso machine in the lobby from 6:30 to 9 a.m.Sparkling and still water from a hi-tech filtrations system, no plastic bottles. Yoga mats in the guest rooms,(and a yoga channel on TV). And GM Edel Forristal, who’s been seen welcoming guests with coffee spikedwith Irish whiskey.An onyx marble fireplace leads from lobby to bar, an intimate space with cunning cocktails from mixolo-

gist Jay Jones and servers whose décolletage prompts males to lose their memories and order gin whenthey want scotch.The bar feeds into the 80-seat Voya restaurant and theatre for Marc-Andre Choquette, formerly Rob Fee-

nie’s hard-working sidekick at Lumiere. The stylish room expresses a geometrical bent with triangular prismsin crystal chandeliers, oversized square mirrors and backlit screens of interlocking circles. The press kitspeaks of “sinuous lines.” Indeed, the décolletage is back: The duck isn’t the only organic breast here-abouts.To cavil, who answers for the Techno beat? Thump, thump, thump, three hours non-stop. Do thirtysome-

things with fat wallets really relax with this stuff? Aren’t migraines redundant in a recession?Choquette’s smallish menu divides into starters, mains and shared dishes. Qualicum Bay scallops ($19)

from the Island and poached pork belly redefine 21st century surf-and-turf, soft and sweet playing off chewyand salty. Lamb kibbye ($16) is Middle Eastern tartare, the raw flesh coarsely chopped and tossed with pinenuts, truffle oil and cucumber in a fusillade of textural nuances.On this occasion, however, anyone familiar with Choquette perfectionismmust assume he`s out-of-town.

It`s a bad night for fish. Albacore tuna ($28) is plainly past its best-before date. And where sablefish ($28),with scallop chorizo sausage and smoked paprika broth, ought to roar, there isn’t a high note on the plate.Meats reveal the kitchen’s bistro soul. Lamb ($30) gets exotic Moroccan dress with sweet Medjool date

and cumin puree. Almost certain to emerge as Voya’s signature is the shared veal cheek blanquette ($39).The platter brings four veal cheeks perched atop giant pappardelle noodles racily dressed with smokedbacon, onions, carrot and mushrooms. It’s a slow-cooked, melt-in-the mouth marvel. Its jus sticks the lips.And at $10 per head, it ranks as one of the city’s gourmand bargains. Throw in a bottle of Syrah and as theFrench expression goes, “you know you have eaten.”Among desserts, chocolate dome sauced in passion fruit with mandarin orange sorbet (all desserts, $12)

is an easy standout. The chocolate delivers, the passion fruit counters and the sorbet is wonderfully tart.The morning after: If it’s high time restaurants upgraded breakfast to dinner standards, Voya does it in


Jennifer Boyle, a resident of the Drive since 1996, agrees. As floor manager at Stella’s Tap and Tapas Bar, she estimates that about70 percent of her clientele are local residents. The place has a definite neighbourhood feel, aided by a no-reservation policy that leavesthe door wide open for walk-ins. “There are a lot of people on foot because we serve very strong beer and a lot of our guests are withinstumbling distance,” she jokes. Her regulars come for the 40-odd different beers and the welcoming staff, most of whom also call theDrive their home. “Most of our staff are local too. It’s not something I did on purpose, but many of them live right around the restau-rant,” says Boyle.She is especially happy to be part of a recent wave of establishments that are changing the face of the street once again. “We’re re-

ally excited because Commercial Drive is entering another golden age. It’s a really exciting time on the Drive.” Fears of gentrificationand chain invasion (the arrival of Tim Horton’s, for example) exist, but many, like Boyle and McIntyre, feel that restaurants like theReef, Lime Japanese Cuisine and DeVino are all bringing positive new energy to the neighbourhood.And in some cases, the additions are a continuation of the heritage that makes the Drive’s identity so enduring. Ted Grippo’s grand-

father owned a business on Commercial, and now he owns Continental Coffee as well as the Dolce Amore Gelateria, which he relo-cated next to his wine and charcuterie bar, DeVino. It’s a modern, coffee-toned room but still with an emphasis on the old-fashionedslow eating of his childhood. “If this was 20 years ago, I would take you down to my grandmother’s house on Graveley. She made herown wine and cheese and cured meat. All artisan stuff. It was a wonderful way of growing up. She put her heart into everything, es-pecially food. On the table was the best of the best at any given time,” he says.Grippo’s history on the Drive makes him particularly proud of its past, present and the future that he hopes to shape with DeVino.

“I’ve been here my whole life. I know no other place. Before, when people askedme what part of Italy I was from, I would say the Com-mercial Drive part! I grew up here and I love the changes. Now it’s a melting pot with all sorts of people. It’s so full of life,” And withthose words, Grippo salutes his Italian heritage and the newest members of the tightly knit and ever-growing family that makes upCommercial Drive.

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TraceyKusiew

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First JHousquire

sponsored tCanada andthe title sponteam for thWhat’s next,cars? Hootermay be onetwo parts P.Rbid also revtween upscaThe Bocus

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spades with big flavours, artfully plated dishes, velvet-glove service andjazz, not Techno. The sprawling omelette ($14) spills over with a meld oftastily sautéedmushrooms and cave-aged gruyere cheese, with strawberrytomato, endive and arugula salad completing the plate. But don’t stop there:Five bucks buys a “side” of three magnificent bacons from Choquette’s on-site smokehouse and charcuterie. Do it, and start the day with a happymouth.Loden Hotel, 1177 Melville St. Tel. 604-669-5060. Rooms from $239.

LODENHOTEL/VOYABy Jeremy Ferguson

The Charcuterie plate at DEVINO

VOYA chef Marc-Andre Choquette with soon-to-be signaturedish—Veal Cheek Blanquette and Parpadelle Pasta

Not-for-profit group Cook the ‘Hood has published theCommercial Drive 2009 cookbook containing 25recipes from local eateries as well as stories about localfood security. Proceeds will go to providing foodasistance to those in need. 778.858.2779

2603 West 16th Ave, Vancouver | Tel 604 739 0555 ext. 1 | www.trafalgars.com

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es that aboutcy that leavessts are withinm also call thed the restau-

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First Joeys went to James BeardHouse in NYC, then Cactus Club ac-quired Iron Chef Rob Feenie, Earls

sponsored the Culinary Olympics TeamCanada and now Moxie’s has signed on asthe title sponsor of the Canadian culinaryteam for the prestigious Bocuse d’Or.What’s next, Tim Horton’s cooks for the Os-cars? Hooters garners a Michelin star? Itmay be one part menu development andtwo parts P.R., but this latest sponsorshipbid also reveals the battle going on be-tween upscale casual kitchens.The Bocuse d’Or is the world’s most es-

teemed culinary competition and will takeplace January 27-28, 2009 in Lyon, France.Founded more than 20 years ago by leg-endary chef Paul Bocuse, widely held as thefather of modern cuisine, the Bocuse d’Oroccurs every two years amid all the excite-ment and drama of an elite sporting event.Think World Cup soccer with cooking uten-sils. Twenty-four chefs from 24 countriescompete for gold, silver or bronze and therespect of the global culinary community.The competition, in partnership with SIRHA,the International Hotel Catering and FoodTrade Exhibition, draws more than 160,000visitors over the two-day event.

Competing for Canada come January willbe Nanaimo-born chef DavidWang (chef in-structor for the International CulinarySchool at the Art Institute of Vancouver)and one under 22-year-old apprentice (ac-cording to competition rules), culinary stu-dent Grace Pineda.Wang has spent the pastsix years training for and winning an im-pressive array of culinary competitions inhis bid for the Canadian Bocuse d’Or.Pineda, an accomplished and composedyoung cook in her own right, assisted Van-couver chef Wayne Harris at the Canadianqualifying competition for the Bocuse d’Orin 2006. Wang and Pineda will have five-and-a-half hours to put together two plat-ters (one meat, one fish) with threegarnishes. Anyone who saw the comicalSpanish documentary The Chicken, the Fishand the King Crab, which followed chefJesus Almagro through false-start trials,criticism from his peers and the pressurecooker of the 2007 competition, knows chefWang and his team will need everyone intheir corner, including all of Moxie’s finan-cial and public relations resources. Every-one, er, except perhaps the delegation fromHooters.

CobblestoneWine Bar was given gold in the Best All B.C. Wine List category at the OkanaganFall Wine Festival's B.C.Wine List Competition held in early October. The competition, spon-sored by Eat Magazine, examined each competing restaurant's commitment to BC wine withcriteria including the restaurant's wine philosophy, legibility and accuracy of the wine list andthe overall commitment to the promotion of B.C. wines.Nestled in the hamlet of Naramata, a quiet community with a big name, Davies has no prob-

lem selecting the best of the best — the Naramata Bench is home to a number of award-win-ning wineries.While the wine bar takes advantage of local fare, they also ensure they offer 95per cent B.C. wines, with a minimal selection of international wines.As Norm Davies, proprietor of the winning establishment explains, "Why travel to the Nara-

mata Bench to sample something from another country?"Davies attributes his wine selection to the fact Cobblestone is the oldest wine bar in the

Okanagan Valley. He and his staff have invested years of careful consideration when selectingwines so patrons are introduced to high-quality vintages at their peak.And, thanks to their by-the-glass offerings, visitors have the opportunity to pair wines with

fresh, local foods including fresh-baked breads, cheeses, pâtes, savories and vegetarian of-ferings. Davies notes executive chef Thomas Render seasonally creates a menu unique to theworld class wine selection seasonally.—ByHolly Miyasaki (winner’s list at eatmagazine.ca)3625 1st St., Naramata, BC, 250 496-6808, www.naramatainn.com

NormDavies, owner/general manager of CobblestoneWine Bar, displays his awardfor Best Overall B.C. Wine List. Photo by Kristi Patton

CobblestoneWine BarWins Gold for the Best All B.C.Wine List

MoxiesGoes for theGold By Murray Bancroft

e service andith a meld ofh strawberryn’t stop there:oquette’s on-with a happy

om $239.

signaturePasta

W hen I crave noodle soup, I need it now. Idon’t want to drive. I don’t want to walkmyfingers through the Yellow Pages. In short,

I don’t want to think. And, often, I prefer to slurp alone.In a city saturated with noodles, that’s a tough call. As

well, if, like me, you find that a rambling Asian menustrains your noodle, you can, of course, stick to safe andsound won ton noodle doused with sinus-clearing chili.But it’s fun to stray a bit.You can’t argue with twoVancouver Chinese chestnuts:

Hon’s on Robson Street and in Chinatown for any of itssoups and Legendary Noodle onMain Street for its hand-made noodles. Or any one of many fine noodle places inRichmond.I offer three westside spots near me that satisfy both

crave and comfort zone yet offer something a little out-side the normal noodle box.Unless it is the Noodle Box, South-East Asian Noodle

Bar (1867W. Fourth Ave.). Riding the raves of two Victo-ria locations, a Kits site opened two years ago. My chillythumbs go way up for the Thai Tom Yum soup ($9-$11).Excellent quality prawns, chicken, pork, tofu, alone or incombination, smother noodles flecked with fresh-from-

Granville-Island-Market peppers, sprouts and Chinesegreens. The whole lot slides into a big, hot-and-sour poolspiked with lime and heat, ranging from wimpy mild tosuicide hot. I settle for medium, a good kick up from“western medium.”At Mandala Iki Asian Bistro (2394 W. Fourth Ave.),

dubbed “healthy Asian” (it offers very good brown ricesushi), I try the vegetable pho ($8). Silky rice noodlesfloat in a delicate broth, topped with tender-firm red pep-per, crisp snow peas, baby bok choy, mushrooms and as-paragus. The usual pho garnish—Thai mint, hell-hot tinypeppers, lime and sprouts—are super-fresh.Kudos, hands down, go to Lin’s Chinese Cuisine and

Tea House (1537W. Broadway), a recently opened eateryfor housemade noodles, sliced thin or thick or turned intolittle dumplings. Hot-and-sour soup ($5.99) meets thenoodle in an earthy not-too-vinegary potage. Tan-Tannoodles ($6.99), chewy yet feather-light, float in peanutsauce thinnedwith vegetable broth, made tangy with Chi-nese pickle. Xiao Long Bao (XLB) features those littledumplings ($4.99 for six) plumped with soup and a knobof minced pork. One nibble releases a burst of delicious,clear (hot!) broth. Ah! Comfort and joy in one bite.


TheQuest:AsianNoodlesNothing soothes chilled bones, runny noses and frosty toes like a gigantic bowl of tasty, tangy Asian noodles— J.Pegg

TraceyKusiew

icz Joy and comfort: Lin’s owner Shiao Miu with a big bowl of tan tan noodles

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Ave) continuefolk. On a recinto chef Christato latke (bactions), the twstilton soufflé,Wines are avhalf-liter. Swenext door, disphomey butterpecan cranbeStarved for

we headed im“plate”) 183opening. Wefloors and whitoo resined reclassic. Greekof feta atop rtoes tumbled wThere’s a garhummus, barleditions of Greroast lamb. Reoven, plastereDrinks list inclouzos. Prices

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VancouverNewsM ore of what’s not than what’s hot

rolled across my desk at thiswriting. I needed a crystal ball to

predict the Vancouver’s restaurants’ comingsand goings in the year ahead. With such avolatile economic climate we at EAT wish every-one in the BC food/wine industry the very bestfor 2009.Eleven-year-old Trafalgars (2603West 16th

Ave) continues to dish it out to hungry, happyfolk. On a recent visit a packed house tuckedinto chef Chris Moran’s poached eggs on po-tato latke (back bacon, spinach or salmon op-tions), the twice baked baked polenta andstilton soufflé, or lamb and Oka cheese burger.Wines are available in 2-oz tasters, glass, orhalf-liter. Sweet Obsessions, the bakery/cafénext door, dispatches the desserts. Devotees ofhomey butter tarts and apple pie will love thepecan cranberry tart or flaky apple crostada.Starved for a new-wave Greek eatery in Kits,

we headed immediately to Piato (Greek for“plate”) 1835 West 4th, for the boisterousopening. We drank in the decor (dark woodfloors and white-washed walls) and a fresh not-too resined retsina wine. Dishes are modernclassic. Greek salad comes with a thick wedgeof feta atop rosy, red and vivid yellow toma-toes tumbled with chunks of English cucumber.There’s a garlicky white bean, basil and fetahummus, barley rusk “bruschetta” and new ren-ditions of Greek favourites like moussaka androast lamb. Resurrected, too, is a wood-burningoven, plastered over by the previous tenants.Drinks list include specialty Greek wines andouzos. Prices are in line with many Greek

restaurants, but portions smaller (or sensible?).All in all things looked promising.As this goes to print the 46 seat/8 bar stool

R.TL (Regional Tasting Lounge) 1130MainlandStreet in Yaletown is on the cusp of throwingopen its doors. The theme here? Small-platesharing from three 3 distinct world regions. BCwill always be featured. Wine list includes 44by the glass.Au Petit Chavignol, is slated to open this or

next month. Raclette, house-made terrines, andRieslings figure into the fine cheese selection inthe 40-seat restaurant connected to the newestles amis du Fromage location (845 East Hast-ings) We were thrilled to hear charming, ultra-professional Annette Rawlinson, (“C”, Diva,900 West) is general managerIf budget and belt need tightening, afford-

able, healthy food shopping has never beenbetter in our burg. The Winter Market(www.eatlocal.org for dates, hours and ven-dors) is alive and well at the Wise Hall, featur-ing organic veggies, artisanal cheeses andbreads, local meat and fish.Fine-food lovers can buy the best of the best

from three Urban Fare locations (Yaletown,Coal Harbour and now, next to the Shangri-laHotel, 1133 Alberni). Prices may appear largerthan they actually are. One six-buck wrap orciabatta sandwich fills a rumbling tummy canbe shared. Cheeses? A little goes a long waywhen they are this good. (Try the Austrian se-lection). Check out fresh meats and deli-de-lights. Shoppers will love Urban Fare’s ownproducts if the balsamic vinegar indicateshouse-brand quality.

EAT BUZZ—by Julie Pegg

Local hotel inspiration for crime novel

W hat better way to dispense with thewinter doldrums than to get downand intimate with a juicy crime book.

Set during the chaotic launch of a luxurious newboutique hotel in Los Angeles, the ever-thickeningplot ricochets from revelation to head-spinningtwist, as the book’s hero, hotel manager TrevorLambert (a naive Canadian from Vancouver), getsentangled in a TMZ Hollywood-style web of deceit.But what makes this read extra delicious is the

humour. Stir the plot pot and you’ll find a deadcelebrity, an overbearing mom, a wannabe actordetective, a sleazy hotel owner and a deceitfulpublicist. Anyone who has worked in thehospitality industry will know there is knowledgebehind this cast of characters and behind-the-scenes hotel detail. That’s because author DanielCraig knows of what he speaks. Craig was GeneralManager of the Opus Hotel in Vancouver, before moving to L.A. and then onto Montrealwhere he presently is manager of the Opus Hotel Montreal.—G.HynesMurder at Hotel Cinema, Author: Daniel Craig, Publisher: Midnight Ink ISBN 978-0738711195


MarathonManVancouver chef, food stylist and consultant Murray Bancroftshares a page from his daybook—starting at daybreak bytransporting precious foodstuffs across the border to SanFrancisco and finishing at midnight with a well-deserved (andlegal) cigar. It’s a tale of one great city market, one spectacularwine dinner and how he made it out alive.

“You gotta have a system or this market will swallow you whole.”Wise words overheardon a late spring trip I made Stateside last year. He wasn’t talking about stocks, but the SanFrancisco Farmers’ Market, swarming with roving locavores, each with his or her uniquesystem of toting, bartering (“split that pound of artisan butter?”) and crowd-navigatingworthy of a market floor anywhere in the world. Herewith, a recounting of the 20-hourmarathon that resulted in a memorable Pacific Northwest wine dinner.

The Journey4:00 a.m. After a rude awakening in Vancouver, it’s time to pack a suitcase and head forYVR.6:00 a.m. I’ve cleared U.S. customs (whew!) with said suitcase containing:Osoyoos Larose2001, two Thomas Haas dark chocolate bars, two B.C. honeycombs, one jar of my home-made grape mostarda, one cheese each from Farmhouse, Poplar Grove andMoonstruckOrganic, two boxes of Raincoast Crisps, one chef’s knife, sharpening steel, microplanegrater and various, albeit limited, personal effects (including a couple of cigars, clearlymarked “Honduran.”)9:30 a.m. Thanks to tailwinds, we touch down 45 minutes early in San Francisco—I mayneed it. I meet up with Mike Parker, an old friend and ad exec who has recently relocatedto the Bay Area. He’s hosting tonight’s Pacific Northwest wine dinner for his wine club, andwe’ve got shopping to do.

The Prep11 a.m. Tomarket to market to buy a fat salmon belly. Or not.We learn the local fishery hassuddenly shut down and what remains is $30 a pound. Wild Alaskan Coho it is.Noon: B.C. Kushi oysters are a hot commodity and theHog Island Oyster Barwill part withonly a dozen. (Note to self: next time, FedEx).12:30 p.m. “The strawberries are going to save us,” notes the guy behind Dirty GirlProduce, referring to the late-starting season. And they save us as well; they prove to bethemost delicious, sweet and succulent thing going. Baby arugula and fingerling potatoesare procured a couple of stalls down.12:45 p.m. Some rather large cuts of organic beef are ordered from Prather Ranch Meat

Company, an1:00 p.m. Bacfromage blan3:00 p.m. Notles.

The Dinn6:00 p.m. Guwould be 17 cside for radismignonette—Chardonnay7:00 p.m. Slofingerling potthe remainin11:00 p.m.Onto cast votespitches are wSauvignon fr2001 Osoyoorant in Vancothe 2005 BluMidnight: Thon to put a damong otherabout a rappor bubbles af

Ferry Buildinplace.comAcme Breadmemorable aBoulettes Laents like rizoCulinaire Ana vintage MaFar West Funadded essentHog Island Oters, or saladscreamy lemonLulu Petite, Ffor a Meyer lbeet salad toPrather Rancture-raised meSlanted Dooways deliversliner. Healthy,prawns with clocation of theBin 38, 3232friends-backyhappy hoursHotel Vitale,fifth floor terrabrunch of AndProsecco for sPacific CatchCheck out onjalapeño tartaSPQR, 1911Brussels sproulike spaghettiSpruce, 364hood of Persidreads under $menu (you caCaesar saladrestore honousat at was ab

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Foodie ground zero: The Ferry Building in San Francisco

Gary

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250.380.0390feysandhobbs.com

Food that puts you in the mood...

Sumptuous and sensual dinners for two, ready to serve.

Tempt yourself —

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Company, and a pot of truffle butter from FarWest Fungi ends our hunting and gathering.1:00 p.m. Back to Hog Island to pick up the chilled oysters and a cave-aged gruyere-and-fromage blanc grilled cheese sandwich for the road.3:00 p.m. No time for a siesta, it’s into the kitchen to prep for the dinner and open our bot-tles.

The Dinner6:00 p.m. Guests begin to arrive (some with their Yahoo security passes still on). Therewould be 17 clubmembers plus one enthusiastic UC Davis oenology student.We head out-side for radishes with sea salt and charcuterie leading into oysters with sambal-cucumbermignonette—finishing just as the sun sets behind the Burlingame Hills. A Blue MountainChardonnay poured by one of the members gets some happily surprised reactions.7:00 p.m. Slow-cooked salmon is served with arugula, followed by grilled striploin withfingerling potatoes, asparagus and truffle butter.We finish with cheese plates. Meanwhile,the remaining 20-odd wines are presented, pitched and poured by their owners.11:00 p.m.Once the last drop has been lapped up and the final crumbs swept away, it’s timeto cast votes for the winning wine of the night. In a roomful of dot coms and ad execs, thepitches are worthy of the Giants. Among some heavy hitters like a 2003 Leonetti CabernetSauvignon fromWashingtonWallaWalla Valley or a rare 1999 CayuseVineyards Syrah, my2001 Osoyoos Larose is victorious (a 2003 Osoyoos Larose purchased fromBishops restau-rant in Vancouver by a club member was an interesting foil). Second place is awarded tothe 2005 Blue Mountain Chardonnay.Midnight: The Limovan departs with our well-lubricated guests (some of whom continueon to put a dent in another personal cellar). But one lingering guest (founder of beer.comamong other things) sets up a vertical beer tasting from one of his microbreweries. Talkabout a rapper at a rock concert. Honestly though, I have always found that a spot of beeror bubbles after wine does refresh the palate. Honduran stogies … not so much.

Ferry Building Marketplace, One Ferry Building, 415-693-0996, ferrybuildingmarket-place.comAcme Bread Company, Ferry Building, 415-288-2978 Pastries and artisan breads that are asmemorable as the name.Boulettes Larder, Ferry Building, 415-399-1177 An absolute favourite for hard-to-find ingredi-ents like rizo nero (Italian black rice) or freeze-dried yuzu (a Japanese citrus fruit).Culinaire Antiques, Ferry Building, 415-576-1700 Rare finds from antique Mezzaluna knives toa vintage Madeleine form to give some character to your kitchen.Far West Fungi, Ferry Building, 415-989-9090Wild mushrooms without the foraging and value-added essentials like truffle butter and truffle salt.Hog Island Oyster Company, Ferry Building, 415-391-7117 Sit down for raw or baked oys-ters, or salads like their red romaine with shaved radish, parmesan cheese and boquerones withcreamy lemon dressing.Lulu Petite, Ferry Building, 415-362-7019 After a run along the Embarcadero seawall, step infor a Meyer lemon and orange blossom lemonade or pick up a crispy chicken sandwich and babybeet salad to go.Prather Ranch Meat Company, Ferry Building, 415-3910420 Organic, sustainable and pas-ture-raised meats.Slanted Door, Ferry Building, 415-861-8032 A long-standing favourite, the Slanted Door al-ways delivers with Vietnamese flavours and a smart wine card with lots of Riesling and Grüner Velt-liner. Healthy, refreshing dishes like Manila clams with Thai basil, pork belly and chilies or grilledprawns with cellophane noodles and Imperial roll make it hard to get a table. Thankfully, a secondlocation of their to-go branch Out the Door has recently opened in Westfield Centre.Bin 38, 3232 Scott St., 415-567-3838, bin38.com A good bet for happy hour, with its best-friends-backyard vibe. The young, fun crowd looked as though many had already spent severalhappy hours before we arrived.Hotel Vitale, 8 Mission St., 415-278-3700, hotelvitale.com Check in at Hotel Vitale where thefifth floor terrace looks over the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge. Cross the street and bring back abrunch of Andante Dairy cheese, bread from Acme Bakery, strawberries and some well-chilledProsecco for some of the best alfresco dining in town.Pacific Catch, 2027 Chestnut St. and various locations, 415-440-1950, pacificcatch.comCheck out one of their three sustainable seafood restaurants and snack on crispy oysters andjalapeño tartar sauce with an even more sustainable cold microbrew.SPQR, 1911 Fillmore St., 415-771-7779, spqrsf.com Rustic and very tasty dishes like deep-friedBrussels sprouts and grilled pork ribs with fennel and rosemary pair well with homemade pastaslike spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, pecorino and chilies.Spruce, 3640 Sacramento St., 415-931-5100, sprucesf.com Located in the toney neighbour-hood of Persidio Heights, but don’t let its well-heeled looks fool you. A page on the wine cardreads under $50 and offers some real value. Ditto the lunch-or-dinner-eat-anywhere-in-the-room barmenu (you can take the boy out of the bar but not the bar out of the boy) with upscale classics likeCaesar salads and burgers. In the dining room, the charred Berkshire pork tenderloin is enough torestore honour to an often ho-hum cut. Do look for a banquette—the white tableclothed round wesat at was about as sure on its feet as Lindsay Lohan on a Friday night.

Murray Bancroft’s San Francisco Picks

ncisco

Gary

Hynes


Fin Île d’Orléwonderfulbounties of tMaritime reGaspésie,province is bwith culinarFat lobes of fplumpmagrecheeses, frelent scbuttery richthe place is aparadise.To honou

400th anniveEAT offers tcherished regthe waters of

WarmMQuebec is resuch as the fsnowy Quebe

Strips of zest24 oz cranbe24 oz apple c2 cinnamon s6 whole allsp8 whole clove2 whole star2 pieces vani

Remove the zCut the remathe zest canIn a non-re

cinnamon sticheeseclothmedium highutes.Serve with

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TourtièNothing showtourtière. Recgame fillingsshellfish in arpassed downrecipe frommdecades.Ma

1 large russet1 pound grou1/2 pound gr1/2 pound gr2 garlic clove1 medium on1/2 tsp cinna1/4 tsp grou

BELOW:RagoûtdePattesetBoulettes.RIGHT: EdieMcCaffrey andMarguerite Lamothe.Marguerite inspired Nathan’s story and lent us her wonderfulTourtière recipe.BOTTOMLEFT:CIDER.FAR RIGHT:MapleTart.PhotographybyTandySeanArnold

UnDînerQuébécoisA meal steeped in tradition and rich in regionaland seasonal ingredients.by Nathan Fong


From chic Montreal and itscosmopolitan cuisine, toQuebec City and itsfertile neigh-b o u r i n gfa rmland

in Île d’Orléans, to thewonderful seafoodbounties of the QuebecMaritime region ofGaspésie, thisprovince is brimmingwith culinary plenty.Fat lobes of foie gras,plumpmagret breasts,cheeses, fresh succu-lent scallops andbuttery rich lobsters—the place is a gourmand’sparadise.To honour Quebec City’s

400th anniversary this past year,EAT offers this small collection ofcherished regional recipes from inland tothe waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Bonne fête!

WarmMulledCranberry-AppleCiderQuebec is renown for its cranberry and apple harvests and their wonderful by-products,such as the famed ice-cider. This warm spiced drink is perfect for those ultra-cold andsnowy Quebec winters. Serves 6 to 8.

Strips of zest from 2 oranges24 oz cranberry juice24 oz apple cider or juice2 cinnamon sticks, about 4 inches each6 whole allspice8 whole cloves2 whole star anise pods2 pieces vanilla beans, about 2 inches each

Remove the zest from the oranges in strips about half an inch wide. Set aside 2 long strips.Cut the remaining strips in 6 to 8 pieces, about 2 inches long. Cut a small slit in each so thatthe zest can be slipped onto the rim of a glass as a garnish.In a non-reactive saucepan, combine the juices. Place the 2 long orange zest strips, the

cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise and vanilla bean pieces into a small square of doublecheesecloth and tie up with string to make a small bundle. Add to juice and place overmedium high heat, bringing to almost a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 min-utes.Serve with a piece of the zest on the rim of each glass as a garnish. For an alcoholic

boost, add a shot of brandy to each glass.

TourtièreNothing showcases a French-Canadian celebration like the traditional rich meat pie calledtourtière. Recipes vary from region to region throughout the province, from traditional wildgame fillings of venison and grouse, pork and beef inland to seafood such as salmon andshellfish in areas close to the QuebecMaritimes. Every family has its own “original” recipe,passed down through generations, some with potato, some with none. This is an adaptedrecipe frommy dear friend Margarite Lamothe, who has been making her family recipe fordecades.Makes one 9-inch pie of 8 servings.

1 large russet potato1 pound ground pork1/2 pound ground veal1/2 pound ground beef2 garlic cloves, minced1 medium onion, finely chopped1/2 tsp cinnamon1/4 tsp ground cloves

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Boil potato in its jacket until cooked. Peel and mash; set aside.In a large saucepan, add the meat, garlic, onions, spices and water. Cook over medium

high heat until bubbling, stirring to break up meat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30minutes or until almost no liquid remains. Mix in potatoes and add additional seasoningto taste.Let cool, stirring occasionally (mixture will thicken as it cools). Roll out and line plate

with pastry. Fill with meat mixture. Roll out remaining pastry. Brush pie rim with water;cover with top pastry and press edge together to seal. Trim and flute.Mix egg yolk with 2 tsp water; brush top pastry. Cut steam vents. Bake in bottom third

of a 400ºF oven until hot and golden brown, about 50 minutes.

Flaky PastryMakes 1 double-crust 9-inch pie.

3 cups all-purpose flour1 tsp salt1/2 cup each cold butter and lard, cubes1 egg2 tsp vinegarIce water

In a bowl, mix flour with salt. Using pastry cutter or two knives, cut in butter and lard untilcoarse crumbs with larger pieces.In liquid measure, beat egg with vinegar, add enough ice water to make 2/3 cup. Drizzle

over flour mixture, tossing with fork until ragged dough forms. Divide and press into twodiscs. Wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. (This can be made ahead andrefrigerated for up to 3 days.)

RagoûtdePattes etBoulettesThis dish truly represents the Quebecois farmer. Rustic and hardy, the rich and simple stewmade with pigs’ trotters and simple meatballs is a traditional winter dish served typicallywith mashed potatoes. Serves 8.

Des Pattes:3 lbs pigs’ feet or hocks, skinned and cut in half1 Tbsp coarse salt1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg and black pepper1/2 tsp each dried thyme and savoury3 Tbsp canola oil2 onions, chopped2 Tbsp butter1/2 cup toasted flour (see below)1 cup cold water

Boulettes:1 1/2 lb ground pork1/2 lb ground beef2 slices of country style or French bread, cut into half-inch pieces and soaked in half a cupmilk1 medium onion, chopped2 Tbsp d’herbes salées (salted herbs; see below)1 egg, beaten1/2 tsp cinnamon1/2 tsp ground clovesSalt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Wipe the pig’s feet with paper towel and place into mixing bowl. Mix together the spices,salt and pepper; sprinkle the whole mixture over the pigs’ feet and rub well to marinate.In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high and add the pigs’ feet in small

batches, browning for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove to a platter and re-


peat until all are browned. Set aside.In the same pan, heat the butter over medium heat and sauté the onions till golden,

about 5 minutes. Place the pigs’ feet back into the pan, cover with cold water and bring toa boil.Reduce heat to simmer and cook until tender, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, skimming occa-

sionally; the meat should pull away from the bone. Add more liquid if necessary, to keepthe feet covered.While the feet are cooking, heat the oven to 375ºF and mix together all the ingredients

for the meatballs. Shape into 2-inch meatballs and place them on a lightly oiled bakingsheet. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.Thirty minutes before the feet are cooked, add the meatballs to the pigs’ feet stew and

continue to simmer. Before serving, remove the meatballs and feet with a slotted spoon,leaving the liquid in the pan. Skim and remove excess fat from the liquid. Debone the feet,reserving the meat. Reheat the broth in the same pan. Whisk together the flour and wateruntil well blended.Slowly whisk in the flourmixture into the broth until well blended; bring to a boil and cook

for 5 minutes.Place the meat back into the broth, reheat and serve with mashed potatoes.

Toasted Flour: Toast flour by adding all-purpose flour to a dry heavy skillet over high heat,stirring with a wooden spoon until the colour becomes golden, about 5 minutes. Removeand pour flour immediately into a mixing bowl to avoid overcooking.

Salted HerbsMakes 2 1/2 to 3 cups.

1/2 cup chopped fresh chives1/2 cup chopped fresh savoury1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley1/2 cup chopped fresh chervil1/2 cup grated carrot1/2 cup chopped celery leaves1/2 cup chopped green onions1/4 cup coarse salt

In a medium bowl, combine the herbs. Layer one inch of the herb mixture in the bottom ofa crock or glass jar and sprinkle with some of the salt. Repeat layers until all of the herbmix-ture and salt are used. Cover and refrigerate for 2 weeks. Drain off accumulated liquid andpack herb mixture into sterilized jars. Refrigerate until ready to use.

MapleTartOne of themost popular desserts in La Belle Province, maple tart is to Quebec what the but-ter tart is to the rest of Canada. As with most Quebecois recipes, maple tarts vary fromgooey fillings to thick rich cream ones. The flavour and colour of the tart will vary also de-pending on the quality of the maple syrup used.This wonderful dessert is from Martin Picard’s famed Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal,

certainly one of my favourite carnivore haunts in the city!Makes two 9- to 10-inch tarts.

2 cups maple syrup3/4 cup whipping cream3/4 cup butter1 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour4 large eggs1 recipe Flaky Pastry (see above), or frozen pie shells

Combine the maple syrup and cream in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-highheat; bring to a boil. Add the butter and stir until melted, then stir in flour. Set aside, keep-ing slightly warm. Preheat oven to 375ºF.Roll out pastry and cut two rounds to line the bottom of the tart moulds (with removable

bottoms). Blind bake the empty tart shells by carefully lining the shell with parchmentpaper or foil and filling with uncooked rice or dried beans, with enough foil overhang to beable to remove. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove paper/foil/beans and setaside.Reduce oven to 300ºF.In a bowl, lightly beat eggs, then add to the maple syrup mixture and stir well to mix.

Place the tart shells on baking sheets and divide the maple mixture between them. Bakefor 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling has set at the centre and there is a slight bubble atthe edge of the moulds. Let cool completely before removing the tart bottom. Serve withwhipping cream.

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30 EATMAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2008

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KitchenLocal

a celebration of the season.Cold Com“When grwinter chturn to thcomfort.feel-goodup with aforward tof putterithere. Anbanisheslike the hof Andou& Chickebiscuits aChocolatewith beetthe houseRECIPESby JENNIF

Andouille Sausage & Chicken StewThis is the ticket to chase awaywinter chills. Galloping Goose’s andouille sausages permeate the stewwitha spicy and smoky flavour. Serves 8

Galloping Goose Smoked Andouille Sausages, 4*Farmhouse Poultry bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed, 8Garlic cloves, minced, 2Sweet onion, chopped, 1Dried oregano leaves, 1 tbspSweet smoked paprika, 1 tspSea salt, 1 tspCanned plum tomatoes, 28-oz canChicken broth, 1 cupBC Hothouse bell peppers, coarsely chopped, 3

Lightly coat a large wide saucepan or Dutch oven with oil and set over medium heat. Add sausages and cook untilevenly browned, 5 min. Remove from pan. Add chicken (in batches – don’t crowd pan) and cook until golden, 3 to 4min. per side, then remove from pan.

Add garlic and onions to fat in pan. Sprinkle with seasonings and cookuntil softened, 8 to 10 min. Meanwhile, cut sausages into chunkypieces. Drain tomatoes (as best you can – don’t be too fussy) andplace in a bowl. Using your fingers, coarsely crush.

When onions are soft, increase heat to high. Pour inbroth. Scrape up and stir in any brown bits from panbottom – they’re very flavourful. Stir in crushedtomatoes and return chicken to pan. Bring to aboil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 15min. Add sausages and peppers. Pan will bevery full but volume deflates as peppers cook.Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally,until peppers are soft and chicken is fallingoff the bone, 15 to 20 min.

Spoon chicken pieces into a bowl. Let cool,then separate meat from bones intochunky pieces. Stir into stew. Dish upwith rice and a selection of gar-nishes, such as black olives, hot chiliflakes and chopped cilantro.

*Island Farmhouse Poultry is Islandgrown chicken from Cowichan. Sticking toits local roots, Farmhouse Poultry is avail-able through local grocers all overVancouver Island. To find the locationnearest you, log onto their website at:farmhousepoultry.ca/wheretobuy.htm

RebeccaWellm

an

31

Cold Comfort:“When grey days andwinter chills set in, Iturn to the kitchen forcomfort. I crave hearty,feel-good food to cozyup with and lookforward to an afternoonof puttering about inthere. And nothingbanishes winter blueslike the heady aromasof Andouille Sausage& Chicken Stew, fluffybiscuits and DeepChocolate Cake (madewith beets!) that fillthe house.”RECIPES & STYLINGby JENNIFER DANTER


Big Savoury BiscuitsThese are a must for dunking into saucy stew and a little more exciting than the usualhunks of bread. Flavoured with Little Qualicum’s piquant Rathtrevor cheese, green onions,fresh thyme and a hint of orange, they’re completely irresistible.Makes 8 to 10 biscuits

Anita’s Organic all-purpose flour, 2 cupsBaking powder, 3 tspScallions, green part only, chopped, 2Finely grated orange peel, 1 tspChopped fresh thyme, 1 tspSea Salt, 1/2 tspAvalon unsalted butter, well chilled, 1/4 cupLittle Qualicum Rathtrevor cheese, grated, 1 cupIsland Farm 10% cream, 1 cupIsland Gold organic egg, 1

Stir flour with baking powder, scallions, orange peel, thyme and salt. Cut butter into smallcubes. Using your fingers, work in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in cheese.Whisk cream with egg, then pour over flour mixture. Using a fork, gently stir just until

combined. Turn onto a floured surface and gently knead a few times until dough comestogether.Using your hands, press and push dough into a circle about 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 8 to

10 wedges. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush tops with morecream, if you wish.Bake in preheated 425F oven until golden, 10 to 15 min.

Deep Chocolate Beet CakeBeets in chocolate cake? You bet – in fact the dark chocolate and sweet beets are very com-plimentary together. This reminded me of birthday cake I grew up with and my immediatereaction was to pour a tall glass of cold milk. Serves 8

Red beets, medium-size, 2Vanilla extract, 1 tspUnsweetened baker’s chocolate, 2 squares (2-oz)Anita’s Organic all-purpose flour, 1 cupBaking soda, 1 tspSalt, 1/2 tspDark brown sugar, lightly packed, 1 cupIsland Gold organic eggs, 2Vegetable oil, 1/2 cup

Line bottom of a 9-in. round baking pan with parchment and butter sides. Boil unpeeledbeets until tender and reserve about 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Cool beets, then peel. Finelychop and puree in a blender. Add enough reserved beet water to make it whirl. You don’twant a soupy mixture – just a thick puree. Measure out 1 cup. Stir in vanilla.Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Stir flour with baking soda and salt. Using an electric

mixer, beat sugar and eggs until fluffy, about 5 min. Beat in oil until evenly mixed, thenbeat in melted chocolate. Add beet mixture and beat until thoroughly mixed. Graduallybeat in flour mixture.Turn into prepared baking pan and smooth top. Bake in centre of preheated 375F until a

cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Check for doneness after 30 to 35min. Coolin pan on a wire rack. Turn out onto a plate and spread with Chocolate Ganache Frosting(see below) or dust with icing sugar.Chocolate Ganache Frosting: Chop 100 g bar of dark chocolate into small pieces and

place in a bowl. Bring 1/4 cup Island Farm 35%whipping cream just to a boil, then pour overchocolate. Let stand 1 min., then whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in 1tbsp Avalon organic butter. Let stand, at room temperature, whisking occasionally, untilmixture is thick enough to spread over cake.

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What’s inSeason

This is the best time of the year forflavourful citrus fruit, so enjoy the

peak season for oranges, tangerines,grapefruits, tangelos, mandarin orangesand clementines.Leeks can be used in salads, soups, stews

and chowders. Their flavour is more subtleand less pungent than onions. Be sure towash leeks thoroughly after slicing themlengthwise, as their compact leaves oftenretain grit and dirt. To release embeddedgrit, stand leeks in cool water for 10minutes.

There are many types of cabbageavailable to inspire robust winter meals, in-cluding red cabbage, savoy cabbage, greencabbage and Chinese or napa cabbage. Tryholishkes (cabbage leaves stuffed with groundbeef, onion, rice, eggs and spices baked in asweet and sour sauce). Make colourful redcabbage cole slaw or add cabbage tocasseroles and stir-fries. Conjure upmemoriesof Maggie and Jiggs with a heaping plate ofcorned beef and cabbage.

This hearty, slow-cooked meat andseasonal vegetable stew is traditionallymade in an earthenware dish andslow-cooked over hot coals, but feel freeto slow-cook it on the stovetop in anenameled cast iron pot. Serves 8 to 10.

Meats1 lb. pork tenderloin1 lb. beef brisket1/2 lb. bacon1 lb. garlic pork sausages1 lb. chorizo sausages1 small chicken, cut up

Veggies and Spices1/2 cup chick peas, soaked in waterovernight and drained2 leeks, cut in half lengthwise5 carrots, cut in half lengthwise6 sprigs parsley2 turnips, cubed2 chayote squash, peeled and chopped3 jalapeño chiles, chopped3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seededand chopped6 cloves1 head of cabbage, coarsely chopped1 tbsp. caraway seeds2 large onions, coarsely chopped2 cloves of garlic, chopped8 potatoes, cut in thick slicesPepper to taste1 cauliflower, coarsely chopped1 bunch of spinach, coarsely choppedpinch each of saffron and cinnamon

Place meat and chickpeas in a large pot.Add water to cover and 1 tbsp. salt. Bringto a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, skimmingoff scum as it rises to the surface untilbroth is clear. Add leeks, carrots, parsley,turnips, squash, chilies and cloves. Coverand simmer for 2 hours. In a separate pot,cook cabbage barely covered with saltedwater with chorizo and garlic sausages.(Pierce sausages with a fork so they don’tburst.) Simmer 1 hour. Add cabbage,sausage, broth and caraway seeds tomeat pot. Sauté onions and garlic in but-ter. Add to pot with potatoes, cauliflower,spinach and pepper. Cover. Simmer for 30minutes until potatoes are tender. Addcinnamon and saffron and simmer 10min-utes. Season to taste. Skim fat fromsurface.

Sauce1 boiled potato, mashed1 clove garlic2 tbsp. parsley, chopped1/4 tsp. cumin seeds1 tbsp. white vinegar3 tbsp. olive oil1 tbsp. tomato paste

Puree garlic, parsley and cumin seeds andcombine withmashed potato. Add vinegarand pour oil in slowly, beating constantly,as you would when making mayonnaise.Stir in tomato paste and enough brothfrommeat pot to make a thick sauce. Sea-son with salt and pepper. Serve broth asa first course, with cooked rice or noodlesif desired. Arrange sliced meats and veg-etables on a platter and serve with sauce.

GET FRESH—by Sylvia Weinstock

THIS MONTH’S SHOPPING BASKET RECIPE

OllaPodrida

Seasonal vegetables include, leeks, carrots, turnips, squash,chilies, cabbage, onions, garlic, potatoes, cauliflower andspinach, which are all used in this recipe. Brussels sprouts,celeriac, kale, beets and parsnips are other seasonal veggies.

BUZZ café The BC Scene


A Round-Up of News fromAround the Province

NANA“These are thehad just sold mcreamy-white-cessing plantally) Tel: 250-large for $16.Two is a mealYes, these arefarmed fish. Cnets attachedThey feed themThere is no artiday to Friday.their scallops.Red Martin

center is a sastain brothel-esfor tete-a-tetesto the baby-boof their own dyears, Tom Locently Nelsonrant. It influenpollination goHe also has amoving dog ait is meant to bon plate in theatmosphere.All I wanted

side; a perfecNanaimo? WNanaimo, Telchop. If you loflour-power bathat one shoulare made viavitamins and mused. Prior tonary Arts Progtry goddess wlikely illegal inLooking for

to Port Albern2390, but thagoing to do thside of the higlocal farms arowere hand-pictrotters. He smplaces whereling on a roas

COMOXVALLEYThe venerable Heriot Bay Inn [Quadra Island, 1-888-605-4545, www.heriotbayinn.com] is nowowned by a group of Quadra Islanders who will be keeping the Inn and Herons Dining Room openall year. Chef Brad White recently served up a Hunter/Gatherer Feast; wine-tasting classes withinternational wine judge Ulrike Gelbert go into the winter.Up at Mount Washington the popular weekend Fondue and Snowshoe Tours continues at Raven

Lodge [1-888-231-1499]. The three course dinner now includes salmon and prawns.In Cumberland, Chef Nicola Cunha puts a nuevo Indian twist on partner Jean-Francois Larche’s

hometown dishes (poutine, tourtière and creme brûlée) with Montreal meets Mumbai on Tuesdayand Wednesday nights at The Great Escape [2744 Dunsmuir Street, www.greatescape-cumber-land.com, 250-336-8831].In Comox, owner & Chef Andrew Stignant and his crew are transforming the Leeward Pub into

the Anderton Bistro [649 Anderton Road, 250-339-5400, www.andertonbistro.com]. Early re-ports are very positive.Dough diva Carol Spencer returns on Tuesday, January 27 from a tour of brick oven bakeries

in London and Paris. Look for new items in the already enchanting line of breads, soups, and good-ies at Wild Flour Organic Artisan Bakery [221A Church Street, 250-890-0017, www.wild-flourorganicbakery.com].Meanwhile at Avenue Bistro [2064 Comox Ave, 250-890-9200 www.avenuebistro.ca] man-

ager Torrie Howlett is “very excited” about Chef Aaron Rail’s winter menu and the launch of a se-ries of wine dinners. Local product, including Comox Valley wines, are a big part of what this newmenu is about. Next up: the Valentine’s Wine Dinner on February 14th.In Courtenay, Chef Lisa Metz, our bruja of Mexican cuisine, is joined by long-time General

Manager, Heather Standish as one of the owners in Tita’s Mexican Restaurant [536-6th St,250-334-8033]. ¿Comida de año nuevo? I suggest the ceviché w/ a pitcher of Heather’s lime mar-garitas (shaken, not slushed) to ward off the greys of mid-winter.Another place to help get a warmer perspective is Zizi's Eastern Mediterranean Specialties

[441B Cliffe Avenue 250-334-1661] where Zizi and her new partner, Kita Navo, are creatingdaily specials as well as hosting monthly belly dancing parties. Zizi’s will be closed February forrenovations.The folks at Atlas Café [250-6th Street, Courtenay 250-338-9838] take their well-deserved win-

ter break January 19-February 4th. Chef Jon Frazier & owner Sandra Viney have high expecta-tions for new sous chef, Paul de Ridder. “Paul’s energy and passion for food is a perfect fit to theteam,” says Viney. “Watch for his footprint on our nightly fresh sheets.”In the Comox Valley, LUSH Valley Food Action Society [250-331-0152, www.lushcomoxval-

ley.org] recently opened the Comox Valley Food Security Centre.Kudos to owners Helen Belcastro and Chef Giovanni: only a few months after opening, they’re

packing them in atGiovanni’s Ristorante [4-180 Second AveWest, Qualicum Beach, 250-752-6693 www.giovannisqualicum.com].In Parksville the folks at the Landing West Coast Grill [1600 Stroulger Road Nanoose Bay,

250-468-2400, www.landinggrill.com] recently received the Award of Excellence from WineSpectator magazine. Their winemaker and brewmaster dinner events consistently sell out. Checkout the website for more information.—Hans Peter Meyer

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NANAIMO,COWICHAN&OCEANSIDE“These are the size of all-season radial tires,” was my comment to the lady in the front office whohad just sold me a plastic tub of magnificent bi-valves. I am talking scallops: voluptuous, succulentcreamy-white-freshly-harvested-never-frozen scallops. The location of my exclamation was the pro-cessing plant for Island Scallops [5552 West Island Highway, Qualicum Beach (Bowser actu-ally) Tel: 250-757-9811]. On the recommendation of a foodie friend I bought eight of the extralarge for $16.00. Two dollars a scallop is a pittance when you see the size of these flying saucers.Two is a meal. Three is indulgence. This is a wholesale operation that’s been going since 1989.Yes, these are cultured (farmed) scallops but do not go sideways because this is not the same asfarmed fish. Cultured scallops are seeded in a hatchery and then reared in the ocean in smallnets attached to subsurface horizontal lines. Scallops require clean water within which to grown.They feed themselves by filtering the natural microscopic food found in the circulating ocean water.There is no artifical food or chemicals added. Island Scallops is a “farm-gate” operation openMon-day to Friday. Oh, the big secret? This is where many of the high-end restaurants in Vancouver gettheir scallops.Red Martini Grill [# 1 – 75 Front Street, Nanaimo, Tel: 250-753-5181] in Nanaimo’s city

center is a sassy addition to the downtown food and entertainment scene. The décor has a cer-tain brothel-esque flair augmented by red and black flock wallpaper and faux leather banquettesfor tete-a-tetes over bird-bath martinis. There is a tiny stage with varied nightly entertainment gearedto the baby-boomer ranging from Neil Young wannabes to a snappy little combos rocking to a beatof their own drummer. It is owned by two cavaliers who’ve been in the F&B biz around town foryears, Tom Lozza and Alex Iormetti and the third partner/owner is Chef Joel Nelson. Most re-cently Nelson did a stint in the Cayman Islands cooking up a storm in a funky beachside restau-rant. It influenced his style. His menu has a decided tapas leaning with a lot of cross-culturalpollination going on. He mixes up east/west flavours in new and interesting ways and it all works!He also has a deft hand with pastry. His NYC-style cheesecake is dense enough to hurl at a fastmoving dog and fell it in one blow, which, as any self-respecting New Yorker will tell you, is howit is meant to be. Caveat epicurious: Lunch has a different chef and the food falls far below what’son plate in the evening. That aside, Red Martini Grill is a lively spot with personality, attitude andatmosphere.All I wanted was a good French baguette; crusty outside, fragrant, soft and yielding on the in-

side; a perfect accompaniment to good cheese and wine. Why was that so hard to find inNanaimo? When Carol & Bill Clay opened Bodhi’s Artisan Bakery [5299 Rutherford Road,Nanaimo, Tel: 250-585-6015] in November, the city fell on them like a hungry dog on a porkchop. If you love the bread atWildfire (Victoria) or True Grain (Cow Bay) get thee hence to thisflour-power bakery. The name Bodhi is Sanskrit and it means “aware.” It reflects the Clays’ beliefthat one should know where their food comes from. All the ingredients are natural and the breadsare made via a slow fermentation process. The grains are freshly milled to preserve the originalvitamins and minerals. Red fife, whole-wheat, spelt, multigrain and flax are just a few of the grainsused. Prior to opening, Bill was a chef at the Fairmount Empress and taught baking in the Culi-nary Arts Program at Vancouver Island University (formerly Malaspina University). Carol, a pas-try goddess worthy of cooking on Mount Olympus, can do things with a chocolate croissant that’slikely illegal in many countries, thankfully not ours.Looking for hog heaven? It is located at Hilliers Gourmet Foods on Highway #4 on the way

to Port Alberni. The actual address is 3065 Van Horne Road, Qualicum Beach, Tel: 250-752-2390, but that is not going to help you to find it. The exterior paint job of electric yellow paint isgoing to do that for you. It is located on a weird little cut-out road that runs parallel to the northside of the highway. Albert Kleinschnitz, the owner, is very serious about his swine. All hail fromlocal farms around Errington and Qualicum Beach. These little piggies never went to market. Theywere hand-picked by Albert to be made into his sausages, bacon, cold meats, roasts, hams andtrotters. He smokes his pork using maple or alder and uses no preservative. This is one of the fewplaces where you can get a ham, bone-in, with the skin still intact. Skin that turns into crispy crack-ling on a roast so scrumptious there will be growling around the table. He also sell AAA Alberta

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Nanaimo’s Best Gourmet Deli…Nanaimo’s Best Gourmet Deli…


beef that he further dry cures for an extended period of time for maximum flavour the way a high-end steak house will. Start the charcoal now! —Su Grimmer

Hilary’s Cheese and Deli in Cowichan Bay Village is warm and inviting on a crisp, winterday. Located on the water in the old fishing village just an hour’s drive from Victoria, this quaintshop offers more than just cheese which is very obvious as soon as you walk in the door. The shopis filled with the delicious aroma of home made soup wafting from big pots on stove. Take a seatin the back where you can overlook the water and enjoy a baguette sandwich which is madewith the next door neighbor’s French baguette. Combine it with a bowl of seasonal soup, createdby Linda and the gals, like roasted garlic tomato, Thai coconut chicken, three mushroom wild rice,or a lemony carrot lentil soup.Run by cheesemaker Hilary Abbott and wife Patty, Hilary creates superb cheeses made from

both cow and goat milk at their farm just down the road. Their ever popular chevre is always ahit with its smooth, rich texture not to mention the brie and camembert style cheeses such as theirSt. Michel named for their son, Michael, and St. Clair named for Sooke Harbour House propri-etor, Sinclair Phillip. Their popular tomme-style cheese is rind-washed with Solera blackberrydessert wine from another neighbor, Cherry Point Vineyard. They also have fabulous blue cheeseslike Yoo Boo which is a firm, strong cow’s milk blue and a similar Sacre Bleu made with goat’s milk.Cowichan Blue is a softer, creamier, milder blue and the Valley Blue is made in the same fashionbut with goat’s milk. They are stepping up production at their farm as their cheeses are so popu-lar they often sell out daily. Patty and Hilary also import over 80 cheeses and carry a variety oflocal preserves, vinegars and meats. Open Wednesday through Sunday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.Closed for the first two weeks of January. Hilary’s Cheese and Deli | 1737 Cowichan Bay Road| Cowichan Bay Village, Cobble Hill | 250-748-5992At their cozy bakery next door to Hilary’s Cheese and Deli in Cowichan Bay Village, the new

owners Bruce and Leslie Stewart are keeping up the marvelous traditions of True Grain Bakeryfounder, Jonathan Knight. The hard working bakers use flour which Bruce mills in their own on-site mill creating a wide variety of breads and pastries. One thing for sure, their baguettes fly offthe shelf – French, ficelle, multigrain, spelt, or sourdough which is made with Red Fife wheat, andBruce Stewart says that it’s the more unique varieties that are increasing in popularity. These alsoinclude breads made with grains like Kamut, BC grown spelt and rye. “Increasingly our customersare moving towards the specialty type breads with these grains to experience the unique flavorsthat each grain offers.”Red Fife is the heritage wheat that was first grown in Ontario in the 1840’s with seed samples

from Scotland. A hardy wheat, it is said to be the “genetic parent” of all wheat grown in Canadatoday. A select few Canadian heritage wheat and seed farmers have kept Red Fife alive over theyears along with bakers like Jonathan Knight and Bruce and Leslie Stewart. Tom Henry, at Lamb’sLeap Farm in Metchosin, is growing Red Fife on Vancouver Island and has recently planted RedFife at Sungold MeadowOrganic Farm right in True Grain’s Cobble Hill neighborhood. With TomHenry’s Red Fife, True Grain challenges the 100 mile diet with both a whole grain bread and around loaf available on Saturdays and Sundays – The 4.92 km Loaf. You can’t get much morelocal than that! Their Cracked Grain Bread made with Red Fife also flies off the shelf as does apersonal favorite, Kamut Pumpkin Seed. It’s great for sandwiches or, better yet, toasted for break-fast. Open Wednesday through Saturday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, Sunday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.Closed the month of January. True Grain Bakery | 1725 Cowichan Bay Road | Cowichan BayVillage, Cobble Hill | 250-746-7664 | www.truegrain.ca —Kathy McAree

OKANAGANFor those of you seeking a winter getaway over the holiday season – don’t forget that the Okana-gan has a glorious array of winter activities to enjoy. Swirling and sipping doesn’t stop when itgets cold here – we just put our coats on (and sometimes our skis too)! There are still a lot of ourwineries that will remain open during the winter months – if not, many will accommodate a tast-ing a visit by appointment.Make your favorite hostess very happy this year by picking up a decadent dessert at Kelowna’s

Okanagan Grocery Artisan Breads. Owner/Baker MonikaWalker and her husband Bill, striveto stock their shelves with wonderful things to make our lives easier and well…yummier! Savoryitems abound as well with of course gorgeous breads along with house-made preserves and agrand selection of cheeses and other takeaway fridge/freezer items (great to pack up for your tripto the ski hill). New to their stellar line up of fromage are selections from The Farmhouse NaturalCheese people in Agassiz, BC. "Alpine Gold," is a washed curd, washed rind cheese with a de-liciously smelly golden-orange rind, which gives a distinct flavour to the straw-coloured semi-softpaste. And "Country Morning," is a traditional Welsh-type cheese similar to Caerphilly. CountryMorning has a crumbly creamy texture with a slight nutty sharpness. www.okanagangrocery.comFor the winelover in your life, how about something cool made from a local winebarrel?

Broken Barrel Furnituremakes creates one-of-a-kind, handcrafted furniture from “retired” oak bar-rels locally-obtained from Kelowna, Oliver and Naramata Bench wineries! Designed and built lo-cally by Penticton's Bob Taylor, Corina Messerschmidt and Johanna Nichols, the pieces are craftedAvailable in Fine Wine Shops and Leading Restaurants across Canada • QuailsGate.com

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Dinner 5:30 - 11 pmTuesday to Saturday

from aged oakural coloringguessed it – itaging vessel. Gthis stuff is amrel.ca (250) 2Check out locader’s websiteup in the Okana variety of coup for all of yobe oenophilesgift for a lovedactivity. If younique staff eRhys to bookwww.wineplusRemember a

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es made fromre is always as such as theirHouse propri-ra blackberrys blue cheesesith goat’s milk.same fashions are so popu-ry a variety ofm to 5:00 pm.han Bay Road

lage, the newGrain Bakerytheir own on-aguettes fly offfe wheat, andty. These alsoour customersunique flavors

seed sampleswn in Canadaalive over thenry, at Lamb’sy planted Redod. With Tomn bread and aet much morehelf as does asted for break-m to 5:00 pm.Cowichan Bay

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t at Kelowna’sband Bill, strivemier! Savoryeserves and aup for your triphouse Naturalese with a de-ured semi-softphilly. Countryngrocery.coml winebarrel?tired” oak bar-d and built lo-ces are crafted

from aged oak, with deep red wine nat-ural coloring on one side from-youguessed it – it’s previous job as a wineaging vessel. Get your orders in soon –this stuff is amazing! www.brokenbar-rel.ca (250) 276-4776Check out local wine expert Rhys Pen-der’s website for new courses comingup in the Okanagan! WinePlus+ offersa variety of courses and classes comingup for all of you oenophiles and wannabe oenophiles out there. Makes a greatgift for a loved one or a perfect couplesactivity. If you want to host a reallyunique staff event or group event, callRhys to book a personalized course.www.wineplus.caRemember after all of your wine stud-

ies: “Knowledge is of no value unlessyou put it into practice.” So, perhaps atrip up to the he 11th Annual IcewineFestival is in order? This popular an-nual wine festival begins Tuesday, Jan-uary 13, 2009 and is located just 45minutes from Kamloops. Check out theirwebsite for all of the fun event listings atwww.sunpeaksresort.comAfter 3 and 1/2 years at making

wine for Therapy Vineyards, GeneralManager and Winemaker MarcusAnsems is moving on. He has joined theHemispheres Wine Guild as CEOand Wine Director and will be travel-ling around the world bringing back in-teresting wines to Canada (Hey! I wantthat job!) Marcus at Hemispheres WineGuild Toll Free: 1.866.351.8739If you are confused whilst seeking out

your favorite wine from Golden Milein Oliver – it is because they havechanged their name! Now known asRoad 13 to reflect the location of thewinery with two of its vineyard sites, theHome and the Castle. Don’t fret - thequality is better than ever.www.road13vineyards.comThe Grand Okanagan Resort has

recently been taken over by Delta Ho-tels! Look forward to a major, muchneeded facelift to this perfectly locatedlakeside resort. Also exciting is the re-cruitment of their hot young Chef StuartKlassen. Recently at the Marriott Pin-nacle in Vancouver, the hotel is abuzzabout his new menu plans to accom-pany the super reno planned for the din-ing room. www.deltahotels.comOther restaurant news: Adam Perrier,

formerly of Figmint Restaurant in Van-couver is the new head chef at Sal'sPrime Steakhouse in Kelowna.REMINDER: The Wines of British Co-

lumbia are the feature of this year’sVancouver Playhouse Wine Festi-val. Come help us strut our stuff to theworld at this annual exciting event.March 23 to 29 in Vancouverwww.playhousewinefest.comHappy New Year All! Make sure

your resolutions for 2009 include: EAT-ing lots and drinking Okanagan wine! —Jennifer Schell

TOFINO BUZZ byKira Rogers returns nextissue

G rowing up in rural Quebec in a house on Ruedes Érables, or Maple Street, gives me hon-est license to promote Nanaimo’s annual

Maple Syrup Festival (more on that later). Early springin Quebec saw us slogging around in snowdrifts “tap-ping” themaple trees on our property. A metal spigotwas hammered into the flesh of the tree about ametre from the base, and a tin can was hung on thespigot to catch the sap. Once things started to warmup during the day, the sap would begin to “run.”We’dhave to make the rounds daily to collect the clear liq-uid. Well, at least what was left after we’d gluggedsome right at the tree. (Note to self: a warm tongueon cold tin really, really hurts).We’d lug the sap buckets back to the kitchen and

dump their contents into a huge cauldron on thestove, where it was left to boil for hours. Every win-dow in the house fogged up with a glaze that tastedsweet. Once the sap was reduced by two-thirds, itturned thick and syrupy. Meanwhile, we’d be outsideagain building snow tables of hard-packed, pristinewhite stuff. Standing in rows like troops in an honourguard, we’d hold our wooden-spoon-like paddles ina combat-ready position. The piping hot syrup waspoured onto the clean snow instantly transforming itinto warm, golden, pliable toffee, called la tire. We’droll our spoons along the snow and collect asmuch aswe could get away with. Until you try the manna of

the maple, you have no idea the rapturous pleasurethereof.Nanaimo’s L’Association des Francophones hosts

one of the largest bilingual events inWestern Canada.The ninth annual Maple Sugar Festival runs fromFebruary 19 to 22, 2009 at the Beban Park Arena, butthis event has become so popular it hasmigrated intoschools and been embraced Nanaimo’s downtownmerchants. Artists and musicians travel around thecity during the week leading up to the event, sharingmusic and song, dance, stories, art and history withstudents, locals and visitors. Menus in many down-town restaurants reflect a maple syrup “je ne saisquoi,” with tourtière (meat pie), tarte au sucre (sugarpie) and poutine appearing on plates around town.More than 60 performers entertain crowds over the

weekend, plus there are ice-sculpture demonstra-tions, horse and carriage rides, an artisans’ marketand amajor toe-tapping-heel-stomping dance on Sat-urday night complete with fiddlers as well as wash-board and spoon players. The festival wraps upSundaymorning with a lumberjack breakfast and tof-fee pull.Whether your roots are Québécois or pure marmot

Vancouver Island, this is one hootenanny you do notwant to miss. More information may be found atwww.francophonenanaimo.org or by calling: 250-729-2776.

Life onMapleStreetMemories of a sweet childhood ritual in rural Quebec. By Su Grimmer

Tequila… Me duele la cabeza (my head hurts)Six Mile Liquor Store showcased their impressive arsenal of premium tequilas at a tasting intheir event suite on November 7th. The Herrencia Historico, a dark amber tequila aged for fiveyears in sherry barrels and the Tres Generaciones, natural amber, aged three years in once-usedbourbon barrels were mis preferitos (my favorites). Six Mile Liquor store boasts the best selectionof premium tequilas in the Victoria area. —G. EasdonSix Mile Liquor Store, 483 Island Highway, Victoria, 250-391-4458

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THE WINESMEADTugwell Creek SolsticeMetheglin Mead 2006 Vancouver Island $20.00 +Located just outside of Sooke, Tugwell Creek Meadery was established in 1998 and has beengoing strong ever since. Proprietors Bob Liptrot and Dana Lecomte produce a wide range ofhoney-based products that offer an utterly fascinating, exotic perfume found nowhere else. TheSolstice Metheglin is off dry with an intriguing nose of wild flowers, honey, ginger and spice.Wonderfully balanced and rich with good acidity and an incredibly long finish that must be tastedto be believed.

WHITESJ.P. Chenet Classic Chardonnay 2006 France $13.00 +Here is the new-style Vin de Pays d’Oc from southern France! Fruity, dry, crisp and refreshing,gently perfumed, with grapefruit and citrus flavours and a soft clean finish.

Yalumba Barossa Wild Ferment Chardonnay 06 Australia $13.00 +The recipe calls for a wild yeast fermentation using the indigenous yeast found in the vineyard,extended lees contact, regular lees stirring and several months aging in fine grained French oak.The results are a wine loaded with personality! Round and supple, with an exotic nose andtoasted cashews, citrus and peach flavours and a creamy texture, balanced with a crisp cleanacidity.

ROSEArtazuri Rosado Navarra 2007Spain $18.00 +I know, I know, it is the middle of winter, but what can I do? I don’t look for pink wines, they justappear and every so often, no matter the season, they are so good, they just cannot be ignored.This lovely Spanish rosé is bright pink, dry and refreshing with a fragrance that reminds me ofripe strawberries and raspberries. Full-bodied with juicy red berry flavours and a soft clean fin-ish. A fruity little delight to quaff and dream of sunny days ahead.

Moulin De Gassac Guilhem Rose 2007 France $20.00 +Rosés! What would summer be without them or winter for that matter! Before your eyes glazeover let it be said that Moulin de Gassac is not your average little fluffy off-dry pink soda-pop tip-pler. Far from it! Mas de Daumas Gassac is considered the Chateau Lafite of the Languedoc andits pedigree can be tasted through the entire range of wines. Gorgeous salmon pink colour witha delicate floral-strawberry nose and plenty of rich berry flavours on the palate. Dry and thirst-quenching with a long fresh finish.

REDSPrunotto Dolcetto D’Alba 2006 Italy $16.00 + /375mlPrunotto Dolcetto D’Alba is a delicious dry redmade from 100% dolcetto sourced from vineyardsthroughout Piedmont in northwest Italy. The 2006, is a deep ruby colour with an intense nose ofcherries, violets and wet earth; full-bodied with a soft blush of fine grained tannins and a longdry finish.

by Larry Arnold


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Terra Andina Cabernet/Merlot 2007,$9.50 (BCLDB Stores), +626275

Those looking to put an easy drinking and affordable red on thetable at dinnertime know to browse the Chile section in their localwine store. There are plenty of bargains to be found but you won’tgo wrong with this smooth cab-merlot from Chile’s central coast.While this wine falls into the crowd-pleaser category, it has enoughbackbone to be food-friendly. Deep, bright crimson colour,appealing fruit and soft, sweet tannins make for a well-made,modern wine at a price-point even your accountant would approve.Food pairing: Spaghetti and meatballs worked like a charm.

Terra Andina AltosMalbec/Petit Verdot 2004, $24 to $27 (PrivateWine Stores) +83790

For a more serious sip go for the Altos. It offers layers of ripe Bordeaux-style at afraction of Bordeaux cost. Although the Malbec and Petite Verdot grape varieties mayplay a supporting role in France, in Chile they are headliners. Swirl your glass of bold,stylish wine and enjoy the full, rich flavours and the dark fruits, chocolate and coffeearomas. Then, give thanks that not all good wines require you to cash in a GIC.Food pairing: Steak frites or lamb chops are a natural choice


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Cat Amongst the Pigeons “Nine Lives” Shiraz 06 Australia $26.00 +Only in Australia, you say? The name does nothing to convey how seriously good this Barossashiraz is. Deep purplish black colour with an explosive nose, thick with the scent of blueberries,blackberries, mocha and spice! The palate is muchmore restrained but don’t kid yourself, every-thing is there in spades. Perfectly balanced with buckets of fruit and enough structure to keepit together for years to come.

Colombini Leone Rosso Toscana 2004 Italy $26.00 +Donatella Cinelli Colombini is no stranger to the Tuscan wine scene. Formerly of the Barbi winedynasty she went her own way about a decade ago and has never looked back. Leone Rosso isa dry red table wine made from a blend of Sangiovese and Merlot. Aromatic, ripe and complexwith red cherry, dusty earth, spice and smoky nuances, an unctuous body loaded with concen-trated fruit flavours, good acidity and an expansivemouth-filling texture with firm, chewy tannins.Very tasty indeed!

Alvaro Palacios Remondo Rioja La Vendimia 2006 Spain $23.00 +Made by Alvaro Palacios, one of Spain’s most acclaimed winemakers, La Vendimia is a blend ofGarnacha and Tempranillo. Deeply coloured with an intense nose of red fruit, herbs and oakyvanilla, this lovely Rioja is mouth filling with supple fruit flavours, finesse and lots of characterthat persists through the long silky finish.

Vina Gormaz Tempranillo 2005 Spain $18.00 +The juice for this wine comes from a 50 year old, ungrafted tempranillo vineyard in Ribera delDuero. Deeply coloured, with plum, blackberry, earth and spice aromas, medium body with ripefruit flavours and soft tannins. This wine is not complex but that is its virtue. It is a wine to drinknot study! Delicious to the last drop.

Bodegas Gascon Malbec 2006 Argentina $17.00 +A dark rustic red, oozing with generous fruit and oak aromas! Full-bodied and loaded with ripeberry and spice flavours, this tasty red is not fat, heavy or over laden with hard tannins; it is sim-ply delicious with enough stuffing to go a couple more rounds.

HESTER CREEK 3 LITRE PINOT BLANC IS BACKLending a hand at a time when your VISA might be maxed outOkanagan’s Hester Creek EstateWinery’s 3 litre box is a great way to takethe sting out of wine buying. Pop this made from 100% BC sourced pinotblanc wine in your fridge and you’re good to go for a few dinners.Available direct. Call Jason Hyde at 250. 338. wine (9463)


Cellaring wine is the ultimate hobby for wine aficionados. The reward is drinkinga bottle that has aged beautifully. The wine has mellowed and evolved, becom-ing harmonious. It has more to offer than it did in its youth. Like an old school-mate years later, it has transformed. No need to be rich to have a cellar. We’recertainly not wealthy and we’ve had ours for more than a decade. It’s a myth thatonly expensive wine can age. Forget about the obvious but costly Bordeaux, Bur-

gundy and Brunello. If you are a diligent shopper, you can find underrated gems between $20 and$30 that will give plenty of joy five to 10 years down the road.Not all wine improves with age. Most of it is made to be drunk as soon as you return from the winestore. If you want to cellar a wine, choose one that has enough concentration of flavours, acidityand, for red wines, tannin. Some grape varieties naturally have what it takes; just like some peo-ple have better genes and age gracefully.To the surprise of many, whites can age as well as reds. Riesling and Chenin Blanc are ideal con-

tenders. They have bracing acidity, which keeps a wine alive for decades. Both are unfashionable,contributing to their lower price point. The Clare Valley in Australia boasts some fantastic dry Ries-lings. Pikes and Skillogalee are well-priced choices. Off-dry to sweet versions can be found in Ger-many. St. Urbans-Hof, Selbach and Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler offer age-worthy Rieslings under $30.With time, Riesling’s petrol character intensifies, a treat for those who love this grape. Like Ries-ling, Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley comes in a range of sweetness levels, from bone-dry to fullysweet. All develop magnificently, but the dry wines tend to be easier on the wallet. In the regionof Vouvray, the wines of Domaine Huët make us weak at the knees. A friend treated us to a 1954Huët Vouvray on her 50th birthday. Pouring it blind, she asked us to guess the vintage. Twentyyears old at the most, we thought. Still fresh as a daisy, it could have kept for another couple ofdecades.Semillon from Australia has a reputation for aging well, especially those from Hunter Valley.

Peter Lehmann’s $16 bargain from the Barossa Valley was a great revelation for us. At eight yearsold, it was still vibrant. Other examples of Australian Semillon worth seeking out are McWilliamsand Tyrrell’s from Hunter Valley. With time, Semillon develops a pronounced wet wool character-istic. Sounds bizarre, but it’s extremely appealing. Like most of us as we age, Semillon puts onweight. All the more to love. This grape is also the principle ingredient in the sweet and delectableyet pricey Sauternes and the main reason why they age so well. Delicious wines but not for yourpost-holiday budget.Competing for our love is the grape Grüner Veltliner. Off the radar, these Austrian jewels offer in-

credible value. Little did we know they had such longevity. Tasting old Grüners going back to 1975was an eye-opening experience. After three hours of trying one Grüner after another, each oneolder than the last, we were still begging for more.With time, it develops characteristics similar towhite Burgundy. Earthy, steely and nutty flavours depart from the citrus and lime-driven youngGrüners. Below $30, those from Schloss Gobelsburg and Salomon are a must. For a fewmore dol-lars, Prager and Pichler are unbeatable.When it comes to red, choices abound. Many are obscure, but for this very reason they are good

value for money. The wines from France’s southwest region of Madiran owe their unique characterto the indigenous grape Tannat. Robust, rustic and grumpy when young, Madiran develops into atasty bold red with amuch friendlier disposition. To create the perfect French experience, serve youraged Madiran with cassoulet. Alain Brumont is the master and his Torus Madiran sells for $22 atthe liquor store. Also off the beaten track, Portuguese reds have an equally appealing price tag.Touriga National is the main player in Port production. Many producers are now embracing thisgrape for dry red wine. Often compared to Cabernet Sauvignon, its tannic structure and concen-tration of flavours give it the stamina for the long haul. Though lesser-known, Quinta do Crasto’s$20 Douro is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at a dinner party 10 years from now.With hundreds of indigenous grapes, Italy too has plenty of red treats with good genes. Aglian-

ico is the star of the southern region of Campania. Its fierce tannins and searing acidity can makeit austere in its youth, but Aglianico has enough meat on its bones to easily last a decade. Feudidi San Gregorio is one of the region’s leading producers. With time, their wine sheds some of itsmasculine character, becoming elegant and polished. Over the Apennines in the region of Abruzzo,the flagship grape of Montepulciano deserves a little respect. Though many examples are simple,fruit-forward pizza wines, Montepulciano has a serious alter ego. Endowed with intense fruit androbust tannin, a well-madeMontepulciano can be complex and cellar-worthy. La Valentina’s is oneof our latest finds and is biodynamic to boot.Most wine drinkers are familiar with Cabernet Sauvignon. Full-bodied and structured, it is the

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grape that keeps the wines of Bordeaux alive for so many years. Longevity is not ex-clusive to Bordeaux though. Chile and Australia present plenty of affordable alterna-tives. While they may not have the depth or complexity of a top Bordeaux, the wineshave an attractive ripeness of fruit to flesh them out. Michelle recently attended avertical tasting of Cousiño Macul Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile going back to 1978.The 1988 and 1984 vintages were the highlights, possessing plenty of freshness andfruit. She immediately ran to the liquor store to stock up on the succulent 2006 vin-tage, debating whether to share the secret with anyone.Bordeaux may not be synonymous with value, but the South of France and south-

ern Rhône Valley are bursting with great buys.While style and quality vary, wines witha high percentage of Syrah or Mourvèdre are possible candidates for the cellar. Bothhave that magic combination of structure and fruit. A bottle of the 1998 Bergerie del’Hortus, Coteaux du Languedoc showed beautifully last summer.With no intention ofaging it, Michaela had long forgotten this $16 wine that lay buried in her cellar. Whata surprise! Developed and savoury but still very much alive with ample fruit, it wasworth every penny and more.So, you’ve bought your Peter Lehmann Semillon and your Cousiño Macul Cabernet

Sauvignon. Now how do you store them? Far away from temptation is definitely thebest option, at least for us. Besides temptation, temperature is the most importantfactor to consider, with 13°C (55°F) being ideal. If you don’t have a space that cold,constant temperature will suffice provided it’s below 20°C. Keep in mind that warmertemperatures age your winemore quickly; not necessarily a bad thing if you are plan-ning to drink it sooner. Beware, temperatures above 24°C can cook and spoil wine. Youshould also take into account the humidity level. Excess humidity will leave wine la-bels mouldy, and lack of humidity will cause the corks to shrink encouraging leakage.Humidity of 75 percent is a happy medium. In lieu of perfect conditions, a basement,cold room or cooler closet is a good substitute. A wine fridge is a fantastic but costlysolution. If storing wine at home simply isn’t an option, the VancouverWine Vault andVin de Garde offer great alternatives for off-site storage.Nothing beats that feeling of satisfaction over how little you spent. Imagine how

thrilled you’ll be when you actually drink your lovingly stored wine. For every bottleyou buy to put away, make sure you pick up a couple to drink immediately to offsettemptation. And if you’re debating whether to open a bottle from your cellar, go ahead;it’s probably the right time. Good genes should be apparent at any age.

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“So, you’ve bought your Peter Lehmann Semillon and your Cousiño Macul CabernetSauvignon. Now how do you store them?”


ly T a s t i n g N o t e s2007Wolf Blass, Gold Label Riesling, Adelaide, Australia, $20.99 (CSPC #287714)Fantastically expressive nose of diesel and citrus that will instantly charm Riesling lovers.Succulent flavours of lime with lingering notes of grapefruit peel. Its petrol aromas shouldintensify over the years. Has the stamina to keep for 10 to 15 years.

2006 Paul Zinck, Riesling, Alsace AOC, France, $21.99 (CSPC #414540)Bone-dry with thirst-quenching flavours of pear, lemon sorbet and a pleasing steely back-bone. Slightly more delicate than the Wolf Blass, it should be consumed in five years.

2005 Trimbach, Riesling, Alsace AOC, France, $28.99 (CSPC #142091)Austere, earthy and severe in its youth, Trimbach’s Riesling will soften and become friend-lier with time. A great choice if you like ultra-dry Rieslings. It has the structure to stand upto rich dishes like cheese fondue, quiche and tarte à l’oignon.Will easily keep for a decade.

2007 Leitz, Rheingau Riesling Kabinett, Germany, $23.99 (CSPC #428045)We were both ecstatic when we tried this wine. Rule #1: buy a couple of bottles to drinknow to avoid drinking the bottles you’ve put away. We sure couldn’t resist the temptation.Juicy and concentrated flavours of lemon curds, peach andminerals. Off-dry and absolutelygorgeous! Can’t wait to try it 10 years from now

2005 Château Gaudrelle, Chenin Blanc Sec Tendre, Vouvray AOC, France, $24.99 (CSPC#309567)We had the recent privilege of trying the 2001 vintage of this wine. What a completemakeover! Luscious youthful flavours of apricot and honey should transform into complexsavoury mineral and oyster shell notes. While this is approachable now, it will be even bet-ter and more harmonious in seven to eight years from now. A great match with scallops.

2006 Penfolds, Koonunga Hills, Shiraz-Cabernet, South Australia, Australia, $16.99 (CSPC#285544)Very charming nose; ripe but not jammy. Good exuberance of fruit with intense dark blackplum and leather notes without being tiring. We can see this wine aging well. Penfolds hashosted many tastings worldwide featuring old vintages, proving that it can. Try for yourselfin eight to 10 years.

2006 CousiñoMacul Antiguas, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva, Chile, $19.99 (CSPC #298075)This vintage was a standout at the CousiñoMacul vertical tasting. Generous, juicy cherry andvanilla flavours framed by firm tannin. Excellent balance. Should age gracefully for 15 to 20years?

2006 Quinta do Crasto, Douro DOC, Portugal, $19.99 (CSPC #499764)Thanks to Quinta do Crasto, we’ve been able to satisfy our Portuguese red wine cravings forthe last decade. Mouth-watering black plum and tobacco notes with fantastic structure andrefreshing acidity. We always have a few bottles in our cellar; it never disappoints.

2005Wynns, Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia $25 (CSPC #502039)A vertical tasting with wines going back to the early 1980s proved to us how well this winecan age; 2005 should be no exception. A great gift for the host if you are invited for dinner.They’ll be touched that you shared the secret with them. Don’t forget to put a couple of bot-tles aside for yourself as well.

2006 Château la Courançonne, Plan de Dieu, Gratitude, Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC,France, $23.99 (CSPC #840801) (40 percent Grenache, 30 percent Syrah, 30 percentMourvèdre)Seductive, spicy and floral aromas repeating on the palate. Firm tannins but tons of meaton its bones. Explosive bright red and dark fruit makeway for pronouncedmineral notes thatlinger. A very pretty wine and an outstanding value for $24! If you can resist, wait five to sixyears.

2006 Domaine Gauby, Côtes du Roussillon Villages “Les Calcinaires,” France, $30.00(CSPC #568410)An astonishing wine from talented winemaker and biodynamic advocate Gérard Gauby. Ex-plosive earthy and wild gamey aromas with an appealing dried herb component. Equally at-tractive on the palate with deep dark fruit, raspberries and garrigues notes. Drink a bottlenow with a piece of lamb and keep one to open in seven or eight years.

2005 Feudi di Gregorio, Rubrato Aglianico, IGT Campania, Italy, $29.99 (CSPC #55673)A beautiful example of Aglianico that with time will develop into an elegant gentleman.Fresh raspberry, plum and liquorice notes supported by substantial yet polished tannins.Share with your loved one eight to 10 years down the road.

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"What is your earliest food memory?"Sean Brennan Brasserie L'Ecole 250.475.6260Milk.

What’s in my refrigerator at home?Jeff Penner Spinnakers 250.386.2739I can’t tell you for sure. I eat out a lot. If my fridge could talk, itwould have vague memories of better times, a skewed andcynical opinion of the present and little hope for the future.Maybe it’d gossip about the cheddar not looking like she used to.I know for certain that I’ve got an array of pickled curiosities anda great big jar of sauerkraut nobody else wanted.

Mare Dewar (owner) Upstairs/ 250.725.3664My poor chefs are all a bunch of over-worked, underpaid slaveswho feel they have no time to write about their fridges. Actually,they probably don’t have any food in their fridges...just emptytake out boxes.

"What is the best food or food-related gift you have received?"David Mincey Camille’s Restaurant 250.381.3433My best-ever food gift is my mother-in-law Jean Robinson'samazing macaroni and cheese. Allow me to explain...The gen-eral public might think that chefs spend their down time diningon foie gras and truffles but the reality is quite the opposite.Mostly we eat crap. I go over to Jean's house and help her withher garden - she pays me with mac and cheese. Life could not bebetter. The best food in the world is that which someone elseprepares for you with love in their heart.

“What Was The Best Thing You Ate This Year?”Peter Heptonstall Restaurant Matisse 250.480.0883Humble pie. The girls in my kitchen serve it up daily and Ideserve it!

“Where do you find inspiration when creating a new dish?”Ben Peterson Heron Rock Bistro 250.383.1545It could be a roadside stand stacked with butternut squash, amagazine photo of a glistening lamb shank, the way cous cousrolls in your mouth swollen to the height of textural enjoyment,a local farmer explaining his epic victory over insects to bringmethis pristine apple, or a particular flavour in a friend's retelling ofa memorable dish. Sometimes it's nothing more than "hey greatmeal!" from a satisfied customer. The smallest details are thefoundation of a chef's drive, and ultimately, satisfaction.

“Chefs tell us their guilty pleasures in the kitchen, trashycravings and childhood favourite foods”

Jesse Blake Shelter Restaurant 250.725.3353I carry no shame and feel no guilt, for I love the hot dog and theroot beer float.

Peter Zambri Zambri’s 250.360.1171My guilty food pleasure is probably the food on the BC Ferries. Itdoes not happen often because I am usually well-equipped inthe food department wherever I go, but sometimes I have ferryfood. And it feels like it afterwards that’s for sure! Hey, if Feeniecan have a Whitespot burger, so the @#$* can I!

Trish Dixon The Breakers 250.725.2558Guilty food pleasure? I never have guilt. For me, I can't believeI'm going to share this... cheese slices! Yes, should I mention thecorporate name? Okay, Kraft Singles- no other kind please. Theyare always in my mom's fridge, and I always go for it. Just plainon their own, unwrap and enjoy! I don't want to know what's inthem, don't ever tell me.

Robert Belcham C Restaurant 604.681.1164There is nothing I like more than GOOD cold pizza and GOOD

warm beer—for breakfast.

"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail",is mounted in chef Thomas Keller's kitchen at the French Laun-dry. How would you answer this question?

Trent McIntyre Atlas Cafe 250.338.9838I would probably try and open another restaurant. I love the ex-citement of putting the whole thing together. Designing thekitchen, newmenu, hiring new excited staff and creating the am-biance. I would even try and get the food network involved with‘Opening Soon’. But please if I do try this, just hit me over thehead with a bat to bring me to my senses! ("Well he did end upopening a second restaurant - Avenue Bistro - now hit him.)

“What were you cooking ten years ago?”John Crook Glowbal Grill and Satay Bar 250.602.0835Do I remember ten years ago like it was yesterday? I sure do. Acooking apprenticeship under my apron tie and a notion to relo-cate to New York City, I took the plunge. This meant waking dailyat 5 am to help a local bread baker finish his morning shift whichgave me 15 minutes to run ten blocks and prepare for pastrycooking school. It was school until 4 pm, then a sprint to be ontime for my evening volunteering shift at the prestigious PayardPatisserie. After months of running his evening productionkitchen, I moved on to a similar routine at Restaurant Danielworking under Pastry Chef Thomas Hass. I would work 18 hoursa day for a year of my life. Sunday was “sleep and study” day.Do I remember what I was cooking? What WASN’T I cooking?”

Chris Rug Brentwood Bay Lodge 888.544.2079I was working in Muskoka, Ontario at the Lake Joseph Clubmak-ing a whopping $8.75/hr and working all stations in the joint.Too many doubles, too much beer and too few women.

Chef’s Talk: The Best of the Best: a round-up of memorable quotes by Ceara Lornie

2131 Lake Placid Road ◆

GATHER. SHARE.

WNote: chefs being a restless lot, many have moved on from the restaurants mentioned below.

ould not fail",French Laun-

. I love the ex-Designing theeating the am-involved witht me over thehe did end upw hit him.)

2.0835y? I sure do. Anotion to relo-t waking dailyng shift whichare for pastryprint to be onigious Payardg productionaurant Danielwork 18 hoursd study” day.I cooking?”

eph Clubmak-s in the joint.men.

2131 Lake Placid Road ◆ 604.966.5700 ◆ www.nitalakelodge.com

INDULDGE.GATHER. SHARE.

Words can describe it….

Come and experienceWhistler’s newest lakeside dining

JC’s Café 7am-3pm ◆ Lakeside 2pm-11pmJordan’s Crossing 5:30pm-10pm

Convenience Store.

Victoria . Sidney 1437 Store Street 250-382-3201

2389 Beacon Avenue 250-656-0011www.muffetandlouisa.com

Stop by one of our Corner Stores to pick up the convenience you need for your home.

AUTOMATIC ESPRESSO CONVECTION OVEN

SLOW/RICE COOKERDIE CAST TOASTER

Great food is not reserved for weekends and special occasions. Celebrate food seaside at Haro’s with our new Table d’hôte menus.

Located at The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa2538 Beacon Avenue, Sidney, BC

T: 250-655-9700 | www.sidneypier.com/haros

$25*

$30*2 course dinner3 course dinner

monday to wednesday

*Offer valid Monday to Wednesday. Price does not include applicable taxes

Fresh • Local • Seasonal

Open Tuesday through Saturday11 am to 9 pm

www.localscomoxvalley.com 250-338-6493

Unit C - 368 - 8th Street, Courtenay(next to Shopper's Drug Mart

- corner 8th & England)

Dining in casual elegance.Experience the bounty…

Chef Owner Ronald St. Pierre C.C.C.

EATjobs.caEmployment for the

Hospitality andRestaurant Industry

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EAT Magazine Issue 13.01 Jan | Feb 2009

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Transcript of EAT Magazine Issue 13.01 Jan | Feb 2009