Eat magazine november | december 2014

2 EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014


3www.eatmagazine.ca NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

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Customer Care 1 800 667 8280 • thriftyfoods.com

A favourite whenever the holiday season is near, Thrifty Foods in-store party platter specialists will help you tempt the taste buds of your guests.

View our selection of irresistible options at thriftyfoods.com/entertain

Try our online Reserve & Pickup Service for party platters and gift baskets. You can place your order online, select your pickup time and you’re all set!

Order by phone at: 1.800.667.8280Please note that for online orders we require 48 hours notice and 24 hours notice for phone orders for our platters & trays.

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GREAT FRIENDS

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Smart. Local. Delicious.

DEPARTMENTS06 FROM THE EDITOR

g Food07 CONCIERGE DESKMonthly calendar of events + festivals

09 Food MattersJulie Pegg suggests canapés and boardgames to while away those long, winter evenings.

10 Good For YouFive places that serve healthy breakfasts

12 Get FreshRejoice. Blood Oranges are back on shelves

13 CoffeeWe take a look at Hey Happy

26 Our Daily BreadVictoria bakeries

g Restaurants14 Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . .Meat and Bread, Part and Parcel, Wolf in the Fog, Perro Negro

20 Eating Well For LessThe Dutch Bakery, RAWthentic, Tumeric

25 Top 5Breakfast sandwiches

g Recipes19 How-ToMaking westcoast-style eggs benny at home

34 Local KitchenA main course turkey dish and a cranberry pie

gWine & Beer38 VincabularyDiscover malbec wines

39 Beer & a BiteBrown Ale and farmhouse cheese - a perfect match

40 Wine + TerroirWe pair cookbooks and wine

42 Wine & Food PairingThis month: an Italian menu

43 Liquid AssetsTen wines to try

g Travel44 Portland’s Artisan CorridorA walking tour of Portland’s newest artisan producers

g Community30 Life Giving: These groups are making a difference45 The Buzz: Round-up of local news46 What the Pros Know: Christmas parties

top: Chef/owner Grant Gard and owner AnnaGard of Part and Parcel.

bottom: The jerk chicken sandwich at Meat and Bread.

photos by R. Wellman



Broadmead Village, 130-777 Royal Oak Drive, Victoria, BCwww.pennakitchen.com, 250-727-2110, [email protected]

Made in the USA. Oven, microwave and dishwasher safe.Poppy now in stock! Open stock and sets available.

for people who love to cook

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Camille`s@ 45 Bastion Square

Victoria, BC250-381-3433

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At 45 Bastion Square

Globally Inspired. Local Flavour.

Open for Dinner ServiceTuesday through Saturdaystarting at 5:30

@CamillesDining CamillesAt45BastionSquare

Meating

MEATS

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5

EATFOUNDER & EDITOR Gary Hynes

PUBLISHER Pacific Island GourmetASSISTANT EDITOR Colin Hynes

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Carolyn Bateman VANCOUVER CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Julie Pegg

DRINK EDITOR Treve RingSENIOR WINE WRITER Larry Arnold

ART DIRECTION Gary HynesCOPYEDITORS Cynthia Annett, Jon Johnson

REGIONAL REPORTERSTofino | Ucluelet Jen Dart Vancouver Tim Pawsey Okanagan Jeannette Montgomery,Victoria Rebecca Baugniet | Cowichan Valley-Up Island Kirsten Tyler

CONTRIBUTORSLarry Arnold, Joseph Blake, Michelle Bouffard, Holly Brooke, Adam Cantor, Cinda Chavich, JohnCrawford, Jennifer Danter, Pam Durkin, Gillie Easdon, Jeremy Ferguson, Colin Hynes, Jon Johnson, SolKaufman, Tracey Kusiewicz, Sophie MacKenzie, Sherri Martin, Jeannette Montgomery, Elizabeth Monk,Michaela Morris, Simon Nattrass, Elizabeth Nyland, Tim Pawsey, Julie Pegg, Treve Ring,Kaitlyn Rosenburg, Michael Tourigny, Sylvia, Weinstock, Rebecca Wellman.

Cover photography by Michael Tourigny

Since 1998 | EAT Magazine is published six times each year. No part of this publication may be reproduced with-

out 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. All opinions expressed in the

articles are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the publisher. Pacific Island Gourmet reserves the right

to refuse any advertisement. All rights reserved.

OUR ETHICAL GUIDING PRINCIPALS1. EAT has advertisers in our magazine and on our website; they are our primary source of income. Our company,

Pacific Island Gourmet, employs a dedicated advertising team responsible for selling ad space in EAT and on

EatMagazine.ca. The EAT editorial team does not accept money or other consideration from companies as a

condition or incentive to write a review or story. All editorial content on EAT is based on the editor’s discretion, not

on the desire of any company, advertiser or PR firm. Occasionally EAT and EatMagazine.ca may publish sponsor

content, which will be labelled.

2. EAT contributors are not allowed to ask for free meals or drinks. Anyone identifying themselves as being on

assignment for EAT will be able to prove their employment.

HOW TO REACH EAT MAGAZINEADVERTISING 250.384.9042, [email protected]

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MAILING ADDRESS Box 5225, Victoria, BC, V8R 6N4

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Publisher Pacific Island Gourmet | EAT ® is a registered trademark.


In a blink, 2014 is nearly over. Time to catch my breath andreflect on the year, and give thanks for the all the wonderfulthings that I’ve experienced this year. It’s also time to get intothe festive mood, do more baking, relax with friends overcocktails and cook my favourite dishes.It’s been a busy year. We launched our totally revamped

website with a young team of new writers full of exciting andinnovative ideas. I travelled to London, Paris, San Francisco andToronto to check out their dining scenes. Everywhere I went, Ifound energy, highly accomplished cooking techniques, andsuper friendly service.

In Paris I wandered cobblestone streets soaking up the joie de vivre, the elegant Parisianculture, eating coq au vin in bustling bistros, drinking Champagne at outdoor cafés, andnibbling on jewel-like mille-feuille. I was introduced to New Modernist cuisine at DavidToutain’s monochromatic dining room near Les Invalides with a leisurely, 9-course lunch

of cerebral dishes, meticulously presented and suavely served. Dishes like black sesamemousse and smoked fish, and the dehydrated fennel sorbet astonished. In Britain I found London in the throes of a culinary revolution. From exciting

multicultural restaurants to extraordinary food products to a re-invention of Britain’sculinary traditions, London might well hold the crown as the new Capital of Food.Renowned chef Heston Blumenthal’s Dinner by Heston was a revelation. It was

luxurious yet comforting and unstuffy. The menu is based on early English recipes butrefashioned for modern times. Possibly my best meal of the year (still a few weeks togo). Across town in Shoreditch at The Clove Club, a young kitchen crew cooked Cornishturbot with oak smoked roe; wild Yorkshire grouse with elderberry and golden turnip;and for dessert, an extraordinary Almalfi Lemon custard with Sarawak black pepper. Welive in amazing times. I have a lot to be thankful for this year. On behalf of all the staff at EAT, we are humbled by your support. EAT is an

independent, wholly Vancouver Island-owned publication. In the year ahead, we’ll workhard to continue to create a great magazine experience for you. Have a wonderfulholiday and please enjoy this issue. —Gary Hynes, Editor.

Editor’s Note: Happy Meals


� � � � � � � � � � � � � HAND-CRAFTED BREAD MADE WITH FRESHLY STONE-MILLED FLOUR AND ONLY CERTIFIED ORGANIC OR SUSTAINABLY GROWN LOCAL INGREDIENTS . NATURALLY LEAVENED AND BAKED TO CRUSTY PERFECTION IN WOOD-FIRED BRICK OVENS. � � � � � � � � � � �


+ * ) ( ' & % $( # % " ! % ! � & � % � ( ) � ! # % � � ! � % � & � " ! ! � % ( � % � & � ! � � %- New York Times

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~ Offer expires December 23rd ~

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7

CONCIERGEBy Rebecca Baugniet

NovemberCULINARY TOUR OF CHINATOWN (Victoria)Join chef Heidi Fink as she takes you for a 2-1/2 hour walking tour throughVictoria's historic Chinatown. This food-focused tour will help you navigate therich and complex world of Asian cuisines. From Chinese sauces to Thai noodles,from unusual vegetables to a guided tasting of Chinese teas, you will learn every-thing you need (and more!) to help you get the most from Asian recipes andingredients. Nov 2 and 16. Visit chefheidifink.com for more information.

CORNUCOPIA (Whistler)Celebrate the good things in life at Whistler's annual wine and food extravaganza,Nov 6-16, featuring gala wine tastings, seminars with industry professionals,renowned after-parties and much more. Cornucopia offers something for boththe experienced gourmet and those seeking to appreciate the epicurean delightsof wine and food. A full schedule of events are available on the website.whistlercornucopia.comOTTAVIO’S SWISS WEEK (Oak Bay)Celebrate Swiss Week at Ottavio’s Nov 6-10. There will be Swiss cheese samplingsall week and discounts on all their Swiss cheeses for the week. Now is the seasonwhen the high alpine cheeses really shine, built on the fresh grasses & herbs inthe spring & summer fields. Also, perhaps the best grilled cheese ever served forthe week in the cafe with housemade ketchup. For more information, call 250-592-4080.

WINTERBRAU 2014 (Victoria)

Saturday, November 8th at 1:00 – 5:00 PM. Winter brews from over 15 differentBreweries including 4-Mile, Driftwood, Howe Sound, Hoyne, Lighthouse, MoonUnder Water, Parallel 49, Phillips, Red Truck, Russell, Salt Spring Isle, Spinnakers,Swans,Tofino, Vancouver Island and Wolf. Unlimited snacks and tasters. Ticketsare $50 and include admission, snacks, and winter tasters. canoebrewpub.com

MUSE WINEMAKERS DINNER (Saanich)Muse Winery’s Annual Winemakers Dinner with Deep Cove Chalet Restaurantwill take place Nov 8, with chef Pierre Koffel. Chef Koffel's creations are pairedwith Muse Wines. This location offers waterfront dining, fabulous French cuisineand Muse Wines. Seating is limited. $145 per person, taxes included. Muse willbe offering safe driving options. musewinery.ca

CLAYOQUOT OYSTER FESTIVAL (Tofino)The Clayoquot Oyster Festival is a memorable celebration of one of the ocean'smost coveted culinary delights, the oyster. As a region, Clayoquot Sound is a greatcultivator and consumer of this special bivalve, annually growing over 50,000gallons of oysters a year and over the festival weekend slurping back over 8,000.From Nov 14-15, the community of Tofino in beautiful Clayoquot Sound will goto great lengths to honour the humble oyster. oystergala.com

OCEAN WISE CHOWDER CHOWDOWN 2014 (Vancouver)Join The Movement For Sustainable Seafood At Vancouver Aquarium’s 2014Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown on Nov. 19. Top Ocean Wise chefs competehead-to-head in Calgary, Halifax, Toronto and Vancouver for the title of 2014Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown Champion in each city. Taste all the delectableoriginal chowders, paired with local craft beer, and vote for your favourite, all insupport of sustainable seafood. All proceeds directly support Ocean Wise, aVancouver Aquarium conservation program created to educate and empower con-sumers about the issues surrounding sustainable seafood. This is a 19+ event. Allticket sales are final. #ChowderChowdown vanaqua.org/chowdown

7TH ANNUAL WEST COAST CHRISTMAS SHOW (Abbotsford)This Nov 21-23, discover hundreds of exhibitors, products, and new holiday giftideas not found in malls. For a different experience, complete your shopping inone swoop and take a break with a cheese seminar or festival cooking and bakingpresentations by Food Network Canada's Anna Olson. westcoastchristmasshow.com



Thug Kitchen The Official Cookbook: Eat LikeYou Give a F*ck

Tired of cookbooks full ofoverly expensive andcomplicated recipes that

make healthy, real-food eatingseem like a totally unattainablechore? If you’re not afraid to trysomething with a little attitude,and a bad word or two thrown infor good measure, check out ThugKitchen, the official cookbook ofthe wildly popular, Los Angelesbased website.

You don’t have to look far to findthe latest cookbook promotingsome supposedly new-found

superfood that the author claims will cure all your ills if only you’ll dropeverything else and eat just that. Sure, the premise sounds appealing, butwho has the time (or the money, because let’s face it, this stuff is nevercheap) to pursue every new thing? That conundrum is where Thug Kitchenfound its footing. This crew of cooks set out to prove that healthy eatingdoesn’t have to be hard, and not only have they done it in an effective anddelicious way, they’re done it with an attitude that you can’t help but bedrawn in by. These recipes are easy, inexpensive, and absolutely delicious. Ifyou’re not put off by a little foul language, there is some really exceptionalfood to be discovered in this book - snacks like creamy black bean andcilantro dip, and meals like roasted chickpea and broccoli burritos. You’ll beblown away by how truly effortless it is to kick the overly processed,nutritionally vacant fast food that has become such a staple of our time-crunched, money-strapped twenty-first century lifestyle and get intocooking things that are healthy, real, and won’t break the bank.

These guys have a very real and very simple mission statement - ditch thejunk, and care about what you eat. Whether you’re on side with theoccasional swearing or not, eating right is something we can all relate to.

by the Thug Kitchen Crew

Thug Kitchen is available at BolenBooks for $29.95.

111-1644 Hillside Ave., Victoriawww.bolen.bc.ca(250) 595-4232

EAT SPECIAL PROMOTIONWSET LEVEL 1 FOUNDATION CERTIFICATE (Victoria)The WSET Level 1 Award in Wines course is an introductory course suited to thosewith a basic knowledge of wine as well as total beginners. There are no pre-requisitesto take this course. The Level 1 course focuses on learning the art of wine tasting, pair-ing food and wine, and covers the characteristics of the major grape varieties. Learnabout grape growing and winemaking, serving and cellaring wine, and receive anoverview on local wines. Wine tastings included in this one-day course. Nov 22.www.finevintageltd.com

DecemberFRESH AND HEALTHY HOLIDAY COOKING CLASS (Victoria)The holidays can be a heavy time for our bodies. Prevention of this is the motivationbehind this class on Dec 3 at Cook Culture. Chef Michael Williams (Shaw TV’s “IslandChef”) will focus on some nutritious snacks, sides and entrées that offer a lighteralternative to the usual holiday heavy. After this lesson you will have a repertoire thatyou can use not only use for Christmas dinner, but also as a go-to for many of thewinter months. cookculture.com

BIG REDS AT BIG WHITE (Kelowna)Big White Ski Resort is pleased to announce the return of their annual premier winetasting event. From single varietals to Bordeaux style blends, this event is designed toshowcase all the amazing big reds from the Okanagan valley. Participants have theopportunity to sample the latest wine offerings from over 30 Okanagan wineries, allwhile enjoying delicious chef creations from the resort's fantastic restaurants. Dec 5-6. bigwhite.com

DEERHOLME TRUFFLE COOKING CLASS (Duncan)In this hands-on cooking class offered Dec 6, Bill Jones will present an overview oftruffle types, seasons, products and availability and demonstrate recipes and tech-niques, including Truffle Hummus, Alfredo pasta with truffles and cheese, Terrine oftruffles and turkey with sage and cranberry and more. $100 / person (plus tax). Forreservations and questions call 250 748-7450.

GIFTS FROM THE CHRISTMAS KITCHEN (Victoria)Give the gift of delicious homemade goodies in this make-it and take-it class at theLondon Chef. Make a festive spiced pear and cranberry chutney, a layered chocolatechunk cookie mix complete with baking instructions, and irresistible cinnamon andhoney candied nuts. Then gather around the table to decorate your goodies with aselection of holiday ribbons and other festive craft supplies. Class costs $95 and isoffered December 14. thelondonchef.com

ONGOING & UP AHEADMOSS STREET WINTER MARKET (Victoria)November through April, every Saturday, 10am to noon, in the Garry Oak Room at theSir James Douglas Elementary School in Fairfield. mossstreetmarket.com

SUN PEAKS WINE & DINE (Okanagan)During the Sun Peaks Winter Okanagan Wine Festival, restaurants throughout thealpine village feature uniquely designed menus paired with British Columbian wines.It is a wonderful way to be introduced to this unique festival. Sun Peaks Wine andDine is held nightly and advance tickets are not required, however restaurantreservations are. Visit any participating restaurant (Bella Italia Ristorante, Cahilty CreekBar & Grill, Mantles Restaurant, Masa’s Bar + Grill, Sun Peaks Lodge Steakhouse,Voyageur Bistro) to see their Wine and Dine menu and book your table! Jan 16-25thewinefestivals.com

THE 10TH ANNUAL OREGON TRUFFLE FESTIVAL (Eugene, Oregon, USA)The Oregon Truffle Festival has announced an expanded festival for 2015. Events willbe held in Portland and surrounding wine country January 15 -18, and in and aroundEugene, Oregon over three brisk winter days from January 23-25. Created to celebratethe magnificent Oregon truffles as they reach the peak of ripeness in their native soil,it is the first festival of its kind in North America, dedicated to sharing the experienceof the chefs, foragers and fans of Oregon's wild truffles, from their hidden source inthe forest to their glory on the table. oregontrufflefestival.com


www.eatmagazine.ca NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014 9

Game Night

DURING A RECENT CONDO DECLUTTER, I unearthed battered, bruised and dustyboard games, among them Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble and three Monopoly games—American and UK versions as well as The Beatles Collector’s Edition.I could not bring myself to pitch them. I have dusted them off, checked that all

pieces are present and am treasuring them anew. My husband is still a trivia whiz.Scrabble remains my all-time favourite word game. And together we’ve discoveredthat destroying each other’s real estate investments with funny money can provoke agood-natured battle. (I never knew my easygoing fella could be so ruthless! The thingsyou find out after 30 years.) Racking the brain to make a word from nearly all consonants, or praying the roll of

the dice will procure the coveted Park Place (or Mayfair or Abbey Road) can stir upquite an appetite.A long-time friend and I had a good chortle over the retro canapés and other finger

foods that used to lend themselves to an evening of cards or board games: thepimento-stuffed olives speared with toothpicks, the celery slathered with Cheez Whizand those ubiquitous devilled meat canapés. Such frivolity led to fishing out my oldChatelaine and General Electric cookbooks (published circa 1965). In them, we foundsome fancy finger foods that could be move forward into 2015. All that’s needed isfresh market ingredients rather than tinned, bottled or frozen.Topping the gourmet nibbles are oysters “braised” in butter, Worcestershire, lemon

juice and cream. The recipe needs little change save shucking small fresh oystersinstead of purchasing the large brine-packed sort, and a squeeze of fresh lemon in-stead of bottled. Lifted from its savoury bath, an oyster or two is gently placed on abuttered toast point. Seafood cocktail, courtesy a 2013 article by New York Times’ DavidTanis, got a complete makeover. No bottled ketchup and horseradish for him (or us).Rather, a simple salsa of charred tomatoes and jalapenos pulsed in a blender with a bitof salt and water adorns a mélange of fresh shrimp, mussels and clams. Chopped redonion and a lime are served separately.A retro recipe for hot shrimp en pâté inspired me instead to make potted shrimp.

Cooked peeled baby shrimp are smothered with savoury clarified butter seasoned withwhite pepper, nutmeg, lemon juice and a touch of anchovy paste (optional), thenpacked in four-ounce mason jars or ramekins). Toast points are again a vehicle for therich spread. Folks tend to balk at making or eating steak tartare, that marvelous, tangy mixture

of lean raw beef, anchovies, capers, Worcestershire and raw egg. With today’s accessto right-from-the-farm eggs and a trusted butcher’s top-notch organic meat, thereshould be no problem. I, certainly, have never had one. I like to pile the mixture (Iprefer the meat coarsely chopped) in a pretty glass bowl, sprinkle it with parsley andsurround it with thin slices of white toast or rye bread. Chopped red onion and hard-cooked egg are lovely accompaniments. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.Bottled pimento-stuffed olives get the modern treatment with deli-sourced mixed

olives roasted with lemon rind, pepperoncini and chilies. Cream cheese blended withbottled horseradish gives way to crème fraîche and grated fresh horseradish for aDanish canapé. A garnish of smoked salmon, chopped chives and slivered cucumberremains unchanged.My university-going niece gave this article’s theme a nod of “cool,” then offered her

vegan roommate’s “BLT” bites. Granary bread shaped into circles, stars and trianglesvia a cookie cutter is topped with tempeh bacon, a leaf of green and a cherry tomato,then run briefly under the broiler. Drizzled with honey vinegar and speared with atoothpick, they go down a treat with beer, even for pork devotees, on poker Thursdays.What would an evening of cards and board games be without old-fashioned

popcorn—not microwaved but a single layer of kernels tossed into a deep saucepanwith oil and shaken over a hot stove (not ceramic-topped) ring until the morsels snap,puff up and practically pop out of the pot? Tart them up with truffle oil if you must,but a dousing of creamery butter and salt (OK—sea salt) works best. Because somethings should never go out of date—just like a Monopoly and Scrabble.

g FOOD MATTERS By Julie Pegg

Mad Men-era canapés and finger foods updated for aboard game revival.

E



g GOOD FOR YOU By Pam Durkin

Morning StarsThese five Victoria eateries take the most importantmeal of the day very seriously.FOR YEARS, DIETITIANS—AND OUR MOTHERS—have urged us to start the day with“a good breakfast.” Now, a compelling and growing body of evidence suggests heed-ing this advice may be critical for maintaining good health. In the past two yearsalone, research has shown that those who eat breakfast regularly have a much lowerrisk of developing coronary disease, type-2 diabetes and infertility problems than thosewho forgo the morning meal. In addition, studies indicate skipping breakfast can leadto weight gain, crankiness and impaired scholastic/work performance. Thankfully, our food-centric city offers us a delightful alternative: a variety of

eateries to suit all budgets and time restraints where one can load up on health-enhancing breakfast fare guaranteed to please dietitians AND mom. Here are my“good-for-you” favourites.

Blue Fox CaféStudies have shown both oats and almonds can help play a role in weight managementand the prevention of heart disease and diabetes. That’s just one reason why I love theFox’s Sundried Cranberry and Apple Porridge made with low-glycemic-index steel-cutoats topped with almonds and your choice of dairy or almond milk. Other healthyoptions here include the nutrient-dense Salish Omelette, chockful of omega-3-richwild salmon and colourful veggies, and their salubrious Breakfast Salad, made withfreshly cut fruit, yogurt and house-made steel-cut oat granola.

Clay PigeonIf you struggle to get the recommended five to nine servings of fresh produce each day,the Pigeon is a great place to start your day. I am completely enamoured, as a nutri-tionist and foodie, with their Kale Florentine. The dish contains braised kale, plus pro-tein-rich free-run eggs and satiating baby red potatoes. Kale, like other members ofthe brassica family, contains glucosinolates—compounds proven to block the cancer-forming process. Equally produce-heavy is the Pigeon’s scrumptious ratatouille—ahealth-enhancing blend of eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, arugula and goat cheese.Down this powerhouse concoction for breakfast and you’ve almost met your daily re-quirement for vegetables!

The Village Featured on the Food Network Canada show You Gotta Eat Here, the Village offers upinnovative, decidedly nutritious fare you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. Whilethey do many things well, their egg dishes are particularly intriguing. An exemplaryexample is their Shakshouka—poached organic eggs served with a mouth-wateringsauce of tomatoes, garlic and spinach on buttered rye toast. I also love the Mt. DougOmelette, which features za’tar roasted butternut squash, yams, red onions and goatcheese. Having eggs for breakfast provides a multitude of health benefits—studies re-veal the practice can help with weight maintenance and fat loss. That’s not surprisingwhen you consider organic eggs contain almost every nutrient needed by the humanbody.

Mo:LéHealthy choices abound at Mo:Lé, whether you’re vegan or paleo inclined. However,I tend to go veggie here, simply because I adore their Curried Tofu Scramble.Deliciousness aside, the turmeric in curry has scientists gushing—it’s been shown tobe beneficial for everything from Alzheimer’s to cancer and heart health. I am also afan of the Red Pepper Polenta Cakes, served with free-range eggs and fruit salsa. Notonly can the phenolic compounds in the corn, peppers and mangos help reduce yourrisk for cancer—the taste of this dish can turn a bad morning into something stellar.

Bubby’s KitchenMy eternal quest for truly healthy pancakes ended here. Bubby’s scrumptious Butter-milk Spelt Pancakes are fluffy orbs of sheer delight. Spelt—one of the world’s oldestgrains—is loaded with tryptophan, an amino acid that helps produce serotonin, thebody’s “feel good” hormone. You will also feel good chowing down on Bubby’sMediterranean Tofu Scramble, which is replete with oleic-acid-rich kalamata olives.Oleic acid has been linked to both heart health and a reduced risk for breast cancer. E



E

www. cavavictoria.com 250.590.7982

M O D E R N F I N E D I N I N G

What’s on your plate this evening?

EAT WELL. HAVE FUN.

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �


BEAUTIFUL BLOOD ORANGES ARE UNIQUE FOR SEVERAL REASONS. They are

the only citrus fruit that contains anthocyanin, the antioxidant flavonoid fruit

pigment that makes blueberries blue and raspberries red. Anthocyanin tints the flesh

of blood oranges in colours ranging from pale red to magenta, maroon, or even

purple-black. Some varieties have orange flesh streaked with scarlet, and some have

stunning orange rinds blushed with red. They are a richer source of antioxidants than

any other type of orange due to their anthocyanin content. Their flavours are dis-

tinctively different than other oranges, with tangy red grapefruit, tart cherry or rasp-

berry notes mingled with their orange tastes.

There are three common types of blood oranges. The Italian Tarocco is prized for its

sweetness and tender flesh. The Spanish Sanguinello is sweet, fragrant and seedless. Al-

though both varieties are grown in California, they aren’t widely available in B.C.

They can be ordered from a farm in Perris, California through AlphonsoMango.com.

The California-grown Moro cultivar is sold in B.C. from late November through the

winter. It is the most colourful blood orange, with tart-sweet flesh that can be ver-

million, crimson or almost black, encased in a blushing rind as beautiful as a sunrise

on a clear winter morning.

The Moro is difficult to peel. The best technique for releasing its juicy segments is

to supreme the fruit, which entails cutting off the skin and pith, removing the seeds,

and separating each flesh segment from its membranes by cutting between each mem-

brane toward the center. For tarts, clafouti or garnishes, cut off the peel and pith and

slice the orange into rounds across the membranes to display the exquisite red seg-

ments. For either method, begin by cutting a flat edge across the rind, so the fruit sits

securely on the cutting board.

This versatile fruit can swing both ways from savoury to sweet. It is a delicious salad

companion for fennel bulbs, olives, beets or winter greens, and makes snazzy mar-

malade and chutney. To make blood orange aioli for crab cakes, combine a cup of

mayo, three tablespoons juice, a tablespoon of stone-ground mustard, a teaspoon of

zest, two pressed garlic cloves, salt and pepper. For superb salsa, mix shallots, ginger-

root, lime, chiles, avocado and chopped orange segments. Use them in radiant cakes,

trifle, macarons and granita, or in delectable gastrique, sauces and glazes for fish, lamb,

chicken and duck. Drink the flavourful juice on its own or in mojitos and margaritas.

Blood Orange Whole Fruit Fused Olive Oil, from Olive the Senses in the Hudson Pub-

lic Market, is made by crushing olives with blood oranges when the oil is pressed,

which produces a luscious, intensely flavourful oil. To make your own infused oil,

place the rind from two blood oranges in a food processor with a cup of olive oil. Pulse

until well blended. Allow to infuse at room temperature for an hour. Strain the oil

through a fine mesh strainer and use immediately.


Open 364 days a year (except Christmas)

Locally owned, 5 locations on Vancouver Island

Langford • Uptown • Colwood • Quadra • Courtenay

cascadialiquor.com

NOW IN-STORE

holiday beers, gift packs,advent calendars, gift cardsholiday beers, gift packs,advent calendars, gift cards

g GET FRESH By Sylvia Weinstock

Blood Orange and Duck Confit Winter Salad

E

Blood OrangesThis versatile fruit can swing both ways fromsavoury to sweet.

(Serves 4)

4 blood oranges1 Tbsp sherry vinegar1 tsp Dijon mustard1 Tbsp fused or infused blood orange oliveoilSalt and pepper to taste6 ounce duck confit leg 6 cups winter salad greens¼ cup toasted pecans or hazelnuts

Juice one orange. In a small bowl, whisk to com-bine vinegar, juice, mustard and oil. Whisk in saltand pepper.

Remove and discard the skin, fat and bonesfrom the duck leg. Shred the meat. Supreme 3oranges (see above).

In a large bowl, combine duck meat, saladgreens, nuts and orange sections. Drizzle withvinaigrette and serve.


A CURIOUS TREND HAS EMERGED INVICTORIA; coffee shops named with theseventh letter of the alphabet in mind. Habit,Heist, and now Hey Happy Coffee have the Hcovered. Hey Happy’s smile inducing name hasbeen 13 years in the making.Back in 2001, owner Rob Kettner was fresh

out of film school, touring his first projectaround the festival circuit, including a stop inhis hometown of Winnipeg. “There was a filmpremiering at the festival called Hey, Happyand it was by a Winnipeg filmmaker namedNoam Gonick,” says Kettner, who found thedirector hilariously entertaining and inspiring.“At the film fest parties, he’d show up with hisdrag queen buddies and cause such a ruckusthat they’d get kicked out.”The film stuck with Kettner, who wrote to

Gonick this year asking if Hey, Happy couldbecome Hey Happy Coffee. Gonick was flattered and Hey Happy officially opened inmid-July.Already, they’ve caught the attention of coffee lovers, offering single-cup service for

every order. Customers can order off the day’s fresh sheet, a menu that rotates daily.Hey Happy offers three roasters: Phil & Sebastian from Calgary, Heart from Portlandand Ritual from San Francisco.Each night, individual vials of beans are filled and weighed. Twenty-one grams of

coffee for every 325 grams of water. When ordered, the beans are ground, weighed asecond time, topped off with more grounds if needed, and then brewed using theChemex pour over method.“It’s exciting for me to show people another side of coffee. To be able to offer

single-cup service and delicious and approachable drinks using fine coffee as the mainingredient, creating a bridge between coffee and the culinary world,” says Kettner.While the single-cup service appeals to coffee purists, Hey Happy’s imaginative

coffee interpretations have also sparked interest. A mint julep coffee cocktail, icedcoconut milk latte and chilled bottled coffee flavoured with cherry cocktail syrup makethe trusted vanilla latte seem lackluster.“For those afraid of the coffee purity, we want to offer something delicious,” says

Kettner, who’s replaced the bourbon in a mint julep with a shot of espresso. It’s servedover hand-crushed ice with mint. The iced latte forgoes regular milk for coconut andalmond, lightly blended with simple syrup and espresso (it’s already a staff favourite).The bottled coffee is another labour of love, brewed in the same single-cup method;

flash chilled, and then bottled onsite.Even with the intricate brewing processes, Hey Happy dedicates their time to the

overall experience. Whereas the typical coffee shop requires customers to line up, HeyHappy’s long coffee bar invites everyone to gather around. “We’re like bartenders backthere,” says Kettner, “We come to you.”“We’re not here to voluntarily educate people. We’re just here to give them

wonderful coffee,” adds Kettner, who routinely blasts Michael Jackson and disco musicwhile working. Communal seats, laptop and USB charging stations, and a selection oftreats from local bakeries rounds out the atmosphere.The experience seems to be clicking with customers, who haven’t felt the need to

customize their own drinks. “It’s been extremely pleasing. We’ve gone through solittle cream and sugar. A very willing and trusting crowd,” notes Kettner.With future plans that include an expanded menu in collaboration with Relish and

a new coffee cocktail every season, lower Johnson Street is about to become Victoria’scaffeine hub.

560 Johnson Street, 250-590-9680, heyhappycoffee.com

13

WE’RE HERE FOR THE

GOOD TIMES


GOOD TIMES


GOOD TIMESGOOD TIMES

WE’RE HERE WE’RE HERE WE’RE HERE WE’RE HERE FOR THE FOR THE FOR THE FOR THE

GOOD TIMESGOOD TIMESGOOD TIMESGOOD TIMESGOOD TIMESGOOD TIMESGOOD TIMESGOOD TIMES

450 swift street | victoria bc canoebrewpub.com

TAKE YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY TO CANOE.

BUFFET / LUNCH / DINNER / RECEPTION MENUS STARTING AT $22PP

UNIQUE

SPACES FOR

GROUPS

OF ALL SIZES

UNIQUE

SPACES FOR

GROUPS

OF ALL SIZES

g COFFEE By Kaitlyn Rosenburg

Hey Happy

Rob Kettner shaking a coconut iced latte



Lunch seems to be “the” meal right now in Victoria. From pulledpork, to burritos, to ramen, to gourmet burgers, there be muchlunch bounty in the Garden City. Add to that the increasinglydense gaggle of food trucks across the capital, and you’ve gotyourself a veritable cornucopia of lunch eateries. It’s a greattime for foodies on the go, but a tough one for business owners.If a new lunch spot is going to set up shop, it better stand out.

With its latest storefront on 721 Yates St., the bluntly namedMeat & Bread does just that. With two extremely popularlocations in Vancouver, the draw of Meat & Bread is one ofwell-executed simplicity. “We wanted to offer a better lunch topeople than was being offered, but with better ingredients, that’scooked by people that care,” co-owner and industry veteranCord Jarvie tells me. Good food made fast—it’s a well-knownconcept that, truth be told, is rarely pulled off convincingly.

Instead of overwhelming customers with an overlycomplicated menu, you’ll find but three options for sandwiches:the Porchetta (their roasted pork) staple sandwich, available atevery location), the Jerk Chicken (a menu item specific toVictoria) and a daily special (“to keep people coming back,”Jarvie tells me). “The idea behind each daily-special sandwich

is that it’s like a multi-course meal that you would eat—maybelamb, some potatoes, with green veg—all in a sandwich.”

Designed by Vancouver-based designer Craig Stanghetta,the space in the historic Churchill Building is one of communalelegance. An open-concept kitchen allows customers to watchmeat lovingly carved and sandwiches carefully prepared. Alarge, simple menu greets those in line; a beautiful (and huge)communal wood table sits at centre. Stanghetta has done abrilliant job of making this potentially cavernous space feelwelcoming, bright, full of character and, in general, a spaceyou want to spend some time in. When asked the “why Victo-ria” question, the Churchill itself, Jarvie tells me, was a hugedraw: “The buildings here are beautiful—we like to open spacesin heritage buildings. We like to be in a place with character.”

I sampled the Jerk Chicken, and what a sandwich it is. Withbread locally sourced from the excellent Crust bakery, theciabatta bun’s buttery crust gives way to a fluffy, delicate inte-rior. The rich, tender and dark-ish Rossdown Farm-sourcedchicken offered a pleasant balance of cilantro and lime,followed by a well-balanced bit of habanero heat. The semi-sweet mayonnaise mellowed out the habanero, while pickled

onions added just a bit of tanginess and crunch. As I ate in awindow seat—a lineup out the door behind me—my sandwichdripped like mad onto the elegant wood platter it came on,which is fantastic (there’s nothing worse than a dry sandwich).Dignity be damned—there was very little sauce left on my plate.(There’s a daily soup and a salad, too).

Island-sourced beers (currently, selections from Phillips andHoyne), and wines (winery of the moment: Unsworth) tie theexperience together and, talking to Jarvie I learned that ahappy hour is just around the corner. (current opening hoursare Monday – Saturday 11am – 5pm). The lineup was out thedoor during my visit, but don’t let the masses deter you: I wasvery impressed by how quickly the line moved along.

It’s rare to find a sandwich this good and this well-made fora quick lunch, and at $8 a sandwich, it’s impossible not torecommend. With reasonable prices, top-drawer ingredientsand exciting daily options, it’s easy to imagine Meat & Breadas the newest bread-and-butter option for lunch in downtownVictoria. BY JONATHAN JOHNSON

REPORTER

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721 Yates St. | www.meatandbread.ca |

Meat and Bread

photo: Rebecca Wellman



E

2656 Quadra St. | 778-406-0888 | www.partandparcel.ca |

Part and Parcel

According to Miriam-Webster online, “part and parcel” means: “an essential portion or element,integral part, a vital part of a larger entity.” How appropriate that Part and Parcel has settled inQuadra Village, expanding the repertoire of this diverse grassroots Victoria neighbourhood.

The room is bright, open and welcoming. Booths decked with colourful patterned cushionsprovide seating for long tables. Small blue and yellow metal chairs and slim, twisting black lightfixtures give the space a pretty, yet industrial tone. Grant and Anna Gard, along with SterlingGrice, chose the name to mean “working together and collaboration,” in respect and acknowl-edgement of their suppliers, friends and the culinary community. The name is kind and thoughtfuland suits the feel of the space and its owners.

I peruse the succinct menu, which offers a delicious range of light and richer lunch and dinneroptions. (It would be a lovely place for dinner, mind they close at 8pm, so head over earlier.Corkage is available if you want to bring a bottle from the handy Cascadia across the way). Iquickly arrive at my first choice— the salami, melon and chili salad (see eatmagazine.ca for Partand Parcel’s Melon Salad recipe). It is fantastic. The tender honeydew melon is from Square RootFarm in Saanichton and the fennel beef salami is from Choux Choux. The two co-mingle with thered chili and hot sauce, lemon and olive oil, the first of cook Matt Chamberlain and executivecook Grant Gard’s collaborations. The melee is unexpected, fresh, hot, savoury and beautifullybalanced.

Sterling met Grant at Brasserie L’Ecole, where they worked together for five years. “I havewanted to collaborate with them for years,” shares Grice, as Grant and Anna smile in agreement.

Onto the Curried Lamb Ragu with Gnocchi. The pasta, nestled in the sweet meat, is not simplytender but mildly grilled, succulent. The curried lamb is subtly spiced with coriander, fennel, cumin,ginger and cilantro. It is finished with a dollop of labneh, a Middle Eastern soft cream cheesemade by straining the whey out of thick yogurt.

Next, Andrea, my lifelong friend and excellent cook at Foo and I sample the Grilled AgedCheddar and Roasted Beets Sandwich. It is comforting, simple and delicious. The beets are alsofrom Square Root, the cheese an aged Balderson and the bread from Fry’s.

We finish with caneles, those small French pastries with their striated shape, caramelized out-side and soft centre. They are exquisite and so small you will always have room for dessert. Madewith vanilla and brandy, they’re satisfying in texture and flavour. The menu also lists one made withcardamom and rosewater. “We just want to make simple, fun and delicious food using greatingredients and making things by hand,” shares Grant. I believe him. BY GILLIE EASDON

above: Fried duck egg, lamb bacon and bean salad

Rebecca Wellm

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Raised in rural Ontario and trained in Toronto, Chef

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West Coast and seized the opportunity to be Executive

Chef at The Beach Club Resort in Parksville on Vancouver

Island. Cooking and living on the West Coast evolved

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West Coast never went away and when the opportunity

at Brentwood Bay Resort and Spa presented itself he

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Opened by the crack team of Andre McGillivray, Jorge Barandiaran and chef Nick Nutting, Wolf in the

Fog, Tofino’s newest culinary venture, is quickly making waves. The three friends, who met working at

The Pointe restaurant in the Wickaninnish Inn, have combined their years of expertise, creating a relaxed

vibe and a menu motivated by the idea of “having dinner at a friend’s on a Friday night.”

The restaurant is twofold: the main floor Den, open early for coffee and pastries, lunch and drinks late-

night, and the second floor dining room with patio seating, water views and a drop-dead gorgeous

interior. Diners will find lots of natural light accented by warm wood throughout, leather banquettes, a

long, inviting bar and open kitchen. Artists and artisans added the accents, including a 14-foot reclaimed-

wood communal table, bird’s-nest-like lighting fixtures of hand-torn fir veneer and the restaurant’s wolf

mascot crafted from driftwood. Food and drink are served on mismatched china and glassware, collected

by the three during forays to thrift shops all over Vancouver Island. The effect is quirky and sparks

conversation, creating, in my opinion, a convivial atmosphere.

Nutting’s menu draws from the best of the region’s farmers, fishers and foragers and being cut loose

from the rigours of hotel dining has clearly inspired him. “My food is all over the map,” he explains. “It’s

the greatest hits of all the things I want to eat right now!”

There’s potato-crusted oysters, served over a silken sweet corn puree with a hint of truffle; a seared

Albacore salad served with house guanciale, espelette pepper and orange; and a revelatory beef

tartare that forgoes the classic raw egg and seasonings for North African spices, peanuts and herb-

flecked yogurt. These hits I could eat at any time.

Whether or not you’re with friends or it’s a Friday night, the menu’s let’s-get-together spirit is best

expressed in the thematic sharing plates. The Spanish Picnic consists of West Coast mussels, octopus and

pan-seared lingcod with nugget potatoes atop a more-ish Catalan romesco sauce, one built around

roasted red peppers and ground almonds. The house focaccia comes in handy for getting every last

morsel.

The wine list is affordable and approachable with lots by the glass, chosen for their food-friendliness.

Hailey Pasemko oversees the spirits side of the menu, offering up flavourful twists on classic cocktails using

infusions, herbs and bitters, as well as Tofino-esque touches such as cedar berries and salmonberries.

Friends can indulge in the sharing punch bowls created for two to six people, served in vintage punch

bowls.

The sweet finish, dreamt up by pastry chef Joel Ashmore, is a playful selection that draws inspiration

from the soda fountain. Think hot fudge sundaes complete with nuts and cherries, butterscotch brûlée and

double chocolate pavés. I enjoyed the summer parfait of tart lemon curd layered with olive oil Madeleine

crumbs and topped with a bouffant of torched meringue that tasted like marshmallows.

From day to night, Wolf in the Fog will have you howling at the moon. BY SHELORA SHELDAN

150 Fourth St., Tofino | 250-725-9653 | wolfinthefog.com |

Wolf in the Fog

Wolf in the Fog’s Rare Albacore Tuna with tomato, guanciale and espelette.

Shelroa Sheldan

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continues year-roundVictoria�s premier farmers market

MossStreetMarket.com

warm and dry in theGarry Oak Room

With your favouritelocal organic farmers

Parking off Thurlow,Sir James Douglasschool parking lot.

See website for details.

IndoorsMSM Winter Market

Nov-Apr, Saturdays, 10-noon

MossSt.Market

Located above Ferris’ Oyster Bar and Grill is the latest addition to the Ferris’ family, Perro Negro tapasand wine bar. This is the fourth restaurant launch for co-owners Tom Ferris and Dave Craggs, whichincludes Ferris’ Upstairs and Catalano in the Magnolia Hotel. Perro Negro (Black Dog) opened to thepublic this past June as an extension of Ferris’ Upstairs with a focus on tapas (small bites), or “parapicar” (to pick or nibble). The dim lighting, picture windows, brick walls and rustic chairs makes PerroNegro a sexy locale to enjoy authentic Spanish tapas, refined cocktails and impressive wines.

I met with owner-chef Craggs for a first look at the space and a brief chat about the vision behind PerroNegro (As a chef, however, he was quite happy to let his tapas do the talking, and did they ever).

Maintaining a prosperous restaurant in Victoria (Ferris Oyster Bar opened 23 years ago), is anaccomplishment in itself. With such a high turn over in the food service industry, to have not one but fourbusy establishments is a triumph. I asked Craggs why he and Mr. Ferris decided to expand again:“Because we’re idiots!” Craggs says. (Successful and extremely savvy idiots, I would have to argue.)“We were waiting for this space [Perro Negro] for a long time. There was a definite demand for the

tapas” Craggs says. “We had to turn people away some nights. So, initially the room was to act as anover-flow space while people waited for their table. But it’s grown into something else. Between upstairsand downstairs, it’s already become its own entity.”

The very popular Sevilla Sundays at Ferris Upstairs were a strong catalyst for expanding the tapasconcept, Craggs says. “Tapas can be the in-between food; you can have a couple of bites and moveon with your night. Or, stay and share a bunch of food. Plates are priced accordingly (which puts thefun in sampling several items).

To begin, as I sipped on a tart and earthy gin and tonic (a Perro Negro nod to Spain), topped withegg white, lime and cucumber foam, I sampled vine ripened tomatoes with Macedonian feta and mintin a 30 year old sherry vinaigrette ($6). This was followed by Pan y Tomate: a crispy baguette rubbedwith tomatoes, garlic and arbequina olive oil ($4). After this there was a tribute to the Basque region ofSpain: Banderillas a one-bite skewer of olives, piquillo, guindilla pepper and boquerons (anchovies)($4) and Pintxo (finger food served on bread) of Dungeness crab and corn topped with a hot pepper($5). One word so far: Amazing. Next, came clams with white beans (from the daily special sheet) ($8)followed by smoked albacore tuna with preserved lemons, olives, marcona almonds, caper berries andolive oil ($10). The latter dish was heavenly; the perfect marriage of flavours and textures. A must try. Iwashed that down with a house favorite: the piquillo pepper stuffed with spicy shrimp. Good thing theseare only ($4) a piece because one is not enough. Lastly, I ended my evening with fried bravas potatosin a spicy tomato jam with alioli ($6). And I admit, I got a bit greedy when I encouraged a Hot Day inJerez: a refreshing spicy cocktail made with alvear amontillado sherry, moorish spices (all-spice, cinna-mon, black pepper) fresh lemon and soda water ($8). What can I say? It went well with my potatoes.

There is no doubt in my mind (or, in my belly for that matter) that Perro Negro will be yet anotherprosperous venture for Ferris and Craggs. Currently open just three nights a week (Thursday, Friday andSaturday 5pm to 12am), Craggs suspects they will have to expand those hours soon enough. For themoment they are letting it unfold and booking plenty of private parties, with a capacity to seat 40people for dinner and 55 or more for a casual cocktail style reception. BY HOLLY BROOKE

536 Yates St., Victoria | 250-382-2344 | ferrisoysterbar.com |

Perro Negro

Albacore tuna “galician ham style” w/ confit potatoes, jamon drippings, olive oil, pimenton.

E

H. B

rooke


The Pacific BennyServes 2100 grams wild smokedsalmon from Finest At Sea2 free range eggs forhollandaise2 free range eggs forpoaching1 bunch local spinach2 whole-wheat sesamebagels from Mount RoyalBagel FactoryHand-full fresh dill, chopped1 tsp. capers

Make basic hollandaise (recipe below). Reserve and keep warm.

Poach the remaining two eggs. Begin by filling a sauce pan 3/4 full with water, and bring to the boil.

Turn the heat down to a simmer, and add a splash of vinegar (about one teaspoon). Once the water is

at a simmer, stir it gently in a circle so that the water is moving in a light vortex. Now crack the four eggs

into the moving water. This will prevent the eggs from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cooking time will

vary, but it should take around 1.5 to 2 minutes for a medium-soft poached egg. (The white should be

solid, but there will still some jiggle left in the yolk).Cook eggs as instructed above.

Meanwhile, toast bagels. Lightly sauté the spinach in a pan until wilted (season lightly with salt and

pepper). Arrange the spinach on the toasted bagel halves. Top with the smoked salmon and the poached

eggs. Spoon some of the hollandaise sauce on top. Garnish with chopped dill and the capers.


Eggs Benny at HomeWhenever we go out for breakfast with friends, it seems like the meal of choice is EggsBenedict; that tasty dish consisting of the perfectly poached egg on an array of deli-cious meats and veggies, all arranged on a crispy piece of English muffin (or toast) andcovered by a thick and rich sauce. Decadent to say the least! While you can easilymake it at home with one of those powdered (and slightly questionable) Hollandaisemixes, you may be surprised to know that you can also make it from scratch in prac-tically the same amount of time. Using some of Victoria’s finest ingredients, whip upa batch of bennies to suit anyone’s fancy. Clear your weekend plans—you’re makingbrunch!

Basic HollandaiseServes 2

2 free range eggs2 Tbsp. unsalted butter1 tsp. lemon juicepinch sea saltup to another tsp. of lemon juice to tastedash of Tabasco sauce

Begin by melting the butter on low heat in a small pot, being sure that it does not brown. Separate youreggs, reserving the whites for a later use.

In a medium glass or metal mixing bowl, mix the yolks with the 1 tsp. lemon juice and the pinch of seasalt. Whisk until smooth. Place the egg mixture on top a pot of gently boiling water (a bain marie) and,while whisking constantly, heat until the egg mixture until it thickens to stiff peaks (around the thicknessof mayonnaise).

The next step is the trickiest, but with a little patience and care, it turns out perfectly! If you simply addthe melted butter to the eggs, you will end up with a curdled mess. To emulsify the eggs into a creamysauce, slowly add the melted butter, whisking the mixture while you pour. Add a squeeze more lemonjuice to taste and a drop of Tabasco for flavour. If the sauce gets to thick, simple add a couple of dropsof water before serving —or, if you have some white wine open, a small splash is a nice alternative tothe last bit of lemon juice.

g HOW TO By Sophie MacKenzie

A fresh westcoast take on eggs benny

S. MacK

enzie



g EATING WELL FOR LESS By Elizabeth Monk

Elizabeth Nyland

Elizabeth Nyland

Some places are so classic, so omnipresent, it’s easy to take them for granted because they are the land-scape rather than being new to the landscape. The Dutch Bakery is such a place. The Schaddelee familyhas been serving largely the same menu, in largely the same décor, since 1956. Which means, yes, thereis a counter and, yes, there are milkshakes. The Dutch Bakery serves basic food and fancy desserts, butbasic can, of course, be good. In my inexhaustible community research, I learned that every long-termVictoria family I know has a favourite here, and those were the focus of my tastings. The soup they’ve beenmaking all these years is vegetable with meatballs. It is served in a chunky mug and includes carrot,celery, a few noodles and a kick of nutmeg in the meatballs. Another classic dish is the turkey meat pie for$5.35 (if you get it with a side of potato salad, green salad or soup). This gets you a small pie with flaky,golden-brown, stand-up pastry and a creamy filling that is pure turkey, no filler.

While the turkey pie was tasty, it’s the croquettes that are lingering in my taste memory. Two of thesecrunchy breaded logs crammed with a creamy beef filling cost $5.30. A tip from the server: if you’re get-ting a side, get the potato salad because it’s “the good stuff.” As you might expect from a lunch counterloyal to its 1950s roots, the potato salad is sweet, eggy and flecked with red pimentos, much like one yourgrandmother might bring to a family barbecue. The burger was a pleasant surprise for me. I usually go infor fancy burgers topped with truffles or ewe-milk cheese extracted on a full moon, or whatever frou-froustuff is in style. This was just a burger, seasoned again with their not-so-secret ingredient of nutmeg, slatheredin a mayo-mustard-ketchup sauce and served on a soft, squishy, Portofino bun. And it hit the spot. The dis-cerning foodie is probably wondering the same thing I did: uuumm, why is a bakery buying bread? Tra-ditionally in Holland, bakers specialized either in pastries or in bread; the Dutch Bakery focuses on theformer. I don’t have the space here to rhapsodize about the cakes and pastries, but one look in the frontwindow on Fort Street will tell you all you need to know.

718 Fort St., near Douglas St., Victoria | 250-385-1012The Dutch Bakery

Victoria Then and Now

left: Michelle Schaddelee in front of the Dutch Bakeryabove: Croquettes with side of potato salad and toast

A classic ’50s counter, a raw food café and Langford’s curry favourite.

E


Elizabeth Nyland


250-590-45564136 WILKINSON RD

WWW.CROOKEDGOOSEBISTRO.CA

250-383-1545CORNER OF CROFT & SIMCOE IN JAMES BAY

WWW.HERONROCKBISTRO.CA

LOCAL FOOD, BEER, WINE & LIVE MUSICAT 2 GREAT NEIGHBOURHOOD BISTROS!

108-4440 W. Saanich Rd., Royal Oak Plaza, 778-432-4800

RAWthentic

Direct from Courtenay, B.C., comes the latest player on the raw food scene—RAWthenic at the Royal OakPlaza near Tim Horton’s. Rawthentic has some of the best prices I’ve seen going for raw food, with en-trees ranging from $8.50 to $11. The Pad Thai Salad is fresh and flavourful, with a base of thin-cut zuc-chini strips as the noodles, combined with some kelp noodles for added texture and flavour. The sauceis a blend of almonds and cashews, processed to a cream with a slight graininess. This dish is a hit withchildren too because some of the noodles are very long, making for fun slurping. The Philly CheezeWrap is fun for another reason. Chef teases us about the less-than-healthy cheese-like products that getconsumed in our culture (though not, I’m sure, in your house, oh erudite EAT reader). The wrap’s “nachonut cheeze” is a tangy concoction of soaked cashews, carrots, cayenne and chili powder spread overa generous amount of sliced warm Portobello mushrooms and sprouts. This is all encased in a wrapmade of flax seed and dehydrated carrots, zucchini and sun-dried tomato.

The crust for the Bruschetta Pizza is much the same, but thicker and with more sun-dried tomatoes. Pre-pare to get your hands messy from all the toppings, unless you resort to a knife and fork. This pizzalooks like a Mexican tostada, layered with a cashew hummus, falafel and shredded spinach, and thensauced up with both the house apple cider hemp dressing and a marinara sauce. As you might expectfrom a raw food restaurant, smoothies and shakes figure prominently. With my ten-year-old in charge ofthe drink ordering, kale mixes were mockingly eschewed in favour of the Orange Creamsicle Shake. Theblend of house-made almond milk, mango, raw vanilla, orange and orange oil did indeed remind oneof the famous popsicle. Again, I haven’t left myself space to wax eloquently about the desserts, but I’llsay quickly that $1.50 for the Vanilla Macaroon is a very reasonable price for this cluster of coconut,raisins, cranberries and sunflower seeds. RAWthentic is a café more than a restaurant, a place to graba quick wholesome meal with some fun woven in. E

Bruschetta Pizza



The Drop™ chair by Arne Jacobsen 1958

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Pork Punjabi Curry and Vegetable Curry with rice

Elizabeth Nyland

777 Goldstream Ave., Langford | 250-478-6600Turmeric

This Indian restaurant has been a hit in Langford since it opened its doors a year ago, and I decidedto find out why. The atmosphere is very welcoming, with a décor of warm browns and mustards, tilefloor and silky fabrics on the windows. The lunch buffet is $12.95 and includes tea, coffee or pop. Onthe weekday I went, six curries were on offer, as well as naan and onion bajia. The latter deserves spe-cial mention. These onions fried in a chickpea flour mix are a version of onion rings, and I am mildlyashamed to report that I consumed these as both appetizer, palate cleanser, main course and dessert.I did squeeze in some curries as well.

The cumin-rich Daal Turka Lentils were flavourful and complex, with a fresh coriander finish. I don’toften see pork in Indian restaurants, so it was interesting to try the Pork Punjabi Curry with tenderchunks of pork in a creamy blended sauce of tomato, onion and coconut milk. The Vegetable CoconutCurry was also unusual: carrots, peas and green beans in a slightly sweet sauce with a top note of car-damom. Other curries were more standard fare—butter chicken, aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower) andtandoori chicken—and all were well executed. The curries change each day because they have somecustomers so loyal that they are there three times a week. My only quibble is that I would have likedone of the curries to really pack some heat. Instead, all were mild, and a spicy garlic sauce is on offerto add some kick. Nonetheless, this is a very affordable price for good food in an attractive and wel-coming restaurant. E


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Rancho Vignola has been selling fresh crops of nuts and dried fruit wholesale and

direct to customers for 34 years. Now based in the old Armstrong Cheese build-

ing on a five and 1/2 acre property in the north Okanagan, Rancho Vignola’s

seasonal business grew out of an earlier venture, Sunseed Natural Foods and Vegetarian

Restaurant.

“My husband Richard and I ran Sunseed in Vernon from 1978 until 1984,” Rancho

Vignola’s co-founder Sue Vignola explains. “At harvest time, when organic almonds,

walnuts and dates came up from California, our customers would buy cases of the fresh

nuts and dried fruit. These ‘best of the new crop’ displays, piled high in that little shop,

grew into a bulk-buying service and Rancho Vignola’s seasonal business.” Now, says Sue,

the company offers their “best of the new crop” of dried fruit and nuts from around the

world to a mailing list of more than 10,000 customers.”

“We host about 10 free harvest events every November in Alberta and B.C. This year

we’re bringing our harvest event (free admission) to Vancouver Island for the first time,”

Sue continues. “November 28 and 29 at Sidney’s Mary Winspear Centre our first South

Island Harvest Event will feature free samples, live demonstrations, custom-made gift

packs and prize drawings. Visitors to the event will get to taste everything we offer, hope-

fully buy something they like, and sign up for next year’s bulk sales.”

Rancho Vignola produces an annual newsletter, this year a 16-page in-house

production with graphics by the couple’s daughter, Natalia, and travel notes by Richard

of their latest search for organic suppliers in Italy and Turkey. There are field reports of

apricot failures in Turkey, California growers’ water woes (2013 provided the least rain-

fall in the state’s history), and the B.C. hazelnut crop’s better-sized nuts but smaller

harvest. The newsletter also includes pages of recipes and reports from long-time

suppliers.

“Our son Simon is the equivalent of our company’s CEO and is really taking over the

business,” Sue enthused. “We’ve had many of our suppliers for more than three decades,

and now our son is working with the children of these growers. Everyone has grown up

with the business.”

Rancho Vignola’s suppliers range from their Okanagan Valley neighbours to farms in

China, Vietnam, Turkey and Peru. Dried cranberries and blueberries come from Notre

Dame-de-Lourdes, Quebec. Pistachios and raisins arrive from a farm in Caruthers,

California. “Mexican mangos are naturally dried with no additives on trays in specially

constructed drying ovens which maintain an even, low temperature to preserve their

moisture. They’re shipped from Santa Cruz, California, and macadamia nuts are from a

source in new South Wales, Australia. More than 60 growers and suppliers ship to

Rancho Vignola’s warehouse in Armstrong, and all have a commitment to Fair Trade

practices and organic growing. The Vignolas’ personal visits insure all claims, and third-

party certifications in countries around the world are kept on file for all growers and

producers.

When Rancho Vignola took over the Armstrong Cheese building in the spring of 2013,

it added a higher level of quality control to their business. “It gives us complete control

over the storage of all our products—cases of dried fruit and nuts and our 10-pound fruit

and nut mix, breakfast mix and natural candies,” Sue Vignola explains. “We have

freezers, cooling units and dry storage ... everything we need for short-term warehous-

ing. Most of our business is direct sales to our thousands of individual customers at

harvest time, but we do have a few retailers who put up harvest displays of our products

in their stores and groups like Kootenay Co-op in Nelson. We do a lot of business in the

Kootenay region.”

The 30,000-square-foot warehouse provides storage from October to March, when

whatever is left of the year’s harvest is turned over to food banks and other charities. Up

to $100,000 worth of quality food is donated annually to these charities as well as

sponsorship of athletes, music festivals and other community events.

Then it’s time to clear the warehouse and embark on the Vignolas’ annual trips to

revisit suppliers, search new parts of the world for organically grown dried fruit and

nuts, and organize their expanding schedule of annual harvest events. Don’t miss the

first annual South Island Harvest Event in Sidney and visit the website for news of

Rancho Vignola’s 35th anniversary specials in 2015.

Visit our website: www.ranchovignola.com

Fruit to NutsOkanagan-based Rancho Vignola sources the best of the crop from around the world and next door. By Joseph Blake

SPECIAL EAT PROMOTION

from left to right: Sue and Richard Vignola in 2010, celebrating 30 years in the business. Sue making muhammara (red pepper and walnut spread) inIstanbul Turkey. Richard immersed in the brazil nut harvest in the Peruvian Amazon. Sue smelling a cashew apple in Vietnam.

South Vancouver Island Harvest EventFriday, November 28 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday, November 29 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Mary Winspear Centre

2243 Beacon Ave. Sidney, BC

Adrien Sala


It could be argued that patient zero for breakfast sandwiches was the EggMcMuffin. That stodgy, portable, microwaved offering has long been the refugeof students nursing themselves back to health after a big night out. And while

some people may still go that route, a good number have graduated to somethingmore culinarily advanced. Hungry, time-strapped breakfasters still interested in aportable feed are demanding more from their ingredients, which might explainwhy almost every café in town is doing their own version of the classic McMuffin. Of course, patrons are particular about their favourites. Some gravitate to cafés thatgo with locally sourced meat and eggs; others just want the perfect mayo/baconbalance. No matter your predilection, there’s probably an option for you.Most breakfast sandwiches land below the $7 mark while some go as high as $10(those are usually made with non-traditional ingredients like, say, pears). Typically,a breakfast sandwich has a few core elements: eggs, bacon, cheese and perhaps atomato. I spent a week trying a new one every day, and I must say, I have myfavourite. But you should make up your own mind. Personally, I also need a salad.And a workout.

Chorizo & Co. Spanish Delicatessen 807 Fort St.Inspired by the Spanish influence (the backbone of this restaurant), Chorizo’soffering is perhaps one of the more adventurous breakfast sandwiches available.

Known as the bocata (sandwich in Spanish),this rustic version is served on a soft briochebun, and instead of bacon has salami aswell as a nice dollop of pimenton (spicy)aioli. A touch of Manchego cheese helpsbalance it out, and of course it has a softfried egg too (can be cooked longer, if youinsist). Available all day, the bocata is $6 andwill make you feel as if you’ve just snackedat a bodega in Spain.

Friends of Bears1310 Douglas St.If it ain’t broke, don’t bugger with it. Theoption here is a quintessential breakfastsandwich. Served on lightly toasted sour-dough, the six-dollar sandwich iscomprised of a single fried egg, roasted SunWing farm tomato, crispy bacon, raw babyspinach, a dash of mozzarella cheese andsome mayo. The standard North Americaneggs and toast all put together in one tastylittle package. Available all day.

Relish Food & Coffee 920 Pandora Ave.It’s everything an egg McMuffin is not. Thatis to say, delicious, light and definitely notpreviously frozen or microwaved. Served ona fresh English muffin, Relish’s breakfastsandwich starts with a base of egg, tomato,a little mayo and some grainy Dijonmustard for $4.25. Add either bacon orsausage, or both, for a dollar each. Cheesewill set you back an additional 50 cents, butall up, it still falls under the $6 mark if youchoose a meat and cheese. Available all dayduring the week and to go on Saturdays.

Parsonage Café1115 N. Park St.One of the biggest challenges in the culinary world is putting things on a bageland then making it possible to eat. Somehow, the Parsonage Café (FernwoodCoffee) has figured it out. Served on a Mount Royal bagel baked fresh next door, thesandwich starts with a base of a free-range egg, some sharp Cheddar and somemayonnaise. You have three options of add-ons: bacon, creamed spinach ortomato. All three toppings will run you $6.25 before tax. Available all day.

Be Love Restaurant1019 Blanshard St.While most breakfast sandwiches lean on the traditional, Be Love has created asurprisingly delicious offering while managing to avoid both bacon and eggs (yes,you can enjoy food without bacon these days). Organic, as well as gluten-, dairy-and wheat- free, this sandwich still has a nice buttery texture thanks to the cashewsour cream and avocado. Made using almond-pumpernickel bread, it’s nicelybalanced with Salt Spring Island sprouts, pear and something call “zacon”—azucchini miraculously turned into bacon. It’s also served with a mug of chai tea.Perfect for vegetarians or anyone who feels like a healthy dose of vitamins andhappy fats. $10, including the cup of tea. Available all day. E


Breakfast, Sandwiched

g TOP 5 Text & photos by ADRIEN SALA

A tour of some of Victoria’s more popular morning munchies.

The bocata at Chorizo & Co.

Adrien Sala


Bread. It’s the staff of life, the most basic andyet the most complex of foodstuffs. Bad breadis a crime against humanity. Good bread is agift from the gods. In our modern world ofmanufactured food, finding a real artisan-

made loaf of bread can be challenging.But in Victoria we are spoiled for choice, living in a

little corner of bread heaven. Whether it’s a chewybaguette, a rustic loaf of grainy spelt bread, or a hand-rolled Italian breadstick, it’s all here, served up from trueartisan bakeshops scattered around town.Arriving from a much larger city—with far fewer great

bakeries—I have been impressed by the selection of breadand bakeries here. Victorians obviously take local foodseriously and support their neighbourhood bakers,restoring the once daily ritual of buying bread.How else can you explain a city where Italian loaves are

hand-formed every morning at Ottavio’s, where a team isat work in the wee hours at Fol Epi stoking the wood ovenand grinding Red Fife wheat, while Byron Fry channels hisgreat-great-grandfather’s baking skills up the road inVic West? At Wildfire, customers line up for the rusticorganic breads they’ve been baking for nearly two decades,and new bakeries like Crust and the French Oven join oldfavourites like True Grain.Victoria’s artisan bakers, their faces dusted with flour

and their wooden shelves piled high with hand-formedboules and brioche, have their own theories about whyVictorians love their loaves.“Victorians are very supportive of community-based

businesses,” says Erika Heyrman of Wildfire OrganicBakery and Café, its double wood-fired ovens turning outcrusty loaves daily. “People are really thinking about whatthey’re putting into their bodies, but it’s in the taste, too.”Adds Fry: “There were always tons of bakers here—

Dutch Bakery, Rheinland, La Collina, Bond Bond’s—sothere’s a history of bread-baking in Victoria, but very fewcities have four wood-fired oven bakeries like this. Thebakery has become central to the community.”What we call “artisan bread” first became popular in the

1980s, when the art of baking traditional, hand-formedloaves was revived in California at bakeries like L.A.’s LaBrea Bakery and Berkley’s Acme Bread. Suddenly, sourdough cultures were being coddled and shared, the secretsof slow, levain-style fermentation spread by a spate ofpopular books, like Joe Ortiz’s treasured tome The VillageBaker, while pioneers like Alan Scott built wood-firedovens.In 1993, Terra Breads opened its first bakery in

Vancouver (now there are four locations), while AceBakery opened its doors in Toronto. Our lexicon expandedbeyond sourdough and baguette to ciabatta, fougasse,boule and batard.In Victoria, Fol Epi’s Clif Leir was one of the first to get

the artisan bread bug, building a brick oven in his drive-way in 1997 and selling his rustic loaves at Moss Streetmarket. Soon his hobby morphed into a legitimate artisanbakery—Wildfire—still operated by his ex-wife.These young bakers revived the skills of traditional bread

making using wild yeasts, freshly milled ancient grains likeSpelt and Red Fife wheat, and long fermentation to create

loaves with chewy crusts and complex flavours. Theyformed their big breads by hand, then baked them at hightemperatures in wood-fired bread ovens modelled after thetraditional communal ovens of Italy and France. And liketoday’s new generation of chefs, they embraced fresh,ethical, locally sourced and sustainable ingredients.After decades of bleached, sliced, packaged and

preserved industrial bread, it was a movement thatintroduced a whole generation to real bread. And oncetasted—like real craft beer—there’s no going back.While Leir doesn’t think of himself as the granddaddy of

great bread in Victoria (he’s only 35), he certainly helpedset the bar with his hand-built ovens (12 and counting)and rustic loaves. With a new dome oven and better mill,he’s refined his recipes further at Fol Epi.Leir is committed to sourcing heritage grains like Red

Fife and reviving old West Coast varieties and grindingthem fresh in his own mills, the step that gives local loavessuch wonderful flavour.It’s the same at True Grain Bread in Cowichan Bay,

where Bruce and Leslie Stewart continue the tradition ofmilling and baking with heritage grains to create breadsthat are both hearty and healthy.Like Leir, Byron Fry built his first wood-fired bread oven

at home and found a following for his crusty loaves at theMoss Street Market, before building a permanent woodoven and retail bakery in Vic West last year.“We grind the wheat, rye, spelt and kamut, the wheat

primarily grown in Metchosin on two family farms,” saysFry, who uses only Vancouver Island Salt Co.’s sea salt inhis bread and Whole Beast cured meats for his pizza.“There’s a control there. It’s fresh.”Each of the city’s artisan bakers creates unique products,

but the nutty flavour of fresh-milled heritage grains andthe smoky char from the wood oven is a thread that runsthrough much of Victoria’s best bread. If there’s an islandstyle, this may be it—hand-formed crusty loaves with anopen crumb and mild sour flavour from the wild yeastsfloating in our seaside air.Since the bread boom of the 1990s, the artisan bread

scene has blossomed in some regions and becomemuddied in others. Now supermarkets label theircommercial loaves and pre-bakes “artisan” when itcouldn’t be further from the truth. Even some of thefamous pioneers are now wholesaling frozen loaves farand wide, turning true artisan breads into big volume,industrial products.Victoria has seen a few fits and starts, too. Sadly, Leaven

closed recently, after only a year in business, and a fire atThe Italian Bakery has kept that benchmark bakeryshuttered for months.We’re blessed with excellent specialty bakeries, too, from

Origin Bakery, with its wide selection of gluten-freeproducts, to Crust and Pure Vanilla, places to findbeautiful pastries and cakes. Lyon-born baker Nick Castroand his wife Sandra opened their French Oven bakery lastyear in the new Victoria Public Market in the Hudson,retailing a variety of French artisan specialties. AndItalian baker-on-a-bike Claudio Costi recently gave up hisself-propelled market stand for a permanent bakery, LaTana, in Fan Tan Alley, turning out small savoury Italian


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WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO BUY:

Bond Bond’s Bakery1010 Blanchard St.250-388-5377Before there were artisans, there was Bond Bond’s—a downtown bakery devoted to making basicbreads with natural ingredients, from honey whole wheat to sprouted grain bread and burger buns.www.bondbondsbakery.com

Fol Epi Bakery101-398 Harbour Rd.250-477-8882At his chic little bakery in Dockside Green, Clif Leir fuses his love of hand-milled heritage grains,wood-fired baking and French techniques to create chewy baguettes—arguably the city’s finest—andbeautiful whole wheat loaves and pastries. www.folepi.ca

Fry’s Red Wheat Bakery416 Craigflower Rd.250-590-5727With his hand-built, wood-fired oven and freshly milled grains, Byron Fry turns out big loaves of painrustique and German-style ryes, fat salty pretzels and Sunday pizza specials in Vic West.www.frysbakery.com

La Tana101-3 Fan Tan Alley 250-920-6213Claudio Costi recently opened a small bakery in Chinatown. Look for savoury cheese-filled panze-rotto to take away for lunch, ciabatta and Costi’s authentic grissini (breadsticks).www.ilfornodiclaudio.com

Ottavio Italian Bakery and Deli2272 Oak Bay Ave.250-592-4080The Italian family behind this Oak Bay gourmet food shop traces its baking style to family recipes fromTorino (and Cook Street’s Italian Bakery, which plans to reopen soon). Go for the rosemary focaccia,rustic Italian loaves and the best croissants in town.www.ottaviovictoria.com

The French OvenHudson Market (1701 Douglas St.)778-433-6938Born and trained in France, baker Nick Castro specializes in French artisan baking, from baguettesand brioche to a flaky and crisp style of croissant that’s unique in the city.www.frenchovenbakery.ca

True Grain BreadCowichan Bay250-746-7664Another pioneer in artisan baking, True Grain grinds healthy grains that predate modern hybridizedwheat, creating Old World-style cracked grain, whole spelt and dark rye breads for the CowichanValley.www.truegrain.ca

Wildfire Organic Bakery1517 Quadra St.250-381-3473This is Victoria’s original artisan bakery/café, sourcing local and organic ingredients and milling onsite. Try white sourdough loaves and baguettes, garlic and cheddar bread, and grainy raisin, walnutand cinnamon loaves.www.wildfirebakery.ca

buns and breadsticksBut big loaves of rustic artisan bread is the island specialty, and wherever you live,

you’re never far from your own “village” baker, or at least a small grocer that sellssome of the city’s local loaves.“Bakeries serve a role in the community,” says Heyrman, her Wildfire bakery a

bustling neighbourhood hub for North Park and Fernwood residents. “We offer analternative to the mass-produced foods that lack both nourishment and soul.”

award-winning, innovative, island-sourced cuisine

509 fisgard street, victoria 250.590.8795ulla.caulla.ca

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LIFE GIVING

The season for family feasts and festive parties is hereagain. Yet the holidays are also a time for giving, atime many of us think about fellow community

members in need and the local groups—such as Our Place,Mustard Seed, Living Edge, Salvation Army and others—who support and nourish them. There’s another way to support this vital, live-giving

web. We can offer gifts of money or our volunteer time toseveral hard-working organizations that support localfarmers and food processors, urban agriculture andregional food sustainability.LifeCycles is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year,

and the local non-profit continues to cultivate awarenessand initiate action around food, health and urbansustainability in Greater Victoria. LifeCycles’ minuscule,five-member staff coordinates more than 400 volunteersin an array of urban agriculture projects and educationalworkshops. One of these is the Fruit Tree Project usingvolunteer labour each year to pick neighbourhood fruittrees from July to the end of October.“LifeCycles picked 120 trees at 35 backyard sites during

one especially busy week in September,” says staff mem-ber Tim Fryatt. “We only have one van, and we couldreally use another one during weeks like that!”The Fruit Tree Project also needs team leaders with a

driver’s license to coordinate on-site volunteers, organizethe unloading of fruit at the warehouse and deliver fruitto community partners. More than three dozen of thesepartners, including AIDS Vancouver Island, VictoriaNative Friendship Centre, Cool Aid, Mustard Seed, OurPlace and the Salvation Army, received fruit fromLifeCycles this year. A quarter of the neighbourhood fruitis given to the homeowner, a quarter to the volunteerpickers, a quarter is distributed to community partnersand the remaining quarter goes to LifeCycles’ businesspartners and fruit processing projects that supportLifeCycles operational funding.Products made by partner companies include

Spinnakers Gastropub’s apple cider vinegar, Sea Cider’sKings and Spies hard cider and quince paste made by thekitchen staff at the Marina Restaurant with Fair Tradeorganic cane sugar donated by Level Ground Trading.The LifeCycles Gleaning Program gathers commercial

grain and produce left behind after the initial Grade Aharvest. In the case of produce, it’s usually unconven-tionally sized or odd-shaped fruits and vegetables. Overthe past seven years, Sun Wing Farms has donated 17,000pounds of pesticide-free tomatoes to the GleaningProgram. There are more than a dozen business support-ers like Sun Wing, including Thrifty Foods, Dig This,Ottavio’s Italian Bakery and Delicatessen, Market on Yatesand the Fairmont Empress Hotel who donate surplusfoodstuffs like cheese and bread.Ongoing agricultural projects include bringing the

historic Welland Orchard near the Galloping Goose Trailin View Royal back to full production. This includesradical pruning and clearing, planting vegetable andflower gardens and establishing mason bee houses forbetter pollination. Homeowners who donate more than$75 to the Fruit Tree Project get a free mason bee house inaddition to the charitable tax receipt that all donors toLifeCycles receive.Recent educational workshops include a course in

canning and dehydration of fruit and vegetables andanother on fruit tree pruning and grafting. LifeCyclesFood Literacy workshops include their Growing Schoolsprogram, which teaches elementary and middle schoolstudents how to grow healthy food. LifeCycles’ Eat LearnLaugh Project is a Telus-sponsored, subsidized food prepa-ration workshop for low-income youth and their families.Young people learn how to grow and prepare nutritiousfood.Island Chefs Collaborative is another non-profit organ-

ization worthy of support. Chefs, farmers, food artisans,restaurateurs and other food and beverage professionalswith a common interest in regional food security,preserving farmland and developing local food systems

founded Island Chefs Collaborative to fund growers,harvesters and processors. Events sponsored by the group,such as Beer Week, the Spot Prawn Festival and specialmeals, raised more than $40,000 to support newcommunity groups and new farms in the region. Joiningwith FarmFolk CityFolk and VanCity, they also gave$100,000 in zero-interest micro-loans to more than adozen local farmers and food artisans. Island Chefs Collaborative also supports Growing Chefs!

Chefs for Children’s Urban Agriculture, a classroom gar-dening and cooking program in local elementary schools.The city’s Food Eco District is another non-profit or-

ganization creating urban food sustainability withgardens, bike racks and green spaces in a downtownneighbourhood fast becoming an epicentre of Victoriafood culture. Inspired by Portland’s groundbreaking Food Eco District

and funded by neighbouring Oughtred Coffee, the firstplanters of herbs and vegetables were seeded in July atFort Street Commons, a once dead-zone parking lotbehind Chorizo & Co., Be Love Restaurant and Starbucks.Led by Synergy Enterprises’ Jill Doucette (owner of a localbusiness that teaches people how to green their offices),the new organization is working on a Food Eco Districtmap, and the next site for vegetable planters is on YatesStreet in front of the Atrium Building. Zambri’s, Pig andother nearby food-related businesses are members andsupporters of a five-year plan that proposes public veg-etable planters on downtown rooftop gardens and infront of every food establishment on Fort Street.All of these local visionaries are deserving of your sup-

port. Think about donating your time or tax-deductiblecontributions as a holiday gift to your loved ones and theregion’s emerging food culture. ’Tis the season to give!

Supporting local non-profits committed to food security, local farmers and sustainability is a caring way of honouring the season. BY JOSEPH BLAKE

LifeCycleswww.LifeCyclesProject.ca250-383-5800Island Chefs Collaborationwww.iccbc.ca

Food Eco [email protected] View St.Victoria, BC V8W 1J6

left: LIFECYCLES Lifecycles employee Jenny McCartney picking quince. right: FOOD ECO DISTRICT From left to right: Renate Nahser-Ringer (garden project teamFED); Tara Campbell (FED horticulturist); Jill Doucette (FED director); John Oughtred (FED director); Suzanne Bradbury (Fort Realty – owner of the space).

Rebecca Wellm

an


old fashioned

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ssic Cocktails

bulleit bourbon, sugar, angostura bitters,

amarena cherry




On November 21, the Sidney KickOff to Christmas Open Houselaunches the holiday season

with multiple activities and treatsdesigned to tickle the fancy of even themost Grinch-like family member.Between 4:00 and 8:00 pm. MichaelForbes of Ocean 98.5 will be on-hand togive away prizes from Sidney shops andservices from the prize tornado. Therewill be horse-drawn carriage rides,traditional story-book Christmas carol-ers, beautiful shop windows, and justabout the best customer service youcould imagine. Without doubt, it will bea fun and festive evening to remember! The Christmas Grotto will light up the

faces of kids from 1 to 100. Sponsoredby the Sidney Business ImprovementArea (Sidney BIA), the Grotto is the placeto visit Santa, get your Christmaswrapping done for a small donation,meet with friends and neighbors, andmake a donation to the Food Bank andToys for Tots. Nestled between Miss Blissand Alexander’s Coffee Shop at 2387Beacon Avenue, the Grotto will be openuntil December 21. As a special treat,Victoria Carriage Tours will offer horsedrawn carriage tours on Thursdaysbetween 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. and onSundays between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.

from November 27th to December 21st.Enjoy a festive ride through downtownSidney and take in the charming,holiday ambiance. Be sure to pick up ahot beverage and something to eat fromone of Sidney’s lively coffee shops orrestaurants before you depart.The much-loved Sidney Sparkles Santa

Parade takes place at 5:00 p.m. onNovember 29th followed by the alwayscharming Lighted Boat Parade along theSidney waterfront. Add to the holidaymagic by attending one of the manyholiday concerts or the Peninsula Playerstraditional pantomime, A ChristmasCarol. Plan to visit one or more ofseveral Christmas craft shows, thepopular Teddy Bear exhibit at the SidneyHistorical Museum, and Christmas inthe Village at Heritage Acres wherechildren can take in train rides and visitwith Santa. The Mary Winspear Centreoffers an incredible line-up of holidayentertainment for all ages and tastes. OnNovember 22, kids can enjoy breakfastwith Santa and from November 21, alsoat the Centre, you can vote for yourfavourite decorated tree and gingerbreadhouse at the Festival of Trees. TheCommunity Arts Council features theArtisans Gift Gallery at Tulista Park onFifth Street, a perfect place to select a

EAT SPECIAL PROMOTION

Remember when holiday shopping brought a smile to your face and abounce to your step? If so, check out Sidney as your “go-to” holiday hub.

festive lunch buffet

Monday to Friday from 11:30 until 2:00pmDecember 8-23, 2014Featuring live music to get you in the holiday spirit.

$22.95 per personTurkey & ham, trimmings, salads, seafood, desserts & more!Lunch includes co�ee or tea.(Price does not include tax or gratuity).

Reservations: 250.655.9700 • www.sidneypier.com • Complimentary underground parking

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Discover something new in our selection of over 300 cookbooks!

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beautiful hand-made gift for that special person on your holiday gift list.Pick up a copy of the Sidney Christmas Wish Book, which details all the activities

and events taking place in Sidney and on the Peninsula from November 21st to theNew Year. There you will find a sample of offerings from Sidney retailers featuringunique products and gift ideas to make your holiday shopping even easier. There isalso a Wish List for you to give to Santa when you visit the Grotto so he knows whatyour heart desires!

Visit the NEW on-line community events calendar for a complete listing of all ofthe above-mentioned events and many, many more at www.DistinctlySidney.ca


34

LOCAL KITCHEN

EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

Bird is the word this holiday season, and this one’s for the leg lovers. Bone-in, dark-meat turkey legs are slow cooked to succulent juiciness. There’s a lot of meat here, soyou may want to be really hungry or shred it from the bone for easier eating and smallerportions. A rich meal calls out for a tart and tangy dessert. Replace lemon with seasonalcranberries in this pillowy twist on a much loved, mile-high meringue classic.

FESTIVE DRUMROLL, PLEASEg

Turkey ‘n Dumplings recipe on page 36



Tart Shell¾ cup butter, at room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

Filling12-oz pkg frozen cranberries

½ cup orange juice

½ cup granulated sugar

3 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp butter

3 egg yolks

1 egg

1½ tsp cornstarch

Pinch of salt

1 Tbsp orange flavoured liquor

Topping

¾ cup granulated sugar

¼ tsp cream of tartar

5 egg whites

For the tart shell, beat butter with sugar, then vanilla. Stir in flour and salt just until mixture comes to-

gether (TIP: use an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment – it’s easier).With floured hands,

form into a dough ball, then press into a 9-in fluted tart pan. Chill until firm.

Preheat oven to 350F. Place a piece of parchment over dough and fill with beans or rice to weigh it

down. Bake for 20 min, and then remove parchment with beans. Prick pastry all over with a fork (to pre-

vent air bubbles) then continue baking until golden, about 15 to 20 more min. Let cool while preparing

filling.

For the filling, in a medium saucepan, bring cranberries and orange juice to a boil. Reduce heat andsimmer until cranberries are soft and “pop”, about 5 min. Whirl in a blender until pureed, then press

through a fine mesh sieve. Discard solids.

In a bowl, using an electric mixer beat butter with sugars until smooth, and then beat in egg yolks,

one at a time, then whole egg. Stir in cranberry mixture, cornstarch and salt.

Place bowl over pot of barely simmering water (like a double boiler). Stir often until mixture thick-

ens and coats the back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in liquor. Pour into baked

tart shell and let stand at room temperature until set. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate overnight.

For the topping, in a small saucepan, stir sugar with water and cream of tartar over medium-highheat until sugar dissolves and mixture is syrupy. Remove from heat. Using an electric mixer, beat egg

whites until soft peaks form, then slowly pour in hot syrup while beating until stiff peaks form. Spoon

over filling or pipe as swirls. Broil until light golden.

Cranberry Meringue Pie



6 turkey drumsticks

2 Tbsp Five spice

Sea salt and ground black pepper

1/3 cup flour

Butter

2 leeks, thickly sliced

5 garlic cloves, crushed

2 hot chilies, seeded and quartered

1 small piece ginger, sliced

2 bay leaves

½ cup dry sherry

8 cups hot chicken broth

50 g smoked guanciale*, cut into cubes

1 lb shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed

Generously season turkey pieces with five spice, salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, and then

shake off excess.

Coat a large wide skillet with oil and set over medium-high heat (reduce heat as needed).

Working in batches, brown turkey legs, 2 to 3 min per side. Place in a shallow roasting pan.

Wipe skillet clean, then melt a knob of butter over medium heat. Add leeks, garlic, ginger,

chilies and bay leaves. Stir until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in any leftover flour, then pour

in sherry. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up and stir in brown bits from pan bottom. Pour over

turkey and stir in hot broth. Cover with a piece of parchment then pieces of aluminum foil to

create a tight seal. Braise in preheated 325F oven until meat is tender about 1 to 1½ hours.

Meanwhile, cut guanciale into cubes. Pan fry until crispy, then remove to a plate lined with

paper towel. Working in batches, brown mushrooms.

When turkey is tender, remove to a large plate. Using a mesh strainer, strain and save

liquid; gently press on solids to extract excess liquid, and then discard. Return legs to roast-

ing pan and add guanciale and mushrooms. Return to oven and braise for 20 more minutes

to let flavours blend.

To serve, place legs into bowls and add a few dumplings and drizzle with cilantro puree **.

Or shred turkey meat from bones (when cool enough to touch) and stir into broth.

*Find smoked guanciale at The Whole Beast 2032 Oak Bay Ave, Victoria or Oyama at

Granville Market in Vancouver

Herbed Dumplings: Puree. 2 cups chopped cilantro with 3 Tbsp olive oil, a pinch of sea saltand juice from ½ a lemon. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Whisk 1 cup all-purpose

flour with 2 tsp baking powder and generous pinches of nutmeg and black pepper. Whisk in

2 eggs with ¼ cup milk and 3 Tbsp herb puree (save remaining puree, thin with more olive

oil and use for garnish**). Batter should be slightly lumpy. Reduce water to a medium

simmer. Drop spoonfuls of batter into water and cook until dumplings have doubled in size

and are cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Perfec tly placedin the

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1528 Whiffen Spit Road, Sooke, BC Tel: 250-642-3421

Inn fRestaurant gGallery aSpafor your holiday season events, parties, and winter get-aways!

Book [email protected]

Seasons by the Sea

Turkey ‘n Dumplings

Dunk It Right Soak up luscious brothwith fresh baked artisanalbread. Check out youroptions, see pg 26.

Text, recipes and food styling by JENNIFER DANTER Photography by MICHAEL TOURIGNY Art Direction by JENNIFER DANTER & GARY HYNES


HUDSON’S ON FIRST Award winning dining in a beautifully restored heritagehome. Local ingredients, classic techniques and madefrom scratch cooking are a just few reasons to visit us inDuncan more often.Celebrate Bubbles & Brunch, Lunch and Dinner.163 First St. Duncan250-597-0066www.hudsonsonfirst.ca

THE APPLE BOXFrozen Meals with a Local Emphasis - The Apple Box'Seasonal Menu or Food Box consists of Frozen Dinners,Appetizers & Desserts made with Local hormone freepasture raised meats- Local produce & Organic Ingredients. Available In Store 1725 Cook Stwww.theapplebox.ca250-590-6257

PRESERVATION FOODS CHOCOLATEPROJECTCanada's finest selection of artisanal bean-to-barchocolate. Taste and explore over 180 bars from the topchocolate makers on Earth with local chef David Minceyas your guide.Victoria Public Market at the [email protected], Saturday and Sunday from 11 to 5


THE MINT Stop in for a casual bite at street level and experience ourcozy Lunch restaurant, or join us downstairs for dinner,drinks and our unique take on South Asian cuisine.1414 Douglas St., Victoria, BC(250) 386-6468themintvictoria.com

FERNWOOD ROAD CAFEA fun, relaxed and welcoming place to hang out, enjoythe waterfront view and soak in the North Salt SpringIsland vibe. Oh yeah, and have a pretty darn goodcoffee as well.325 Fernwood Rd.Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 1C3250-931-2233www.fernwoodcafe.com

POD CONTEMPORARY GALLERY Mixing contemporary art and integrating it with extra-ordinary objects of the day-to-day, Pod incorporates wooland cashmere sweaters, leather bags and boots and hand-made enamel earrings, creating a well-curated place toshop.Salt Spring Island,BCwww.facebook.com/PodContemporaryGallery778 353 3344

THE LOCAL LISTEAT’s where to find it guide

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EAT Magazine is available thanks to the support of our advertisers. Please support them whenever you can

THECHOCOLATEPROJECT

Vegetarian & Gluten Wise Options

SALT SPRING ISLANDMEALS TO GO

DOWNTOWN DUNCAN


JUICYRiver Stone Estate WineryMalbec Rosé 2013Okanagan Valley, BC*$20 +568980Deeply hued, there is ample currant,violet, tart rhubarb jam, cranberry,raspberry and leafy notes here, withhints of blueberry blossoms on the noseand finish. Bright acidity, fuller bodyand slight tannins mean this bold rosewill stand up to grilled foods.

STATELYWolf BlassGold Label Langhorne Creek Malbec2012Langhorne Creek, South Australia,Australia *$30This is a confident, stately malbec,assured in its exotic nutmeg aromas andblack cherry jam, tobacco, thorn andfresh herb infused palate. Round andripe, this finishes with sandy grainedtannins and peppery spice.

SAVOURYJean Luc BaldesChateau Labrande 2010Cahors AOP, France$20 +2162Love the pure, fragrant cassis, blue plumand black cherry in this savoury, stony,leathery Cahors. Dark cocoa and vibrantacidity liven the full palate, and thetannins finish with a light raspy grip.

RIPEViña ChocalanGrand Reserva Malbec 2011Maipo Valley, Chile *30 +792705This ripe malbec is big from the first,expressive sniff; smoked branch,bramble, resin and dense cassis notes.The full palate spikes with wild black-berry acidity, and rests comfortably on aframe of thorn-edged tannins.

ELEGANTBodega NoemiaMalbec A Lisa 2012Patagonia, Argentina*$30 +854711This pristine malbec is accompanied by9% merlot and 1% petit verdot, result-ing in an elegant, poised red withperfumed black cherry, dried strawberryand fleshy plum jam notes. Acids aretight and shining, and the juicy finishis spiced and lengthy.

DENSEPascual TosoLimited Edition Malbec 2012Maipú, Mendoza, Argentina$19 +920637Established in 1890, Pascual Toso is oneof the oldest wineries in Argentina. Thismalbec lives up to its heritage withexpressive ripe cherry, dense and fleshyblack fruit, roasted meats and salted figs.Tannins are silky smooth and the finishlingers with a smoked vanilla andchocolate note.

Malbec {MAL-beck}


LOCAL FREE RANGE MEATSOpen Daily 8am - 5pm

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1715 Government [email protected]

Dinner 5:30 - 11 pmTuesday to Saturday

g VINCABULARY By Treve Ring

Though the black, densely flavoured grape is nativeto the south west of France (you’ll recall it is one ofthe six players in the Bordeaux blend), it has fallensteeply in plantings and popularity in France; todaythe black plum, savoury and tannic wines of Cahorsare the main centre for the grape in its native home-land. Instead, it has been taken up by many newerwine regions, prized for its fruity approachability. Itrequires heat – more than colleagues cabernetsauvignon or merlot – so is well suited to warm, sunnyclimes.Certainly malbec’s star has risen at a comet-rate as

of late, propelled into superstardom by Argentina’sthriving exports. Here, tucked against or astride thesunbaked Andes, the grape typically showcases full-bodied and ballsy fruit-forward flavours of blueberryand black plum, backed up by cocoa, smoke and spice

and laid out across a velvety texture. Over the past decade, the approachability, ripefruit and low price point of Argentine malbec rapidly gained it many fans around theglobe. So much so, that today malbec is almost entirely identified with Argentine reds.Here are 6 wines, including two distinctly different Argentinean examples, to explore.

*Asterisks denote wines that are only available at the winery or select private liquor stores.

The Local General Store1440 Haultain St

Corner of Belmont and Haultain(Haultain Corners)

(778) 265-6225 Hours: 9:30-6pm

Check out the many locally-sourced andfair-trade holiday gift ideas in our old

world, 21st century general store!

www.thelocalgeneralstore.ca

Pre-Christmas sale and vendor displays Saturday, Dec 13

G.Hynes

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g A BEER AND A BITE By Colin Hynes

Colin Hynes

The Beer:Barkerville Brewing Co. Hound of Barkerville BrownAle (Quesnel BC)In the colder months, we always grab a bottle of brownale for any gathering we may have; it is easy to drinkand more importantly, easy to pair. A caramel-noted aleis always welcome in the winter, and The Hound ofBarkerville Brown Ale fits the bill perfectly. It’s a mild,slightly sweet, very malt-forward beer with a nicesmoothness. Enjoy in the cool months when you wanta beer that has a warmth to it.ABV: 5.9% barkervillebeer.com

The Conclusion:The Hound of BarkervilleBrown Ale really comesalive with this sandwich. Itstarts out malty and transi-tions to toasty, warm, andnutty. It really elevated thesandwich, bringing out theindividual flavours; thecheese became morepronounced, and theapple’s role was moresignificant to the overallexperience by addingbalance. Make this forlunch, or an easy dinnersoon.

*Extra aged Gouda, English

Farmhouse and Point Reyes Toma

can be purchased at Ottavio -

Italian Bakery & Delicatessen in

Oak Bay.

The Bite:

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Extra Aged GoudaHeritage Apples and Spinach on Sourdough Bread.

In the winter, cheese and beer is our go-to pairing, sowhy not take it the next level? We built our sandwichesusing extra-aged Gouda, but you could use any winterbeer friendly cheese, such as English FarmhouseCheddar or Point Reyes Toma from California. Weadded thin slices of heritage apples that we bought atMoss St Market. Slightly tart with a hint of sweetness,apples provide an ideal contrast the saltiness of thecheese. Finally, we threw in some greens (arugula workswell, too) for a touch of colour and taste, and hadourselves one delicious sandwich.

HOUND OF BARKERVILLE - BROWN ALE withGrilled cheese with apples and spinach on sourdough



Book, Cook, Wine, Dine

The best presents are the ones you secretly wish you could keep for yourself. Especiallyif the gift includes an experience. Start with a cookbook that inspires family and friendsto try out a new dish, spend time together over a special meal and share a deliciousbottle of wine. Make certain there is wine on the table by choosing a bottle to pair withthe cookbook itself. The following are our favourites picks, purchased for others aswell as ourselves, and the wines we suggest to match.

The Dirty Apron Cookbook by David Robertson (Figure 1 Publishing | 2014)We’ve been making guest appearances at the Dirty Apron Cooking School since itopened in 2009, partnering with them on three classes geared toward food and winepairing. Watching chef David Robertson’s fabulous demos has helped us hone our owncooking skills, and we learn something new every class we teach. This October,Robertson finally launched a cookbook and has included one of our favourite dishesfrom the B.C. Dine & Vine class. His Crispy Seared Duck Breast with an orangegastrique, apple and green bean sauté provides foolproof instructions for perfectlycooked duck. We always pair this with a local Syrah from the Okanagan Valley and itworks like a charm every time. Try either Nichols Vineyard or MoonCurser.Wine: 2011 Moon Curser, Syrah, VQA Okanagan Valley, $25-32Combines the seductive violet notes of the Northern Rhône Syrah and the voluptuousdark fruit of those from the New World. Well done!

Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way by Francis Mallmann (Artisan | 2009)We ate at Francis Mallmann’s restaurant in Mendoza in 2009 and still count it amongour top ten dining experiences ever. When we spied this book soon after, it was a must-buy. More than a souvenir of that sumptuous meal, it allows us to relive our entire tripto Argentina every time we crack the cover. As the name suggests, Seven Fires exploresthe fine art of grilling. While barbecuing isn’t a typical winter activity, plotting yournext warm weather feast is a great way to spend a chilly afternoon. Mallmann alsooffers indoor cooking alternatives when grilling simply isn’t an option. Even if youdon’t try a single recipe, it is completely satisfying to peruse the pages while sippingon a Malbec. Friendly enough to drink on its own, but just as delicious with a perfectlycooked steak and chimichurri sauce. Thank you, Francis!Wine: 2011 Mendel, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, $44-49Made from grapes grown on 85-year-old vines planted 960 metres above sea level.Fresh and polished with plum, violet and tobacco notes. Hola asado! The Paris Cookbook by Patricia Wells (HarperCollins Publishers | 2001)Patricia Wells’s ode to her favourite Paris restaurants is simply charming from start tofinish. It’s the chapter on poultry, however, that provided a personal revelation.Having converted to a carnivore after 13 years as a vegetarian, Michaela was still hold-ing out on chicken. The roasted lemon chicken recipe on page 190 changed that.Finally, a perfectly cooked bird with crispy skin and juicy, flavourful flesh! During thewinter, roasting chicken is a weekly undertaking for both of us. It’s just an excuse toenjoy a glass of cru Beaujolais while preparing and a second one when finally diggingin. (Lapierre’s Morgon is a frequent companion.) For a more sophisticated dinner, turnthe page and test out our other most-cooked recipe: Benoît’s Fricassee of Chicken withMorels. All the mushrooms and cream in this dish call for Chenin Blanc from the LoireValley or a richer Chardonnay. (Note that Wells also gives her pairing suggestionsthroughout the book.)Wine: 2009 Baumard, ‘Clos de Saint Yves’ Savennières AOC, France, $35-40100% Chenin Blanc from one of the best producers of the appellation. Delicate

g TERROIR By Michelle Bouffard and Michaela Morris

The perfect equation for a memorable gift: oneclassic cookbook, an evening of cooking with friendsor family, and a bottle of wine to enjoy it all with.


complex flavours of mushroom, hay andchamomile. Bright acidity and incrediblyelegant. The ballerina of Chenin Blanc.

Cradle of Flavor by James Oseland (WW Norton | 2006)There is nothing like spicy food to warmyou up on a chilly day, especially whenyou spend the day preparing it.Oseland’s book concentrates on theSoutheast Asian countries of Indonesia,Malaysia and Singapore. The list of ingre-dients may seem long and the cookingtime even longer, but remember this is anexperience. It starts with selecting whichrecipe to try, shopping for the exoticingredients required, carefully followingeach step of the recipe, allowing theflavours to slowly come together, andfinally lingering over a steaming bowl ofdeliciousness. And somewhere during theprocess, a bottle of wine (or two) shoulddefinitely be opened. Dive right intointensely fragrant and rich Beef Rendang.Seasoned with chilies, lemongrass andginger and slowly simmered in coconutmilk, this meat dish actually works wellwith rich aromatic whites, particularlyViognier.Wine: 2013 Moillard, ‘Hugues le Juste’Viognier, Vin de Pays d’Oc, Languedoc,France $15-17Fresh notes of ginger, lemon zest andgrapefruit. Pungent enough to withstandspicy dishes and a great value!

Delicious Chicken Soup by Andrey Durbach (Robert ChaplinPublisher | 2008(This cookbook showcases just one singlerecipe: chef Andrey Durbach’s take on theultimate in comfort food—chicken soup.His instructions literally jump off thepage, and artist Robert Chaplin’s whimsi-cal illustrations add rich seasoning. Thecombo will appeal to food lovers of allages, making it the ideal family gift.Consider that accompanying bottle forMom and Dad a necessity just in case thekids insist on following the recipe ontheir own. And while it may seem odd tohave wine with broth, we say, why not?The key is choosing a wine that is equallyrestorative. Chardonnay, Soave andMuscadet sur Lie all appeal to our heartsas well as our palates.Wine:2011 Domaine de la Pépière, MuscadetSèvre et Maine sur Lie AOC, France, $24-28Delicate and light body with lively citrusnotes. Nice minerality. Perfect for theultimate comfort soup.

Bones: Recipes, History, and Loreby Jennifer McLagan (Cookbook Publishers |2005)Michelle has made a tradition of hostingclose friends on New Year’s Eve and treat-ing us to a meal from this beautifullyphotographed book. From the Flemish-style rabbit to the oxtail consommé,every single recipe has received ravereviews. But the one that definitelystands out is the lamb shoulder withpreserved lemon and dates. Additionalaccents of almond and saffron willtransport you to Morocco. Exotic,comforting and incredibly tasty, the dishdemands a bold, fruit-forward red tomatch. Californian Cabernet Sauvignonand Zinfandel have proved themselvesthe most worthy partners with Hendrybeing a classic go-to for us.Wine:2012 Rodney Strong, ‘Knotty Vines’Zinfandel, Northern Sonoma, California,$21-25Soft tannin with rich fruit of blackberry,raspberry and fleshy plums featuringsmoky, peppery notes.

The World Encyclopedia of Cheese by Juliet Harbutt, recipes by Roz Denny(Hermes House | 2003)It’s a pretty safe bet that the majority offood and wine lovers indulge frequentlyin cheese. For the cheese-passionate onyour list, consider a comprehensiveencyclopedia on this fascinating subject.With plenty of cheesy recipes filling outthe pages, wine is definitely à propos.While red is usually the colour of choice,whites are generally a better match.Cheese is high in both acidity and salt,which can clash with full-bodied tannicreds. We’re keeping our recommenda-tions traditional, starting with Sancerreand goat cheese like crottin de chavignoland ending with Sauternes and a blue.Wine: 2011 Château Suduiraut,Sauternes AOC, France $50-55 (375mL)Luscious honey, apricot and roasted nutsmake an impression that lingers!Roquefort or Cashel Blue? Selecting the cookbook you want to

share is almost as much fun as trying outthe recipes inside. In Vancouver, Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks in Vancouver andBolen Books in Victoria is a great sourcefor all the books listed above. Onceyou’ve made your choice, then it’s off tothe wine store to pick the accompanyingwine. For the ultimate experience, whynot offer to spend the day cooking anddrinking together? It could be the begin-ning of a cherished holiday tradition.


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g WHAT TO DRINK WITH THAT —By Treve Ring

First course:Seafood Antipastoalls Venezia LH. This super simple seafood dish screams for a white withsome character. I love themes, so I would stick with Italianwine for this dinner and pair the antipasto with a falanghinafrom Campania. These wines tend to have good body andtheir floral, citrus, and tree fruit notes will keep you comingback for more. I especially like the idea of drinking a fullerwhite during the holidays - the season for patio pinot gri-gios has passed! Falanghina has enough acidity to handle therich shellfish in this dish and the fullness of the fruit willbalance the heat from the hot chili flakes. I’ve been lovingTerredora’s Falanghina and think it makes a great holidaywhite.

CS. In Europe and especially Italy, wine is enjoyed with foodand usually the local cuisine has developed over the years inharmony alongside the local wines. So seafood in Venice,which sits on the Adriatic Sea, seems to call for Soave, one ofthe best known white wines from Italy. Some of the Soavewe see here is a bit bland, or flavor free. So I would recom-mend finding a Soave Superiore Classico, as these come fromlower yield vineyards and are aged for at least 6 months. Thewine is a blend of 70% garganega, with chardonnay, pinotbianco and trebbiano and the resulting dryness will workwell with the seafood that has been steamed and then driz-zled with extra virgin olive oil.

T H I S M O N T H ’ S E X P E R T SLisa Haley (LH)Wine Director, Boulevard Kitchen &Oyster BarHaley arrived to the West Coast from Montreal, where

she managed Wienstein & Gavino’s before taking over

as Manager/Sommelier at Tuck Shop Restaurant. She

was an advocate of natural wines there, as well as her

stint as General Manager of Vancouver’s Burdock & Co.

Haley is a firm believer in championing the best organic

and natural wines sourced from B.C. as well as the most

preeminent and celebrated wine regions around the

world. Whenever possible, Haley will feature varietals

produced from grapes grown organically or biodynami-

cally and fermented using naturally occurring yeasts with-

out manipulation by chemical or industrial processes. At

Boulevard, Haley’s carefully cultivated wine list is a direct

reflection of both her personal philosophy on winemaking

and an ideal companion to the organic, local and

sustainable ingredients on the menu.

Colin Southcombe (CS)GM, The Strath Ale Wine & SpiritMerchants

Southcombe’s 50 year career in Food and Beverage

started in the kitchen and with graduating from Hotel

School in London. His career has taken him to Europe,

Bermuda, Asia, Australia and Canada. He was the

founder of the Victoria Branch of the prestigious Chaîne

Des Rôtisseurs in 1984. Retiring as an international hotel

general manager 15 years ago, he drew on his many

years of wine experience and became a wine merchant.

In addition to GM and Wine Buyer duties at The Strath,

he operates a Wine Club and the Island branch of the

Scotch Malt Whisky Society. His life passions remain wine

and food, which he deems inseparable. He still cooks and

delights in discovering new wines to taste.

Pasta:Agnolotti filled withricotta, spinach & pumpkin servedwith butter, sage and ParmigianoReggianoLH. The first thing I thought of when I imagined this dishwas Franciacorta from Lombardy. Italy’s sparkling wine madein the traditional method from chardonnay, pinot nero, andpinot bianco has many of the rich notes of Champagne. I’dgo for a brut or extra brut, and let the acidity and bubblescut through the richness of the butter and cheese. The but-tery, brioche notes often found in Franciacorta would be theperfect match for warm pumpkin and silky homemade pasta.

Bubbles in the middle of the meal may seem out of place,but I like them anytime!

CS. Ricotta is a smooth albeit slightly grainy and moistcheese which is found all over Italy, but is famous in Sicily forstuffing pasta. Spinach and pumpkin seed would add wel-come texture and dimension. Parmigiano is the Italian ad-jective for Parma and Reggiano that for Reggio Emilia, whichlie in north central Italy around the city of Bologna and onlycheese from this area, may use the name Parmigiano-Reg-giano. As I think the latter would be a more dominantflavour in this dish, I would choose a red wine to handle thehard cheese and the pasta, such as one from Colli PiacentiniDOC which is made in the same region as the cheese.

Meat: Marinated Pork Rib Roast(oranges, fennel, thyme,rosemary) with Balsamic-GlazedCipollini Onions LH. While everybody else is pairing Beaujolais and turkey,Italian Christmas calls for something a little different. I’dlove to try a Cerasuolo di Vittoria from Sicily with this porkrib roast. I don’t like anything too heavy with pork and thebest of these blends of frappato and nero d’avola are mediumbodied, fruity and savoury. My favourite ones have notes ofwild strawberries and citrus peels that will complement theorange and fennel while the floral (think rose) quality offrappato will pair with the thyme and rosemary. COS is an

obvious choice, but my favourite isn’t even classified as Cera-suolo di Vittoria, if you can find a bottle of Occhipinti’s SP68,snap it up; it would be a great match for this dish.

CS. Staying in the same northern part of Italy in Veneto andseeing a dish of pork, I thought about the Valpolicella DOCas its lighter style would typically partner pork. But therecipe has some very complex flavours including orange,herbs and especially the Cipollini. Their flat shape makesthem ideal for roasting and being slightly sweet with higherresidual sugar than regular onions, they caramelize beauti-fully. Doing that with balsamic adds a whole new dimen-sion; I think this dish needs a wine richer in flavor and morefull bodied. Therefore, I would pick a Valpolicella SuperioreClassico Ripasso.

Wine Suggestions for a Classic Italian Menu

Food-Focused Book Club LaunchesBolen Books and the London Chef have collaborated to start The Good Book Club. Each

month readers will meet at the London Chef to eat a 3-course dinner prepared by chef

Dan Hayes and for a discussion of the featured book.

The first meet-up was held on Oct 2 and featured The Dinner by Herman Koch—a darkly

suspenseful, highly controversial tale of two families struggling to make the hardest decision

of their lives—all over the course of one meal. (For a report visit eatmagazine.ca and Search

The Good Book Club.) The next book club event will take place on November 20 from 6:00

– 9:00pm.

November’s book will be Every Happy Family by Dede Crane. Humorous and

heartbreaking, wise and demented, Every Happy Family explores the colourful – and some-

times repurposed – fabric of the Wright family. The author, Dede Crane will be in

attendance for the event, as well, there will be a draw to win Delicious by acclaimed

author Ruth Reich. $75.00 includes the discussion at the long dining table over a three-

course gourmet meal (cost of the book is included in the price).

There will be no book club meeting in Decemember but the Club returns on January

29th to discuss Transatlantic by Colum McCann.

For more information visit thelondonchef.com and look under the calendar listings.



g LIQUID ASSETS —By Larry Arnold

Gifts Galore are in our Store!

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Domaine Chandon Brut Classic NV California $27.00-29.00Champagne is a marvelous and very expensive thing. Fortunately the Champagnetaste does not always need come with a Champagne price tag. Established in 1973,Domaine Chandon was the first American sparkling wine produced by a FrenchChampagne house, Moet & Chandon. Made using the Methode Traditionnelle, BrutClassic is a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. It is soft and re-freshing with ripe apple, pear and citrus flavours and crisp, dry finish. (94946)government & private storesDomaine Carneros Brut Cuvee 2008 California $35.00-38.00A joint venture between Champagne Taittinger and Kobrand, the vintage brut iscomprised of 57% Pinot Noir and 43% Chardonnay, the fruit sourced from certifiedorganic vineyards in the Carneros region of California. Made using the MethodeTraditionnelle, the wine spent 3 years sur-lie before being disgorged and released. Greatstructure with more than a hint of gout anglais. Mature with a lovely mousse, prettyfloral, baked apple and citrus aromas, clean fruit flavours, a creamy texture and rich,powerful finish. Superb. (73916) private stores onlyGreywacke Chardonnay 2010 New Zealand $36.00-38.00Greywacke is the winery of acclaimed winemaker Kevin Judd, the man many believeput Cloudy Bay and Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc on the vinous map. Here is Judd’sinterpretation of Chardonnay, but consider yourself warned, if you are not anaficionado of big buxom chards that have had an intimate relationship with a winebarrel, then move on. This belle falls in the whopper category, fat, lush and redolentwith ripe pear, peach and hot buttered toast aromas. Big, bold and full-bodied withconcentrated fruit flavours yet blessed with a crunch of refreshing acidity and a longgraceful finish. (198937) private stores onlyJadot Macon Villages Blanc Grange Magnien 2012 France $23.00-25.00This zippy little offering from Louis Jadot, one of Burgundy’s most highly regardedproducers, is everything a Macon ought to be. Made with 100% Chardonnay grapesand aged in stainless steel tanks, it is seductively smooth with the accent on fruit andfinesse rather than alcohol and oak. Medium-bodied and refreshing with subtlearomas of peach, citrus and minerals, restrained with soft fruit flavours, and a supplecreamy texture that coats the palate without being heavy or ponderous. Very refinedin a suave, Burgundian way. (484717) private stores onlyPerret Savoie Jongieux 2012 France $20.00-22.00The wines of Savoie are not the easiest to find in this province, however, if thisdelicate, ethereal white is any indication of what to expect from the appellation, Ipray we find a lot more in the not too distant future. It is light, fresh and gentlyscented with citrus, floral and herbal aromas and fresh peachy flavours finishing softand dry. Without a doubt the best Jacquere I have had the pleasure to drink. (41921)private stores onlyCarpineta Fontalpino Chianti Classico 2011 Italy $27.00-30.00Carpineta Fontalpino’s estate and vineyards are located in the heart of Tuscany, closeto the historic town of Siena. Very polished with layers of red cherry, spice and dryearth aromas. Medium-bodied, with textbook Sangiovese flavours nicely balanced withgood acidity and a rasp of fine-grained tannins that carry through the palate. Verystylish Chianti worth seeking out. (736199) private stores only Masciarelli Iskara Colli Aprutini 2005 Italy $46.00-48.00Masciarelli’s Iskra is 100% Montepulciano fermented in stainless steel and aged inFrench oak barrels for 12 months and another 5 years in bottle before release. Dark andbrooding with blackberry, damp earth and spice aromas and flavours. Full-bodied butfirm with great depth, restrained tannins and a sappy intensity. A huge wine withflavours to match and a long future. Top-notch!!! (261883) government & private storesDomaine de Cristia Cotes de Ventoux 2012 France $20.00-23.00Soft and juicy with delicious raspberry, cherry and earth flavours, medium to fullbodied with a blush of fine grained tannins and a long tasty finish. Very refined andpolished. Highly recommended. (348862) private stores onlyYalumba Barossa Old Bush-Vine Grenache 2012 Australia $25.00-27.00Founded in 1849, Yalumba is Australia’s oldest family owned winery. This Grenachewas an eye opener. The nose is a veritable fruit bowl of raspberries, spice and moreraspberries, on the palate, more of the same with delicious berry flavours balancedwith backbone of juicy acidity. A mouth-full but not heavy, with a soft silky texture,nicely integrated tannins and a long sweet finish. (531228) government & private storesLouis Max Climat Haute Vallee Pinot Noir 2013 France $20.00-22.00In these days of great financial uncertainty, it may be prudent to imbibe something alittle more frugally priced than the great growths of Burgundy. Louis Max is a Pinot andChardonnay specialist producing red and white Burgundy for over 150 years. This innot Burgundy but it is a damn good knock-off made from Pinot Noir sourced from thesouth of France. Delicious with simple cherry and spice flavours, nicely balanced witha silky smooth texture and a soft, round finish. (54478) private stores only



Undeniably the creative incuba-tor for craft food and beveragein the United States, Portland

is in perpetual reinvention - shiftingperception and informing opinion onhow, why and what is sustainable andof sustenance. From fresh roastedcoffee to artisan ice cream, full-flavourmicrobrews to secretly foragedmushrooms, hand-formed cheeses, self-cured and butchered meats, hazelnuts(sorry – filberts), Pacific harvested seasalt, urban wineries and more, this iswhere the needle moves. In recent years, driven by lesser rent

and greater space, the hum ofinvention has drifted east, across theWillamette River. Recently, critical masshas organically formed around eitherside of the two main North|South roads– NE Grand Avenue and Martin LutherKing Jr. Boulevard. New warehouses areopening monthly, creating a walkable,workable culinary collective united asmuch by its geography as its local andsustainable ethos. A vital, vibrant new Artisan Corridor

is forming right in front of our eyes.Here’s an of-the-moment snapshot ofwhere food, drink and craft meet.

1. Start at Olympic Provisions107 SE Washington StreetOlympic Provisions is all things tomany people, and has spawned similaroutlets around North America.Restaurant chef Alex Yoder preparesrustic Mediterranean inspired lunchand dinner, while Salumist Elias Cairocrafts “American Charcuterie” usinglocal, high-quality ingredients out ofOregon’s first USDA certified salumeria.

2. Steven Smith Teamaker – openingearly 2015110 SE Washington StreetDubbed the “all-star alchemist of top-shelf tea”, tea master Steven Smith willbe opening a 27,600 sq ft tea ware-house, production facility and retailcafe in early 2015. His eponymous teasare spotted all over smart restaurantsand shops across Oregon, and hepreviously helped form Stash and Tazo.

Ehreh Salazar

Portland’s New Artisan Corridorg TRAVEL By Treve Ring

3. Stumptown Coffee Headquarters100 SE Salmon StreetThough two years long at this location, there is no way you shouldmiss a trip around the Artisan Corridor without paying homage(and participating in free cuppings) at Stumptown. Next tocompany headquarters you’ll find The Annex, the best place in thegalaxy to purchase Stumptown beans, drink a pourover and getyour buzz on.

4. Quin Candy Lab – Opening early 20151430 SE Water AvenueNostalgia reimagined. This artisan candy shoppe will make you feellike a kid again – but this time, a principled one. Small batch hand-made lollipops, caramels and other sweet delights look as fantasti-cal as they taste, and are all crafted with top-notch, locallyharvested ingredients, most likely by omnipresent owner and chiefcandy-maker Jami Curl.

5. Jacobsen Salt Co.602 SE Salmon StreetProprietor Ben Jacobsen’s hand-harvested salts have a ferventfollowing among chefs professional and amateur across the nation.Purists rejoice at the flaked sea salt, though innovative collabora-tions with local producers have yielded insanely delicious results(Xocolatl de Davíd’s salted chocolate bar amongst them). A salvagedoyster trailer in the warehouse serves as unique gathering place forcollaborative dinners.

6. Bee Local Honey602 SE Salmon StreetBees have ‘hoods too. Bee Local offers terroir-based microbatchhoney varieties with flavor profiles reflective of the bees’ forage in

specific neighborhoods. Founder Damian Magista focuses on thehealthiest, most unique and flavourful honey, while being aspokesperson for sustainable beekeeping.

7. Ancient Heritage Dairy – Opening November/December626 SE Main StreetPortland’s first urban creamery is due to open late 2014, bringingCentral Oregon’s prized cow and sheep milk cheeses closer to theurban centre and the chefs who devotedly search it out. The tightly-knit Obringer family operation is devoted to sustainability and self-sufficiency, bridging the best of traditional and modern techniques.

8. The Commons Brewery – Opening early 2015628-630 SE Belmont StreetOne of Portland’s most highly beer-nerd acclaimed breweries will beopening its new location in early 2015, providing much more spacefor Mike Wright and co. to brew their sought after, small-batchbrews.

9. Coopers Hall404 SE 6th AvenueAt the newly opened Coopers Hall, taps rule, with more than 35wines, beers and ciders flowing though the lines, complementingchef Roscoe Roberson’s family-style comfort food. The large ware-house, converted from an auto body shop, has room enough foran active, viewable urban winery.

10. Cyril’s at Clay Pigeon Winery815 SE Oak StreetCyril’s dubs itself as a “Progressive American Kitchen tucked insidean awesome Urban Winery”, a riff that I couldn’t reinvent better.Sasha Davies and Michael

HOT


VICTORIA: Local cooking schools have your bases covered this holiday season, whether you arelooking for edible gifts or strategies to stay healthy throughout the festivities. If you have ever looked atthe pretty berries on Mountain Ash trees and wondered if there was something you could do with them,The London Chef has your answer in the form of a Festive Wild Jelly class. Learn to make traditionalRowan berry (Mountain Ash berry) jelly with Cordial Wildcraft Consumables.(cordialwildcraftedconsumables.com) The instructor explains: “From warding off witches andmischievous fairies to protecting your home from lightning, the Rowan tree has a long and magicalhistory. And it just so happens to produce gorgeous berries that make a rather tart and interesting jelly.Well-loved from Scotland to Scandinavia, it's also the traditional accompaniment to twelfth-cake duringthe Christmas season. Perfect with venison, turkey or pork and lovely with a good chunk of cheese—Rowan berry jelly will add a little magical something-something to your holiday entertaining.” OfferedNovember 23rd. (www.thelondonchef.com). Cook Culture is offering Fresh and Healthy Holiday cook-ing with chef Michael Williams (Shaw TV’s “Island Chef”) on December 3rd, and will focus onnutritious snacks, sides and entrées that offer a lighter alternative to the usual heavy holiday fare.(www.cookculture.com) Moss Street Market is holding its annual holiday market on December 13-14,and is a great place to stock up on winter veggies, as well as locally made gifts. The Market now hasa winter market open Nov-Apr, Saturdays at 10am (www.mossstreetmarket.com).

Canoe Brewpub is hosting a seasonal beer tasting on November 6. Winterbrau 2014 will befeaturing fifteen seasonal brews and unlimited snacks and tasters. Tickets are $50, and available throughTicket Rocket. (ticketrocket.org/2014/04/14/winterbrau-2014).

Quadra Village welcomed a new restaurant to the neighbourhood this fall. Part and Parcel isserving up beautiful dishes made with ethically raised meats, sustainably sourced seafood, bread fromFry’s, organic produce from Square Root Farms and coffee from Caffe Fantastico.(partandparcel.ca) Vic West has a new Thai restaurant in the space on Craigflower Road formerlyoccupied by Ho-Ting Chinese Restaurant. The Green Elephant Thai Restaurant is open for lunch anddinner, and is now offering delivery service as well. Find their full menu on Facebook(facebook.com/ThaiGreenElephant). Tacofino continues its successful expansion with a new restaurant,opened in early October on Fort St. This truly is the story of the little food truck that could, growing fromits original food truck in Tofino to locations in Vancouver, the Okanagan and now downtown Victoria(facebook.com/TacofinoVictoria) Oak Bay residents, keep your eyes open for a new organic juice bar,coming to Oak Bay Ave soon.

The Brentwood Bay Resort & Spa has a new chef. Chef Sean Norris, Ontario born and Torontotrained, cooked previously at the Beach Club Resort (Parksville) and Mondo Ristorante (Toronto).“I had always been attracted to this property and it didn’t take long to make the decision to return tothe Island,” says Norris. “It is an exciting time at the Resort and it is exciting to be a part of this dynamicand forward thinking team.” In addition to the popular sushi menu look for dishes like spicy Bouillabaise,Sake-Marinated Sablefish and Cider-Glazed Duck Breast at the Seagrille. (brentwoodbayresort.com).

Café Brio had to close in mid-October following an electrical fire. Fortunately, the blaze was caughtearly enough to prevent extensive damage, and at press time, the restaurant was expected to reopenshortly. (cafe-brio.com). This marks the fourth Fort Street restaurant fire since late 2013. Pho VyVietnamese restaurant was forced to relocate after a fire in the 700 block last November(facebook.com/pages/Pho-Vy-Vietnamese-Restaurant). Sen Zushi also relocated to a Store Streetlocation, though is expected to return to its Fort St. location once repairs following their April fire arecompleted (senzushi.com), while the Blue Fox recovered quickly from their kitchen fire last June(thebluefoxcafe.com).

Wishing all our readers a happy holiday season. Santa, if you’re reading this, I’d like some of theCandid Confectioner’s Chai Caramels in my stocking this year, please and thank you!(thecandidconfectioner.com). —REBECCA BAUGNIET

COWICHAN VALLEY | UP ISLAND: Salt, ice cream, mushrooms, cranberries, chocolate, andcocktails. They don't have a thing in common except that each of their creators are doing interesting thingswith their products, and you get to discover just what's going on by reading on.

From Salt Spring Island comes a new ice cream company, called Salt Spring Island Ice Cream - trysome at the Saturday market for now but expect them to go 'viral' very soon -the hazelnut chocolate isso divine! Also new on the island is Philippe Marill's Salt Spring Sea Salt, beautifully flavoured anddesigned to perfectly compliment our wonderful local produce. If you haven't been to the organic farmat Stowel Lake for one of their farm to table wine paired dinners, you will get a chance on Nov 7th. Keepwatching their site for menu details. Salt Spring's 'Glowtini' is a farm to holiday cocktail contest startingDec. 4th. Local mixologists incorporate a local farm ingredient to create the most festive taste sensationand win the title - you be the judge! (christmasonsaltspring.com, stowellakefarm.com, salt-

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What the Pros Know

For this issue, EAT asked local restaurant staff totell us us about the most memorable holiday partythey ever attended.

TALK By Rebecca Baugniet

Sahara Tamarin, Co-owner and General Manager, Ulla RestaurantWe had three Quebecois cook friends who lived together in Vancouver. Theyinvited about 20 cooks, chefs and front-of-house friends for a party. The priceof entry was a bottle of Champagne. The house was all decked out forChristmas. There was cold smoked salmon, oysters, foie gras terrine and amountain of caviar with a make-your-own blini station. All the cooks pitchedin to finish and plate the main course of venison with chocolate sauce laugh-ing and joking the whole time. There was a feeling of camaraderie and fun,and things sure got raucous with all that bubbly! Definitely an epic holidayparty.

Dave Crags, Chef/owner/bartender, Ferris Oyster Bar & CatalanoRestaurantProbably the best party I’ve been involved in was at our other restaurantCatalano. It was a party for a local tech firm, the theme was 1970s après ski.Food involved fondue stations of cheese and chocolate, mulled wine andpassed appetizers. Ugly sweaters were in full force, a photobooth with a skitheme, various board games and the pièce de resistance, a 3’ by 4’ carvedFernet ice luge created by our chef Aaron. It was fun and I was just workingit.

Andrew Moffatt, Heron Rock Bistro It was the Assassins Rugby Football Club’s Christmas Caroling Party,Winnipeg, 1998. There was hot homemade apple cider and twenty or sorugby players and friends headed out into the freeze-your-@$$-off cold for anight of caroling and Christmas cheer. Winnipeg is very well known for itsarts and music scene, but it was clear early on this bunch didn't knowanything about that. Nonetheless, our performance was a huge hit thatnight! After the Jingle Belling and Rum Pa Pa Pumming were done, we allheaded back for a top off on our hot cider, and a potluck dinner includingbraised pork ribs, roast beef, turkey and a beer or two. That was a memorablecommunity Christmas experience.

Ayja Armstrong-Golder, Server, The Pink BicycleMy most memorable holiday party was a Christmas staff party. It was a multi-course meal at Café Brio paired with a selection of fantastic wines followedby a blurry night of dancing, drinking and indulgence.

Nic Whitehouse, Server, The Clay PigeonI can’t think of a memorable holiday party at the moment, but another onethat comes to mind was last summer, shortly after I started working at theClay Pigeon. The whole staff went to the Phillips’ Backyard Weekender tohear Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires. Everyone there was superhappy, super courteous, making sure everyone attending had a drink in theirhand (I was enjoying their Analogue ’78 Kolsch) and a smile on their faces.It was a great time.



Culinary Arts: Baking & Pastry Arts

viu.ca/culinary

Researching your options? Come spend a day in our kitchen. Contact: [email protected]

8-06-3320

Happy grads heading out to their summer co-op work placements, June 2014.

Food, wine and culture �eld school in Italy, 2015. Visit viu.ca/educationabroadSee last year’s highlights viu.ca/Italy-2014-Slideshow

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springseasalt.com)Heading up island, Bill Jones of Deerholme Farms presents three mushroom inspired events. First,

on Nov.1st is a fall mushroom foraging class. Then on Nov. 8th is a Pine mushroom extravaganza anddinner. Finally on Dec. 6th is a truffle class! (deerholme.com) for details.

Taste the holidays Nov.19th - 23rd at locally owned and operated Yellow Point Cranberry Farm.Take a look inside natural cranberry farming - bog to bottle - along with cranberry delicacies, recipesand gifts to enjoy over the holidays (yellowpointcranberries.com).

Nanaimo is a-buzz lately with three new restaurants and an amazing new raw chocolate bar com-pany. Rewsters restaurant, owned by Morgan Carey in the heart of downtown below the REW'sbuilding, offers great food concocted in a state of the art kitchen provided by Russel Foods. WaKuJapanese restaurant on Bowen Rd. serves up traditional Japanese udon, ramen and donburi rice bowlsfor lunch or dinner, and finally Jalapeño Mexican Restaurant across from VIU makes good Mexicanfood at reasonable prices. Try them all and see which you like best (rewsters.com), 778-441-4899 forWaKu, 778-441-4020 for Jalapeños, or find them on Facebook.

Be Raw Dark Chocolate of Nanaimo is created with raw, organic, fair trade ingredients and isinfused with the balancing energies of each of the seven chakras or energy centers in the body. Founderand innovative chocolatier Thirza Voysey started experimenting with raw chocolate after facing moreand more of her own dietary challenges - she's hoping to heal the world with chocolate, one piece ata time (berawchocolate.com).

If you haven't tried Island Soda Works living probiotic sodas made lovingly by founder MandolynMcScandalot here's some incentive - she won 3rd place in the recent 'We Love Locals Contest'. Trysome at her BBQ restaurant cafe at 1430 Errington Rd., Errington. 250-203-1072 or find them onFacebook. —KIRSTEN TYLER

TOFINO: Late fall means a favourite local event is just around the corner. November has been more funfilled for the past 17 years thanks to the Clayoquot Sound Oyster Festival. Scheduled for Nov. 12-15th this year, festival events include two oyster filled evenings and oyster farm tours. The Mermaid’s Masquerade is on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Tofino Community Hall. This event brings out

Tofino’s creative side, as under the sea costumes are encouraged and prizes awarded for best costume(male, female, couple). And oysters of course are abundant, thanks to the many busy shuckers.

The main event, the Oyster Gala, is Saturday, Nov. 15 at the same venue. This is a classier affair withformal dress. At the gala evening local restaurants compete for the coveted Best Oyster title, both forJudge’s Choice and People’s Choice. Chefs and oyster farmers will also compete in the OysterShucking Relay, a popular shucking race that’s returning this year. BC beer, wine and cider are avail-able for oyster pairings.

For both Oyster Festival events, a free shuttle bus is available with drop-off points at all the majorresorts. There’s really no better way to try the fare of so many talented local chefs while enjoy aVancouver Island delicacy. And you can see where Clayoquot Sound’s oysters are grown Lemmen’s Inletcourtesy of Remote Passages Marine Excursions. For more information and tickets (new this year isa combined event ticket for $100), please visit oystergala.com.

Tacofino is expanding in Vancouver and Victoria. Adding to the mobile truck already at the cornerof Douglas and Pandora (Tues-Sat. 10am-9pm), Kaeli Robinsong and Jason Sussman opened arestaurant at 787 Fort St. in October. They are also set to open a Gastown location in early November,adding to their roster in Vancouver (the Tacofino Commisary is located at 2327 E. Hastings, and theOrange food truck is mobile). Tofino will lose chef Cameron Young from the Spotted Bear Bistro, ashe is moving to the Tacofino Commisary in early November. Though he will be missed he’s been knownto come back to town before, so here’s hoping. Visit tacofino.com for more information about all Tacofinolocations.

The Pointe Restaurant at the Wickaninnish Inn is presenting a Chef’s Table dinner with chef DavidChauvac from the French Michelin-starred Le Mas Candille. Located in the medieval village ofMougins near Cannes, Le Mas Candille is a five-star Relais & Chateaux property. The event itself is incelebration of the 60th anniversary of R&C, started in France. Chefs Warren Barr and David Sitlerfrom the Pointe will team up with Chauvac for a six-course dinner, complete with optional wine pairingsand cocktail reception beforehand. Contact the Special Events team at the Wickaninnish for tickets($100 exclusive of alcohol, taxes and service), at 250-725-3100 ext. 222 or [email protected].

The Wolf in the Fog’s bar manager Hailey Pasemko has become known around town for an herinventive cocktail list, using ingredients like cedar and salmon infused alcohol, and purified sea water.Her latest is a holiday offering called the White Pine Cove — a gin, lime, mint and egg white cocktailgarnished with a candied pine spear. Check out the drink list and other menus at wolfinthefog.com.

We hope to see you on the west coast this winter, where there will be plenty of waves and hopefullya good storm or two. —JEN DART

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Muffet & Louisa#109 – 2506 Beacon AveSidney250-656-0011

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