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

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

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

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

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

Braising the Roof - A Lamb Shank Dance Party

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.

Small Town Canadian Food makes me Angry

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.

The Oldest of Friends - On food and wine pairing

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

Simply Sally - Fennel Salad

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

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

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.