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Thursday, April 10, 2014 Crowsnest Pass Free Press
Wintervention 2014 recap
Crowsnest Pass Eat & Drink CHEF DEZ ON COOKING
Perfecting gravy for Easter dinner Have you ever had the misfortune of tasting gravy that was bland, watery, or starchy as dragging your tongue across a pile of raw flour? To say the least, it is not pleasant, and a far cry from serving its purpose: to enhance the food being served. To assist you in avoiding this mishap at your Easter dinner, let us discuss the basics in perfecting gravy. Gravies are considered sauces made with the pan drippings of either meat or poultry, and thus basics of sauce making are fundamental knowledge. The functions of sauces are to add flavour, moistness, richness and appearance to prepared foods. To achieve this we need three elements of the sauce or gravy: a liquid, a thickener, and flavour. I realize ham is also very popular, but for this Easter example, the focus will be on turkey gravy. The liquid for gravies is simply the juice from the poultry with additional broth and/or wine. The thickener will be a roux (pronounced ‘roo’), a cooked combination of equal weighed amounts of fat and flour. Additional flavours will be created from roasted vegetables, herbs, and seasonings. Always cook turkey on a rack inside the roaster as it prevents the bottom half of the turkey from boiling in its own juices. Below the rack should be a combination of a few bay leaves with rough chopped onion, celery, carrot and garlic. As the turkey cooks the liquid is needed for basting however excess juices should be removed occasionally (and reserved) to aid in the caramelization of the vegetables. Once cooked, remove the turkey from the roasting pan, drain and reserve the remaining liquid and allow the fat and juices to separate. Add a bit of the fat back to the roasting pan along with some flour and cook on a medium-low heat stovetop with the vegetables for a few minutes. This process will cook out the starchy raw flour taste and help in the final browning of the vegetables. It should be fairly thick and pasty. Slowly deglaze the pan with some white wine or broth. Deglazing is the process of removing the browned bits of flavour from the pan and incorporating them into the sauce. Incorporate the reserved turkey juices (not the fat) and additional broth (or additional broth and white wine) gradually to avoid lumping. While heating through, continue to add enough broth/wine until you have reached the thickness that you want to achieve. Remember, the full thickening power of the roux will not take effect until the gravy reaches a full boil. The vegetable pieces and herbs can now be removed by the aid of a wire mesh strainer. Taste and season the gravy with salt and fresh cracked pepper before serving. Additional herbs such as thyme, sage, and oregano can be used but should be in minimum amounts to prevent from overpowering the gravy. Dried herbs should be added during the cooking process of the roux, as they will need re-hydration time to release their flavour. Fresh herbs are more delicate and should be added with the liquid, once the pan is deglazed, for optimal taste and fragrance. Whatever type of gravy or sauce you are making, remember one important rule: always create depth of flavour by adding a variety of complimenting tastes rather than just one bold main ingredient. For example a tomato sauce made only by reducing diced tomatoes will only taste like tomatoes. However, add wine, broth, onions, garlic, herbs, etc. to the cooking process and your sauce will have character.
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Winners of the Human Dog Sled race from Bedrock City at Wintervention 2014. Photo submitted By Tim Juhlin Crowsnest Cultural & Recreation Society This year’s Wintervention, coordinated by Crowsnest CanDo, was a wonderful success. Some reflection on this event and its potential for the future of the Crowsnest Pass and next year’s plans are provided below in the hope that other groups and clubs in the area will consider getting involved in making this a “one of a kind” event that will attract visitors and help us unite as one community. Many have asked about how we came up with the name. Wintervention was the brainchild of Jessica at Stone’s Throw. So what happened? A wonderful wine and cheese party complete with Prohibition dress up was held at Crowsnest Museum in Coleman to kick off the display of Prohibition in the Crowsnest Pass. Unfortunately, the weekend weather was very cold and events such as the Sole Survivor and Cross-Country Ski Loppet were cancelled and the Lion’s Breakfast was slow. The outdoor events scheduled for Saturday were postponed until the following weekend. On March 1, a great dinner and dance with Tequila Rain from Calgary was sponsored by Crowsnest CanDo. More than 110 businesses contributed to the Wintervention experience. The funds raised through the dance and silent auction will be contributed towards the development of a Cultural and Recreational Hub in the Crowsnest Pass. At the dance the bartenders were not to be messed with and the
prizes for the best costumes were awarded to Bonnie and Clyde and friends shown below who donated huge personal time during the dance. ATCO Gas provided a patio heater that allowed for donations and name placement on a ballot. The winner was Mark Ondrus of Calgary. Some events were moved to the following weekend, March 8. Mountain Radio handed out hams in a number of locations. The Frying Pan Toss was a great success and a big thanks goes out to Joe and Jean Lumley for overseeing the competition. The human dogsled races proved to be great entertainment, with seven teams competing. Coordination of this event was in the competent hands of Rick Valley. A big thanks to Rick. The sleds were sponsored by Sure Glass, Sutton Realty and CNP Property Management. The prizes for the best costumes were awarded to a family from Bedrock City. Best dressed teams received gift certificates from the Boston Pizza in Pincher Creek. A first place prize valued at $300 and $150 for second place were awarded to winners of the Human Dogsled Race. The next Wintervention is scheduled for Feb. 27 and 28, 2015. Consider what your group can do to help make this a community driven and supported weekend and how your organization can contribute towards the development of a Cultural and Recreational Hub in the Crowsnest Pass. For collaboration on your proposed activity contact CrowsnestCanDo@gmail.com.
DO YOU HAVE A COMMUNITY, SPORTS OR ARTS EVENT YOU’D LIKE US TO COVER? CALL 403-563-7725 OR EMAIL joni.macfar@gmail.com