FOOD // FOODIES OF THE YEAR

THE MERRYMAKER

Rachel Zottenberg

Restaurateur, Rachel and David Inc., Vancouver

Whether she’s hiding a swinging-’70s speakeasy behind a faux accountant’s office, serving up picklebacks in a bar modelled after a retro basement or trading in a proper sign for a cool-kids-know red light, Rachel Zottenberg is no stranger to fighting the good fight against Vancouver’s “No Fun City” rep with her collection of always-playful bars and restaurants. Alongside her business partner, David Duprey, Zottenberg has steadily opened a string of charmingly eclectic spaces over the past decade that strike the perfect balance of thoughtfulness and chill. There’s the Emerald Supper Club and Cocktail Lounge in Chinatown, of course, with its old-Vegas glamour and killer cocktails, and Mount Pleasant’s Uncle Abe’s, always buzzing thanks to its cozy sofas, rosé slushies and attached donair shop. But this year, with the resurrection of the Rumpus Room (the original was closed due to real estate development in 2016) and the opening of Vancouver’s cheekiest secret bar, Key Party, Zottenberg is truly at the top of her game. And though we’re celebrating her work in the restaurant scene, she could easily be championed for her support of the arts, too: her company provides hundreds of studio spaces to artists, has just opened gallery-slash-events-venue Betamax Studios and sells everything from runes to animal skulls at the delightfully kooky This Monkey’s Gone to Heaven boutique. Turns out, Vancouverites are living in Fun City after all… and Zottenberg is the mayor.—Stacey McLachlan

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What’s your favourite unusual food and drink pairing? Pickles, hot sauce and whiskey.

Guilty pleasure snack? This isn’t really guilty, but I love tomato soup and rye bread with sweet onion. I only really feel guilty when someone is there to witness how much raw onion I can eat and then has to hang out with me and my sexy breath.

Grand Marnier Graham Crackers from Key Party

1 oz Grand Marnier Zest of 2 oranges 1 cup whole-wheat flour 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour ½ cup wheat bran ¼ cup wheat germ 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon 6 tbsp honey ¼ cup milk ½ tsp vanilla (real vanilla is best) ½ cup unsalted butter, softened ¾ cup brown sugar 4 6   j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 9 / westernliving.ca

In a small pot over medium heat, add Grand Marnier and bring to a boil; reduce by half (approximately 1 minute). Add orange zest. In a bowl, combine flours, wheat bran and germ, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In another bowl, combine honey, milk and vanilla. Set aside. In a third bowl, cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer. At low speed, add dry ingredients alternately with the milk mixture until smooth. Add Grand Marnier mixture. Cool and mould into cookie dough. Shape dough into three discs with your hands. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour. With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a floured work surface, roll out one piece of dough at a time into a ⅛-inch-thick square. Cut into the desired shape (we do rounds just large enough to fit one marshmallow). With a spatula, place onto the baking sheet. With a fork, prick each cookie several times. Bake for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Reuse scraps. Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.

Carlo Ricci

Fancy some s’mores with your cocktails? At Key Party, guests can toast marshmallows over Sterno heaters at the table and then squish ’em between these housemade graham crackers with a layer of Nutella.