Swallow Tail

New Blog Address... this one's not in action anymore

2011-06-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,
I've moved my blog over to this address, so if you want to follow Swallow Tail's adventures there... here it is... www.swallowtailsupperclub.blogspot.com

Cheers,
Robin

2010-12-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

And here come the holidays....

Wouldn't you rather be sipping some mulled wine by the fire instead of fighting the holiday traffic and crowds? I certainly would. So to help you get your relax on this holiday, Swallow Tail is offering an easy (and perfect) gift option for that special foodie in your life. The G.C.!

But instead of that impersonal gift card that says 'I bought this last minute at the 7-11' get them a personal culinary adventure! You can purchase gift certificates for any of Swallow Tail's tours and events, including snowshoeing, crab fishing, dinner at the Swallow Tail Secret Supper, and more. You can even get them a gift certificate for our upcoming Secret Supper Soiree. Send them on a night of secret, mysterious and stylish dining!

For more information on purchasing a gift certificate, email us or call us. You can also visit our site at swallowtail.ca for a full list of our foodie fun!

Smoking the *@!! out of Wild Salmon

2010-10-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

With all this lovely fresh wild salmon being bandied about in BC, many of the chefs guesting at the supper club have been smoking up a storm. Here are some tips on how to make you own lightly smoked salmon as a main.

Buying the fish
Your smoked salmon is only as good as the fish itself, you can't fake freshness. Frozen is fine to buy though. Just make sure you bring the frozen fish back to room temperature slowly, run some cold water over it first and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours to defrost. The meat will stay firm this way. Fresh fish is best though, for texture. In Vancouver, buy it at Stevenson Warf or at Granville Island right off the docks for the best price and quality. Organic Ocean is a great boat at Fishermans Warf, call them to check what time they will be at the dock. (604) 862-7192
If you have to buy it from a fish shop, make sure you smell the fish to make sure it doesn't smell fishy... sounds weird, I know. I never buy farmed salmon... it tastes like crap.

Preparing the fish
Here's a video on one way to fillet a salmon if you want to learn, otherwise, buy fillets. For this recipe, take the skin off the fillets and remove any pin bones with tweezers.

Curing the fish
Let the fillets sit at room temperature for a couple of hours covered well in a 50/50 mix of kosher salt and sugar, you can add other ingredients (cilantro, parsley, onion) as well to the mix. Don't cure or brine in metal dishes ever. Have fun experimenting. Rinse the mix off the fish and pat dry after. Air dry for 30 min.

Smoking the fish
1. Let's talk about wood first - hardwood is what you want for smoking. Fruit tree wood is the best, also, alder, maple or oak. Hickory and mesquite flavour is too strong for salmon. Soak the wood chips or small pieces for 1 hour in water before using.

2. Generally, you need to build a fire in one side of your BBQ with charcoal or wood. Wait till it produces good coals. Put the wet chips on the coals to get them smoking, then add the fish on the other side of the BBQ - so that it smokes, but only cooks minimally. Position the grill as far away from the flames as possible. Close the lid and let the smoke do it's work.

3. Leave the fish on for 15-40 minutes, depending on how much smoke flavour you want and how hot your fire is. Flip the fish at around the half time mark. Taste the fish at intervals to check the level of smoke flavour. Once you've reached the desired smoke level, remove the fish and finish cooking in the oven if necessary. Cook at 350F covered with foil until the fish is ready to eat at 140F, check with a meat thermometer (should be only a few minutes).

Tips for the truly dedicated smoker: Look on craigslist for "free fire wood", often you will find lots of fruit woods there (you have to season it then though - let it dry).
Buy a real smoker - with a separate smoke compartment away from the fire.

Syrah vs Shiraz... potato, patato?

2010-09-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, what's the difference between shiraz and syrah? You probably know, right? If not, here's your nutshell. Same grape, different styles of wine. Syrah is the French style, usually, more austere, earthy, bacon, peppery notes. Shiraz is the Auz version, fruit forward, big, bold, in your face with a mace dealio. What they both have in common usually is the peppery, spicy notes, cassis or blackberry leaning fruit characters, high(ish) acid, easy tannins, medium to full body in weight, a lovely magenta colour at medium+ intensity (you can read text through your wine glass).

Here are some notes from a fun tasting we did the other day, all the wines can be purchased at Everything Wine in North Vancouver. We tasted all the wines without food first, then paired them with a black truffle salami, zucchini, tomato, fontina pizza - yum.

1. Paul Jaboulet Aine, Domaine de Thalabert, Crozes Hermitage, France, 2005 - $47.99
Winner! I loved this wine, though it didn't stand up to the pizza. Notes: Anise, caramel, plum, black cherry, pepper, cinnamon.
2. Young & Wyse, Okanagan Valley, BC, 2008 - $27.99
A good quality BC shiraz, really surprised me but didn't stand up to the Kangarilla for quality vs value. Notes: Tobacco, cassis, spice
3. Kangarilla Road, McLaren Vale, Australia, 2007 - $24.99
Winner! And look at that price! Notes: Big anise, candy, cassis, dill nose with a dusty, dark fruits palate. Paired well with bacon pizza.
4. Katnook, Founders Block, Coonawarra, 2006 - $19.99
Paled in comparison, but still a good shiraz. Notes: Earthy, vegetal, plum, mint nose. Blackberry, pencil shavings on the palate.
5. Sheridan Vineyard, Yakima Valley, Washington, 2005 - $62.99
You know when you suck it up and spend the wad on something and then it spits in your eye. This one spat in my eye. $60! Are you kidding me? I'd pay $25 for it. A real disappointment as I usually love Washington shiraz. Notes: Big blackberry almost port-esque leanings, slight smokey finish.

The nookiest Nook around - Best Vancouver Pizza

2010-09-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

I'm not joking. The nook is the best pizza in Vancouver. If you are really nuts about another place, and are absolutely sure that it'll kick this restaurants ass, please email me toute suite. Otherwise, just go and be dazzled by some of the freshest food Vancouver has to offer. And that is their key, all the ingredients are perfect, I wonder what they'll do in winter for tomatoes though? I'll have to experiment through the year. Bon Appetite!

Try the liver pate and the anything with barrata on it, you won't be sad.

Bread is life! Tuscan loaf cooked on the fire...

2010-08-29T18:29:00.000-07:00

If only life could be this simple. Of all the bread that I've made, this one always gets the best compliments. This is the tuscan loaf with barrata cheese, heirloom tomatoes, dried olives and balsamic.

Fire Pit Bread instructions:
Mix a wet dough of 2.5 cups flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 tsp yeast, 2 tsp salt

Leave it for 18 hours or until bubbles start appearing in dough.
Flour your counter top heavily, turn out dough onto it, flour the top, fold dough 2 times on itself, let rest 15 min.
Put a tea towel into a bowl, flour heavily, turn dough into this bowl and cover with tea towel, rest 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Baking:
Oil well (canola) and then heat Dutch oven on indirect fire heat (watch this video for tips on fire pit cooking) in pit on a few stones to keep it from direct contact with the coals. Clear coals to surround but not touch oven. Gently turn dough into oven, bake 20 min with cover on. Remove from heat, turn dough gently into pot. Cover and bake for 20 min. Remove lid and then bake another 10 min.

Lamb on a Spit, the best crispy skin I've ever tasted... meat lovers rejoice!

2010-08-29T10:06:00.001-07:00

How to cook a lamb on a spit and be king for a day...
1. Select your meat team, these will be the bros/chiquitas that will be in it with you through thick and thin, putting out fires, turning, carving and sweating buckets. Choose wisely, don't pick the town drunk.2. Buy a 50 Lb lamb from your butcher if you are popular or less if you don't have many friends (1/2 lb per person approx.)

3. Get an electric rotisserie from your butcher(this is the easiest, $80 at Windsor Meats) or just a metal pole, securing brackets and 2 brackets to rest the spit, 2 halves of a steel drum and some wood charcoal. You can hand turn the meat or have the ease of a motor, it depends on how old school you want to kick it.

4. Watch this video for great details on how to secure the lamb to the spit and set up the coals

5. Cook a 50Lb lamb about 7 hours depending on the heat of your fire, you can use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the lamb to check the 'doneness' - 140F for rare, 150F for medium

6. Stuff the cavity of the lamb with onions, lemons, Moroccan spices(cumin, Cayenne, kosher salt, pepper, ginger, cloves) and stitch up with butcher string.

7. Baste with olive oil and lemon, salting occasionally. An occasional IPA or ale poured over the lamb couldn't hurt either, one for you, one for the lamb.

This will make the best lamb you've ever tasted with perfect, crispy, slightly spicy, lemony skin. You don't need any sides, just eat the meat and drink some beer. C'est tout!

New Restaurant - Cafeteria rocks Vancouver! $5 house white too

2010-08-17T21:10:00.000-07:00

Simple menu, fresh ingredients, flawless execution... in my top three restaurants of the year! You must try the stuffed red peppers with aioli, black olive and fish cake... white anchovies on top, STUNNING! I ordered a second and I was already full! Main Street at 11th Ave, it's a must.
Great wine list too, the house white is $5!

This is the red pepper appy...

Night Market is like Never-never land - Dim Sum to die for

2010-08-03T22:02:00.001-07:00

This is the place you always say your going to go to... sometime soon. I've been talking about going to the Richmond Night Market for years. So, last weekend, I drove out, paid the $5 parking and gorged myself on oodles of amazing food. The crowds are nuts, but if you are like me and love to feel like you've been transported to parallel dimension or to a far away land, you MUST go. I mean where else can you buy a fried baby octopus on a stick that tastes soooo good.

Order - the deep fried cheesecake, the Hong Kong Egg Puffs(chocolate or sesame only), Dim Sum!, the Korean spiral fried potatoes with spicy Korean sauce, lemonade or ginger juice at the Japanese place that sells the rice bun little burgers.

The BC Bullfrog - Pest or tasty treat?

2010-07-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

In Cambodia, I was presented frogs legs in a black sauce, they were succulent. Kind of like chicken, I remember, but better. The dish was called, Ung Kep Char Kreoung, made with onion, garlic, peppers, lemon grass and oyster sauce, it left me drooling for more. I've decided, I want to find some, cook 'em and serve 'em in a hot, florescent lit room just to recreate the experience fully. So, where do you get frogs legs in Vancouver? I'm on a mission to find out. Pied a Terre on Cambie used to serve them and got them shipped from Quebec. Seems a long way to go when we have an invasive species of Bullfrog right here in the Lower Mainland. Our big, mean BC bullfrogs are responsible for eating a lot of our native species of frogs to near extinction. However, over harvesting of frogs to supply France and Asia's demand for them has caused a major decline in frog populations in general. Luckily for frogs, no one seems to like them much in Canada, so far. Most commercial frogs legs come from China or India from farms and apparently lack the desirable 'muddy' or 'earthy' flavour of wild frogs. So, I'd love to get me some wild bullfrog, yeee-haw. I'll keep you posted on what I find out... any froggy info would be greatly appreciated. Currently, it seems our infinitely wise BC government deems it illegal to catch bullfrogs under the BC Wildlife Act.

Mushrooms & cider, an Alice in Wonderland moment...

2010-07-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

The Herbfarm - Washington (near Seattle)
Highlight of the night: Saged French Meringues! Balsamic marinated cherries with malted Bavarian cake.

A Pacific Northwest institution for locavors, this restaurant is a must eat at for anyone looking to taste all the best of the land from the Cascade Mountains to the sea. One of the finest meals I've had in years, and noting that I went to Spain and France last year rounds out the sentiment. I visited for a Cider Makers Dinner, happily priced at $125. Seven courses and including all the cider I could drink, expertly paired with each course (hats off to the resident sommelier). Lovely spring morels, rabbit, squab, cherries, house made chevre... stop drooling.

This is arbutus bark tea... really neat!

Gup Gups Event, Sat July 10th - Designer Vinyl Toys & good eats!

2010-07-09T11:06:00.000-07:00

Come out and check out some fabulous clothing and amazing, freshly made toys by designer Nick Tay. Swallow Tail will be serving up our famous BBQ duck with radicchio marmalade, bison tenderloin, muskox and balsamic toasties and rhubarb tarts with creme fraiche! Beer and wine pairings crafted for the night, of course. Nibble and sip your way through the evening with us.

More info on Gup Gups or Lark Clothing Store on 2315 Main St.
8pm till 11pm
Free Entry

Fire Starters - Outdoor Cooking Escapade! BBQ madness in Vancouver

2010-06-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

For all of you that love a good barbecue, it's summer, come outside and watch the flames with us. Join us for an outdoor cook-off where local chefs (Andrea Carlson of Bishops for one) will be firing up a storm: spit roast, fire pit baking, BBQ, grill & smoke. Taste the fire in your food. And while you're eating your outdoor dinner, you'll do some good! Proceeds from the event will support the non-profit Growing Chefs! Chefs for Children's Urban Agriculture.

Whats extra exciting? ...The first Canadian appearance of smoked Tur-duck-in-hen-quail-con will be unveiled! Yes, the con is for bacon.

When: Sunday, July 25th
1pm or 3pm ticket times

Early Bird Discount Tickets: (Purchase before July 16)
5 Tasting Ticket - $10
5 Tasting Ticket with wine/beer pairing - $20

Tickets after July 16th
5 Tasting Ticket - $15
5 Tasting Ticket with wine/beer pairing - $25

Location: Swallow Tail Secret Supper Club, Vancouver, BC

Email: robin@swallowtail.ca for tickets and more details!

With your tasting ticket, you will get to sample of each team's treats. The teams will also have larger servings for sale if you hunger for more of you favourite tasting! Prices range from $5-$15 for the larger plates.

Sponsored by Windsor Meats and R&B Brewing
Cancellation Policy - All tickets are final sales, no refunds, you are welcome to sell them to other guests

Confused in the Aisles - How to choose a great Balsamic

2010-06-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

A good, aged, traditional balsamic vinegar is like the blood of the Gods. Combine that with ripe, sweet strawberries and you have IT. Yes, IT, the thing you've been waiting for all your life. I ate two portions of angel food cake with balsamic at last nights secret supper club and skipped dinner.

Okay, here's a bit of a rant about "the blood of the Gods" as you can find it in Vancouver. It is really hard to pick balsamic at the grocery store unless you know what you are looking for. Just because it says Modena on the bottle doesn't mean it's going to taste good. Look for Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena to find traditionally aged balsamic which will naturally be more expensive and WAY better quality. Unfortunately, you get what you pay for. It takes 3-50 years of age to make a proper balsamic and it must be aged in several types of wood casks.
Check the ingredient list if there are no artificial flavours/colours or sugar added, then you are getting closer to God.

My favourite balsamic is made by Venturi-Schulze on Vancouver Island of all places. Giordano Venturi is originally from Modena, Italy. He prides himself on making the only real balsamic in BC. It's $50 a bottle and can be ordered online (delivered right to your door). You may be scared off by the price, but the fact is that it's so flavour packed that you use way less of it. Their balsamic is rated as the top 100 things you should taste before you die by Vancouver Magazine. I for one, believe them.

Strawberry Season - The Evil Strawberry

2010-06-20T21:00:00.001-07:00

You thought they were so sweet and nice, but really they're pure EVIL!
Ingredients:
Ripe Summer Strawberries
400 grams Bitter Chocolate, ONLY Callebaut or another high quality brand
Optional Port

Directions:
Take a little bit of love (the strawberries) and a little bit of pure, evil, dark chocolate from Callebaut. Dip the love in the evil. Serve to friends and fiends alike.

Melting the chocolate:
I usually melt it in the microwave, slowly, 20 sec at a time making sure you don't overheat it (stir lots). Take it out and temper the chocolate with 2 Tbs of chocolate shavings, mix in well. Chocolate is ready for dipping now.

Optional Booze filling:
You can also take an apple peeler and cut a small hole in the strawberry, fill it with goodness like sherry or port! Dry the strawberry off if it's moist. Then, cover the strawberry with melted chocolate, hole side up.

Chocolate tips:
If you aren't going to eat the chocolate right away, put each chocolate strawberry on wax paper so that it doesn't stick to the plate. Don't refrigerate if you can help it, keep in a cool dark place in a sealed Tupperware. If the chocolate does get 'bloom' on it (whitish colour), don't worry, it still will taste fine.

Like Gandalf vs Predator - Radicchio Marmalade

2010-06-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

I love strange twists on old favourites like Gandalf vs Predator, this one is spectacular. This recipe was passed on to me from my friend Eddy, it may be originally from Cin Cin. It's rad and seasonal with all the Radicchio popping up in my yard. Serve with duck, pork or on toast.

Makes 4 cups
Ingredients: Radicchio - 4 heads, chop fine
Sugar - 2 cups
OJ - 2 cups
Butter - 1 cup
Balsamic vinegar - 1 cup
Spices: zests of 1 orange, a bay leaf, thyme, 4 juniper berries, 4 cloves, 1/2 stick cinnamon

Directions:
1. Caramelize chopped radicchio with 1 Tsp sugar and 1/2 cup of butter
2. Add OJ, remaining sugar, balsamic, spices
3. Reduce liquid over med-high flame, stirring and keeping an eye on it that it doesn't burn. Think of it as a jam. It's gotta be quite thick (no more liquid pooling in the pot), cook for around 15 min. Once it is jammy, you add the rest of the butter, reduce the flame to med, and let it thicken nicely, around 10-15 more minutes cooking.
4. Can the marmalade if you like or refrigerate if you'll eat it faster.

40 Local Beers on Tap? Is this a new Vancouver emerging?

2010-06-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

St.Augustine's Bar on Commercial Drive is one of the few spots in Vancouver where the fruits (and hops) of our labours are ripe for the tasting. I love going in to get the 4 beer tasting tray, there are almost too many to choose from, it's like beer heaven. And, now that world cup soccer has hit the screens, it's one of the least busy and most pleasant places to watch the game.

Lavender Lemon Mousse with Sherry & BC Huckleberries

2010-05-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

Light and fragrant with a zippy kick of booze at the bottom, what more could you want? Great summer dessert, especially, with the lavender flowers blooming right now. Substitute salmonberries, blueberries or raspberries if you don't have huckleberries.

Recipe
Serves 14 small portions
2 Cups whipping Cream - whip to stiff peaks
1 cup yogurt
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbs grated lemon rind
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup - 3 cups berries (I used 1/2 cup for the one in the picture)
1 Tbs lavender flowers, in fine pieces
1/3 cup Amontillado Sherry ( or whatever booze you like, experiment)

Directions
Stir together yogurt, lemon juice, rind, 1/2 of the lavender flowers and sugar. Fold the cream into the yogurt mixture (don't overmix). Pour booze of your choice into the bottom 14 glasses with a tsp of berries.
If you are using a sour berry like huckleberries, dust them with a bit of sugar to taste
Then, spoon the rest of the mixture and berries into glasses in alternating layers. Dust the top with lemon rind and lavender flowers. Eat right away or chill.

Go for a Forage: Wild foods near Vancouver...

2010-05-23T11:28:00.001-07:00

Elder flowers
Miner's Lettuce

Cleavers

Sweet Cicely

Watercress

Spring has pounced upon us, even though the warmth seems to have left us, lately. All sorts of tasty snacks are growing out of the ground. Wandering the forests and meadows of the Lower Mainland there are a few rules you should follow if you are interested in some unusual eats.

Take note of the water sources surrounding your planty prey. Watercress, for example, is very nutritious and grows near running water. It also absorbs toxins quite readily. So, if a stream has pollutants in it (near a non-organic farm for example) the plants may not be safe to eat. Unless you'd welcome the growth of a third eye.
Take plant cuttings, try not to disturb the roots, that way the crop will be replenished.
Be sure of what you are eating. Buy a plant book like Plants of Coastal BC (Pojar/MacKinnon) to help with identification.
Don't harvest near the road or sidewalks, unless you like dog pee and car gunk in your food.
Harvest with the seasons. Generally... spring = new shoots, spring/summer = flowers/fruit, fall/winter = fruits/nuts/roots

Plants to look for around now (May); licorice fern (sweet cicely), watercress, miners lettuce, silver dollars, cattails, sorel, cleavers, stinging nettles (taste like spinach, but harvest with gloves and steam before eating), blackberry leaves

Learn how to catch Dungeness Crab in Vancouver

2010-05-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

Vancouver wild foods are plentiful if you know how and what to catch.
Cruise the oceans with Swallow Tail to catch some of these tasty little critters.

BC Spot Prawns made glorious!!

2010-05-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

Rhubbarb, apple salsa...sliced tomatoes, prawns rubbed with cilantro salt and olive oil. Now Barbeque! The season is upon us.
On the menu at Swallow Tail secret Supper Club.

Pork Rillette Recipe - with Sherry, Thyme, Juniper Berries

2010-05-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

A rich, amazing way to treat your pork shoulder cuts....

Ingredients:

2.5lb pork shoulder

1 drop of truffle oil per ramekin

1/4 cup amontillado sherry

2 bay leaves

1 small handful of thyme, leaves picked

1 tablespoon of sea salt

10 black peppercorns

6 juniper berries

1 cup of fat - either lard, duck, or a preferably a mixture of both

2 cups of good stock - chicken or veal

small handful of chopped parsley

Toppings:

Sauteed Leeks in butter, torn fresh watercress and a very, very good balsamic vinegar (Venturi-SchulzeVineyards in Vancouver). Drizzle over warm toasts.

Directions:

Cut the meat in to 1inch cubes. In a spice grinder (or mortar and pestle if you want the work out) grind up the bay, thyme, salt, peppercorns and juniper berries. Put the meat in a large bowl, pour over the brandy. Pour over the spices, and toss really well to combine. Cover the bowl, and bung it in the fridge for 8 to 24 hours, whatever takes your fancy really.

Preheat oven to 225-250F

In a heavy (enameled cast iron would be lovely) large pan with a tight fitting lid, heat up a couple of tablespoons of the fat. Toss in the meat, and brown lightly. Add the rest of the fat, and let it melt. Pour in enough stock to almost cover the meat. Pop the lid on, and place in the oven. Let this cook for about 3 hours.

Check on it from time to time. Give it a good stir. If the liquid level looks too low, add some more of the stock - or water.

After three hours remove the meat from the cooking liquid. Let the meat cool just enough to handle. Pull the meat apart with your fingers, and put it into a large bowl. Shred the meat up using a couple of forks and cross-wise strokes of them against each other. Careful here, there will still be some mixing that will happen later - so don’t shred that meat up too fine. We are looking for something with texture here, not a completely smooth emulsion.

Add the cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time to the meat. If the liquid has separated into fat and broth, mix it back up. After adding each tablespoon give the meat a good mix up. You want the meat to be moist, but not soaking. When you have reached your desired consistency, add the chopped parsley to the meat, and mix some more.

Pack this meat into small ramekins, leaving about 3/4″ headroom - we are going to top these bad boys off with some fat. Once you have all the meat packed into the ramekins, put them in the fridge. This will help them set up, so when we pour liquid fat on top, it forms a nice clean layer, and doesn’t go down in to the meat, making it fattier.

Strain the cooking liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring jug. The fat will settle on the top. Spoon this fat off into a separate bowl and add 1 drop of truffle oil per ramekin to the fat. Once the ramekin meat has set up well (3o minutes to an hour should do it) pour this liquid fat over each one. You want to cover the meat with about a 1/4″ layer of fat - enough to get a good seal.

Return to the fridge, covered with aluminum foil. Covered like this, they should last a couple of weeks easy. Once you break the fat seal however you will want to eat them within a couple of days. Like that is going to be hard to do….

Base recipe & writing, originally, from the Wrightfood

Wild BC Licorice fern, sauteed leek & goat cheese salad

2010-05-11T08:17:00.001-07:00

This salad is both comfortingly warm and fresh, reminiscent of Spring.

Ingredients:
8 leaves Licorice fern (optional if you know where to pick it)
250g Hard goat cheese (like BC Farmhouse Cheeseshop- Caephilly)
4 Radishes, thinly sliced, round
1 tsp Olive oil
1/2 Lime, juiced
2 Leeks - sliced fine
3 Tbs butter (salted)
4 tsp roasted BC hazelnuts
sea salt to taste

Directions:
Cube goat cheese into 1 cm. Tear licorice fern leaves off the stalk.
Saute leeks in butter till just soft and bright green. Mix all ingredients together, serve in the garden if you have one.

Licorice fern grows near streams in the Fraser Valley, BC. Shady places where there may be stinging nettles, so watch out and wear pants. It's not actually a fern, but it sure looks like one.
It's a slightly furry, fern leafed plant that tastes like sweet licorice when you eat the leaves. You can see the leaf in the picture of the salad above.

Red Borscht with BC Goat Cheese & Basil

2010-04-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Eastern Europe! I love borscht; nothing is more comforting and good for you. This recipe is beet soup with a local twist, some lovely tart goat cheese instead of the usual sour cream.

Soup is made to be meddled with, so this is just a loose recipe. Feel free to add more onion or use tomatoes or more carrots... or whatever you like. It's soup, relax. Serve it with some rye bread and salty butter.

Recipe: Serves 12 in med sized bowls
4 litres of a good chicken stock (or veg)
2 lb red beets, cleaned
1 Big onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 cups green cabbage sliced
4 Tbs butter
1/2 cup white wine (dry)
1 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
salt & cracked pepper to taste
a bunch of basil leaves, one leaf for each bowl
1 big spoon per bowl of your favourite BC goat cheese, I like Okanagan, Happy Days Dairy, or Moonstruck or Little Qualicum

Boil the beets first in water enough to cover them. When a fork comes out cleanly, remove them from the water and peel skins off under cold water.
Pour the stock and other ingredients into the beet water and bring to a boil, then simmer. Chop beets to desired size while the other vegetables are simmering. Once the carrots are cooked (test with fork), put the beets into the soup.

Ladle soup into bowls and add the goat cheese and basil leaf on top.
Enjoy.

Greek wine? really?

2010-04-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

All I've ever tried was retsina... which was bad. Retsina, for people new to Greek wine, is a white or rose wine with pine resin added to the grape ferment. Originally, the resin was used to preserve the wine before the glass bottle waltzed into our lives. I'm sure there is good retsina out there, but I have yet to find it(please pass on the secret if you know of a good one).

However, a friend left a bottle of 2008 Moschofilero(the grape), Boutari(the producer) behind, so I gave Greece a whirl again. It was bone dry with a good level of lemony, melon fruit. A really nice food wine for my venison dumplings with juniper berries(recipe listed in my last post). Here are the notes:

Melon, citrus, slight floral greets you on the nose. Lime dominates the palate, a simple, dry, med+ body wine. Good with food or if you love really dry whites on a summer day.

Throw in $19 bucks at any BC Liqour Commision on a cultural experience for your mouth.

Venison Dumplings with Juniper Berries

2010-04-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

I've stolen dumplings from the Austrians! I'm going to give you folks the recipe for the venison meat ball that the dumpling is wrapped around, it's amazing! For the dumpling dough, sign up for this facebook group...Dumplings United Wrap the meatball thinly with the dumpling dough and roll in melted butter and then toasted breadcrumbs.
Serve with sauerkraut or something tart to balance the richness of the dish.

Venison & Juniper Berry Meatballs

Ingredients:
4 Tbs juniper berries, crushed very fine
1 granny smith apple, diced very fine (peeled and cored)
1 large onion, diced very fine
Salt(1 Tbs) & Pepper (cracked)to taste
1 Tbs bacon fat (melt into cooking oil for flavour)
1 Tbs Butter (melt into cooking oil)
1 Tbs olive oil
¼ c pea shoots, diced very fine (optional)
1 egg yolk
2 thick slices White bread
1/5 c cream
1 Tbs yogurt
2 Tbs black strap molasses
1 lb ground (BC preferably) venison or bison
Frying oil:
cooking oil 1mm depth in pan, add 1 Tbs more bacon fat if you've got it

1/2 cup breadcrumbs (toast in a 350F oven for a few minutes)

Directions:
Soak bread in yogurt and cream, then put through a food processor, or chop very fine.
Sweat the onions, apples, juniper berries, pepper, salt for 20min on low heat in the butter, oil and bacon fat. While onions are cooking, combine meat, egg, bread mixture, then refrigerate. Once onions are cooked add molasses in and stir. Let it cool. Then mix in with meat well. Form into golf ball sizes with your hands.
Heat oil in non stick frying pan. Fry up meatballs for around 10 minutes, turning to fry all sides. Don't overcook them, test one by cutting it in half if you have to. Serve with dusting of breadcrumbs and a sprig of parsley or pea shoot for looks.

Paint your plate with Beets...

2010-04-03T21:16:00.000-07:00

This bright red, beet coulis goes great on cheesecake, steak or on a salad. It's very versatile. And, way too much fun.

Recipe
Ingredients:
8 small beets (red/yellow or whatever you like)
5 Tbs Hazelnut oil (or walnut or just a good olive oil)
1 lemon - juiced
1 tsp molasses or brown sugar
1 tsp flour
water
salt to taste

Directions:
Puree the above ingredients in your blender or food processor till smooth.
That's it... done. Refrigerate to keep. Put in squeeze bottle for the most fun with the paint or just use the back of a knife to paint with. Play around with it on a blank plate before you decide on your final design.

Seriously, I'm going to try making a beet coulis and blackstrap molasses cheesecake. I swear it's going to knock my socks off.

BC wild musrhooms - Chantrelle, Bolete, Pine? Why should you care?

2010-03-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

Wild Mushroom Taste Test... go!
Ever smell your mushrooms? I'm not being crass, I'm serious. Those, white mushrooms that everyone buys at the store... smell them. Then, buy a shitake mushroom or a chantrelle, fresh or dried. Now, that's a mushroom. Here are some tasting notes of BC wild mushrooms that I got from Skookum Harvest Wild Foods, hand picked on Vancouver Island. I'm making a wild mushroom pate for the BC Wilds & Wine event coming up.

Porcini (King Bolete) From Price Smart on Kingsway St.
Aroma - musty, burnt sugar, meaty, horse Palate - buttery, mild

Porcini (King Bolete) From Skookum
Aroma - caramel, tar (in a good way) Palate - earthy, meaty, butter... powerful

Chantrelles
Aroma - sweet herbs, caramel, hay, strong and beautiful Palate - savoury, meaty, cloves, lemon flowers

Pine
Aroma - honeycomb toffee Palate - hay, buttery, mild

All Dried from skookum harvest unless listed otherwise...

Just because it says it's "Organic" doesn't mean it is...

2010-03-10T14:42:00.000-08:00

I read this in City Food Magazine and it struck a cord:

"Truth: In a recent poll conducted by Angus Reid, more than half of Canadians surveyed (57 percent) said they were concerned that the organic products they purchased might not truly be organic. To address this issue, the Canadian Government recently implemented a new Organic Products Regulation which includes the Canada Organic Logo. The logo guarantees that products contain at least 95 per cent organic ingredients."

1. But what does the Canadian Organic logo really mean? It's like an onion skin the more you dig into the facts...

The Canada Organic label states that these substances or procedures are forbidden:

All materials and products produced from genetic engineering.
Synthetic pesticides, wood preservatives or other pesticides, except as specified in CAN/CGSB-32.31.
Fertilizer or composted plant and animal material that contains a prohibited substance.
Sewage sludge used as a soil amendment.
Synthetic growth regulators.

That's all well and good, but how many farms are actually subject to surprise inspections to verify compliance? Yes, there are surprise inspections by the Certified Organic Association of BC. Unfortunately, we accept US organic products . In the US, where there are only about 15 inspectors for the whole country, the brand isn't guaranteed to be reliable. Also, with 85% of organic food in Canada being imported, it makes it even harder to judge what to buy at the bloody grocery store. Though, (if you have to and can afford it) you may as well buy organic. You can usually taste the difference.

2. Free range vs Organic labels
Well, it seems that free range, doesn't have any legal requirements. So, unless you've gone to the farm and watched them running about, the chickens could be trapped inside and have the same awful conditions as a factory farm.

Any poultry or livestock labeled 'organic' in BC have legal requirements that must be met. For example, 6 hours a day access to the outside and inspectors that actually check the facilities regularly. So, if you have a heart, go organic instead of free range for your chicken or eggs.

In the end, it all comes down to getting to know your farmers. Sorry folks, I know it's more work. It can be fun and easy though, just go down to your neighbourhood farmers market. This is where you will be guaranteed to find products labelled properly, because the community of farmers polices each other rigorously. Or, Vancouverites, if you don't mind shopping online. Try NowBC Organic Co-op, you can buy whatever you like and it's all organic and local (unless labelled otherwise on the site). List of Farmers Markets in BC.

References:
CBC article on organic regulations
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Consumers Association Article on Organics
http://liberationbc.org/issues/organic
USDA organic label info
Article on USDA organic scandal

Get involved in your community farms:
Growing Chefs - Projects in Urban Agriculture for Children
Farm Folk City Folk

Ever tasted Muskox Prosciutto paired with Pinot?

2010-03-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

BC Wilds & Wine Blind Tasting - Vancouver
Friday, March 26

Come out and taste the best of BC's exotic ingredients tamed and paired with an exclusive BC wine & libations boutique selection. These wines are only available at restaurants, usually, if at all.

Experience Chef Robin's creations with Wild Mushrooms, Sea Asparagus, Muskox & the mythical Chocolate Beast to name a few.

It's Lark's 5th year anniversary, so come check out the finest of fine clothing. Sip and Shop the latest fashions.

Tickets - $46
Email info@swallowtail.ca for tickets or pick them up at Lark Clothing Store - 2315 Main St, 604-879-5275

Cash to Charity - Proceeds go to Mount Pleasant Elementary School through Growing Chefs, local chefs promoting a love of urban agriculture in our children.

Our lovely Sponsors:
Le Vieux Pin Winery
Sea Cider
Hills Foods Ltd.
Skookum Harvest Wild Foods
Daniel Le Chocolat Belge
Van Westen Vineyards
Clos du Soleil Winery
Twisted Tree Vineyards

Silent Auction will be held of local offerings from Trips to Dinner out.

A worry wart's dilemma - Is Decaf Coffee giving me Cancer?

2010-03-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

Decaf - What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, say it again! Yeah! Alright, I had to, sorry. I love the flavour of coffee, but the buzz leaves me jittering. So, why not move to decaffeinated? Decaf beans are run through chemicals that could be cancer producing, but is there any proof of this claim?

Before the 1980's, methylene chloride was used to strip the little green beans of their caffeine. It is now strongly suspected to cause cancer in humans. "Oops, sorry," says the big company to the little sick person. Most coffee producers no longer use this substance. The Swiss have come to our rescue and developed a method that uses water which is as safe as a their banks. Unless Jason Bourne wants something in one, of course, then their screwed. I digress, drink your decaf and relax, it seems to be OK.

Really interesting article on the chemistry & process of decaffeination
http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/consumer/faq/decaffeinating-coffee.shtml
Other info sources:
The National Cancer Institute in Bonn, Germany

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream - all you need is a bag!

2010-02-26T10:56:00.001-08:00

Top with wild blackberry reduction and roasted hazelnuts for extra points.

Chef School where you get to drink and cook...

2010-02-22T09:57:00.000-08:00

Went to a cooking session with Chef Nico of Chambar fame at the Dirty Apron Culinary School. I would highly recommend the experience. You cook a 3 course menu and then eat it, all under the watchful gaze of Nico and his assistants. The food is simple; so don't expect to learn anything to fancy. Then again, some of the best tasting food is simply made. Bonus: the lesson comes with your choice of white or red libations which lubricates the entire evening pleasantly.

The Menu:

Seared Yellow Fin Tuna on a Tabbouleh bed with Baba Ganoush
Buttered, pan fried duck breast with tamarind sauce and herb rice pilaf
Chocolate Mousse

http://www.dirtyapron.com/

Grilled Bison Tenderloin Porn Shots - Vancouver Underground supper club

2010-02-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

Canadian Bison - Course 4 - Swallow Tail secret Supper Club - Enjoy...
www.swallowtail.ca

Photos by Shannon Mendes

Wine Tasting - Part Science & Part Memory

2010-02-03T10:07:00.001-08:00

The Science...
The building blocks of a wine that are most
measurable are Body, Acidity, Alcohol, Sweetness, Tannins. It takes practice, but eventually, even a novice wine drinker should be able to correctly identify each within a range; Low Med or High. The other major factor in evaluating a wine is being able to sense broad ranges of flavour compounds; these are listed in the first & second rings of the wheel. Each person will vary on their ability to ferret out a wines scent and flavour. How many taste buds are on your tongue?

The Memories...
Because of the way our sense of smell works, we can train our palates to evolve. Outside of extreme bitterness or rotting aromas, there are few scents to which we are biologically averse. By smelling, thinking and talking about what we drink, we can create a personal catalogue of sensory information. How many flavour and scent compounds are in your memory banks?
So why are we so strongly affected by scents? Mostly, it’s all due to physiology. Smell goes directly to an area of our brain called the limbic system, which is also a center of taste, emotion and memory. Evolutionarily speaking, that structure makes perfect sense: Once
upon a time, we had to find food in the wild. Aroma, and the way it links to pleasure and memory, helped us distinguish plants that would kill us from those that would nourish us.

A wine wheel is very helpful to remind us of the basic structure of wine and wine vocabulary. If you are new to wine tasting, start by identifying the broad terms in the two coloured rings first; earthy, fruity, oaky etc. Then, as you practice you will start to refine your senses and pick out the more specific, personal wine characters. The outer ring can be very different for different people, your tobacco may be anothers smoke. But above all, have fun, because that's the point.

THE Restaurant - Lumiere Vancouver - The pinnacle of fine dining?

2010-02-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry to say that Vancouver's obsession with chichi, drowning in sauce, French food has waned for me. And this, after a recent trip to France even. Some would say that I'm just a spoiled brat and rub my foie gras in my face. They may not be wrong. However, my instincts tell me that my heart may last longer if I eat more of France's counterpoint, fresh and lively Mexican food (La Taqueria, I love you).

Okay, I digress... the point of this post was to show off some of Daniel Boulud's culinary offerings at Lumiere from my recent tasting at that beautiful spot on Broadway. I'm just warning you that I was underwhelmed. Not because the food wasn't excellent, but because I've overplayed my French record and it's beginning to skip.

Highlights:

At $115 for a 5 course small plate selection, Lumiere left us burstingly full.
The sommelier on staff that night (Drew) was, bar none, the best host we could have ever imagined. He even arranged for a tour of the kitchen! And his wine suggestions were excellent. They even looked up the history of the galette for me.
The food was artfully prepared, especially the grapefruit hamachi and the melted chocolate poured over the tiramisu trick... go have one then you'll know.
Standout - Crumbed quails egg amuse bouche was rad...didn't get a picture sorry.
Standout 2 - The signature madeleines pictured below in the flower napkin. I couldn't stop eating them.

Lumiere 5 Course Menu

In the end, each dish by itself was so rich, intricate and thoughtful that 7 plates later I didn't even remember what I really liked or why. I was stuffed mentally and physically. It was really fun as a budding Chef to try to disect the billion techniques and ingredients used in each dish. But, I still left feeling that a few more simple, fresh dishes would relax the palate to prepare it for the next pollock painting of a dish.

Fishing for Dungeness Crab in Vancity

2010-01-22T22:35:00.000-08:00

Jan 22, 2010
What a day!

Chunks of Melty chocolate with Port = Heaven

2010-01-21T19:46:00.000-08:00

This is Cookie...

Cookie meet Pipe - Sumac Ridge, BC, fortified port style wine...

I think you will like each other. Chocolate meet chocolate, berry cuts sweet.

Cookie Recipe nabbed from Tender Crumb...

Jacques Torres' Secret Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Makes twenty-six 5-inch cookies or 8 1/2 dozen 1 1/4-inch cookies

Ingredients
1 pound unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour
3 cups bread flour (gives crunchy texture)
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 pounds bittersweet chocolate(valrhona 61% extra bitter), coarsely chopped

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined.
- Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies.
- Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Hand chopped chocolate chunks, NOT premade chips - I will purchase a hunk of the best bittersweet chocolate that I can afford and hand cut them into chunks. The easiest method to chop a block of chocolate: nuke the block at 50% power for a few seconds, no more. It softens the chocolate just enough. Then take a large kitchen knife and chop away! Your effort will be rewarded with really nice ribbons of melted chocolate throughout the cookie.
- Chill the cookie dough at least 24 hours (I let my dough sit anywhere from 2-3 days) before baking. Refrigeration makes a difference with the look and texture. I think the dough sets in a way so when you bake the cookies, you end up with the lovely wrinkles and folds as the balls of dough spread and bake.

BC Cider - Not the sickly sweet shite, the good stuff...

2010-01-14T11:03:00.000-08:00

Put up your hand, all of you who think that most cider tastes the same, be it sweet or dry. Now, keep your hands up, I want all of you to pitch in with 6 friends on a cider tasting. You will soon learn the error of your whimsical thoughts.

I like cider, mostly, the dry, British style. In my recent trip to Britain and France (where cider brewing cut it's teeth), I sampled all the cider I could get my lips on. And after this recent tasting, I would say that BC cider wins the respect of my palate and liver. I am NOT talking about the Okanagan Springs variety of cider. You know, that disgusting, head-splittingly sweet brew that you drank when you could still get drunk off one bottle of booze. In our tasting of 5 local ciders, all of them were starkly different and pleased different tastes.
Here are the notes of 4 very dedicated cider lovers:

1. Cyser, Merridale, BC - $6.55, 341ml, 10% alc
A lovely med sweet mild cider. Very traditional, crab apple notes. Tied for first place!
2. Sommerset, Merridale, BC - $20.85, 750ml, 7.8% alc
This was reminiscent of champagne (they probably use champagne yeast to start the fermentation), the sweetest of the bunch, but still very pleasant, simple and fruity, not worth the price in my mind.
3. Pippins, Sea Cider, BC - $19.25, 750ml, 9.5% alc
Very British traditional, dry, lemony tart with a buttery finish. Excellent, the gateway drink for people who think they don't like cider.
4. Rumrunner, Sea Cider, BC - $18.50, 750ml, 12% alc
Love it or lump it, two of us went nuts over this one, but the other two tasters weren't impressed. Dry and refreshing, but with a counterpoint of caramel and sweet tobacco, this cider was aged in rum barrels. You have to try it!
5. Spire Mountain, WA - $9.15, 650ml, 5% alc
No one liked this one, though the price is admirable. It was a medium sweet, fruit forward yawn of a drink.

I leave with a profound respect for the cider producers on Vancouver Island. Sea Cider wins hands down for me.
Note: You can buy all these lovely ciders for your own tasting at Brewery Creek Liquor Store on Main St in Vancouver. The prices were hiked after I wrote this article, by around a buck each bottle? Weird, I've correct the prices here.

Don't do this with your kids... Deboning a Rabbit

2010-01-11T14:48:00.000-08:00

I am currently on a mission to eat as many BC wild meats as many ways as possible. My task is simple; to develop an array of recipes for the wild meat lovers of the world, myself included. Starting with the cutest, apparently, and ending with the biggest... bear maybe?
I've never eaten a whole rabbit. They just aren't offered in non-terrine forms for some reason in Vancouver. So, I grabbed a British recipe and an Italian one (Sicilians love their rabbit, who knew?) and cooked one up at home. Last night, I started with the Brit version, cider braised rabbit with shallots, thyme and rosemary from my garden. Here it is...

The deboning took me 40 minutes and was tiring but interesting from a biological standpoint. Here's a good video if you've always wanted to learn to debone a bunny.

It was good, but not great. Rabbit tastes like a less flavourful pork it seems, boring. I am disappointed so far. Anyone with any ideas for spectacular rabbit dishes, please email me!!!

Vancouver - How many crab can your chef catch for supper?

2010-01-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

Swallow Tail secret Supper Club would like to invite you to Sunday dinner, Feb 7th. Chef Robin will fish for your supper!

Prix Fixe Menu
Wild Game 3 Course - $29
Dungeness Crab 5 Course - $49
For those of you not predisposed to crab, we have wild game on offer.

Book your table of 1- 20 people for the one time only Winter Wilds Challenge
email theswallowdive@gmail.com
Time: 5-10pm seatings
Location to be given upon reservation, sshhhhhhhhhhh, it's secret.

This is the kick-off event for Swallow Tail Supper Club - Every Sunday is open for bookings from Jan 24th forward with a 3 & 5 course offering.

Fresher than a fresh seared steak.... in Spain

2010-01-03T14:45:00.000-08:00

Want food bliss? Go to Pinotxo Bar in Boqueta Market, Barcelona, right on Las Ramblas.
Here are some of the shots from my favourite spot to eat in all of Spain...

Strange yet yummy little packages - Wontons

2009-12-30T10:30:00.000-08:00

Wontons are one of the easiest things to make, so don't be scared. You can fill them with anything you like and they present really well. If you like appearing cooler than you really are, I would highly recommend wonton making for potlucks. Ok, so here are the steps to social fame... good luck.

Makes about 45 wontons
Great deep fried appetizer or in soup.

Wonton wrappers:
Buy at any Chinese grocer - full egg wonton wrapper, I use Double Happiness Ltd. wrappers.

Wonton filling:
8 medium sized Shitake mushrooms, diced small
1 package enoki mushrooms, diced
5 Tbs Chinese green onion, diced
1 Tbs sriracha or chili sauce (to taste if you don't like spice)
1 Tbs braggs or soy sauce
1 Tbs fish sauce
1 clove garlic minced
Mix and put about a level tsp of the mixture in each wonton. Here's how to wrap a wonton... it's really easy, I use the video style. http://www.homemade-chinese-soups.com/how-to-fold-wontons.html
Find a friend, grab a glass of wine and have a wrapping, chatting good time (should take you about 15 min to wrap 45). They also freeze well, so make more and then freeze them in a ziplock bag on a plate. Make sure they aren't clumped together so they don't stick to each other.
Deep Frying Instructions:
Once the wontons are made, set some safflower (best), peanut or canola oil to fry if you have a home fryer and drop in until brown. Strain on a paper towel.
or
If you don't have a fryer, put oil in a small saucepan (you want to submerge the wontons fully in the oil) and set to high heat, make sure the oil doesn't smoke. Heat to around 375ºF, just before smoking. Make sure you don't get any water in the pan, that will cause the oil to spit which can be very burny. Brown wontons and then strain on paper towel.

Or boil the wontons in a good chicken or fish stock with some carrots and chives for colour if you don't like fried food. Voila, wonton soup.

Spicy Fruit Sauce:
6 apples
2 cups huckleberries (sour berries)
or
4 cups plums
1/2 onion diced
2 Tbs grated ginger root
1/2 c water
Combine in sauce pan and bring to boil then simmer till soft. Strain through sieve and put the juice back in the pot.

1/3 c sugar
1 tsp chili flakes
1/4 c vinegar
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt, to taste
Add the rest and reduce by 1/2, around 30 min or until desired thickness is reached.

What the hell is in Eggnog anyway?

2009-12-28T10:33:00.000-08:00

Um... raw eggs and lots of milk & cream.
This is a traditional eggnog recipe, what I love about it is it's with Brandy and Whiskey not Rum, it's a more subtle booziness. Though the traditional recipe almost destroyed my family with drunkenness this Christmas, it's quite stiff be warned.

Ingredients	8 servings	16 servings	24 servings
Fresh Eggs (separated into yolks/whites)	4	8	12
Sugar (divided into 2 equal parts)	1/2 cup (1/4c, 1/4c)	1 cup (1/2c, 1/2c)	1 1/2 cups (3/4c, 3/4c)
Brandy	1/2 cup	1 cups	1 1/2 cups
Milk (Whole or 2%)	1 1/2 cups	3 cups	4 1/2 cups
Whiskey (Irish)	1 cup	2 cups	3 cups
Heavy/Whipping Cream (divided into 2 equal parts)	1 cup (1/2c, 1/2c)	2 cups (1c, 1c)	3 cups (1 1/2c, 1 1/2c)
Ground Nutmeg	Enough to sprinkle on servings. Consider whole nutmeg nuts and grate

Instructions:
Basically, you are just whipping up cream and egg whites to give the drink a more thick texture and then mixing everything together. You can test if your eggs are fresh by doing the egg test in water, if they sink they are fresh(less air has permeated the shell).

1. Whip 1/2 of the cream till stiff
2. Separate eggs and then whip the whites to stiff peaks
3. beat yolks with sugar
4. mix booze and milk + left over cream into yolks, be careful how much booze you put in, taste the mixture to fit your personal level of alcoholism
5. fold in the beaten cream mixture and then the stiff egg whites.
6. let sit overnight in the refrigerator if you have the time otherwise just serve and top with fresh ground nutmeg.

The alchemy of the perfect mulled wine... fresh ginger is key

2009-12-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, I spent yesterday with my alchemists hat on trying to devine the most kick ass mulled wine possible. I made three batches and got a skilled panel of ... um, my friends... to taste test for me.

Tested by a panel of 10 judges
Date: Dec 14, 2009 at 7:02pm

The Winner:
Step 1: It matters what red wine you buy, put goodness in and you'll get goodness out. But you don't need to break the bank. This wine isn't going to stand alone, it's got whiskey added for backbone.

Ingredients:
2 bottles of Montalto, Italian wine, Cabernet + Nero D'avola blend, excellent value wine, buy at any BCLC
8 oz Irish Whiskey
1 lemon, peel 1/2 the rind and squeeze the juice
2 xmas mandarins sliced with peel
1 1/4 c sugar
5 c water

Spices:
All are best if whole and grated rather than ground. They taste fresher that way.
Amounts: put in little amounts of each and taste it to balance it to your taste if you like.
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cloves
1 vanilla bean sliced lengthwise
8 pieces star anise
10 white peppercorns(or 1/2 the amount of black)
1 tsp chilli flakes (or less if you don't like heat)
fresh ginger, two big slices

Step 2: Boil water, lemon rind, mandarins, sugar and spices for 20 min till the flavours are extracted. Put on simmer and add the lemon juice.

Step 3: Heat the wine on medium in a separate pot. Do not boil! Turn off heat and add whiskey.

Step 4: Add the sugar and spice liquid to the wine slowly, about 2 cups worth. Taste along the way to make sure you get it just right for your sweetness tolerance, add more lemon juice to balance if necessary. Put the rest of the sugar syrup in the fridge for another evening.

Step 5: Serve with a fruit cake or spice cake. Makes about 8 glasses.

Mulled Wine recipe... circa 1869, full of spice and mothballs

2009-12-14T12:19:00.000-08:00

Traditional English Mulled Wine, I couldn't have said it better myself. In fact, if I was born in the 1900's I may have said it like this and it wouldn't have even been funny.

An authoritative recipe can be found in Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management at paragraph 1961 on page 929 to 930 of the revised edition dated 1869:(from Wikipedia)

1961.-TO MULL WINE.

INGREDIENTS.- To every pint of wine allow 1 large cupful of water, sugar and spice to taste.

Mode.-In making preparations like the above, it is very difficult to give the exact proportions of ingredients like sugar and spice, as what quantity might suit one person would be to another quite distasteful. Boil the spice in the water until the flavour is extracted, then add the wine and sugar, and bring the whole to the boiling-point, when serve with strips of crisp dry toast, or with biscuits. The spices usually used for mulled wine are cloves, grated nutmeg, and cinnamon or mace. Any kind of wine may be mulled, but port and claret are those usually selected for the purpose; and the latter requires a very large proportion of sugar. The vessel that the wine is boiled in must be delicately cleaned, and should be kept exclusively for the purpose. Small tin warmers may be purchased for a trifle, which are more suitable than saucepans, as, if the latter are not scrupulously clean, they spoil the wine, by imparting to it a very disagreeable flavour. These warmers should be used for no other purpose.

Okay, back to me: She doesn't say this, but don't boil the wine, just heat it. Otherwise, you lose the booze and that is a very sad state of affairs indeed.

The markets of Lyon... Canada is jealous

2009-12-13T15:44:00.000-08:00

The sheer variety of cheese, meat, mushrooms, olives, fruit and seafood is astounding.. all outside, in November. In a cool little market square, city planners take note, this is a very desirable situation.
This is grower direct mostly... and cheap. Not like Granville Island, Vancouver's playground for the wealthy food lover. It's gotta be possible, I'll cross my fingers.

Recipe for a Perfect Day in Paris... do you need one?

2009-12-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

The argument with my Parisophile boyfriend went like this...

Me: They're not very friendly here.
Him: What do you mean? Parisians are really nice!
Me: No, they aren't, they never smile. Jamais!
Our stalemate went back and forth like a vigorous, verbal washing machine.

The day before my perfect day...
It pissed rain; all the galleries we walked to were closed; my supposedly waterproof shoes sprung leaks.
Struggling through with my crappy French was an embarrasing and tiring experience like two smacks in the face with a pretty glove.

The next day...
The Recipe
1. Like a cool breeze through my stuffy anglo heart, Reubens loomed up and stole my soul away to an exceedingly less rainy place. The Louvre... Brueghel, Goya, Van Goyen, Rembrant... Stop and have a tea break or your head will start spinning... Delacroix, Delaroche, regardez le Venus de Milo, oh my. 5 hours later. Tired? I was.

2. Off to Androuet Fromager to sample the Brie, the Chevre, the roquefort. Get old french cheesie guy to recommend a wedge or two for lunch or a French style dessert for later. Pick up some pastries and lovely baguettes from any Paul Boulangerie.

3. Stop for un verre du vin as much as possible; and soak up the view of the city and its people strolling by. 3 times a day minimum for this recipe to work!

4. Take metro. Squash happily into multicultural human sandwich of Parisians (all of whom are way cooler and prettier than I; even when squashed).

5. Enter the dark and cozy interior of L'Ecluse wine bar in Place de la Madeline. A top tier wine list with an exclusively Bordeaux bent awaits. Sample une petite verre du Saint Julien (vin rouge) & Saint Emillion both Grand Cru for around 7 Euro each! The wine is served with free nibblies; a delicate anise kissed salami.

6. Have a lovely Parisian waiter suggest places in Paris to 'Rock out'.

7. Get happily drunk on two glasses of wine for a change.

8. Agree with boyfriend. Paris is the food & wine lovers cats meow.

Valencia, Spain - communication breakdown in foodie land

2009-11-30T13:01:00.000-08:00

My Spanish is entertainingly, very limited. After arriving in Valencia(pronounced Balenthia, thank you very much), we had sought out a recommended wine and tapas bar called Tintofinoultramarino...love the name.

Me- ¿Tienes una otra recommendaccion para vino?

Nice Waiter- ¿Mas Blanco?

Me- Tinta y blanco...eh, no. Tinto o blanco, cualquiera.

Nice Waiter- (Laughter insues)

If you didn't understand this...don't worry, I didn't much either.

I, actually, love it when they laugh at my pigeon Spanish. I like being funny even if unintentionally.

The star dishes of the night...
1. Patatas con slas piquante y aioli. Simple and satisfying.
2. Lacon de cerdo (pork shoulder) con anise seed paste, served cold. I have never tasted anything like it.

For the wine nerds out there...
1. Valmiñor, Rias Baixas, Albariño
Lovely, fresh, yet complex golden white wine. Pinapple, honey, lemon and a bit of minerality. Great with green olives, cuts any rich foods. ie. the patatas above

2. Basa, Rueda, Verdejo, Viura y Sauvignon Blanc
Big nose on this fruity bombshell. Less complex than the Valmiñor, but still a great patio sipper. Pinapple, lemon dominate.

3. Al Muvedre, Alicante
I wanted this one to be since it is from a region near to Valencia. I love mouvedre, usually, but this wine disappointed. Great nose of earth and cinnamon, but the bottom dropped out with a flat palette.

4. Dehesa Gago, Toro, Tinta de Toro
This one is big. It reminded me of a cali zin, but with a gorgeous old world flare to boot. Mild tannins made this ready and easy to drink. Strawberry jam, caramel, cloves... ok I love it already. Add a dusty desert sage not to the mix... cigar and bitter lemon finish!!!!

What a fabulous evening. Tintofino had a great atmosphere; melow music, warm lighting and you can find it in a section of the older town on a tiny winding walkway, Calle Corregeria 38 if you are ever looking. At under 3 Euro a glass, this wine bar was sensational.

4/5 Valencia, solid food and wine selection at a really cool location

The Swallow is in Europe

2009-11-05T04:34:00.000-08:00

To read my foodie and wine posts from London to Paris to Barcelona...
http://halfbakedswallow.blogspot.com/

Suspicious of Carmenere? I was too.

2009-10-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

Carmenere is a new and yummy wine friend. Before this tasting, I hadn't a clue. But, faintly, I was suspicious of the grape. Not as friendly as Argentina's front runner, Malbec, Carmenere is the exotic cousin that you're not sure you'll love or hate. Two bottles of the 8 were Chilean, but not carmenere (for guessing fun since the tasting was blind). 13 people were at the tasting and there was resounding agreement that all the wines were excellent quality, especially for the price. There were many murmurings that these Chilean wines were reminiscent of Bordeaux as an earthy temptress. The pairing of the evening was a fabulous slow cooked rosemary lamb roast with tamarind sauce, my STARS! Dark chocolate, later in that night, also won the audience as a pairing. One other characteristic of note was that the wines were all fairly short on the finish and ready to drink. Buy em cheap and chuck em down.

General notes on body, acidity and tannins of carmenere: Leaning to medium body, higher acid, medium tannins, all were dry.

Chilean Wine Tasting
Tasting Notes: (int = intensity)

1. Marquis Casa Concha, 2007, $25
Med int nose of plum, strawberries. Bouquet of leather, spice and a distinctive orange zest. Bitter cherry and tobacco dominates the palette, very drinkable.

2. Sibaris, 2007, $16
Very pomerol-esque, old worldish, med + nose of plum, roses, caramel, herbal notes and a slight stony quality. Med int raspberry, ash, plasticine and roses for the palette. Really complex wine, amazing value, please buy and try for yourself.

3. Natura, 2007, $16
Med int sweet oranges and strawberries on the nose. The orange thing was a quality I noted in a few of the bottles, almost likening to Nebbiolo's. Med int strawberry, tobacco mouthful. Quite lovely, really easy to drink, excellent value.

4. De Marino, 2007, $19
(specialty wine stores only) Med int earth, tobacco, strawberry nose. Cigarbox and cherry on the palette, only med acid for this one.

5. Cremashi Farletti, 2006, $17
Med int current, spice, plasticine, clovers on the nose, again, with the Old World complexity, very impressive. Med+ int spice, cinnamon, strawberry and plasticine on the palette. Lamb's best friend.
Cremashi does a shiraz that is purported to be an excellent buy at $16 as well.

6. Montes Alpha, Merlot, 2006, $33
Very big for a merlot, 14.5% alcohol will kick your ass into next month, but you will enjoy it anyway. Fruit forward, stewed strawberry nose, spice and cherry palate.

7. Chono, Carmenere/Syrah, $20
Very simple and subtle, blueberry, earthy nose. Spicy, tobacco, sweet cherry palate. Not my favourite of the night.

8. Terra Noble, Gran Reserva, Maule Valley, 2005, $35
This was supposed to be the winner of the night. As it turned out, it was good, however, surpassed in value for quality by many others. Distinctive orange, plasticine nose was present along with ripe cherries. Med+ palate of currents and oranges. Short, disappointing finish. Ho-hum.

All in all, these lovely Chileans are great with meat and will please any red wine lover as they are a part of the illustrious Cabernet family of grapes. I can't wait to see what carmenere plantings in other parts of the world do in the coming years. Chile is currently putting a lot of effort into honing carmenere into a tastier specimen through clone selection. Keep an eye on this grape.

Ps. A BC note - Go to Salt Tasting Room in Vancouver to taste Black Hills Winery's Carmenere, it's yummy as hell.

Duck Maderia Pate with Creme Fraiche

2009-10-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

This is a lovely fall snack or appetizer for those strange people like myself who love liver pate. The madeira is perfect to balance the savory with it's fruit. Wine pairing classically is Sautern (Sweet wine from France), I stand behind the pairing 100%. Seriously, try it.

Ingredients:
500 g duck liver
250 g chicken liver
30 ml butter(2 tbs)
1 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs chopped parsley
50 ml madeira (cognac/brandy or port are fine too)
25 ml whiskey (fruity or smokey!)
250 ml heavy cream
1 Tbs thyme
salt and pepper to taste

500 ml creme fraiche for topping
1 baguette cut into slices and toasted to serve pate on.

Directions:
Remove fat from liver if needed, chop liver into cubes. Melt butter, add onions and garlic, cover and cook on low 3 min. Add liver and spices, Season well with salt and pepper. Cook 10 min over low until meat is cooked through. Bring heat up to high and cook till moisture has evaporated. Add whiskey and flambe(light alcohol with match and cook till flame dies down), be careful!

Puree mixture in food processor or blender. Pour puree into double boiler, add port and cream. Stir and retaste, season with salt and pepper. Cook 10 min on low heat. Remove from stove and serve on toast with a dollop of creme fraiche on top.

Taste - A Celebration of BC Wine & Cuisine

2009-10-08T17:02:00.000-07:00

Press Release – Vancouver Wine Event

TASTE
A Celebration of BC Cuisine & Wine

The Food & Wine
The event is called Taste and it aims to pair local farmers, grocers, cheesemakers up with BC's boutique wineries to create an evening of sensory harmony. It's a blind wine tasting to encourage you to step away from the baggage of your preconceptions of grape and producer and simply experience the wine. Food pairings will seek to enhance each category of wine; crisp, elegant, aromatic, smooth or spicy. From sherry, huckleberry truffles to chantrelle mushroom ravioli to lovely handmade cheese by BC Foodies; you will be treated to the bounty of BC ingredients.

BC wineries involved include Blue Mountain, Wild Goose, Le Vieux Pin, La Stella with more to come.

BC ingredients will be provided by Skookum Harvest Wild Foods, BC Foodie(cheese) and Now BC Organic Food Co-op with more to come. BC Foodies will pair their specialty cheeses with each of the wine categories.

Our Charity
All proceeds from the event are going to support a very worthy cause. Mount Pleasant Elementery School has had it's funding cut, Taste is being organized to fill in some of the financial gap left after these cuts. Colleen Browning is our representative from the school and can tell you more about the specifics if you would like.

Date – Friday, Dec 4, 2009
Time – 7pm to 12pm
Location – Lark Clothing Store, 2315 Main Street, Vancouver
Tickets - $40 - RSVP
Charity Beneficiary – Mount Pleasant Elementary School
Contact – email TasteEvent@gmail.com Tel @ Lark 604-879-9965

Associated Businesses
Swallow Tail Culinary Tours
The Garden ParTy Catering
Lark Clothing Store
Browning & Co
The Flower Factory
Foodie BC - Cheesemakers
Skookum Harvest Wild Foods
Now BC Organic Co-op

To purchase tickets contact TasteEvent@gmail.com or visit Lark Clothing Store or The Flower Factory

For more information contact Lark 604-879-9965

Robin Kort
Owner
Swallow Tail Tours

Snuggly Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Lemon, Cream, Thyme and White Wine Sauce

2009-10-05T12:12:00.000-07:00

What happens when mushrooms snuggle up to arugula and wrap themselves in ravioli bundles? Well, cover the bundles in lemon, thyme, cream and white wine and you have the warmest of comfort food for fall feasting. I served this dish at my last 'garden party' supper club. One of my guests commented that it was the best pasta he had ever eaten! It's all about the ingredients; how can anyone go wrong with mushrooms, thyme, cream and white wine?

Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Lemon, Thyme Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs garlic, fine mince
2 Tbs shallots, fine chop
1 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms - Chantrelles are my favourite but any mushroom will do. Chop fine (around 5 cups)
2 oz sherry or brandy
1 Tbs lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs fresh parsley
2 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 cup arugula, chopped fine
2 Tbs fresh chives
1 egg
8 sheets of fresh pasta 16 inch x 4 inch - there is a recipe if you want to make it by hand on my blog, just search for pasta. It's really easy, you just have to have some time to play with it.

Sauce:
1 Tbs butter
2 shallots (or some onion if you don't have shallots), dice fine
1/2 cup white wine
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbs lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
2 oz pecorino cheese(crumble over pasta to finish it) or Parmesan

Directions:
Heat olive oil in medium skillet, add butter garlic and shallots. Cook stirring constantly a 2 min. Add mushrooms and cook until they are golden brown and most of the pan juices have boiled off. Add brandy and lemon juice. Cook 1 min. Season with salt and pepper. Allow mixture to cool, then add the greens(parsley, thyme, arugula, chives or whatever greens you like, experiment). Mix and taste for seasoning.

Crack egg into small bowl, beat.

Now, it's time to bundle these little buggers up. Put 4 sheets of pasta on a floured counter. Brush the pasta lightly with the egg mixture. Put intervals of about 1 Tbs of filling down on each sheet, 2 finger widths apart from each other. Two rows of about 7 spoonfuls of mushroom mix on each sheet. Put the remaining 4 sheets of pasta on top and press around the mushroom spoonfuls to make your ravioli bundles. Try and work out any air pockets if you can. Once pressed, cut with a knife or a pasta cutter if you want to get all fancy. Both will taste amazing.

Make your sauce...
In a medium saucepan, melt butter, add shallot/onions and cook 1-2 min on medium till the onion is translucent. Add wine and cook on high heat till it is reduced by 1/2, 2 min. Add cream and thyme, simmer till approx 1 cup remains, 5 min. Add lemon juice, salt/pp to taste. Optional Tips: Double the recipe if you like saucier pastas and serve on warm plates.

Place a large pot of water to boil, add salt to the water. Gently, place the pasta in the water and boil for 3 minutes. Drain the cooked pasta in a colander. Serve hot with lemon sauce and top with pecorino.

Serves 6

Supercook or Superdork? How to cut 4 lbs of onions without crying

2009-09-29T20:20:00.000-07:00

Alright, here it is, I've got to chop 4 pounds of onions. Why? Because I am a slave to my cravings for French Onion soup. In my sordid cooking past, I just suffered through tears streaming down my face, snotty nose and burning eyes. I tried wearing sunglasses, chewing gum, breathing through just my mouth as some people have prescribed. Cutting an onion under running water is a retarded idea; watch your flavour go down the drain too. Nothing worked, until, I whipped on the swimming goggles. Hooray, sulphur begone! I had minimal problems, besides them steaming up once in a while. I kind of like feeling like a dork.

Here's my solution, try it if you dare:

1. Use a sharp knife
2. Chop Fast! See video below...
3. Wear swimming or snorkeling goggles both for the entertainment of your guests and for the protection of your eyes.

Hung's how to Chop like a Chef... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwciXwM_5FA

Warm, Smokey, Blue Cheese Salad

2009-09-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

Eating a blue cheese salad with a knife and fork is exciting; you feel both barbaric and refined all at once. This is one of my new favourites as I've fallen in love with my new wood BBQ.

Ingredients:
For Dressing:
1/4 c Olive oil
1 lemon, squeezed
salt and cracked pepper to taste
1 Tbs grainy mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp anchovy paste

For the Croutons:
1/2 of a baguette, chopped into 1cm cubes
2 cloves of garlic
4 Tbs Olive oil

A head of Romaine lettuce, cut in 1/4 length-wise and washed, then spun dry
4 slices of double smoked bacon, fried crispy
1/2 cup size chunk of a good blue cheese like Tiger Blue(Poplar Grove Cheeses, BC)

Serves 4 as appetizer portion
Recipe:
Make dressing; combine all ingredients into a small jar and shake vigorously.
Make croutons: grate garlic, put in bowl with olive oil, toss in bread cubes, spread on a baking tray and bake till crispy 5-10 min (400F oven).

Oil & then heat up your Grill or BBQ(BBQ will always taste better) to high(450 F approx). Put the romaine on the grill cut side down, grill 1 min then turn to grill the other cut side.

Remove from BBQ, plate, drizzle dressing over the lettuce, crumble the bacon and blue cheese over it, add cracked pepper and croutons and serve warm right away.

Wine pairing would be a lovely Chardonnay; something full and fruity to stand up to the big flavour of the blue cheese. I had an amazing Noble Ridge Chardonnay, BC, 2007, it went perfectly.

Prosciutto gives Courgette a big hug.

2009-09-22T20:21:00.000-07:00

It's love. Tis the season of the zucchini, so lets enjoy it. Muddle long courgette cubes in balsamic and olive oil. Broil in oven for 5 minutes till slightly browned, but not soggy. Wrap tight in slices of good prosciutto, crack pepper over and sprinkle generously with lemon rind. Eat by the hand as lovely little wrapped packages.

Ingredients:
1 medium sized Courgette(Zucchini) - Cubed 1cm x .5cm x 6cm ish
4 thin slices prosciutto, about 50 grams
1 Tbs good balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs olive oil
cracked pepper
grated lemon rind - however much you like, try one

Instructions:
As above. Toss the zucchini in the olive oil/balsamic mixture and then place on a baking tray to broil it or use your BBQ if you want it to taste really amazing for that added smokey flavour. Preheat oven to 400 F
Serves 4 as a side dish or appetizer.

Pairing: Have a gin & tonic with it, add some of the grated lemon zest to marry the two for good.

Blind Wine Wednesday - Notes

2009-09-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

Blind is the way to taste any wine; it's where the men are separated from the boys for real. A selection of 8 wines was presented last night. The winners were surprising and soft on the pocket book which is how we like the story to end.

A note on my notes: the alcohol% I list is what it tasted like rather than the actual alcohol% written on the bottle. I often rate things from low-med-high.

Spy Valley - Sauvignon Blanc - New Zealand - 2008 - $20
Spectacular food wine, classic NZ Sauvignon Blanc, cats pee on a gooseberry bush and all that.
Notes
Nose: Medium intensity mineral, lychee, lime and gooseberry
Palette: Dry, 13% alcohol, high acid, med body. Mineral, fruit forward, lime

Prinz von Preussen - Riesling - Germany/Rheingau - 2006 - $22
My favourite riesling in the whole world! If you love riesling you have to try this one.
Notes
Nose: Medium+ intensity brioche, solid minerality, apricots galore
Palette: Dry, 12% alcohol,high acid, med body, lemons, stones, pineapple, apricot, long finish

Ostatu - Rioja(Tempranillo) - Spain - 2005 - $25
Disappointment for everyone of the night. Boooo....
Notes
Nose: Medium intensity strawberry, floral, light spic
Palette: Dry, high acid, 13% alc, low+ green tannins, med- body, flabby fruit, low intensity spice and a boooo-zy finish

Mapu - Cab S+Carmenere - Chile - 2007 - $10
Great value of the night at $10 bucks you can't go wrong. I love you Chile.
Notes
Nose: Medium intensity light earth, violets, black cherry
Palette: Dry, High acid, 13% alc, green low tannins, lemon, cherry, earth, short finish.

Doudet Naudin - Pinot Noir - France/Pommard - 2005 - $60
Tasting expensive wine blind is always an eye opener. Do you really like it or is it just the cache talking? This wine was good, but the consensus was that it was worth $20 bucks.
Notes
Nose: Medium intensity cloves, berry, plasticine(in a good way, this note always leads me to I.D. French style wines)
Palette: Dry, 13.5% alc, med acid, med tannin, med body, cigar, plum, cedar

Franciscan - Red Blend - Californian Burgundy - Non Vintage - $7
7/8 wine tasters agreed that this was kool-aid with vodka in it, not necessarily a bad thing.
Notes
Nose: Med+ intensity candy, cherry, bubblegum
Palette: med- plum, grape juice, no tannins... I give up

Robertson Winery - Cab S - S.Africa - 2008 - $12
A big, new world-esque, bold, giant of a wine. Best value of the night, beating out the Chilean by a hair.
Notes
Nose: Med+ intensity earthy, light pepper, horse sweat(in a good way ie. leather), smokey, cherry
Palette: Big jammy, pepper, cherry notes, med+ acid, 14% alc, med- tannin, med+ body

NC Arfiano - Super Tuscan red blend - Italy/Tuscany - 2006 - $29
Lovely, finessed wine with the best of what the old world has to offer. Super Tuscan denotes wines that have the traditional Italian grapes involved like sangiovese, plus grapes like Cabernet sauvignon, merlot etc. These grapes aren't traditionally used in Italy, and make for a more new world style wine.
Notes
Nose: Med allspice, blackberry, plasticine
Palate: Med intensity spice, bitter lemon, black current, green med tannins, med body, high acid, 14.5 alc

Squash your blues away

2009-09-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

Squash is actually fruit. Its seeds are on the inside like a tomato. It is the harbinger of Fall when the weather turns crisp and we all get nostalgic and contemplative. Sadness fills our hearts at the dying of summer, so we have to stuff our bellies with good food to compensate. This recipe is a celebration of the squash as a great, warming appetizer or accompanying side to any Fall meal.

A note on Parmesan: This is a very simple dish, the quality of the ingredients will make or break it. Use 2-3 year old Parmigiano-Reggiano; go to your local deli and ask to try a slice before you buy it. It's best when you can taste the punti bianchi in the cheese which are tiny amino-acid crystals that add a crunchy, satisfying texture to each bite. Don't be afraid to pay more for good Parmesan; you'll use less, because the flavour is stronger in a better quality cheese.

This recipe is for six portions as a side dish or small appetizer cubes with pear slices.

Ingredients:
One 3 pound Autumn Cup, Buttercup or Kabocha Squash
1 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbs Walnut oil
2 tsp butter
10 leaves of fresh sage
50 grams aged Parmesan.
10 whole walnuts, crack and crush nut to desired size. I ask for whole because they should be fresher and more pungent then pre-crushed nuts.
coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Optional appetizer version of this dish...
2 anjou pears(or whatever pear you can find)

Directions:
Cut squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Mix walnut oil with sugar and rub over inside of squash. Wrap in tin foil. Bake at 400F for 30 min or until very soft(test with fork).

While it's baking, fry the sage in 1 tsp olive oil(or walnut oil) till it crisps up, then crush it with a spoon into small pieces. Crack the walnuts (with a hammer if you don't have a nut cracker) and grind with a mortar and pestle or just use the hammer. I like a fine crush on my walnuts. Grate Parmesan with the large grate size. Slice the pear into 1/8 inch sections if you are making appetizers.

Once the squash is cooked, melt the butter in the microwave or a pan and pour over squash. Then, cut squash into desired piece size. I cut a small 2cm square for an appetizer size or chop into 6 pieces for a side dish. Now, I would test one piece and balance the garnish proportions to your own taste first. Then, add all your garnishes, sage, salt, pepper, Parmesan and crushed walnuts to the rest of the squash. Stab each cube of squash with a slice of pear to add a fresh note to the mouthful. Enjoy.

Excellent site with pictures and flavour profiles of various squash:
http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/MAIN/vegetables/squash-glossary3.asp

If you aren't familiar with walnut oil, one of my favourites, read this before buying...
http://www.theepicentre.com/tip/walnut_oil.html

Excellent article on Decoding Parmesan in Jeffrey Steingartens, "It must have been something I ate"

Scavenger Hunt for Charity

2009-09-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

Follow the White Rabbit way down underground, through forests and over bridges, riddle your way through the maze and scavenge necessary items for your escape. Play croquet with the Queen of Hearts, drink from a bottle that will make you smaller, cycle or walk your way around the Vancouver to find the hidden prize. This is the game we have orchestrated for you to play on...

Saturday Sept 19th at 2pm - 6pm, stay later for drinks if you like
Scavenger Hunt for Charity - Evening of appetizers and mingling later.
Meeting place will be sent to you when you RSVP to this email address by Monday the 14th - theswallowdive@gmail.com

Join the garden parTy on a trip 'Down the Rabbit Hole'! It will be a scavenging afternoon filled with eats, drinks, puzzles, parties, and prizes!

Get yourself a team together to travel by bicycle, bus, or foot to hunt, search, and chase the white rabbit around the city.

The afternoon of mystery and mayhem will be followed by an evening of festivities at a secret location!

More details here...
http://theswallowdive.blogspot.com/2009/09/down-rabbit-hole.html

Southern Okanagan Wine snuggles up to Burgundy

2009-09-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

Here are my tasting notes for my recent Southern Okanagan wine trip. It blew me away as usual, one of my favourite wine regions in the world and cheaper than most BC wines by a few bucks. The region is similar to Burgundy in it's focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but with much more diversity due to the hot microclimates this desert region affords. Excellent merlot, pinot gris, meritgae and syrah are produced with gusto. A few stand out bottles of Gewurztraminer and a stunning sauvingnon blanc by Le Vieux Pin amazed me. Generally, I would say that they should leave the riesling to the Northern Okanagans cooler climate.

Below is a list of the shining stars of my collection from this trip. If you are going on a trip to this region (and I would recommend you do), hit these wineries for sure, especially, as you can't buy most of them anywhere except at the winery.

A note on 'facing' and soil- wineries gather grapes from different plots throughout the Okanagan, but their 'house grapes' would follow the facing I have listed. Soil types listed are general, specific sites will vary.

The Golden Mile Region
Soil - underlain by glacial fluvial sand and gravel, and alluvial fan deposits
Slope Facing - East
-Road 13-
2008 Chardonnay - Solid fruit, very fresh with a nice spicy finish from the finessed oak aging $20
2007 Jackpot Chardonnay - This is a big chardonnay, buttery as hell with balanced acidity, minerality and spice finish $35
2007 Pinot Noir - Cherry pie nose with characteristic pencil shavings, mouth full of delicate currents $23 great buy
2007 Jackson Pinot Noir - Same as above but bigger, more spicy and smooth. $35
2006 Fifth Element - Fine Bordeaux style wine, excellent value for the complexity. $36 & worth it
Syrah - generally high quality syrah with an earthy old world complexity
-Fairview Cellars- - sold out and closed, darn it

The Black Sage Bench
Soil - underlain by glacial fluvial sand and gravel, and alluvial fan deposits
Slope Facing - West
-Burrowing Owl-
2008 Pinot Gris - Light patio sipper with full fruit flavours; apple, pear with honeysuckle to boot. $25
2007 Merlot - A mouthful of earth and spice balanced on a handful of blackberries, caramel finish and light spice makes this one ready to drink. $30
-Le Vieux Pin-
2008 Sauvignon Blanc - Stunningly bold lychee & rose petal nose is reminiscent of a gewurtztraminer. Palette displays a balanced acidity delivering tropical fruit and a surprising minerality. Definitely stood apart from the rest in the valley. $35
2008 Petit Sigma Syrah Rose - A truly unique rose. Strawberries and spice dominates this lovely dry wine. $20

Osoyoos Lake Region
Soil - underlain by glacial fluvial sand and gravel, and alluvial fan deposits
Slope Facing - West, except for LaStella which is East facing
-Twisted Tree-
One of the most interesting South Okanagan Wineries, they edge their wines towards Spain and the Rhone Valley in France.
2008 Viognier Roussanne - Floral nose followed by a mineral grapefruit finish, really well done Rhone style wine. $20
Syrah - Bouquet of cinnamon, mild pepper, spice and a distinctive Okanagan sage note. Very buttery palette of current, spice and bitter lemon. Tannins are greenish and present, body is medium.
2007 Six Vines - Cassis, blackberry, cherry and dried herb aromas. The palate is broad and sweet showing cherry and cocoa flavors. The tannins are well integrated and fairly soft. The finish is long and smooth.
-Nk Mip- (pronounced Inkimip)
Very affordable, good quality wines in general, lacked the finish of the other wineries in the region.
2007 Pinot Noir - Black pepper, current and earth on the nose. Palette finds light cedar and cherry. Short finish, med+ acid. Amazing value. $20
2006 Merlot - Big fruity wine. Caramel, white pepper and strawberry nose. Green med+ tannins coat the mouth with a cedar brush. Plum and bitter lemon finish.
2006 Syrah - Full red berry, plum and jam notes with cedar box and cracked pepper to create an intriguing balance. Chewy tannins linger on the palate and harmonize with a soft, vanilla finish.
-La Stella-
This was a new find (only a year old) and the sister winery to Le Vieux Pin, showcasing more Italian style wines. They were bit high price straight out of the gate, but good quality and worth a try.
2008 Vivace, Pinot Grigio - Full nose of grapefruit and lychee; apple, flinty, lemon on the palette. A fine wine, but not worth $25
2008 Lastellina Merlot Rosato - Strawberries with a nice mineral bite to the finish. Again, a fine wine, but should be a few dollars cheaper. $25
2006 Allegreto Merlot - Smooth vanilla, blackberry and a dash of cloves on the nose. Mouth of current, cedar and a calming vanilla finish. Slightly green tannins give the wine a nice edge. $38 and worth it

Okanagan Falls Region - I think I'm in love.
Soil - underlain primarily by glacial lake silt
Slope Facing - Mostly West
-Blue Mountain-
This is the pinnacle winery of the Southern Okanagan in my book, and they are very affordable for the quality level. They baby their grapes from start to finish; all vines are solely from their own property. If you love French style wines; gorgeous pinot noir, lovely traditional method sparkling wine, make an appointment and go for a tasting at Blue Mountain.
Brut - Finessed, characteristic pear, almond nose, slight brioche. Palette is tart and refreshing with a lovely toasty finish. $24 !!! This is an amazing price.
2007 Pinot Gris - Light nose of pear followed by a subtle palette of pears and lemons. Lovely minerality, great patio wine. $21
2007 Pinot Noir - This is a classic Pinot. Berry fruit like currents and new strawberries are balanced wisely with notes like pencil shavings, vanilla and a good bout of earth. Excellent value Pinot Noir at $25
-Wild Goose-
If you want a good, dry riesling in the Southern Okanagan, this is your place. This winery is solid across the board, pinot gris to merlot to port style.
2008 Autumn gold - Great fresh and fruity sip some on their licensed patio.$19
2008 Gewurztraminer - Classic dry gewurztraminer with its intense lychee nose with a honeysuckle, apple palette. $19
2008 Pinot Gris - Fruit forward peach, great summer wine. $19
2007 Merlot - Nose of light spice and full berries with an interesting nutty note. Take a sip and you are met with black currents and vanilla, balanced acidity. Loved it at $20
2007 Merlot Reserve - Same as above merlot but more finessed and more plum like fruit. $25
2008 Black Brant - Mouthful of cassis, deep chocolate nose and a smokey finish. We have a WINNER! Especially at $20
-Noble Ridge-
Another favourite winery, you couldn't go wrong with buying any of their wines.
2007 Chardonnay - Siver medal winner in Burgundy, France for the Chardonnay du Monde competition, and rightly so. Crisp and fine with a strong minerality. Amazingly priced at $21
Kings Ransom - This one gave my head a shake; it was almost Spanish in style. Earth and spice dominated with lovely cherry, plum fruit. Smokey, tobacco, current finish, med+ tannins. Outstanding and very age worthy (5yrs min). $65

How to make me Cry : The Truth about Onions

2009-09-06T23:39:00.000-07:00

I think I’m crazy. I, recently, took a perfectly good Saturday morning and used it to conduct an onion tasting experiment. There was much tearing as I sniffed at each of the 10 specimens, my boyfriend was snickering at me from his computer the whole time. I took down the characteristics of each onion; smell and taste in both raw and baked states. Across cultures onions are used in cooking everything, people even eat them like apples… crazy people. So, I thought, they deserved some study and attention, since they are a major base for billions of dishes. The work horse of the kitchen, our alliums are used in stock, stir-fry, stew, salad, on burgers, deep fried and most spectacularly by the French in a Tarte L’oignon.

My findings were very exciting (perhaps only to me), onions vary a huge amount in sweetness level and heat mostly. But the really interesting finds were the subtle nuances of each special onion. I treated each with the respect of a fine wine and jotted down subtle flavour characteristics if they revealed themselves to me; anything from notes of cinnamon, fresh grass, melon and the most unique nuttiness. It was pretty cool for any food geek; I suggest you conduct your own experiment at home if you're nuts like me.

Note that St = strength and Ht = Heat, each rated from 1 mild – 4 strong

Chive
Raw Nose – buttery, cinnamon, floral, grassy, amazing nose. St -2
Raw Taste – bitter, buttery, earthy, grassy and very delicate. St - 1
Raw Heat –Very light heat, more bitter than hot Ht - 1
Broiled – Broiling these just made them lose their lovely, fresh subtlety, but they were buttery at least.

Green onion/Scallions
Raw Nose – earthy, grassy St - 1
Raw Taste – very sweet, fresh and grassy, with a nice peppery, oily quality. St -1
Raw Heat – Not too hot. Ht - 1
Broiled Nose – Notable tanginess when cooked, still held its grassy, sweet, caramel nature. St -1
Broiled Taste – Tangy, sweet and slightly burnt, in a good way. St - 1
Broiled Heat - None

Leek
Raw Nose – buttery, cinnamon, grassy and slightly hot, really an amazing aroma. St -2
Raw Taste – Texture is the difference with raw leeks, they are usually a bit too oily to serve raw. Burnt, green pepper, buttery, sweet. St -4
Raw Heat – Just a bit hot. Ht - 1
Broiled Nose – Very mild and uniquely floral scent
Broiled Taste – Sweet, buttery pear, really interesting and different than most onions. Melts in your mouth.
Broiled Heat – none

Cippolini
Raw Nose – mild butter, sweetness St - 2
Raw Taste – buttery, peachy very mild and interesting. Mine were a bit old; try this test with fresher ones.
Raw Heat – mild Ht - 1
Broiled Nose – Really interesting, sherry aroma. St - 2
Broiled Taste - Quite a lot sweeter than raw, tangy, melon taste was really cool. St - 2
Broiled Heat – None

Pearl
Raw Nose – mild buttery St - 1
Raw Taste – Didn’t try
Raw Heat - Didn’t try
Broiled Nose – Gorgeous nutty, buttery aroma
Broiled Taste – Melt in your mouth buttery, caramel, sweet as hell, great texture and look.
Broiled Heat – None

White, fresh from the farmers market with green stem attached still, medium sized
Raw Nose – mild, clean and grassy St - 1
Raw Taste –mild floral, cinnamon, very clean St - 1
Raw Heat – mild Ht - 1
Broiled Nose – nutty, caramel, butter. St - 1
Broiled Taste – Very subtle, mostly buttery and quite sweet
Broiled Heat – slight bite Ht - 1

Bullet, pink and torpedo shaped, medium sized from farmers market.
Raw Nose – clean (very fresh onion) and nutty St - 1
Raw Taste – clean and peppery, no need to soak this one, great in salads. St - 2
Raw Heat – mild pepper bite Ht - 2
Broiled Nose – bitter, earthy, grassy, very rich aroma St - 3
Broiled Taste – mild, clean, caramel with a bit of sweetness
Broiled Heat – None

Yellow Storage
Raw Nose – Hot as hell with an interesting aroma of popcorn. St - 4
Raw Taste – Sour, green pepper, spicy, you can really cry for this one. St – 2 Ht - 4
Raw Heat – Hawt. St - 3
Broiled Nose – mild and caramel St - 2
Broiled Taste – This is the work horse of all cooking onions, perfect for any stock. When cooked it presents its sweetness and gets nice and buttery. Left is a tiny bit of its original bite.
Broiled Heat – Ht -1

Red
Raw Nose – wine, sour, earthy, very, very hot. This was the strongest onion of the lot. St - 4
Raw Taste – green peppery, hot, sweet. I would soak this one in water before serving raw.
Raw Heat – HOT! Ht - 4
Broiled Nose – sweet tomato-ish, burnt and still a bit of sulphur/heat left. This onion must have been older. St - 3
Broiled Taste – very sweet, buttery and light caramel, bit of heat still left, good if you need that in a recipe
Broiled Heat – Ht - 2

Shallot, golden
Raw Nose –I couldn’t even smell anything, but it was sooo bloody hot, the sulphur knocked me on my ass.
Raw Taste – Bitter, peppery, clean but too hot to be pleasant
Raw Heat- Ht - 4
Broiled Nose – bitter, sour, peppery, caramel, quite strongly St - 3
Broiled Taste – mild, buttery, slight caramel medium sweetness
Broiled Heat – None

We have a billion varieties of alliums on the planet and each flavour profile will change depending on size, age of the onion & growing conditions. So, it’s good to get to know the onions of your region.

There are a few helpful rules of thumb with onions in general. Fresh onions tend to be sweet; storage onions are hotter and stronger in flavour, usually. Sweet onions are clean and sweetest tasting when bought in their growing season Spring to early Fall depending on the variety. The heat of an onion is mellowed with cooking. Cooking onions through broiling or simmering in butter releases their sweetness and makes them taste like caramel. To soften the sulphurous bite of any onion, soak in water for 15 min after slicing (great to tone down any raw onion for a salad or on a burger). Green onions and chives impart a grassy, fresh taste to any dish. Scallions are just the white bulb of a green onion (many people won’t agree with me on this one). Shallots were the hottest of all the onions raw, it burned! Bermuda, Texas, Maui, Vidalia, Walla Walla onions are all speciality sweet onions that are grown is specific regions of the world. Watch these, some of them are just marketing ploys and you could find an onion just as interesting at your local farmers market for cheaper.

The other major quality of an onion that seems obvious, but bears examining is their shape and texture. Raw onions tend to have crispness to them, the fresher the onion the more crisp. Storage onions can be a bit tough and are best cooked. The older the onion is the more shape it will hold as it cooks which could be desirable depending on the chef. Sweet or newly picked onions soften easily when cooked and will melt in your mouth if you caramelize them, quite an amazing event in itself. Small onions like shallots and pearl onions are a textural wonder when peeled and cooked whole; and they look pretty too. I love pearl onions in any stew, they are so sweet.

You see, this is a really complex issue. Onions are as varied as the wind. Really, you are fairly safe to substitute any onion called for in a recipe for any other that you like and I would encourage you to try out different varieties. If you do the bare minimum and note the sweetness and heat level of your local onions and use them in your recipes accordingly, you’ll be laughing.

If you want to know everything there is to know about onions, this is a really interesting cookbook…

Onions, onions,onions. Delicious recipes for the world’s favorite secret ingredient. By Linda and Fred Griffith, Chapters Publishing 1994

Lemon Gratin & Baked Thyme Spatchcocks

2009-09-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

This recipe is so satisfying to make on a rainy day. Rich, but with a nice citrus bite to keep you awake and wanting for more. And, you actually eat the baked lemon slices rind and all, they're really great. Ok, you're wondering what 'spatchcocks' are, right? They're teenage chickens(small), ask your butcher he should be able to tell you or he'll think you're rude either one. Or you can just substitute a bone in, skin on chicken breast. I highly suggest that you buy organic chicken (not just because I'm a hippie), they taste better, hands down.

Ingredients:
1 kg sebago(starchy) potatoes, slice very thin, 1/8 inch
1 lemon sliced 1/8 inch, cut each slice in quarters and cut the pith off + remove seeds
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
sea salt & cracked black pepper
1 1/2 c single cream
4 x 500g spatchcocks or 4 bone in chicken breasts
1 bunch lemon thyme (or regular thyme if that's all you can find), soak in olive oil
olive oil
32 pearl onions, peeled

Directions:
Preheat oven to 390F.
Layer potato and lemon slices on the bottom of a greased 1.25 litre baking dish, (just make sure the cream is just nearly covering the potatoes). Sprinkle with salt and pepper, pour the cream over everything. Bake for 15 min till the potatoes are just tender when tested with a fork.

Tie the Spatchcock legs together with cooking string and secure lemon thyme to the legs with more string. Rub birds with olive oil and salt. If you are using chicken breasts instead just push the thyme up under the skin leaving a bit sticking out for presentation, then oil the birds.

Place birds on top of potatoes, throw the pearl onions in and continue cooking for 30 min. till the birds are browned. You can use an oven thermometer to check that the chicken is done or do the unthinkable and cut into the meat to check that it's not pink. Do not overcook your chicken, this is the most important key. It shouldn't be pink, but it should still be nice and juicy.

Serve chicken on top of a layer of gratin and garnish with a beet roasted in balsamic vinegar if you're feeling fancy.

Fruit Wines Friend or Foe?

2009-09-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

Most of the time, I hate fruit wines, especially from BC. Sickly sweet and bursting with a bubblegum flavour profile, most adults run screaming from fruit focused tasting rooms. But North Americans love their sugar, so grandma can't get enough of the shit which leaves some of the worst wineries still alive.

However, there are two excellent exceptions to this dark truth. I will now extol the virtues of both...

Kermode Wild Berry Winery near Mission, BC, consistently impresses me with it's unique and thought provoking wines. All Kermode wines are made from fruit that is painstakingly picked in the wilds of BC. You will find no peach or cherry liquid atrocities here to remind you of gobstoppers and lollipops. The nectar that they produce are typically unlike anything you've tried before.

Sitka Mountain Ash is a native BC berry that once transformed into wine makes a perfect pair for any BBQ. With its smokey, orange notes, it edges towards a bouquet you would find in a good whiskey.

Himalayan Blackberry Port is a recognizable taste with a lovely balanced acidity to even out the sweetness of the fruit.

Salmonberry wine(orange) is my latest favourite, nothing reminds me more of BC than these distinctive, delicately floral and refreshing berries. Amazing as an aperitif or drunk by the glass in a park under the watchful gaze of the sun.

Kana Sprieszl runs the tasting room and is a delight to chat to about the families forays into the BC wilderness. I encourage you to go for a tasting and treat your palette to a new flavour experience. Do it as part of a circle farm tour for some weekend fun... (link is below)

The second exception is Elephant Island Orchard Winery on the Naramata Bench in the Okanagan. If you go to the Bench, make sure you end with this winery. Instead of the usually overcrowded wine bar for your tasting, they will serve you with a smile on their lovely orchard patio.

The two hottest numbers on my list from Elephant Island are...

Stellaport (NV 2008) is their famous Spanish, Port style wine done in the Solera barrel aging system which, basically, means that the final flavour profile has a good balance of cherry and characteristics like chocolate introduced from the French oak barrel aging. Pairs well with stinky, soft cheeses. Drink it if you can find it anywhere.

Crab Apple Dessert Wine is amazing with a stinky cheese like Poplar Groves, Tiger Blue. It's sweet, crisp apple start finishes with a lovely tartness.

Chance your palette and sample a few of these beauties. For the truly terrified, make sure and try the suggested pairing and it may change your mind.

Kermode Wild Berry Wines:
8457 River Road South
Dewdney, British Columbia
Canada

info@kermodewildberry.com

Phone- 604-814-3222
Tasting Room & Wine Sales
Open: 12-6 pm daily

Elephant Island Orchard Winery:
http://www.elephantislandwine.com/

http://www.circlefarmtour.com/index.php?page_id=29

What I bought on the Bench.... Naramata, BC wines

2009-08-31T10:42:00.001-07:00

The Naramata Bench August 2009
Zipping along the winding Naramata Bench Road in the Okanagan with the desert, summer sun on your face and a commanding view of Lake Okanagan is good enough on it's own. Add to that stopping by one of the many fabulous wineries of this distinctive grape growing region and you have a perfect afternoon of sipping and zipping.

Best picks at the wineries...

Poplar Grove:
Expensive but well worth the cost...
Was so excited about the Merlot 2007 that I bought a case, this is an ager with distinctive Okanagan blackberry & sage grass notes. The Cab Franc is stunning, but prohibitively expensive.
Merlot 2005 - $29
Merlot 2007 - $25
Cab Franc 2005 - $39

Nichol Vineyard:
Excellent value but there were only 12 bottles left, grab the next vintage sight unseen. Tobacco, pencil shaving, very fruit forward, full of cherries, solid acidity.
Pinot Noir - $27

Laughing Stock:
Good quality, Chardonnay is a great value. Portfolio is overpriced, but yummy as heaven.
Chardonnay -$23
Portfolio(Meritage) - $34

Black Widow:
A nice light summer sipper; good acidity, floral notes on the nose and a flinty mouthful to follow.
Didn't like anything else in their tasting room, but this one was a great find.
Pinot Gris 2008 - $20

Therapy:
If you want a big, bold red for a treat, this is it. Predominantly, Cabernet Sauvignon, you are greeted by cherry, clove, butter, vanilla and pepper notes.
Amazing and worth the price. If you're at the bench, buy a bottle, because in Vancouver you can only buy this at Firefly winery for $49, ouch.
Super Ego (Meritage) 2007 - $37

Lang Vineyards:
Great buy, stunning acidity, great fruit and pungent minerality.
Riesling Farm Reserve - $17

Why is BC red wine so bloody expensive?

2009-08-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

As of 2009, there is no question in my mind that BC produces some of the most interesting, high quality bottles of wine the world has to offer from red to white. However, I constantly feel a little swindled when buying BC wine, specifically reds. Our whites are comparible in price to the world stage, but try and get a red Bordeaux blend (Meritage) for under $25, it's nearly impossible. There is no such thing as good, cheap, red BC table wine, but are BC wines overpriced or are they worth their weight?

I'll start with the rant, skip this paragraph if you are already fuming about the issue. The climate, soil and heart is here in British Columbia to produce outstanding and truly unique wines, and the producers do, consistently. But the wineries are killing the average consumer with their prices, mostly, because the in BC, we don't seem to mind being shafted. (80% of BC wine is sold to British Columbians. Near 50% of all wine purchased by British Columbians is BC wine). We are so supportive of local products that our collective nationalistic soul ends up kicking us squarely in the pocket book. All I really want is to enjoy our wines more often; and not to have to think about whether I can afford it or not. I want to pick up a good bottle of $9 BC wine the way I would pick up a six pack of beer for a BBQ. Canadians are so proud of not being like Americans, but look across the border, my countrymen...look, someone in Seattle is picking up a $6 bottle of good wine at the GROCERY STORE!!! Again, what's wrong with us! Wine is not a luxury item, talk to an Italian and they'll tell you, it's a beverage essential to a good life and proper enjoyment of a meal.

Okay, I'll take a deep breath now and digress to the facts I've learned. There are a few things to be said about the reality of our over-priced wine plight.

Taxes & Markups: This is the clincher. When you buy wine at a BCLC or a private liquor store, most of the tax you pay on wine is hidden. If it wasn't you would be screaming bloody murder, at 117% tax there would be line ups of people at City Hall demanding that Victoria stop robbing us blind. The higher priced wines are marked up less (there is a cap), so if you want to beat the system this is the way to go.

The Monopoly: Of BC vintners CAN charge high prices so why wouldn't they. We have grown accustomed to being ravaged by the government through BCLC, so we'll pay $20 for a $12 bottle as long as it's local. Honestly, they are being screwed as much as us if they dare sell their products through BCLC. The government takes more than half of the profit from they vines they've slaved over. This is why many excellent wineries avoid selling at the liquor store which make them inaccessable to most of the population. The Black Hills and Blue Mountains are unavailable to the public, except to purchase online or drink a glass in select restaurants. There is one possible benefit to our penchant to buy high, BC's boutique wineries can make a profit and stay small if they sell through their winery only. It may allow them to stay focused on quality instead of quantity. However, quality frequently does not = price in BC wine. On a recent tour of the Naramata Bench, even crappy wineres felt bold enough to price near $20. BC does produce some amazing wine that is worth the cost though in the $20-30 range (I've listed a few below if you want to experiment).

A note about red wine production: Reds are more expensive to produce than whites, because of the aging component. Time costs and so does oak. As well, in a cool climate like that of BC, vines are less prolific. Spain is able to offer killer red at low prices because the vines grow easily and don't have seasons where they lack the sun to ripen the grapes. This is definitely a factor in our lack of a decent red table wine in the $10 range.

Land: Our current BC vine acreage doesn't come anywhere near California's, so this definitely has an effect on the price that our little vintners can offer a bottle for if you understand the economy of scale. Our land value is high which ups the price of the finished product, but I would be bold enough to say that our land value is similar to that in California which takes this data off the table for this arguement.

Labour: "It IS hard to find good help these days," this is another factor. Our high labour costs contribute to our wine price problem.

What many wineries don't seem to get is that there is a profit to be made in bringing the price of good BC table wine down. Many of my friends who love wine, but aren't in the income bracket to afford $20 bottles every week are forced to turn to Argentina, Spain and Chile to comfort them in these harsh financial times. They are a huge part of the market that are mostly ignored by BC vintners out of fear that it will plunge their high priced wines into oblivion. Calona Vineyards(Sovereign Opal), Peller Estate, Jackson Triggs (Shiraz) and Sandhill have a few quality bottles that dip their toes into the $15 range, but mostly these are made with cheaper out of province grapes.

To date, there is no incentive for BC wineries to give us an affordable $10 red table wine. At least, our whites can be purchased from BCLC in the $15 range at a good quality level, my only complaint being that the government mark up at 117% is an insult to our hard working wineries. BC unquestionably produces some excellent value for quality reds in the $25-30 range, mostly merlot or pinot noir. A good, red BC table wine in the $10 range, I have been unable to find. As I see it, the major solution to this matter is to lobby the government to stop stealing from us and our vintners at our liquor stores. It is unacceptable that they take such a huge cut of the wine pie. This is greed with a dash of prohibition mentality, and it's a sad state of affairs.

Okay, now it's time to do something about it. If you drink BC wine and want to make it more affordable, check out "free the wine" at...
http://www.freethewine.ca/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9&Itemid=9

Excellent Value for Cost BC wines:
Cedar Creek - Chardonnay $19, Nichol Vineyards - Pinot Noir $27, Averill Creek - Pinot Noir $28, Poplar Grove - Pinot Gris $22, Road 13 - Chenin Blanc $19, Osoyoss Larose/Petales - Meritage $25

If you have any fact corrections for me to check, please comment on this article below.
Sources:
http://winelaw.ca/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=1
http://www.planitbc.com/Articles/article0228-BCwineprices.html
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article977511.ece
http://www.vancouversun.com/life/wine+drinkers+price+conscious+look+quality/1772421/story.html

Braising the Roof - A Lamb Shank Dance Party

2009-08-25T10:32:00.000-07:00

Braised Lamb in red wine, garlic, mirepoix, thyme, pepper... Thank you, I can die happy. This is a RICH dish, the lamb falls of the bone and melts in your mouth. You barely have to do anything, you lazy flops out there, no chewing is required. Even the cooking is easy as pie (though pie isn't really easy, who came up with that phrase?). To balance the richness of the dish, you MUST serve it with a full, red wine, please! Grape juice won't cut it here. Colores del Sol (Argentina), Malbec was perfect, but a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Bordeaux (if you want to get fancy) will do fine.

Braising is one of the most 'hard to screw up' cooking techniques on the planet. Take a tougher meat, immerse it in a great tasting liquid and cook for a long time. That's it really, you can make endless substitutions and it will still come out amazing. The only thing you need is time, and if you're lounging around the house on a weekend (as I was) you're set.

Recipe
Braised Lamb Shank

Serves 6
Serve as an appetizer wrapped in crepes with a shoot or two of watercress for bite.
orrr... serve on dill couscous or steamed new potatoes. Anything goes.

Ingredients:
6 Lamb Foreshanks(their meatier)if you can get them
coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper
3 Tbs plus 1/2 cup olive oil
3 carrots
2 ribs celery
1 large spanish onion
1 small can tomato paste
5 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs black peppercorns
3 anchovy fillets
1 head garlic, cut each clove in half
2 cups good red wine(not expensive, but not bad)
1 cup dry white wine (as above, not bad wine please)
1/3 c white vinegar
1 tsp sugar
4 cups chicken stock(or 2c chick + 2c veal stock if you can find it)

Directions:
preheat oven to 325 degrees F

Season lamb with salt/pepper. Cut lamb shanks 1 inch from tapered end to expose the bone for cooking. Roughly chop all veggies(your mirepoix).

Heat 3 Tbs oil in pot over medium-high heat, add veggies, cook till soft (careful not to singe). Add tomato paste, cook 1-2 min. Add herbs, peppercorns, anchovy cook another 2-3 min. Add wines, vinegar and sugar, raise heat up to boil. Lower heat to med and add the stock. Leave over med heat while you brown the shanks in another pan.

In a big frying pan saute shanks in 1/2 cup oil, brown on 3 sides(1 min per side ish).

Transfer shanks to big roasting pan and pour the stock/wine liquid over top. Put lid on roaster or cover with foil. Cook for 1 hour covered.

Remove lid and cook for a further 3 hours turning the shanks every 1/2 hour until the meat is very tender.

Remove shanks from braising liquid. Strain liquid and skim fat off top, use this heavenly liquid as sauce for lamb.

Notes:
This recipe is very forgiving for the creative chef, add in turnips or squash instead of carrots. Add only white wine or change the herbs to whatever you like.

I call on all you budding chef alchemists to experiment! Please send me any successful variations, thanks.

The Caramel Secret

2009-08-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

Cream and burnt sugar, can it get better than that? Serve the caramel with tart fruit and you have a perfect flavour balance. Everyone thinks making candy is hard, it's not. You don't really even need a candy thermometer, just watch the colour of the caramel as you cook it, it should get double as brown as when it is uncooked before you pour the cream in.

Some key advice; watch that you aren't tired or hungover when making the candy! It's super easy to burn the crap out of yourself with this hot molten liquid, pay attention. Not that I've ever burnt myself.. ok, maybe once. It is very satisfying making caramel, makes you feel like a wizard or a medieval alchemist. Caramel is a very forgiving beast, even if you mess up the proportions and it ends up not setting, it still tastes amazing as a sauce.

2 Recipes for you...
Honey Butter Caramels with Sea Salt
...adapted from Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert on Dessert First's Blog

Makes about 80 caramels

1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup honey
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
2 cups heavy cream %36 MF is best
3 Tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature

Line the bottom and sides of an 8 or 9 in baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Let the sides of the foil or parchment hang over the sides of the pan; this will make it easier to remove the caramels.

In a large saucepan (use at least a 3 quart saucepan, as the boiling caramel will increase in volume), combine the corn syrup, honey, sugar, and sea salt, and bring to a boil. Let the mixture continue cooking until it reaches 305 degrees F.

Meanwhile, place the cream in a small saucepan and warm on the stove until it is just at a simmer. Turn off the heat and cover the saucepan to keep the cream warm (you do not want to add cold cream to the hot caramel or it will seize up and harden.)

When the caramel is at the right temperature, take it off the heat and add in the butter, stirring until it is melted and combined.

Add in the cream slowly - when you pour it in it will bubble up violently, so don't add the cream all at once or it might overflow. When you have added all the cream, stir the mixture until combined.

Return the saucepan to the stove and cook on medium heat until it reaches 250 degrees F.

Pour the caramel into the prepared pan. Let it set overnight before removing and cutting into individual pieces.

Caramel Dipping Sauce for Granny Smith Apples

Directions:
Make recipe as above, but add more cream (1/4 cup ish) to keep it from fully setting.
Chop up 6 apples into bite size pieces and serve caramel as a fondue in a dipping cup. Watch the apples disappear before your very eyes.

I heart Salmon

2009-08-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

Wild salmon is a fish that represents my province; I feel patriotic in British Columbia, Canada about a fish, ha. A bald eagle fighting a grizzly bear for a juicy, big salmon, viola, the essence of the west coast. I also feel strongly that it is a mighty tasty treat. If in doubt, proceed to 'Go Fish', a take out stand near Granville Island, and have the salmon wrap. Guaranteed, you will love the pink little buggers too. Until recently, I've enjoyed salmon when ever I pleased, avoiding the farmed stuff, cause it tastes like cat food. In the last year, I've been made aware of the Northwest salmon crisis which stretches from BC to California. Stocks of wild salmon in BC are down 9 million from what they once were. 9 MILLION fish are gone, holy shit, that's a lot of fish. So, because I love salmon, I'm going to do two things; get some information out there about the issue and, sigh, eat less salmon. No more big steaks on the BBQ with lemon, dill and butter for me. Sad times. I know we all usually like to motor on and hope that eventually things will go back to normal if we just whistle loud enough, but realistically, that just doesn't work. Sorry. Though we aren't the main problem in reduced fish numbers if we don't minimize our consumption of them, they will go the way of the east coast cod and be gone forever.

From the New York Times: Dave Bitts, a fisherman based in Eureka in Northern California, sees the variables as simple. “To survive, there are two things a salmon needs,” he said. “To eat. And not to be eaten.”

So what's happening to them?
It's not overfishing this time, there are fishing closures all the way to California. No one seems to know definitively, but scientists are pointing to several factors...

1. Starvation - global climate change - the ocean is a lot warmer so the currents that usually lift salmon food like plankton and krill are off timed. Or some sources say that the temperatures have killed off a lot of plankton... result... less food for our salmon buddies.

2. Can't make it to the sea - We screw with our rivers too much, dams, agriculture diversions of water, pollution, all have a huge impact on salmon.

3. Disease - Farmed salmon in open net systems that allow sea lice to spread to wild salmon populations. The Norwegians and our own governments are to blame. Solution - just don't eat farmed salmon.

Our salmon are a barometer of the health of North America. That seems like a sweeping, patchouli infused statement, but let me explain. Take the Columbia River, together with its two main tributaries, the Snake and the Yakima rivers, it drains into 260,000 square miles in western Canada and the United States(data from source below). This area is equivalent in size to western Europe. All of these lovely waters pass through many logging and agricultural zones on its way out to the Pacific Ocean. Our salmon spawn at the start of these rivers and then travel all the way through our lands to the massive Pacific Ocean. Run off caused by logging filters into our rivers and destroys spawning beds, dams block the salmon run, pesticides from farming drain into the waters and are absorbed by the river life. Everything we do to our water across cultures and borders affects these salmon, our cultural symbol of bounty and life. That's right, big words for big issues. The west coast salmon is a major link in our food chain, stunning creatures like bears, whales and eagles depend on them to live. The equation is bears - salmon = starving bears = badness. Humans are lucky, we are the worlds most amazing omnivors, we can survive without salmon. However, we may be a decisive factor in our own demise through breaking down essential links in our overall food chain.

The simple thing you can do is eat less or no salmon. The more complex thing you can do is research the issue yourself and then eat responsibly.

Amazing article on the salmon crisis...
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FRO/is_n3_v130/ai_19421844/

More excellent sources...
http://www.huffstrategy.com/MediaManager/release/Pure-Salmon-Campaign/17-8-09/Open-letter-to-King-of-Norway-to-stop-the-killing-of-wild-fish-by/1680.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/17/science/earth/17salmon.html?_r=1&fta=y
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=e2a38098-2d36-4070-9b80-ffc4799d319b

New vs Old World Wine...BATTLE!

2009-08-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

Tasting anything blind is always the way to do it. Removing all preconceived notions from your fact filled little brain lets you simply taste and enjoy. Try it. Close your eyes when you eat something, you will focus on just that one sense and enjoy it 10 times more. A blindfolded dinner may be a bit messy, though, just make sure someone handsome is feeding you the food.

Our lovely hostess, Kathleen, handpicked accessible new & old world wines in similar price ranges for our pleasure to puzzle over. I will profess two facts right off the bat; you can buy all of these at the liquor store(Signature BCLC)and they are all fabulous wines, especially for the price.

Our Bounty (all dry)...
1. France, Sancerre (sauv.blanc): 2007 Chateau de Sancerre $28
2. New Zealand, Marlbourough (sauv. blanc) : 2008 Oyster Bay $20

3. USA, Oregon (Pinot Noir): 2007 Erath $33
4. France, Cote de Beaune (Pinot Noir): 2006 Joseph Drouhin $36

5. France, Crozes-Hermitage(syrah,mouv,gren): 2006 Domaine des Grands Chemins $27
6. Australia, Bsrossa (syrah,mouv,grennache): 2006 Penfolds Bin 138 $35

7. France, St Emilion (merlot) : 2006 Château Vielle Tour la Rose $27
8. USA, Sonoma (cab): 2005 Rodney Strong $25

In this battle to the death, all opponents circled and punched, but no single 'contenda' got a knock out in. My hero was the Cote de Beaune, unfortunately the most expensive of the bunch (I hate it when that happens), still a $36 Burgundy is a hands down victory regardless.

Tasting notes:
1. Chateau de Sancerre - I love a good Sancerre, usually, it has a standout minerality and great acidity that makes you want to drink it all night. This one was a bit too acidic for my taste, though others loved it with the Comte. A delicate nose of roses, grapefruit and apple followed by a many sour apples, lemons and a few stones.
Result: Good Quality light wine, needs food. K.O.ed by Oyster Bay

2. Oyster Bay - New Zealand always kicks ass, especially this producer. This one, she came out fighting, throwing flinty daggers and green apples on the nose. A solid, but not overpowering acidity on the palette mingled with a strong minerality and again with the apple.
Result: Classic NZ, sauvignon blanc, amazing value. Drink it often... with food or without.

3. Erath - At the International Wine Festival in Vancouver 2009, the theme was pinot(s). France, New Zealand, BC, California & Oregon were all out in fine form, but Erath won my heart then. And it continues to be a long love affair. This ruby nectar greets you with a smoky, cherry pie, caramel kiss. Complexity follows through with length into the palette; graphite, white pepper, sour berries and notably light tannins.
Result: Classic, youthful Oregon Pinot Noir at it's most affordable. Drink it by itself to appreciate it fully.

4. Joseph Drouhin - Close your eyes, and a sweet, present bouquet of tobacco entices you with just a slight note of mint or something mysterious. This young Frenchman comes out swinging with an oaken staff. A palette of ash, lemon and supple cherries hits your tongue. Greenish medium tannins, high acid and 13.5% alcohol makes you want to see him grow a bit older to be a prize fighter.
Result: Ready to drink... lots of. My winner of the night, good with or without food. By two+ and age for a few.

5. Hermitage - If you are looking for good value, French wines, look no further than this region in the south east of France known for it's stunning Syrah. This wine grounds himself solidly on an earthen, pepper nose with notes of plum. Intense crab apple, cedar and lemon rind present themselves in a base structure of green medium tannins, high acid, medium body and low alcohol. Recipe for a heavy hitter.
Result: Great value, drink now or hold for a few.

6. Penfolds - Aussie magic threw it's considerable weight around vs our French Fighter, Hermitage. 20 rounds and no decisive winner, they decided to be friends instead, we were very happy. This Penfolds definitely learned all it's moves from the French anyway. With old world flair and complexity, it greets us with almonds, plasticine(in a good way), and a heady, tantalizing perfume of sweet blackberries. Heavier on the tannins and alcohol than it's French opponent, it lingers in the mouth with cherries, cloves, lemon and slight vanilla.
Result: Good acidity as well, let this one sit if you have the willpower, try in 5 years and longer.

7. St.Emilion - This last fight was like karate vs sumo wrestling. France is our karate master, and he's got a million subtle moves to dazzle you with. A bouquet of flowers, cloves and plasticine(but in a good way!) leads way to a mouthful of red currant, clove, bitters and light pepper. Green med+ tannins, high acid, 14% booze, medium body provides great bones. This is a classic, old world merlot that would open up to greatness with a 5 year sit in the cellar. And look at the price! You will not find a better value Bordeaux in BC! Don't buy any though, cause I want it ALL.
Result: Ager, though easily worth a taste now to see if I'm right or on crack.

8. Rodney Srong - Here is our sumo wrestler, less subtle, definitely from the new world, killer party pleaser. Who doesn't love a sumo wrestler! He's distinctive with big aromas of roses, strawberry icing, butter, cinnamon, popcorn. Take a swig and you'll find round, full flavours of cloves, lemons and blackberries.
Result: Great structure, but you won't be able to resist drinking it right away, so don't even try.

Small Town Canadian Food makes me Angry

2009-08-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

Introducing... the Canuck Puck

WHAT IS WRONG WITH US??? Travel through any small town in Canada, let's say you are starving, you drive down the main strip and choose a restaurant. Unless, maybe, if you are in Quebec with the lovely French Foodies, Nelson or Cowichan Bay(BC) where many hippies live, you are guaranteed, 99% of the time to get this menu..

1. The puck Burger - the patties come in a big frozen box, they are perfectly round and flat as all food should be. Sizzle that grey loaf on the grill, slide one of those gorgeous puppies between a pillowy soft, nutritionally vacant burger bun from Wonderbread and slap on some condiments. Voila - 9 bucks worth of slippery goodness to stick in your throat.
2. Shit pie - Any self respecting diner has a carefully selected assortment of Safeway pies and cakes for your enjoyment. The lardy, soggy crust can be disguised by a dollop of ice cream and the filling is so thick and gelatinous... again with the throat problems.
3. Grill Cheese sandwich - this is the only safe, nostalgic bet you can count on almost anywhere.
4. Clubhouse Sandwich - Another safe bet, but as uninspired as an energy bar.
5. Beef Dip - Our crappy answer to the common Steak Frites in France, possibly.
5. 10 gazillion other menu choices will, I'm sure, be available including; souvlaki, pizza, spaghetti bolognese, hot wings, zucchini strips, onion rings, some include mexi options like quesadillas & fajitas even. More does not = better.

Of course, as a side to any main meal, you have the option of a 'green salad' or french fries. The 'green salad' is strangely, always, head lettuce with brown spots, 3 thin slices of radish, a few shreds of purple cabbage and one 1/4 slice of a mealy field tomato, dressed with your choice of Kraft dressings. Then, enjoy some soggy previously freezer packed french fries that taste like compact sawdust, coat liberally with ketchup to drown your sorrows.

Why am I so mad? On a recent kayaking trip, we ended up staying a night in Powell River which is an old and dying logging town up the coast of British Columbia, we ate at Granada's Greek Restaurant among others. I was fuming; the rice was undercooked pellets, the fish was over battered, the fries were soggy. The portions were huge and the price... nearing $20 for a meal, INSANE! Give me a teaspoon of goodness vs a bucket of slop, please, it'll keep our country out of the US diabetes spiral. If you have taste buds, it is possible to understand how to make truly satisfying if not great food. Why don't our small towns know good from shite? Walk into most Italian, French, Spanish, Mexican villages, even the poorest farmer out in the sticks knows how to cook simply and most of the time stunningly. We all have historical roots in places that have long heritages of understanding what makes the palette sing. It calms the mind and soul to eat good food. I have been forced to eat(cause you can't call it dining) in many of these types of restaurants in my travels through BC and across Canada. It seems, we have lost our adoration, and therefore, understanding of the simple and frequent pleasure of eating.

Okay here comes the preachy, crazed hippy part...I believe, that the industrialized, corporate food system has been mostly to blame. They've brainwashed our whole country into thinking that food should be cheap, fast and hit, not the flavour bell, but the salty, sugary, fatty basics of human craving... GONG. We all have decided that cars & Ikea(to name a few) are worthy of spending our big cash on. The wonders of fresh salsa, homemade bread and slow cooked lamb don't grace our thoughts anymore. Unfortunately, our health and our farmers are paying for our misguided judgement.

There may be a light in the tunnel of our ovens across the country. The move of many big grocery store chains(even in non-central cities like Kelowna, BC) to organic , local products is huge. I'm praying the trickle down effect will influence the surrounding smaller towns with time. Other than that, I have two small pieces of advice for Canada...

1. If you have the cash, pay more for good food at the grocery store, buy local or organic and you will taste the difference. Buy less meat to offset the cost, you don't need to eat it everyday! Keep the trend moving, talk about it.

2. If you move to a small town and are a foodie... open a good restaurant! You'll make a mint and save me from the loonie bin.

Check out the film, Food Inc. if you are interested in knowing more about the North American food system. It's a great movie.

Wine School Rocks

2009-08-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

If any of you have thought about wanting to know more about wine... You know, you think it's super yummy, now you just want to go that step further and actually understand what's pouring down your throat. It may be advisable to fork out the $599 and check out the International Sommelier Guild Program. A few years back, I did and it changed the way I drink; I was a highball girl previously. Seems like too much dough to shell out for a class? Well, imagine all the lovely wine you will be drinking, hand picked by your teacher as quality examples of various regions and grapes.

I really can't recommend it enough for people that are consumed by a passion for wine. The teachers are all working sommeliers (wine experts), they may even have their very exciting...Masters of Wine (Barb Phillips was an amazing instructor, and Canada's 2nd M.A.). Michelle Bouffard, queen of 'House Wine' consultants, also an excellent teacher and an expert on Burgundian Wines, you need someone good teaching that subject as it's a bit like eating glass or reading latin. Imagine, once a week you head in to talk, sample and learn about wine with people that are equally jazzed to discuss. The most amazing thing about the program is that it isn't snooty, they are very clear that people like what they like even if it is Blue Nun. I was happy to learn that it's normal to sense different characteristics in wine. If you aren't smelling cat pee on a gooseberry bush in your wine (even though the bottle says it's there), it's okay, you can still be a sommelier. Maybe you protect your gooseberry bushes from cats, who knows.

This is my thumbs up of the week:)
https://www.internationalsommelier.com/

What to do with all those Fall Mushrooms...

2009-08-08T14:45:00.000-07:00

I love mushrooms; chantrelles, shitake, lobster, king botele are all popping up in our BC forests now. Their savory quality finds friends in veg-heads & meat lovers alike. The recipe below intensifies their flavour and adds a salty, meaty level to their taste. You can also make this with a batch of mushrooms that's getting old to preserve them. Get wild mushrooms delivered to your door with the wild chef's best friend, skookum harvest in BC... http://skookumharvest.com/pb/wp_73e5d6b4/wp_73e5d6b4.html

Instructions:
Take any mushroom, the more complex the flavour the better - ie. shitake over 'moneys mushrooms', slice them up, toss them in olive oil and a good soy sauce, spread evenly across a baking sheet, put in middle of oven for 15 min or until the mushrooms sizzle and brown(don't dry them out completely though).

Now there are a billion things you can do...

1. Eggs with Parsley, goat cheese and mushrooms.
Poach some eggs or scramble them or whatever, chop parsley fine, throw everything in a bowl and eat with toast and butter.

2. Toss mushrooms in with fresh pasta, olive oil and a good parmesan. Simple and amazing.

3. Mix into scone or biscuit batter with some cheddar for a savoury delight.

4. Takes a spinach salad to another level.

The Eggs of Vancity

2009-08-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

We mostly don't even notice our little eggs. They are so commonly eaten:fried, boiled, basted or scrambled, in cookies, cakes or fine custards, in sauces or shakes. However, I urge you to take them more seriously, because each egg is not alike.

A good chef knows that before you even consider cooking an egg you need to know that you have a tasty specimen.
Why should you care? Well, because better quality food tastes better and gives you better cooking results. Ever tried to poach an egg and you've ended up with egg soup instead? Your eggs may have been too old to hold together nicely in the boiling water.

Here are some fun eggytastic tests...
1. Does the egg float in water? If it does it's toast, air develops in the egg as it gets older. Good eggs sink just like witches. (It's still edible as long as it smells okay, just not ideal)
2. Does the egg white hold together like a jellyfish? The more solid the better.
3. Does the yolk stand up? If it does it's fresher.
4. Thick shell = less water escaping the egg & less bacteria entering the egg = better

A few extra notes on eggs...
The colour of the egg yolk is determined by mom's diet. Carotenoids in corn mash, grass or alfalfa give the yolk its orange colour and are very good for the chicken. Chickens fed on barley or cheaper pale feed have pale yolks.

Spring is said to be the best season for quality eggs as this is the natural birthing season, summer the least because of the heat.

It's important to buy local free range eggs. Why? Because the chicken is allowed to be a chicken and run about. The birds are less stressed, so their shells are generally thicker. As well, they should eat more grass and worms which makes for orange vitamin rich eggs for you to enjoy. Not all free range are alike though as Canada's food labeling and quality standards are not air tight. Buy local because the closer the egg is to you the fresher it will be.
Here are some suggestions:

Maple Hill Farms - $4.99-5.99 price free range - consistently excellent egg quality - best price at Windsor Meats on Main St.

Rabbit River Farms - $5.49-5.99 - my aunt has seen these chickens and they are definitely free range - I've had some problems with consistent quality on these though.

I know, free range seems expensive, but consider the price of a can of pop vs the nutritional value you get out of a good egg. We need to start paying our farmers for producing good food. The End

http://www.rabbitriverfarms.com/products.html

Not just for old Italians - Pasta Making

2009-07-24T12:41:00.000-07:00

At first, I thought it was something old Italian grandmas had time to do. The problem was that I was doing it wrong as is usually the case.

Pasta making is as old as the trees, but tastier. There are many myths in the pasta origins world. Noodles were made in China in 2000 BC out of millet whereas what we eat today is mostly Italian style noodles, called pasta and made of durum wheat semolina. So, no, the Chinese did not invent pasta and it was not brought over by Marco Polo. It was the Arabs who brought it from Sicily...smart little traders.

But I digress, I was going to talk about my pasta making struggles and got side-tracked, as I do. The first recipe that I tried came right with the pasta making machine, they said to mix it in your kitchenaid. The dough was so tough it nearly burnt out the mixer. The pasta tasted fine in the end but I think it took me 2 hours. I was like, "Why do Italians do this?! I chalked it up to the 'fact' that Italians like torture, and put my mixer away for a few months. Then, I came across this magnificent book, Ratio by Michael Ruhlman. It defines the science behind basic doughs, stock, sausage making etc. so that you understand what is important in each recipe. It's great for people that love to improvise in their baking. The basic ratio for pasta dough is 3:2 flour:egg and also instructs that the dough should be soft, but not sticky as you knead it. Done. I make pasta twice a week now with any flour I have on hand.

My favourite pasta dish so far has been browned mushrooms, olive oil and a good Parmesan. Toss the pasta and enjoy with a nice crisp salad. The simplicity of the dish lets you really taste all your labours in the pasta itself . Takes me about 1/2 hour to make.

Recipe:
Slice mushrooms (I like shitake, oyster, chantrelle or portabello) and toss them in olive oil and soy sauce. Drain the excess liquid off and then place on a baking sheet. Throw in the oven at 400F on broil. Watch them carefully so that they brown and don't burn. 15 min approx.

Pasta...
Ratio is 3:2 flour:eggs
9 ounces flour(around 1 1/2cups): 6 ounces eggs(3 eggs)

Directions:
Put flour(semolina or pastry flour are good) in bowl, make a hole for eggs in the center of the mound. If you use only egg yolks it makes for a very rich and colourful pasta. Crack eggs in and then slowly mix with floured hands until you have a soft dough, if it's sticky just keep adding a little bit of flour as you knead the dough(for 10 minutes). This is the fun part, the dough feels really nice, it's like you're in preschool again. After kneading, let the dough rest for 10 minutes wrapped in plastic. You can refrigerate the dough for a maximum 24 hours before rolling.

Rolling...
Now separate the dough into 4 parts, wrap all but one in plastic. Start rolling one piece through your pasta machine, if you find the dough is breaking just refold the pasta and roll through again until the gluten starts stretching. If you don't have a pasta machine you can just roll the dough out by hand and cut to the desired shapes. Make sure your surfaces are well floured and dust your rolled pasta with flour after you have the desired thickness. Repeat for all 4 pieces of dough. I usually let the pasta dry a bit before I cook it so that it's a bit more al dente in texture once cooked. Dry it floured, separated and hanging so that it doesn't clump. You can now dry it completely, bag it and throw it in the fridge if you like or cook it straight away.

You can make lasagna(that's the easiest), fettuccine, ravioli or just make up a new shape if you like. It's really fun, take some time and play with it, it'll make you look like a pro.

The Oldest of Friends - On food and wine pairing

2009-06-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

Food and Wine

If you have never had your food matched up with its perfect wine partner, you are in for a treat. There is simply nothing like it. Any wine can blow your mind if you taste it with its complementary edibles and vice versa. The Italians have it right; it’s hard to find a bottle of wine in Italy that wasn’t made to enhance the local food delicacies. Trust in the wisdom of this legendary food nation and start thinking about the possibilities.

There are no absolutes, but here are a few rules of thumb. The body of the wine should match the body of the dish. What is ‘body’? Imagine skim milk versus homogenized, it’s all about mouth-feel. A salad is light in body whereas a plate of spaghetti Bolognese is heavy. Why do you match body with body? So that neither the wine nor the dish clobbers each other. A fruity, bold Aussie Shiraz will murder a dainty salad. Spaghetti Bolognese is mastered by the right, powerful Chianti. With that in mind, if a country has a long tradition of wine making, buy their wines if you are making their food. Chat with your local wine store to find out the classic pairings and see if they turn your crank.

In the end, taste is personal. If you adore Malbec and your favourite food is ice cream, you may love them together, even though wine pairing theory may shake its head at you in confusion. The next step is flavour pairing; this is where it gets a bit trickier. You can choose to compare or contrast wine and food notes. Personally, a refreshing Cava (sparkling Spanish wine) offsets the sweetness of a fruit tart really well. A buttery Chardonnay may cozy up nicely to caramelized scallops as caramel and butter are close relatives. Add a dash of tart salsa to the scallops and you have a contrasting palette exciter to boot.

My advice is to keep it simple to start. Pick a flavour characteristic and a body level and make a simple dish to complement, then take some time out to really taste both the wine and the food.

A few more key factors in making that perfect symbiosis happen…
1. Proteins and tannins (the tea-like, drying effect red wines can have on your mouth) are friends. A very tannic wine (like a lot of Italian wines) is made to be served with fatty meat. The fat tones down the tannins and the tannins bite through the fat.

2. Alcohol and spicy food are not friends. It’s like the couple that look hot, but are awful to each other; their arguments would set anyone’s mouth on fire. Spice likes low alcohol wines like a tart, minerally Riesling!

3. The tartness of your wine should match the lemon in your dish, otherwise, one will be left feeling dull (and no one likes dull). Once you are done matching acidity levels, add some salt to your dish for contrast.

4. Desserts are best matched in sweetness; otherwise you lose your wine as the sweet dessert overpowers it. Port, sherry, ice wine, fortified wines all make for perfect possibilities. However, I’ve also found that the contrast of an intense, dry beverage like a good whiskey is a great balance to a sweet dessert as well.

To reiterate, there are no absolutes and always there are exceptions which is what makes it fun. Choose which part of your meal you want to shine; if you have a really expensive bottle of old Bordeaux that you want to open, simplify your food to make it the star attraction. If you manage to choose well in your quest for the perfect pair, you may find you always have too many guests for dinner.

If you are interested in learning more about British Columbian wine and food, take a gander at our blog… www.swallowtailtours.blogspot.com

Kiwi's and Koala's like Wine too.

2009-06-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

What the world has come to rely on from Australia is bold, fruit forward power-packed-punch reds. The country made its wine debut with the crowd pleasing shiraz varietal: full of the spice and big fruit of their hot, dry climate. Oh my, how they have grown! Let me tell you, with the level of finesse I experienced in this recent tasting, Australia and New Zealand are definitely grabbing France by the shirt and giving them a good shaking. Margaret River, Aussie reds were reminiscent of high quality Bordeaux. Shiraz from the Barossa Valley (Aus)nudging up to Cote du Rhone complexity. And of course, a crisp, tart, subtle New Zealand white tipping it's hat to the Loire Valley's (Fr) finest sauvignon blanc. Here are the notes:

Spy Valley - Marlborough, New Zealand - Sauvignon Blanc - $22
Nose - light floral, almonds, oil. Palette - dry, high acid, mineral, lemons with a long finish. Excellent quality, summer sipper, pair with pears.

Babich - Gisborne, New Zealand - Pinot Noir - $21
Nose - red cherry, pepper. Palette - high acid, med tannins, soft cherry, white pepper, a lovely light red at an amazing price.

Felton - Central Otago,New Zealand Pinot Noir - $80
Nose - caramel, cassis, lavender. Palette - High acid, low tannin, cherry, vanilla, pencil shavings, excellent wine and the complexity came through, but is it worth $80, I don't think so.

Bethany - Barossa Valley, Auz - Grenache - $28
Nose - sweet blackberries, vanilla, plum. Palette - black cherry vanilla spice, this one was definitely one of my favourites.

DeBortoli - Yarra Valley, Auz - Shiraz - $14
Nose - med intensity cassis, flint, distinctive floral notes. Palette - med+ greenish tannins, med+body, high acid, earthy black fruity bomb. The best value of the night.

Elderton - Barossa Valley, Auz - Shiraz - $40
Nose - caramel, cherry pie, orange zest. Palette - High acid, med+ green tannins, med+ body, rich vanilla, sweet cherry and cedar made this one a real crowd pleaser.

Clairault - Margaret River, Auz - Cab/Merlot - $33
Nose - Buttery, smooth, strawberries and cloves. Palette - High acid, med+ tannins, intense boysenberry, cedar and lemons, we have a winner but you may want to let this one sit in your cellar for a few years to get even better. Reminded me of the wonders of a good Bordeaux. Pair with manchego and quince paste and you will fall in love.

I loved them all, you'll have to pick based on your pocket book and personal preferences. You can get them at Liberty Wine Merchants in Vancity.

British Columbian Cuisine Unveiled

2009-05-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

Cuisine \Cui`sine'\: defined as a characteristic manner of preparing food using to local ingredients; national food

You can get all foods in the port city of Vancouver. This is a restaurant culture. Everyone eats out. It’s affordable and some of the finest menus on the planet are just a step away. French, Italian and Asian (Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese) foods dominate, and who wouldn’t want to be dominated by these fabulous cuisines.

So what does this all mean for the persistent question of BC cuisine, do we have one? Is there a consistent style of cooking that would define BC on your plate? First, you have to consider the thousands of immigrants that make up our population. The British and Spanish landed here first, but Chinese, Japanese, Italian, German, Mexican, French, Korean, the list goes on and on, trickled in to form what is now an extremely diverse province. That is a too much ethnic influence to ignore, so a restaurant culture developed from a ‘melting pot’ of these peoples. Our style of cooking is exactly that, ‘a melting pot’, the borrowing of techniques and foods from many countries. I don’t believe you can define our cuisine through style of cooking, so the only other option, if you need a definition while eating some of the freshest most cunningly prepared foods that have graced your plate, is to define it through ingredients.

Locally sourced, fresh, seasonal, this is the palette chefs who wish to serve true BC foods will paint with. Two stand-out examples who have been cooking this way for years come to mind, Raincity Grill, Vancouver and Sooke Harbour House, Vancouver Island. Most other restaurants in Vancouver that serve nouvelle cuisine (a cooking style that seeks to emphasize the natural flavours of foods through application of light sauces etc.) have followed suit. And it’s sooo easy for local chefs with brilliant local seafood like oysters, mussels, scallops, salmon, black cod and Dungeness crab. Local meats range from spring lamb to bison and wild boar. Our growing season runs from spring to fall for fresh produce like sorrel, cherries, asparagus, sweet corn, garlic, chives, squash, apples, peaches, blueberries and hazelnuts. Wildflower honey, mustard, balsamic vinegar, fruit preserves and, of course, the wide range refreshing BC wines are some of the prepared foods to think about. Lots of local foragers help further define our distinctive BC flavours by harvesting wild foods like chantrelles, morels, porcini mushrooms, watercress, miner's lettuce, oregon grape, thimble berry, salmonberry and blackberry. Cheese makers like Moonstruck and Farmhouse Cheeses create mouth watering goat’s cheese and award winning brie. And with a producer penchant for full flavoured organic, sustainable foods, you’ll be laughing all the way to dinner.

If you are searching desperately for true BC cuisine, start by sitting down at Raincity Grill on Denman Street in Vancouver. Order the 100 mile tasting menu with the local BC wines. Close your eyes before each bite, wash down with wine, and then ponder the ingredients, so that you can spearhead the BC cuisine revolution by cooking this way at home.

Riesling made Simple

2009-05-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

[REEZ-ling, REES-ling]

Riesling is considered to be one of the world's greatest white-wine varietals and produces some of the very best and long lived white wines with up to a 50 year cellaring potential. The riesling grape's ability to retain its acidity while achieving high sugar levels is what creates wines with considerable aging potential. Riesling is a variety which is highly "terroir-expressive", meaning that the character of Riesling wines is clearly influenced by the wine's place of origin. These wines are delicate but complex and can be characterized by wine descriptors in the fruit category such as honey, apricot, lemons, tropical fruits (banana, pinapple, mango), green apple and peaches. The complexity becomes apparent when the terroir really comes through with notes such as floral, flint, steel, petrol and minerality. Petrol is a character that comes out as the wine ages, and is actually desireable. Riesling is vinified in a variety of styles ranging from DRY to SWEET. The vine is a native of Germany and has been cultivated for thousands of years to best results in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer and Rheingau regions. Mosel Riesling tends to more steely, flint and mineral whereas Rheingau Rieslings are all about tropical fruit. California, Oregon, Washington, New York, Ontario, British Columbia, Australia (Eden and Clare Valley), France (Alsace), Italy (Alto Adige) have extensive plantings of this grape and produce high-quality results.

What is in a Name?

A bottle of riesling is one of the most complex labels you will ever encounter, but as inconceivable as it seems, the Germans do have a system. The German wine classification system is dubbed Qualitatswein or ‘quality wine’ (Qba) similar to France’s Applelation Origin Controlee (AOC). You may also see Qualitatswein mit Pradikat for even more stringent wine making rules (QmP). This system tells you through a rating chart what the sugar levels of the picked grapes were at harvest. The higher the sugar levels the better the wine quality is the general rule of thumb. Note that higher sugar content in the grapes does NOT mean that the end wine will be sweet, just better concentration of flavour from them hanging on the vine longer.

K S A B E T is the acronym I use to remember the quality levels of German wine. Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswine, Trockenbeerenauslese from least to most in measure of must weight or sugar levels (Oe).

In other regions around the world, they have taken to making things harder for Riesling lovers everywhere. California, South Africa, Australia and even in Germany itself have used the word ‘riesling’ on bottles that do not necessarily contain true Riesling. The worst case scenario is in Australia where riesling can mean any white wine! Sylvanner can be mistaken for Riesling in California as they call this varietal by many names such as Franken Riesling or Sonoma Riesling. In Germany, Schwarzriesling is actually a red grape, France’s Pinot Meunier. Mostly, countries have done this to note wines with riesling like qualities. Luckily for us, BC produces some of the best true rieslings I’ve ever tasted and they are labelled… Riesling.

Notes from a recent Riesling tasting:

1. Stoneleigh, Marlborough, NZ, 2007, $17.50
2. Lingenfelder, Pflaz, Germany, 2007, $22
3. Alexandria Nicole, Columbia Valley, WA, Late Harvest Riesling, 2008, $22
4. Gunderloch, Fritz's Riesling, Rheinhessen, Germany, 2007, $17
5. Pikes, Clare Valley, Australia, 2007, $25
6. Hugel, Alsace, France, 2007, $25
7. St.Urbans-Hof, Mosel, Germany, 2007, $20
8. Prinz von Preussen, Rheingau, Germany, 2006, $19
9. Schloss Reinhartshausen, Rheingau, Germany, $20

I should note from this tasting that there was no clear favourite and most bottles were very enjoyable summer sippers. People tended towards the classic German rieslings rather than the more dry and lemony, less complex on the palette New World bottles. Prinz von Preussen, tasted at the end of the night, was by far the best in my mind, finessed stoney, citrus, green apple minerality, if you can ever find a bottle good luck. Fritz's Riesling and Stoneleigh were the best value of the show. St.Urbans-Hof is widely available and rated high for it's strong flinty, green apple palette. Lingenfelder was another favourite, if you want a clear example of a quality Rheingau this is your buy. If you want to try a great BC riesling, Tantalus Old Vine Riesling is A-mazing!

Riesling is one of my favourite all round wines, great with food, great for easy drinking and a nose/palette complexity and price point that forces you to take notice.

Yes, there are Wine Regions in BC

2009-05-22T16:02:00.001-07:00

British Columbia, Canada, is one of the world's newest and most explosive wine regions. In the 1980s, there was a scant 1000 acres in BC devoted to vitis vinifera, but today that number has blossomed to 9000 acres and over 100 wineries. This newly discovered wine territory is still very small in comparison to the wine giants of France or Austrailia, but everyone is taking notice. The Bordeaux producer Groupe Taillan and Vincor Canada joined together in 1999 to produce one of the best examples of BC fine wine that I've ever had the pleasure to sip. The winery was dubbed, Osoyoos Larose, and all their wines are made in true Bordeaux style with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominating with a dash of Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petite Verdot to add complexity. Being the new kid on the block in terms of wine production means that BC wineries take advantage of all the most progressive viticultural and vinification techniques available today. We hover around the 49th parallel, which is comparable to Champagne in France and Germany's famous Mosel and Rheingau regions. With better viticultural and vinification practices, vines are able to ripen in areas further and further north, especially when they take advantage of micro-climates that favour the sun.

The Vintners Quality Alliance is Canada's regulatory body, they have named four distinctive wine regions in BC. Our province has an extremely wide range of terrain from semi-desert country to Pacific islands which makes each of these areas very distinctive. The Okanagan Valley is by far the largest and most developed. I would further divide this area into North Okanagan and South Okanagan sub regions for clarity. Both regions' temperatures are moderated by a large lake body. The second region includes the southern Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island. This area has only 10 wineries, but a lot of potential. Another up and coming wine region is the Similkameen Valley, located south-west of the Okanagan Valley in the mountains at Keremeos.

The southern Okanagan Valley is Canada's only true desert, its heat produces the bulk of BC's fine red wine. Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah are in fine form taking advantage of the valley's varied and Bordeaux-esque soil types: gravel, sand and clay. If you are a fan of big, bold, rich, spicy, aged reds you cannot go wrong in this region. Wineries like Nk'mip, Osoyoos Larose and Black Hills produce consistent examples of the excellence that can be achieved on BC soil. These wineries bring forth the essence of southern Okanagan terroir. Many of the vineyards are planted on the Black Sage Bench where sandy, clay soil runs deep and sage grass spice wines are produced from the vines.

The Similkameen Valley is a very new wine region for BC. Its rocky, mountainous terrain is very arid and windy which is just the way we like them for wine production. There are wide variety of vines planted in this region with merlot, gamay noir, chardonnay, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon predominating. This area has yet to leave its mark on my palette, but with time and viticultural experience it may just hit the mark.

Northern Okanagan wineries focus on cooler climate grapes taking their direction from northern France and Germany. There is also a central Okanagan wine region, in my mind, around Okanagan Falls that produces good quality Chardonnay, pinot blanc and pinot gris, but most people seem to bulk that into the north. Some of the finest boutique winery, dry riesling is produced in the northern Okanagan with good acidity, buckets of fruit and the stoney minerality you need to push riesling to greatness. Some excellent pinot noirs are vinified by small and large producers alike: Quails Gate Winery and Nichol Vineyard. Many other lesser known, interesting and frequently German varietals are planted in the north: Ortega, siegerrebe, sylvanner, chasselas, marechal foch, gewurtztraminer and optima. Lang Vineyards produces an award wining late harvest Optima bursting with honey and tropical fruit. Lang is located on the famous Naramata Bench, a wine area on the East side of Lake Okanagan near Penticton. Some of our most famous wine houses were started here from Joie Farms crisp whites to Nichol Vineyards gorgeous pinot noir.

The Island wine region, for me, includes Cowichan Bay on the east coast of Vancouver Island, Saturna Island and Salt Spring Island (both part of the southern Gulf Islands). This is a very small area of production, but do NOT dismiss them. They produce some of the most distinct BC wines at very high quality. Pinot Noir, a grape that when expertly crafted picks up the flavours of the specific terroir like no other grape, is in its finest form on island soil. In a recent blind tasting I attended, three Island pinot noirs stood out from the competition. Five Burgundy, two California, one New Zealand, and one Oregon were present, all vetted to be at the top of their class under $150. I will say that California won hands down, $56, Ojai from Santa Maria Valley. But BC beat out all the Burgundy, the region most famously noted for fine pinot noir production. The key for me wasn't in the winning, but in the complexity of the flavour profile that the Island wineries were able to convey. Basically, they were really yummy. Venturi-Schulze ($45) 2006, Salt Spring Island Reserve ($32) 2006 and Averill Creek ($26) 2006 showed extremely well. The Island sits in a vine friendly, warm micro-climate, they call it the mediterranean of Canada. And the soils of the islands that you may taste in their stunning pinot noirs are frequently marine fossil, gravel, limestone and clay. Many of their best whites; pinot gris, pinot blanc, ortega, siegerrebe and sylvanner pick up a refreshing minerality and have excellent acidity. A mountain rainshadow to the west and the temperature moderating influences of the ocean positively influences the growth of the Islands precious vines. Venturi-Schulze Brut, Salt Spring Island Rose and Averill Creek Pinot Gris are some of the Islands best products. Unfortunately, because of the small production, they are very hard to find.

The one BC issue that keeps me up at night is price. BC wines are generally overpriced. There are two reasons as I see it, the local market will pay more to buy local (good for us... and bad), and the provincial liquor taxes bleed us dry. Also, some of the best wines are very difficult to get your lips on. Luckily, the best place to taste a glass to see if it tickles your fancy is at one of Vancouver's many fine restaurants that are always stocked to the teeth with BC product. For some of the best examples of BC regional differences try Averill Creek, Pinot Noir, Black Hills, Note Bene or Carmenere (at Salt Tasting Room), Tantalus, Old Vine Riesling and Nk'mip, Meritage most of which you can find at Rain City Grill on Denman Street in Vancouver. I would highly recommend a visit to this legendary restaurant that focuses solely on BC food and wine. Taste for yourself and decide if BC cuts the mustard in wine country.

http://www.winebc.com/tourbcwineregions.php
http://www.northwest-wine.com/Osoyoos-Larose-Winery.html#T3
http://www.nkmipcellars.com/

The Secrets of Bread... shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

2009-05-18T10:28:00.000-07:00

Adapted from an article written by Julius Petz.

Truly delicious bread is a rare commodity. Getting the crust crisp and maintaining that soft and dainty center is a difficult artform. My company seeks out local BC sources like Limbert Farm in Agassiz and True Grain Breads on Vancouver Island that make outstanding bread. Bakers like these understand the history of this ancient food source.

Wheat has been part of our society for thousands of years, initially transforming our culture from one of the hunter/gatherer to farmer. Initially grains were eaten raw and although nutritious could not have been very enjoyable to eat. However the advent of weaving made the milling of wheat possible. Milling and baking, then as now, were ways to make the eating of grains a more enticing, tasty experience.
With the steel rolling process, grain is chopped up and the nutrient-rich bran and germ are discarded. When stone milling is used instead, it peels grains in a rolling motion and wraps everything up into the resulting flour. This not only results in healthier flour with a distinctly different taste, but has the added benefit for bakers of giving the dough more stretch due to the intact gluten. Several local BC bakers have embraced the process of stone milling in their pursuit of the highest quality organic and handcrafted bread, and these same bakers also pay careful attention to what goes into their finished product. This includes such measures as using certified organic ingredients, buying local, and finding the best wheat for flour. The most common types of wheat used for bread today are hard red winter wheat, hard spring red wheat, soft red winter wheat and hard white winter wheat. True Grain Bread on Vancouver Island dug deep and found another option: Red Fife wheat, heritage wheat with exceptional flavor and baking properties that was saved from extinction by a handful of dedicated growers.

Swallow Tail Tours, my tour business, does extensive research into finding bakeries that takes such measures and really care about the bread they kneed. The mouthwatering result is well worth the effort.

Links:
http://www.truegrain.ca/
http://www.limbertmountainfarm.com/

Ode to Love and Spitting

2009-04-03T10:15:00.000-07:00

I volunteered for the International Wine Festival in Vancouver last week. Pinot(s) was the varietal theme and British Columbia was the regional focus. Truly amazing and soooo glamorous. After refilling ice for the tables, we got to empty spit buckets into a large trough of human fluid mixed with wine. Then we went into the alley and dumped it into the drain, ewwwwwwwwww. Disposing of noxious human waste was not exactly what I had in mind, but I did learn proper spitting technique. There are varying styles; lean in, cover your mouth delicately and pitou very politely or get your face right in the bucket and let 'er rip. Very useful when you are tasting 100 wines in a night, I kid you not. I know it seems like a waste of great wine, but if you want to be conscious enough to learn anything or remember which wines were actually good (not just good because you were so tanked you could have been drinking deer blood and it would be 'just a little gamey'), it's essential. So, later on Friday evening, I set out to enjoy the festival. I wasn't sure how much I really liked pinot noir. I've had my share of Williamette Valley and Burgundy of varying quality levels, but even from those great regions, I just wasn't sold. One, the variety tends to be expensive because the grape is so labour intensive to produce. Two, it's all over the map flavour-wise, I'm never sure what I'm going to get and three, I'm sick of hearing Sideways (the film) references about it being the darling of the wine world. This is where the spitting came in. I spat all night, don't cry for me, I found true love because of it. I focused the first half of the night on BC wines to buy for my business and the second half I opened myself up to pinot noir. And through opening up, my love affair has begun. A lot of amazing producers from the main regions world wide known for great pinot noir production; Burgundy(France), New Zealand(Marlborough), Williamette Valley(Oregon), Chile, Australia, BC and more. I tried them all from the more austere, earthy French to the bouncy, fruit forward New World styles. From $17-$150, price was no object in my mad search to find ma amore. In the course of my hunt, I got a few splash backs as I was spitting and sometimes, cheeks ballooning with wine, you just can't bustle past the crowd to get to a bucket in time. I was able to discern a few gems out of the bunch and find my one magestic beacon of bottley love. When you are drinking pinot noir, you have to give it center stage, this was my earlier mistake, it tends to get lost in heavy food and lack of focus, drink it first in the night.

Here are my gems:

Burrowing Owl, BC 2007, $30.
Gloria Ferrer, Carneros (Cali), 2005, $39 (can't buy here).
Rodney Stong, Russian River Estate (Cali), 2007, $28 (can't buy here).
Domaine de Vougeraie, France, Gevrey-Chambertain "Les Evocelles", 2006, $60.
Oyster Bay, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2007, $25.

The last one wasn't at the festival. It won our hearts in a pinot noir tasting that I attended with my wine club, and it's really affordable for a pinot. Nice acidity, medium body and characters of caramel, cassis, light spice vanilla, white pepper, red current and a light herbaceous quality to boot.

Now on to my shining star; Born in 2007, my love's name is Erath, he sounds like some fictional god, but he's far more subtle and complex, in a good way. He is from Williamette Valley, Oregon and smells of caramel and strawberries. His kisses are tart with hints of raspberry, vanilla and some other character that I just can't put my finger on, we'll call it a mystery. And, he is living in Vancouver, for $33 you can try him too:)

One big note: Vintage is very important with pinot noir, it grows best in cooler climates which means that each year temperatures will shift for better or for worse and you will get grapes that ripen and taste different. If you find one year you like, the next one may be good but not the same as your favourite. If you love a particular year, buy a few bottles and drink them on special occasions.

Great Grapes for Cheap Skates

2009-03-26T08:17:00.000-07:00

Last night, I dreamt I was at a long table where 9 bottles of wine were lined up in front of me, and they were all very good and mostly under $15. Wait... it was reality, how wonderful. A large party of 14 wine lovers got together on my patio deck in the lovely evening sun to see if they could ferret out the 2 expensive bottles that I mixed into the cheapos. We were eager soldiers out in the wine wilderness trying desperately to answer the unending question, does price matter.
Here was the line up:

The Whites:
Argentina, Fuzion, Chenin Blanc/Torrontes, 2008 - $9
Australia, Stickleback, Chardonnay/Semillon/Verdelho, 2007 - $15

The Reds:
Portugal\Dao, Meia Encosta, Red Blend, 2006 - 12
USA\Oregon, Erath, Pinot Noir, 2006 - $33
Italy, Flaio, Primitivo\Zinfandel, 2006, $13
USA\Washington, Hogue, Cab\Merlot, 2004, $15
Canada\BC, Osoyoos Larose\Le Grand Vin, Merlot\Cab, 2006, $45
Spain, Pedro Pergolas, Tempranillo\Old Vines, 2005, $11
Italy\Sicily, Montalto, Nero DAvola\Cab, 2007, $12

Out of the 9 bottles presented, BC, Osoyoos Larose won hands down with all 14 of us. Yes, the $45 bottle. This doesn't necessarily mean that price always matters, let me be very clear about that. And the water gets even murkier when you step into the $20 range vs the $50, most definitely. But it's interesting isn't it, if I were to gamble on it and bottle price was no object, then I would buy in the $50 range all the time. However, because this is reality and cash money is the king, I would do some research in the cheap realm and buy the $12 Montalto, Sicilia every time except my birthday.

Here are the wine notes on the top 4:

Osoyoos Larose - We've got a whole lot of vanilla and cedar blending with great ripe cherries and currents. Tannins are green and acidity is high, perfect for aging. This wine is amazing and if you let it sit for 5 years it'll be even better.
Montalto - Blackcurrent, cloves and ash attack your palette and you love it.
Hogue - A big wine, lots of fruit like plums, smokey tobacco, spice and bitter lemon, great with Bbq Chicken.
Fuzion - The is a wonderful value for sipping on the patio in summer, it packs a flavour punch with big apricots, honey, jasmine nose and a good acidity. It threw sparks with our Spanish cheese, Manchego.

There you have it. Let it be noted that all the wines were enjoyed, especially for their price point vs tastiness, except the Flaio, Meio Encosta and the Stickleback which had few supporters. The Pedro Pergolas was noted by two regular consumers of the beverage as being a substandard bottle. Over and Out.

Scallops and Sake

2009-03-10T15:25:00.000-07:00

Qualicum Bay Scallops are fresh, local and tasty as hell, or should it be heaven? They are also on the Ocean Wise(sustainable seafood program), thumbs up list, so you can feel morally superior while you eat them. If you want to win friends and influence people, I'm about to lay a recipe on you that will make you an overnight success.

Ingredients:
1 cucumber, slice and use as 'crackers' to serve scallops on
4 med-large scallops cut in half, you can buy them at Granville Island

Salsa:
5 Jalapeno peppers, remove seeds and dice very fine
1/2 onion, diced very fine
1/2 tomato(good quality!), diced fine
1 clove garlic, grate finely
1/4 cup lemon juice
6 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
The salsa is best when you leave it in the refrigerator overnight to mellow the flavours.

Instructions:
Heat a frying pan on medium, put a little oil in the bottom of the pan and throw the scallops in with about 8 Tbs of salsa. Heat until the scallops caramelize or brown slightly, should take about 5 minutes. Scoop each scallop out and place on a cucumber slice with a dollop of cooked salsa and serve hot.

Here are a few tips to make this appy super yummy:

1. This sounds super hippie, but, always buy local, organic tomatoes, they tend to be the sweetest when in season. Good tomatoes are hard to find in winter, don't add tomatoes if all you can find are crappy field or tomatoes from Mexico, just put in a bit more onion and Jalapeno to compensate.

2. When you remove the seeds and dice the Jalapenos put a plastic bag over you hands or wear gloves if you have them that way you won't have problems if you poke yourself in the eye later. Also don't be afraid that the recipe will be too spicy. The little devilish seeds of the peppers hold most of the heat, also, the salsa will be sauteed which will mellow the spice further.

3. Dice the crap out of everything! We want to make sure no one vegetable dominates.

4. There is a fine balance between caramelizing the salsa and overcooking the scallops. Depending on your cook top temperature and how thick your scallops are, you may want to caramelize the salsa first and then throw the scallop in for 5 minutes to cook just to be sure that you are making magic.

Lastly, pair with cold sake from Artisan Sake Maker(buy in any liquor store), black label. Or try Cedar Creek, BC, Chardonnay, Estate Select($24) if you can find it(maybe at Firefly Wine Stores).

www.artisansakemaker.com

Simply Sally - Fennel Salad

2009-03-02T23:22:00.000-08:00

Ok, I admit it, I went to a meat draw at a Legion recently. My friends and I won a ton of meat, huge thick cut steaks and pork. It was fabulous, we barbecued it up and felt like barons for a night. Strangely enough, one of the things that we ate that was most memorable was a salad, a very simple salad. Thinly sliced fennel in a bit of walnut oil, crushed walnuts, sliced cucumber, lemon, salt and shavings of a good Parmesan. We started the meal with it and we were drinking a German riesling which paired amazingly. On a tangent; if you were blindfolded at any liquor store, got someone to push you towards the German riesling, you would have an 80% chance of stumbling into a really great wine and an equal chance of breaking some bottles. Riesling`s the kind of stuff that would make fried eyeballs taste good. Two of my favourite producers are Selbach and Dr.Loosen, both make dry wines from the Mosel region, showing great acidity, fruit and that lovely stoney minerality. But back to the salad, fennel is definitely an unsung hero of the produce department. And I have no idea why, with its soft licorice flavours and a great crunch. It`s very subtle, though, so don`t mix it with anything too powerful; like the brainy kid in class that`s actually really cool, she`ll never speak up if you sit a bully next to her.

BC vs Washington Merlot Battle

2009-02-28T17:13:00.000-08:00

I'm part of a wine club, I know that sounds super snobby. We meet once a month at a member's house to redden our teeth and liven our spirits. Last month's challenge was to find the best of BC and set them against the best of Washington, both areas reputed world wide to have respectable merlots. If you are ever looking for something to serve with a full flavoured merlot, I made a salmon wellington topped with a merlot reduction and they were consumed rapidly. Here was the line up:

Washington
1. The Hogue(2004) - Signature BCLC(41st Ave) - $14
2. Columbia Crest(2005) - Signature BCLC(41st Ave)- $22
3. Holy Cow(2006) - Brewery Creek Liquor Store - $30

BC
1. Therapy Vineyards(2006) - Firefly - $44
2. Nk Mip Vineyards(2006) - Signature BCLC(41st Ave) - $25
3. Cedar Creek(2006) - Signature BCLC(41st Ave) - $25

We tried two excellent Cab/Merlot blends as well;
1. Super Ego, Therapy Vineyards - BC - Firefly - $44
2. The Hogue(2004) - Washington - Signature BCLC(41st Ave) - $14

Every single one of these wines was really yummy. The interesting thing about Washington merlots is that they pack a surprising punch both in flavour profile and body, moving toward cabernet sauvignon territory. If you are ever in Columbia Valley, Yakima(WA), head for a winery called 2 Mountains and you will experience that bold merlot in spades. BC tends towards more finesse and displays the medium body that is typical of cooler climate viticulture. Therapy vineyards continues to make some of the best BC reds around despite their branding which drives me mad. The pricing on their wines is very prohibitive which is unfortunate. Their super ego, Bordeaux blend, is probably one of my favourite BC reds, buy it for a special occasion.

And now you want to know the winner, if I've kept you reading this long. Well, value for dollar went, hands down, to The Hogue with its chocolate, cherry overtones. It is a new world merlot fit to drink all by itself. But for the best food pairing, Cedar Creek wins the fight, cutting nicely through the rich pastry and buttery salmon with its spicy, cherry oak.

A Selection of Only the Best Cheese

2009-02-27T14:09:00.000-08:00

Where do you go to find a mouth watering Canadian cheese? And when you find it, lucky day, what do you drink with it? This was the question I posed to myself a few months back, and in my wanderings I've found a few winners to share with you.
Here is the recipe for success if you live in Vancouver. First, step into the Mount Pleasant Cheese Company on Cambie Street. Second, select any of the following;

1. Mi Careme from Quebec – Bitter, creamy, soft, and nutty with medium saltiness - Drink with a Stout and a hearty laugh.

2. Sauvregine, again, from Quebec - Vancouver Magazine wrote that Hercule(also a cheese at MPC) was one of the top 100 things you must eat before you die. I vote for Sauvregine over Hercule hands down. Soft buttery, salty goodness that is amazing on a good baguette with cherry tomatoes, crushed walnuts, slices of endive and a good balsamic vinegar.

3. Tiger Blue from Poplar Grove Cheese, BC. - A full flavour blue, not sharp, nice and smooth – Pair with clover honey or fortified wine like a Port. If you have any Pipe(Sumac Ridge, Port style wine), please call me and I will happily bring the cheese.

4. Clothbound Cheddar from the tiny little island of Prince Edward off the Atlantic Coast of Canada - This cheese is really interesting as it crumbles into pea sized chunks, crumble it over a prosciutto sandwich with tomato, lettuce and balsamic. Or, it melts nicely into Welsh Rarebit for dipping bread or veggies into. Pair with St.Hubertus, Riesling, the best buy on any white wine in BC at $15.

All of the above are best served on Raincoast Crisps, the best cracker ever made(buy them at Capers). They are very expensive $6.99 a box, but I can find nothing to equal them for being the perfect cracker with any cheese. Another strong suggestion for full cheese enjoyment would be to take your selections to the beach and enjoy them with a hot friend.

http://www.mountpleasantcheese.com/

update: Sauvregine cheese isn't sold at Mount Plesant Cheese anymore, you can buy it at Whole Foods or Capers though.