Culinaire 4:4 (september 2015)

CALGARY / FOOD & DRINK / RECIPES :: VOLUME 4 NO.4 :: SEPTEMBER 2015

Spicing Up Sundaes | Refreshing Cocktails | The Low Down on Sodas

For foodies and fermenters.

Wildbrine kimchi adds flavour to any dish. Wild fermented with billions of probiotics, the flavourful ingredients are easy to digest, and easy to love. It’s just one of the thousands of products we offer that can help make your meals, and health better.

From deli to dairy, across 3 stores, our aisles are packed full of organic, locally-sourced meat, fruit and vegetables, supplements, body care and home products.

We’re wild for Wildbrine, and you will be too.

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1304 - 10 Avenue SW

202 - 61 Avenue SW

850 Crowfoot Crescent NW

customer care: 403-930-6363 | communitynaturalfoods.com

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12 VOLUME 4 / ISSUE #4 SEPTEMBER 2015

Features 12

Not Just For Garnish Enriching family life while enriching the community, business has not always been a bowl of cherries for Greenberry

by Jeff Wiehler

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Fun With Fungi Forest-to-fork foraging is growing in our province; we’re getting to grips with these incredible edibles!

by Ellis Choe

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The State of Imbibing It’s not all doom and gloom in our city. Calgary cocktail culture is here to stay - and we’re embracing it

by Gabriel Hall

Departments 26

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The Versatility of Zucchini Winning ways with zucchini for every course

by Natalie Findlay

50 Making the Case For Wine Excellent wines for celebrating the

last of the summer days

by Tom Firth

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Salutes and Shout Outs

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Ask Culinaire

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Book Review

Truffle Love Those who love truffles, love them a lot

by Christa Bedwin

53 Try Some Award

Winning Beers Winning local beers from the 2015

Alberta Beer Festival

by David Nuttall

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Soup Kitchen

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Chefs’ Tips – and Tricks!

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7 Ways to Spice Up Pickles

34 Tired of Something Old? Colour outside the lines with these

lesser-known grape varieties

by Adrian Bryksa and Peter Vetsch

36 The Mighty Hybrid Hybrids can and do make high

quality wine

by Tom Firth

58 Open That Bottle Peter Vetsch of Pop and Pour

by Linda Garson

20 Step-By-Step:

Romesco Sauce

On the Cover: With thanks to Ingrid Kuenzel for our front cover photography, and to Dan Clapson for art directing - we all want to eat pickles now!

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Letter From The Editor d’Ampezzo in the Dolomite Mountains, two hours north of Venice, for the biannual VinoVIP.

Welcome back!

I hope your summer has been fun, relaxing and enjoyable. Mine certainly has - a brief visit to Germany for the Rieslings in Rheingau and the MüllerThurgau in Franconia, was a wonderful experience, and I was delighted to be a guest for a weekend in Cortina

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On arriving back in Calgary, it was straight into the 2015 Alberta Beverage Awards, and our 16 judges sniffing, swirling and spitting their way through many hundreds of samples, over three days at the very accommodating Hotel Blackfoot. Now in our third year, I was thrilled to see such a fantastic showing of some outstanding wines, beers and spirits, and I can’t wait till October’s issue to bring you all the results. I’m sure there’ll be lots you’ll want to try for yourselves, and for the entertaining and sociable season coming very soon.

And now it’s almost autumn; the weather’s cooling down (and hopefully drying up), but the trade-off is the glorious harvest available in our markets and stores now. We’ve been looking at ways to keep it longer for you, especially

What was your favourite dish or drink of the summer?

Did you eat or drink something that stands out above the rest – a memorable plate or maybe a cocktail at one of Calgary’s restaurants or cocktail bars?

Go to culinairemagazine.ca and click on ‘Contests’ to tell us about your favourite dish or drink of the summer in our city what was it, where were you, why was it so memorable?

Did you take a photograph of it? If so post it to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram using #CulinaireSummerFave We’ll be posting the best on our website - and there’s prizes to be won! if you grow your own and are swamped with sinks full of zucchini, tomatoes, and other soft fruit and vegetables.

Cheers, Linda Garson, Editor-in-Chief

CALGARY / FOOD & DRINK / RECIPES Editor-in-Chief/Publisher: Linda Garson linda@culinairemagazine.ca Commercial Director: Keiron Gallagher 403-975-7177 sales@culinairemagazine.ca Sales Executive: Joe Steinberg 403-819-3775 joe@culinairemagazine.ca

Contributing Food Editor: Dan Clapson dan@culinairemagazine.ca Contributing Drinks Editor: Tom Firth tom@culinairemagazine.ca Digital Media Editor: Lynda Sea web@culinairemagazine.ca

Our Contributors < CHRISTA BEDWIN

Christa is a world traveller, writer, and Jill of many trades.

She has travelled to 42 countries, worked as a jilleroo, chemist, baker, logger, and teacher... and enjoyed them all. She writes and edits fiction, scientific research, business, and other topics, and teaches technical writing and editing to engineers and scientists. She loves sharing her experiences of food, adventures, people, sights, sounds, and ideas.

Connect with her on LinkedIn for articles.

UNIQUE WINE & SPIRITS BOUTIQUE RIGHT IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN CALGARY

Design: Emily Vance Contributors: Christa Bedwin Leonard Brown Adrian Bryksa Ellis Choe Natalie Findlay Mallory Frayn Gabriel Hall Renee Kohlman Ingrid Kuenzel Karen Miller Dave Nuttall Peter Vetsch Jeff Wiehler

To read about our talented team of contributors, please visit us online at culinairemagazine.ca.

Contact us at: Culinaire Magazine #1203, 804 -3rd Avenue SW Calgary, AB T2P 0G9 403-870-9802 info@culinairemagazine.ca www.facebook.com/CulinaireMagazine Twitter: @culinairemag Instagram: culinairemag For subscriptions, competitions and to read Culinaire online: culinairemagazine.ca

< JEFF WIEHLER

Jeff is a Calgary freelance writer interested in connections with nature, particularly through food. You’ll find him gardening, cooking, baking, and sharing the results with family and friends. Jeff’s background is environmental chemistry, and he pursues his interests merging journalism and science. When not writing or reading, Jeff enjoys cycling and spending time in the kitchen trying out cooking experiments.

Follow him on Twitter @jeffwiehler.

<ELLIS CHOE

Calgary-based writer and former CBC producer, Ellis Choe loves to learn and tell a good story as much as she enjoys a fine feast - whether it’s from a food truck, a Michelin star restaurant or her grandma’s kitchen. Her writing has appeared in the Calgary Herald, Avenue, Essential Calgary and yp.ca. When she’s not researching, interviewing and writing, she’s running around town with her three kids, and learning with and from them.

All Trademarks presented in this magazine are owned by the registered owner. All advertisements appearing in this magazine are the sole responsibility of the person, business or corporation advertising their product or service. For more information on Culinaire Magazine’s Privacy Policy and Intention of Use, please see our website at www.culinairemagazine. ca. All content, photographs and articles appearing in this magazine are represented by the contributor as original content and the contributor will hold Culinaire Magazine harmless against any and all damages that may arise from their contribution. All public correspondence, which may include, but is not limited to letters, e-mail, images and contact information, received by Culinaire Magazine becomes the property of Culinaire Magazine and is subject to publication. Culinaire Magazine may not be held responsible for the safety or return of any unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and other materials. Reproduction of this publication in whole or in part without written consent from Culinaire Magazine is strictly prohibited.

228 Riverfront Ave SW Calgary, AB

www.riverfrontwines.com TEL: 403.475 7455

Salutes...

Canada’s Best Red Wine

Good luck Peter!

Peter Smolarz

Congrats to CedarCreek Estate Winery on taking home the Trophy for ‘Best Red Wine in Canada’ at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards, for their 2012 Platinum Block 2 Pinot Noir.

We’re rooting for Peter Smolarz, Fine Wine Director at Willow Park Wines & Spirits, who has been selected to represent Canada at La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs International Jeunes Sommeliers Competition in Adelaide, Australia on September 25!

and Shout Outs...

Welcome to Calgary Tuk Tuk Thai!

A tuk tuk is a 3-wheeled Thai taxi, and you’ll find them now cleverly put to use as fridges at the new 17th Avenue SW take-out spot, Tuk Tuk Thai from the Thai Sa On family. Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, you’ll find all your favourite Thai dishes here, most including coconut or jasmine rice, and served in the most beautiful little take away cartons - at very reasonable prices!

away; there’s a breakfast buffet from 6:00am, then after 10:00am you can choose Chef Romuald Coladon’s daily soups and hot plated meals, paninis, quiche, pizzas, and a fully stocked salad bar, or help yourself to one of Karen Kong’s pastries. There’s a grab-and-go section too, as well as Italian ingredients to purchase, and Adrian Martinus cutting boards and rolling pins made from broken skateboards!

Eat Eat Eat! Teatro Group have been very busy this summer! After a few months’ refurbishment, newly reopened Vendome Café in Sunnyside has a fresh bright look, and now they’ve opened the doors to a beautiful new breakfast and lunch location for downtown diners, Eighth Avenue Trattoria – E.A.T for short! This open-concept space offers a multitude of choices to eat in or take

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Native Tongues Taqueria

photo courtesy of Janis Nicolay Photography

The wait is over… … but it was worth it! The new Native Tongues Taqueria from BMeX Restaurant Group (Ox & Angela and Una) is going to great lengths for an authentic experience; bringing in heirloom, non-GMO, single-source corn from Mexico, milling it onsite and making masa for their homemade tacos – and they’re getting through 1,000-1,200 of those tasty tacos a day!

We loved Chef Cody Willis’ little tacos,

and traditional antojitos (street food), and their mains are grilled over wood, yum! There’s a choice of 18 mezcals by the ounce, and it’s the focus of Sam Casuga’s cocktail list too. And did we mention the Tres Leches Cake? Don’t leave without trying it!

Hits The Spot!

Neighbourhood kitchen and bar, Spot On, snuck in under our radar and are open in Garrison Green, serving up ribsticking comfort food every bit as good as big sister restaurant 4th Spot, and with cheeky names for even more fun.

‘Ain’t No Thing But A Chicken Wing’ has 12 choices - who can resist an order of ‘Cheesy Pick Up Lime’, and don’t forget the Spicy Balls. And when you’re really hungry, the lip-smacking Maple Canuck Burger really hits the spot – right on!

Spot On

T H E A RT O F T H E T RU LY TA I LO R E D H O M E

Come experience the difference a “made to measure” approach can make on your new home.

Building a Home is a Reflection of Your Identity and Style Everyone has different priorities, budgets and schedules. The question is, what suits you? Baywest is a true custom builder. Our company is designed for it, our people are creative problem solvers and our trades and suppliers are chosen because they can handle it.

We have 30 years of experience in designing homes that work for your lifestyle and offer three options of service based on your desire of involvement in your floorplan, and budget.

Visit a Baywest showhome today and discover how we can build you a home you’ll love and live in, longer.

Still the same award winning Baywest, Still your red pen builder and still offering the promise of everything we build, we build around you.

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The perfect home straight off the rack

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Ask Culinaire

by LEONARD BROWN

Pickling and preserving aren’t really my thing, so how else can I enjoy what I’m pulling out of my garden this fall?

There are many ways of making use of produce that we grow in our gardens, if not eaten immediately or within a short time; it can be bottled, pickled, frozen in water, freeze-dried, air-dried, juiced, or blended.

Parts of vegetables can also be handled differently; for example, beet greens can be eaten in salads, blanched and frozen for future use, or boiled together with other greens and vegetables to make a vegetable stock that can also be saved for use in soups. The beets themselves can be eaten raw or cooked, juiced to extract all the nutrients and sugars, or blended into smoothies. In both cases, they may be combined with other produce according to your recipe, or used on their own.

Juicing and blending produce very different results: blending will pulverize all components to a liquid or semiliquid smoothie incorporating the fibre,

whereas juicing extracts all the liquid components, water and nutrients, leaving behind the fibrous pulp.

A cup of juice requires many more cups of raw produce, as volume is substantially reduced due to the removal of fibre components. This means that sugars and nutrients are concentrated, and blood levels of these will rise significantly compared to an equal volume of blended produce.

Juices are very beneficial for people with digestive difficulties, as the body doesn’t have to break down the food to extract the nutrients; the juicing process has accomplished this. However, the body is deprived of the healthy fibre, so there is rapid absorption of the sugars, but you might get hungry again quickly.

Alternatively, blending helps create a slow, even release of nutrients into the blood stream, and avoids these blood sugar spikes.

Fibre keeps your digestive tract healthy and slows down the absorption of sugar, but it also slows down the absorption of nutrients. Juicing extracts up to 70% of the nutrition immediately, and without the insoluble fibre, your body absorbs 100% of these nutrients.

It is best not to combine fruits (except apple) and vegetables (except green leafy vegetables, especially kale), as it can affect how well your digestive enzymes function. Consume juices and smoothies within 15 minutes, as light and air destroy much of the nutrients, or store in dark, cool places. Premium cold-press juicers will produce superiorquality juice, and similarly, a gentle blender prevents heating of fibre and destruction of enzymes.

So the answer is to choose and enjoy your produce in whichever way is most appealing to you!

Leonard hails from South Africa, spoiled with exceptional wine, culturally diverse foods and horticultural magnificence. He realized that what was taken for granted elsewhere, had to be achieved with hard work, commitment, patience and passion in Calgary.

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Book Reviews

by KAREN MILLER

The Canning Kitchen

when or when not to get creative with substitutions. There are many classic recipes in the book but many go beyond just preserving the fruit.

The Raspberry Cacao Jam and the Hellfire Orange Habanero Jelly are not your grandmother's recipes! And it's not just jams and jellies; you are guaranteed to find your own new favourite BBQ or dessert sauce. From experience, the Salted Caramel Pear Butter is fantastic with any cheese, and I am looking forward to the Sweet Thai Chili Chutney.

By Amy Bronee Penguin Canada Books 2015 $28 I grew up in a household with many shelves in the kitchen dedicated to preserves and pickles of all sorts. We made jams, and others brought over pickles and relish, often without any label. Opening jars was somewhat like Russian roulette!

The Canning Kitchen brings these wonderful traditions of "putting up" fresh fruit and vegetables of the season into the modern kitchen where safety concerns and more developed taste buds exist. No longer is it a "process" with large quantities and messes, the author encourages starting with smaller batches. She takes the guesswork out of canning and carefully explains the important steps to follow, and what equipment is truly necessary, and

provides a very helpful "Processing Checklist", great for novice and expert canners alike.

The wonderful, colourful, close-up pictures of the finished product only add to your desire to tackle the process, so go, get equipped and enjoy canning in your kitchen.

Bronee also includes suggestions for serving and helpful guidelines about

Karen Miller is a lawyer by trade, giving her a knack for picking apart a cookbook. She has taught many styles of cooking classes and was part of the Calgary Dishing girls.

Safari Brunch Sundays, 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Zoo admission combo price before noon

calgaryzoo.com

Soup Kitchen

by Linda Garson

Earlier this year we asked you to let us have your favourite family recipe with your own little twist, for the chance to win a cocktail class at The Block. The winner was Carla Guilherme, who sent us her family’s oh-so-easy recipe for Caldo Verde.

There’s a lot to love about this recipe - it’s inexpensive, and calls for everyday ingredients, all grown locally; kale is insanely nutritious (and ideal at this time of year, as it’s

sweeter later in the season); and it’s a great recipe for busy people, as there’s really very little prep, nothing to fuss over – and sooo delicious!

Caldo Verde (or Portuguese Kale and Potato Soup to you and me!)

Serves 4-5 4 cups (1 L) chicken stock 1 tsp salt 1 clove garlic, halved 1 large onion, quartered 500 g potatoes, peeled and quartered 1 Tbs (15 mL) olive oil 110 g chorizo 2 cups (500 mL) water *1 cup washed and shredded kale, plus more if desired Chilli oil (optional)

There’s a lot to love about this recipe

1. In a large pan, combine all the

ingredients (only ½ tsp salt), except kale and water. Bring to the boil and simmer for around 45-50 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a separate pan,

combine kale, water and ½ tsp salt, and simmer for 5-7 minutes.

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3. When potato mixture is cooked, remove chorizo and cut in half lengthwise, then into thin slices.

… it’s inexpensive, and calls for everyday ingredients, all grown locally

4. Puree the soup with a hand blender, then add drained kale, chorizo, and if, like Carla, you like a little spice – add a drizzle of chilli oil.

Note: If you like more kale in your soup, don’t be shy, add another handful to the pan – Carla does and I did!

Not Just For Garnish:

A Calgary Familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Homegrown Business Produces Sprouts And Microgreens

by JEFF WIEHLER photograpy by INGRID KUENZEL AND JEFF WIEHLER

In a garage in Briar Hill, Daniel McAllister knocks the sunflower seed shells off a new batch of sunflower shoots; they cover the floor and crunch beneath his feet. McAllister plants seeds in trays of organic soil and places the trays below grow lights, watering the plants and knocking off the shells every day, as they rise up with the shoots.

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the old one. The move sounds easy, but it was anything but. “On January 1 we were packing up the last stuff into the trailer with no place to move it to,” says Jasmine.

Sunflower shoots go from seed to harvest in just 12 days, and once they grow to the desired height, McAllister cuts the greens and packages them in bags, and then delivers them to restaurants and markets across the city and province.

McAllister and his wife, Jasmine, began to grow sprouts and greens in their home in 2009 to have nutritious produce for their family. Over the years, they have grown their hobby into their business ‘Greenberry’, while growing their family at the same time.

“We have a family business, and our business exists within the context of our family,” says McAllister.

Greenberry’s produce is notable for its shelf life and crisp taste. They often harvest and sell the produce on the same day, and their customers love how long the sprouts and greens last in the fridge. Even though their produce is small, it is nothing short of flavourful.

A self-described “mad scientist” with seeds, soil, light and water, McAllister says that the garlic and radish sprouts “exemplify the intensity of the flavour” compared to their fully-grown counterparts. “Chefs come to us and are shocked at the flavour and quality,” adds Jasmine.

The McAllisters started to grow sprouts for their own use because of

the nutritional benefits; microgreens and sprouts contain more nutrients than the full-leaf kinds, and some have upwards of 40 times more nutrients.

They decided to try selling their greens full time after McAllister was laid off from his job as a valet manager in 2013.

Their risk paid off, and the McAllisters now grow for a variety of restaurants, such as The Coup, Vendome Café, Blue Star Diner, Midtown Kitchen and Bar, D’Vine Diner, as well as selling their produce at Hillhurst, Bridgeland, Marda Loop, Okotoks and Symons Valley Ranch farmers’ markets. They still have time to spend with their three young children, as their business allows them to adapt their work schedule around their family, and while McAllister sometimes works during the day, he regularly works evenings and often late into the night. His schedule depends on his plants and clients’ needs.

Greenberry has grown and evolved, but not without many obstacles. Amidst the busy season of markets last summer, the McAllister’s vehicle broke down.

They became adept at packing coolers and tents into a Car2Go, while for nearby restaurants, Jasmine dropped off sprouts while out for walks with her kids.

They lasted nearly the entire summer without a vehicle.

In January, the family moved into a house just a block down the road from

She explains that they looked for a house for months, but no property worked out before they had to move.

While packing the last boxes, a man walked by and asked where they were moving to, and McAllister told him that they had no place to go. Coincidentally, the man had recently purchased a property down the road, and while he was working with a property management agency to find a tenant, he said that he would be happy to rent them the house and forgo an agency.

“It was amazing,” says Jasmine. Not only did they find a place for their belongings, they had three kids and their livelihood – live plants. Since the property would only become available a month after they moved out, the man offered them to stay in his basement in Briar Hill. In addition, he offered the use of his garage for their produce, where they still grow their pea and sunflower shoots, buckwheat greens, alfalfa sprouts, garlic sprouts, microgreens, radish sprouts and many other varieties.

As their business grows, they hope to “keep pushing core values,” which include nutrition, family, and fairness to anyone that works with them, using their business to not only enrich their children but also their community. “We want to continue with a family-style business and support the people around us,” says Jasmine.

Jeff Wiehler is a freelance writer living in Calgary, interested in connections with nature through food.

You’ll find him gardening, cooking and baking, and sharing the results with family and friends. He’s on Twitter @jeffwiehler.

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Chefs' Tips Tricks!

Canning and Preserving

by MALLORY FRAYN photography by INGRID KUENZEL Chef Matthew Batey With fall comes harvest time, which means canning and preserving the last of summer’s bounty to store for those cold winter months. Sweet or savoury, here are some tips from Chef Matthew Batey – The Nash local chefs on how to get started preserving at home. Nothing is more classic in the world

of canning and preserving than a homemade jar of pickles. At The Nash, Chef Matt Batey serves their bread and butter pickles as a garnish for many dishes, but they can also stand alone. “My favourite way to eat them is on their own or with our house made charcuteries, such as paté,” he says.

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When making pickles, there are a few things to keep in mind in addition to properly sanitizing the jars. Be sure to wipe down the jar rims with a clean, damp cloth after you have filled them but before putting on the lids.

Another big no-no is over-tightening the jar lids. “Over-tightening can result in a failed seal,” Chef Batey says.

“If jars are failing to seal, the two most common causes are over-tightened lids or dirty jar rims,” he explains. Unsealed jars don’t mean your pickles are ruined though. You can either reprocess them or simply store them in the fridge until they’re ready to eat. Now who said canning and preserving had to be difficult?

The Nash Bread and Butter Pickles

Bourbon Mustard Seeds Yields 1 quart jar

Yields about 5 – 500 mL jars

1 cup yellow mustard seeds 1 cup (240 mL) rice wine vinegar ¾ cup (180 mL) water ¾ cup (180 mL) bourbon 1 cup sugar 1 Tbs Kosher salt

5 long English cucumbers, washed and sliced 2 yellow onions, peeled and julienned 3 Tbs Kosher salt 3 cups (750 mL) cider vinegar 215 g sugar 2 Tbs mustard seeds 2 bay leaves ¼ tsp turmeric ½ tsp coriander seed 1 Tbs chili flakes

1. Combine sliced cucumbers, onion and salt in a non-reactive bowl, gently mixing by hand to ensure the cucumbers are coated in salt. Let stand for 3 hours in the fridge.

2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar.

Another big no-no is over-tightening the jar lids

3. Drain the liquid from the cucumbers and onions, check to see if they are too salty. If so, rinse in cold water.

1. Combine all ingredients together in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over low heat.

2. Cook until the seeds are plump and

tender (about an hour). If too much liquid evaporates, add just enough water to cover the seeds.

Chef Eric Larcom

Chef Eric Larcom – One 18 Empire Canning and preserving isn’t just about how you treat the jars themselves, it’s also about what goes in them. “Canning is not a way to improve food quality; it is a way to preserve what you have,” says Chef Larcom. If you start with low quality ingredients, they will only get worse after you age them in a jar or can.

3. Sterilize mason jars & lids.

4. Pour hot seeds into the jars but

leave a 5-8 mm gap to the top. Clean off the rim of any spillage.

5. Put lid and screw top on the jar

and submerge in boiling water for 10 minutes.

6. Carefully take the jars from the

water and let cool completely on a wire rack. DO NOT TOUCH THE SNAP LID. Let the lids naturally seal; you will hear them “pop”.

Canning is not a way to improve food quality

4. Place the cucumbers and onion in

your sterilized canning jars and pour the hot pickling liquid over them, keeping in mind the 1 cm headspace.

5. Place on sterilized lids and seal until fingertip tight.

6. Boil in a canner or steam for

20 minutes, remove, set upright, and allow to cool undisturbed for at least 24 hours.

7. Check the seals and store in a cool, dry place. If they don’t seal properly, store them in the fridge.

It’s also important to monitor the acidity level of whatever you are preserving.

Ingredients that are low in acidity may result in an unsafe final product, whereas high acidity helps to preserve food and ensure that it is fit to eat.

As for the type of acid to use, Chef Larcom notes that, “lemon juice will add a sharper note while vinegar will soften it out a bit.” If you’re worried about it being too sour, sugar helps to balance out the tartness, and also does double duty as a preservative.

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Chef Michel Nop

Chef Nop’s Vanilla Pear Ginger Jam Yields 6-7 – 250 mL jars

3 kg ripe pears 1.5 kg sugar 20 g fresh ginger, grated finely with a microplane if possible 2 lemons, zested and juiced 2 vanilla beans

The night before: 1. Zest and juice the lemons.

Canada’s short growing seasons help to foster a hyper-seasonal attitude; taking advantage of what is currently available, and using it in as many applications as possible. During the fall months, this means tree fruits like apples and pears, as well as plenty of root vegetables, all of which are ideal for preserving because of their heartiness. But before you get started with Chef Nop’s Vanilla Pear Ginger Jam, he has some pointers to safely guide you through the canning process.

2. At the same time sterilize the jars

in boiling water for 5 minutes; don’t dry them out, as the cloth may be full of germs.

3. Pour the hot jam inside the jars,

then cut them in small chunks and put them in the lemon water.

clean the edges, make sure the rubber of the lid is clean, then close it and process for 10 minutes in boiling water.

Leave them to cool (I usually put them upside down to avoid the condensation inside); you will notice a little “pop” on the lid, which means that all of the air has escaped.

4. Cut open the vanilla and scrap out

4. Label jars with the name and date,

2. Add the juice to some water (you Chef Michel Nop – Kensington Riverside Inn

The next day: 1. Pour the whole pear mixture into a heavy bottomed pan and let it cook for about 45 minutes to an hour on medium heat.

will use this water to put the peeled pears in to avoid oxidation).

3. Peel the pears. Take out the core,

the vanilla seeds.

and store for future consumption.

5. Put the vanilla seeds, beans, lemon zest and the grated ginger with the sugar. Strain the pears and add those into the sugar mix. Let it rest in the fridge overnight.

Mallory is a Calgary freelance writer and grad student now living, learning and eating in Montreal. Check out her blog becauseilikechocolate.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @cuzilikechoclat

Don’t forget to label those jars before you store them away for the winter “The major thing is the jar,” he says, “you have to sanitize it.” This means boiling them, along with their lids and seals, for at least 5 minutes. You also want to ensure that whatever liquid you are putting inside the jar itself is piping hot, whether that is a sweet jam, or a savoury pickle brine. Last but not least, don’t forget to label those jars before you store them away for the winter.

“If you do 10 different jams now, a few months down the road you are going to forget what’s inside,” Chef Nop says.

Sometimes surprises are nice but it’s also good to know what you’re eating!

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Mallory is a Calgary freelance writer and grad student now living, learning and eating in Montreal. Check out her blog becauseilikechocolate.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @cuzilikechoclat

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When you walk into Oak & Vine Craft Beer, Wine and Spirits, you instantly know you’re in good hands. There’s an incredible selection of craft beer and carefully chosen wine and spirits for every palate and price, along with friendly, approachable staff who know what they’re selling.

“We wanted to bring our down-toearth approach to wine and craft beer to a different part of the city so we decided to expand to Inglewood,” says Nemea Beskas, who co-owns both Oak & Vine locations with her husband, John Papavacilopoulos.

“One of the store’s secrets to success is that we love craft beer and wine. It’s part of our lifestyle.

We live and breathe our products, and are always looking to improve our offerings, based on quality and innovation.”

With that in mind, there are more than 700 craft and import beers in stock, with new breweries and seasonal styles arriving every week. We encourage customers

to try different beers and find new favourites. The Inglewood location’s Growler Bar features eight taps that highlight beer not usually available in bottles or cans.

And the “Pick 6” wall features 400+ single bottles so customers can mix and match to make their own sample packs.

“You won’t find a summer beer on our shelves in November.

Everything is fresh and seasonal,” says John. “The true beer aficionado wants to taste beer at its peak freshness.”

wine, beer and spirits as part of our own lifestyle and want you to enjoy your experience whether it’s for a weeknight dinner at home or a special occasion with friends and family.”

So to check it out, visit either Oak & Vine location (Inglewood 1139 Ninth Ave. S.E. and Mt. Pleasant 1030 16th Ave. N.W.) And for the latest updates on in-store tastings and events, follow or like Oak & Vine on Facebook / Twitter @oakandvine.

Looking for a particular wine for a special meal? Just ask. With over 400 wines organized by colour and taste, the knowledgeable staff can help you find what you’ll enjoy.

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Ways to Spice Up pickles

by MALLORY FRAYN

Pickling is trendy, and it’s a craze that has lasted for a while now. If you can eat it, chances are you can pickle it too. Well, you might not want to apply that logic to absolutely all foods (I’m pretty confident that bread would not withstand the pickling process), but your options are pretty close to unlimited. Here are seven different ways to spice up everyone’s favourite, pickles.

1. Quick pickle or canning?

When you think pickling, it doesn’t have to be a labour-intensive, multiday affair. Absolutely you can go the canning route and pickle up a bounty

18

of harvest vegetables to store for the winter, but you can also throw together quick pickles in mere minutes. If you have vinegar, salt, and cucumbers (or your produce of choice), you are ready to get your pickle on. Sliced thin and

drizzled with a splash of good white wine vinegar and a pinch of sea salt, cucumbers are transformed from a watery gourd to the ideal topper for grilled fish or a crunchy salad.

2. Use pickles for more than eating as-is Some may argue that pickles are best consumed straight from jar to mouth, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative. They make a surprisingly delicious vessel for cheese fondue, alongside traditional bread cubes. And those deep-fried pickles you love to get at the bar; you can replicate them at home by breading pickles with panko and baking or frying them. Chopped or minced pickles can also be incorporated into salad dressings or sauces (think remoulade and tartar sauce) to take the place of some of the salt!

5. Vary the vinegar Traditional white vinegar adds the sourness you need when making pickles, but it doesn’t have a lot of flavour in itself. Most pickling recipes dilute white vinegar with water so it doesn’t rot your stomach! Try alternative vinegars like: –– white wine vinegar –– red wine vinegar –– rice vinegar –– apple cider vinegar –– white balsamic vinegar (regular balsamic would also work but then you have to contend with the dark colouration) –– champagne vinegar –– raspberry vinegar –– any type of citrus juice

6. Experiment with spices

3. Sweet or salty?

Don’t overlook sugar when putting together the brine for your next batch of pickles. Sure, pickles provide a characteristic salty punch, but sweet pickles can be equally delicious.

Not to mention it helps to cut the acidity of the vinegar and make them more palatable.

4. Different shapes and slices The way in which you prepare your produce for pickling will, in turn, affect the texture of the finished product.

Keeping vegetables such as pickling cucumbers or baby carrots whole will help them to retain their crunch, but it will also take longer for the brine to permeate. When you slice them open however, the vegetables soak up the vinegar that much faster. Thin slices and quick pickling go hand in hand, especially if dinner needs to be on the table in a hurry.

The most basic of pickle brines at a minimum consists of vinegar, salt, water, and maybe a pinch of sugar. With that as your foundation, you can take it in virtually any direction you want. Try curry spices like turmeric, cumin, and cardamom for an Indian kick. Pickled carrots are especially good with whole coriander seeds tossed into the mix, and lots of black peppercorns too. Keep in mind that whole spices tend to work better than ground ones, as you don’t have to worry about them dissolving into the brine and creating an unpleasant film or scum.

7. Pickle everything; vegetables and fruits included!

Pickling is about more than just pickled cucumbers. Carrots, pearl onions, cauliflower, beets, and asparagus are all vegetables that can withstand the pickling process. Typically, hearty vegetables are better suited to pickling and canning, but you can quick pickle a lot more. Pickled mushrooms? Don’t diss it until you try it. Pickled fruit?

You’re on! The fall is the perfect time for quick pickling newly harvested apples and pears, which are a great accompaniment to roast pork or a charcuterie board.

Quick Pickled Apples 1 apple, julienned (you can leave the peel on or take it off, it’s personal preference) ¼ cup (60 mL) apple cider vinegar 1 Tbs (15 mL) honey or maple syrup 1 tsp mustard seeds To taste, salt and pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

2. Note – crunchy apples like Green Delicious, Ambrosia, or Honey Crisp are preferable as they retain their texture better. They can also be easily substituted for Anju or Bartlett pears that aren’t too soft/ripe.

19

Step

By Step: Romesco Sauce story and photography by RENEE KOHLMAN

This is the time of year when I want to eat all of the vegetables! Everything is in season and looking super gorgeous. Tomatoes!

Peppers! Eggplant!

And so on and so forth and so exciting!

Grilled vegetables? They really are the cat’s pyjamas and when served up with a robust sauce such as Romesco, ­they are even better.

produces lovely, caramelized goodness.

While you’re preparing it, your house will smell like heaven.

The Spaniards did a beautiful thing when they created Romesco. Fishermen in Northern Tarragona made it to accompany fish, and yet this sauce, essentially made from roasted peppers, nuts, bread, and olive oil is good with so many things. Toss it with hot pasta, serve it alongside grilled meats, and more classically with fish. Slather it on sandwiches, stir it into stews, but my favourite way to use it is as a dip for grilled vegetables.

Make Romesco one day in advance of serving, so all of the flavours have a chance to mingle

You can use only bell peppers if you’d like, but I switched things up a bit and made my sauce more tomato-centric.

I roasted them, along with a red pepper and garlic. The slow roasting process 20

I like to make Romesco one day in advance of serving, so all of the flavours have a chance to mingle. Gather your favourite fresh vegetables from your garden or market. Toss them in a bit of olive oil and simply grill them until tender. Serve on a platter with the Romesco sauce and plenty of wine.

Last but not least, raise a toast to the farmers, the Spaniards and the talented cook. Psst... that’s you!

Grilled Summer Vegetables Serves 4 – 6

2 large bell peppers, each half cut into thirds 3 medium portabella mushrooms 1 large eggplant, sliced into 1 cm thick slices 1 bunch asparagus 2 medium zucchini, sliced 1 bunch scallions 12 baby potatoes, par boiled To coat extra virgin olive oil, to coat To taste sea salt and black pepper

Working in batches, toss each vegetable in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated grill, and cook until tender, flipping over occasionally.

Serve on a platter with Romesco sauce.

Romesco Sauce with Grilled Vegetables

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Yields approximately 2½ cups

Back by popular demand!

3 large ripe tomatoes, cored 1 large red bell pepper 2 Tbs (30 mL) plus 1⁄3 cup (80 mL) extra virgin olive oil 5 large cloves garlic ½ cup blanched slivered almonds 2 cm piece crusty bread, cut into 2 cm cubes 2 Tbs (30 mL) red wine vinegar 2 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp sea salt

Murder Mystery

Thursday, October 29 follow us on Facebook at RancheYYC for ticket info

Preheat oven to 375º F.

4. Meanwhile, place bread cubes and The slow roasting process produces lovely, caramelized goodness

1. In a shallow baking dish, add the

tomatoes, whole bell pepper and garlic cloves. Drizzle with 2 Tbs (30 mL) olive oil and place in oven.

2. Roast for 90 minutes, turning

occasionally. Remove garlic once it is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

When tomatoes and pepper are well roasted and caramelized (note: some blackened bits are okay) remove from oven and let cool.

3. When cool enough to handle, peel and discard skins, add peeled veg to food processor.

almonds on a baking sheet and roast for about 8 minutes, stirring often.

Nuts should be fragrant and bread lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool. Then, place in the food processor too.

5. Add red wine vinegar, smoked

paprika and sea salt. With motor running, pour in olive oil and process until smooth, yet with some coarse bits of nuts remaining.

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6. Adjust seasonings with more salt, vinegar and smoked paprika, to taste.

Place in a bowl and drizzle with a bit more olive oil. *Keeps well in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve with grilled vegetables recipe.

Variations: –– Substitute all peppers for the tomatoes, or half peppers and tomatoes, or all tomatoes.

–– Substitute sherry vinegar for the red wine vinegar.

–– Substitute hazelnuts for the almonds.

–– Substitute dried ancho chilli for the smoked paprika.

Renee is a food writer and pastry chef living in beautiful Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Her columns appear in The Saskatoon StarPhoenix and her desserts can be enjoyed at Riverside Country Club. Also, check out her blog www.sweetsugarbean.com

Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant

15979 Bow Bottom Trail SE | Calgary, AB events@bvrrestaurant.com | www.bvrrestaurant.com RancheYYC | Phone: 403.476.1310

Our Gift to You Purchase a $150 gift card and receive a $30 promotional card Promotional card is valid from January 1 - March 31, 2016

Wild For Fungi

by ELLIS CHOE

Some resemble a mutant head of cauliflower; others appear like colourful coral or large white boulders.

Despite their alien looks, wild mushrooms beckon a growing number of forest-to-fork foragers in North America who embrace the flavour and health benefits of fungi.

Saffron Milk Cap

The Alberta Mycological Society has identified 7,000 species of fungi in Alberta, but its members continue to find new ones every year. Of that number, so far only about 55 are edible.

“But just because they’re edible doesn’t mean they’re incredible,” says Eric Whitehead, owner of Untamed Feast, an

Alberta harvester and supplier of wild mushrooms. “There are approximately four that will kill you and a bunch that can make you sick. There are only 10 to 15 worth harvesting.” The following is a seasonal list of some of the more “incredible edible” wild mushrooms found in Alberta.

Fall The saffron milk cap is typically found under spruce trees. Its stem is light orange, while its upturned cap is a brighter red-orange that can grow up to 15 cm wide. This hollow stemmed fungi oozes saffron-coloured milk and can stain green when bruised. Although it can be sautéed in garlic and olive oil, this mushroom tastes best when pickled, according to Russian and Polish tradition, perhaps due to its slightly crunchy texture.

The meadow mushroom is a popular favourite and very similar to the white button variety found in grocery stores.

They pop up in many grassy areas like meadows, golf courses and lawns. Their cap is white, dry and smooth, and their underside has dusty-pink gills. But be aware that this one stains brown while poisonous look-alikes stain yellow, orange or red. These fungi can be found in the spring, summer and fall.

Meadow Mushroom

Velvet Foot Mushroom 22

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Winter Velvet foot is known as the ‘winter mushroom’ or Japanese enoki. But the latter is a cultivated version that yields small, clusters of white, slender-stemmed mushrooms with tiny caps. The wild version has a smooth, slimy caramelcoloured cap measuring one to five cm wide with a distinct dark, velvety stem, and is considered more flavourful than its pale Japanese cousin. Commonly found on elm trees, it grows when nothing else does, giving fungi foragers something to hunt all year round.

a cap up to 15 cm wide is a firm, fragrant favourite with its light apricot flavour.

Unlike its poisonous look-alike, the chanterelle always grows on the ground, never on wood or at the base of a tree.

They usually appear in the summer and fall.

Chicken of the Woods

Red Cap or Northern Roughstem

Chicken of the woods, not to be confused with hen of the woods, is identifiable by its thick, fleshy, fanshaped petals in vibrant candy corn colouring. It grows in layers within large clusters on or at the base of dying trees.

It appears in spring and summer and is a great substitute for protein in any dish, as it possesses a meaty flavour that some say tastes like chicken.

Summer

Black Morel

Spring The black morel, or any morel for that matter, is always a highly prized find, thanks to its coveted earthy, meaty flavour. The black morel possesses a distinctive cone-shaped, brownish-black honeycombed cap atop a smooth, white, hollow stem. The elusive morel is best found in the early weeks of spring when the soil temperature is about 10° C, and when blue violets appear at the base of evergreens, aspen and poplars.

The shaggy mane is a white, egg-shaped mushroom that can easily pass for a large shaggy Q-tip. They usually grow scattered or grouped together in grassy areas. Pick only the young, fresh ones and use almost immediately because the older ones start to ink and turn black. Avoid picking any manes growing near busy roadsides where they could have absorbed pollution and toxins. The shaggy mane has the texture of fish and is delicious in sauces, soups and stews.

But pairing it with alcohol can produce very sickening effects.

24

While the morel may be called the king, the golden chanterelle is sometimes referred to as ‘the queen’ of the forest and just as difficult to find. The deep yellow, trumpet-shaped mushroom with

The red cap or northern roughstem is so popular that a local group lobbied the government to name it an official emblem of Alberta. Commonly found under poplar and aspen trees, it has an orange-red cap with a spongey underside atop a rough, white stem that turns blue when you cut it in half. It’s touted as a very tasty mushroom especially after it’s dried.

King Bolete

Golden Chanterelle Shaggy Mane

The king bolete is a very common find in Alberta’s evergreen forests in the summer and fall. Its smooth cap ranges in colour from reddish-brown to caramel to dark brown and sits on a white or yellow stem. It has an off-white underside that consists of spongey looking pores, not gills. This mushroom is said to taste particularly good when dried and used in soup. It’s safe to eat if it doesn’t bruise blue after being cut.

The hedgehog mushroom or sweet tooth is a favourite because of its similarity to the chanterelle in looks and aroma. But instead of gills or pores, the

Hedgehog Mushroom

䌀攀氀攀戀爀愀琀椀渀最 ㈀ 夀攀愀爀猀 漀昀 䔀砀挀攀瀀琀椀漀渀愀氀 倀漀爀琀

Comb Tooth Mushroom

Western Giant Puffball

hedgehog has tiny spikes or teeth on the underside of its tawny-orange cap, along with a solid white stem. They can be found in evergreen and hardwood forests in the summer and fall.

㤀 倀吀匀 圀椀渀攀 ☀ 匀瀀椀爀椀琀猀 䴀愀最愀稀椀渀攀

The comb tooth mushroom is a white fungus that resembles a shaggy head of cauliflower. Between 4 and 10 inches wide, its stalk is attached to logs or on tree trunks of conifer trees. This one is tastiest when fresh and white. Avoid any that are turning brown as the flavour turns bitter and sour.

The western giant puffball is a white, firm oval ball that can grow up to eight feet in diameter. It resembles a lump of dough or a white boulder. It has no stem or gills and grows in open, grassy, dry areas. August in Alberta is usually deemed puffball season. Only go for a firm, fresh white puffball. Do not wash with water as it will turn soggy. Merely peel off its skin, and cut it in half to ensure the interior is uniformly white.

Toss it if it’s brown as it can be toxic.

Ellis Choe is a freelance writer who has a passion for learning, storytelling and eating, not necessarily in that order...

䘀漀渀猀攀挀愀 䈀椀渀 ㈀㜀 䌀漀洀洀攀洀漀爀愀琀椀瘀攀 䜀椀昀琀ꀀ吀椀渀⸀ 圀栀椀氀攀 焀甀愀渀琀椀琀椀攀猀 氀愀猀琀⸀

昀漀渀猀攀挀愀⸀瀀琀

吀漀 昀椀渀搀 愀 爀攀琀愀椀氀 瘀椀猀椀琀㨀 氀椀焀甀漀爀挀漀渀渀攀挀琀⸀挀漀洀⼀㄀㔀㘀㠀㜀㜀

The Versatility of Zucchini story and photography by NATALIE FINDLAY

These three recipes will help you fall in love with zucchini. Green or yellow zucchini (also known as courgette) is a summer squash, and although commonly referred to and used as a vegetable, it is botanically considered a fruit. Here are three easy ways that you can incorporate this fruit into every course of your meal.

Zucchini Dip

2. Roast the zucchini for 1 hour, the

Serves 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3

garlic may take 10 minutes longer.

This delicious dip will be the star. You can add as much or as little roasted garlic as you like.

Remove tray from the oven and let rest until cool enough to handle.

3 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise 7 cloves garlic, roasted 1 Tbs (15 mL) lemon juice 1 Tbs (15 mL) olive oil 40 g pine nuts, toasted 1 lemon, zested To Taste sea salt and pepper Garnish parsley, finely chopped Garnish chilli flakes (optional)

and set in a strainer placed above a bowl, so the zucchini can drain off its extra liquid (about 15-20 minutes). Squeeze out any remaining liquid.

Preheat oven to 375Âş F

olive oil, lemon zest, parsley and pine nuts. Serve with your favourite crackers or bread.

1. Cover a baking sheet with foil.

Place zucchini and garlic on foil, and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.

26

3. Scoop out the roasted zucchini flesh

4. Place zucchini in a medium bowl

along with the roasted garlic, and mash with a fork. Season with more salt, pepper and/or roasted garlic, to taste.

5. Place in serving bowl and top with

Note: this would also make a tasty and healthy spread for sandwiches.

Greek Stuffed Zucchinis Serves 2 – 3

This stuffed zucchini main course recipe is a quick and easy meal idea.

You can add chorizo to the recipe for more deliciousness!

4 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise 250 g cooked rice 1 small onion, chopped small 2 cloves garlic, chopped small 80 g sweet picante peppers (like pepadew), roughly chopped 60 g olives, pitted and roughly chopped (your favourite kind) 60 g sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped ½ tsp oregano ½ tsp thyme 2 cups (500 mL) stock 60 g feta, crumbled To Taste salt and pepper parsley, chopped fine to garnish 1 lemon, zested

Chocolate Zucchini Loaf with Cream Cheese Icing Serves 6 - 8

Preheat oven to 350º F.

1. Place cooked rice in a medium bowl.

2. Set a sauté pan on medium heat

with a dash of olive oil. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add to rice.

3. Add peppers and olives to the rice

and stir to combine. Add the oregano, thyme, salt and pepper, adjust seasoning to taste.

(not on the zucchini), and cover the dish with foil. Bake for 40 minutes.

4. Place the hollowed-out zucchini

Place back into the oven and turn the oven to broil for a few minutes until the feta starts to change colour.

in a baking dish, and top with the rice mixture. Pour the stock into the pan You can add chorizo to the recipe for more deliciousness

5. Remove the foil and add the feta.

6. Remove and garnish the stuffed

zucchinis with chopped parsley and grated lemon zest as desired. Serve using a long spatula, as zucchini will have become softer and not as sturdy.

3. In another medium bowl add the eggs and oil and whisk to combine. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and mix to combine by hand or with a mixer.

The versatile zucchini does not disappoint in the dessert area either. This delicious 4. Stir in the zucchini until incorporated zucchini loaf is a favourite at any time of and pour into pan, bake for 45 minutes day, and a healthier option! or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes.

400 g all-purpose flour 200 g sugar 125 g brown sugar 175 g cocoa 1 tsp baking soda 1½ tsp baking powder pinch salt pinch nutmeg 1½ tsp cinnamon 2 eggs 1 Tbs (15 mL) vanilla extract 1¼ cups (300 mL) vegetable oil 2 small zucchini, grated

Preheat oven to 350º F

1. Butter and flour a 9x5 loaf pan.

5. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Icing to frost 2 loaves 225 g cream cheese, room temperature 60 g butter, room temperature 250 g icing sugar, sifted ½ vanilla bean, scraped ½ orange, zested candied walnuts, for garnish (optional)

1. Place the cream cheese in a medium bowl and beat with and electric mixer until smooth.

2. Add the butter and beat until smooth.

3. Add the icing sugar in 2 batches and 2. In a medium bowl add dry ingredients. beat until smooth.

4. Scrape ½ a vanilla bean and add the orange zest and add into the icing, mix until incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to spread unto cake.

5. Spread icing on loaf, grate over

some extra orange zest and garnish with candied walnuts.

Natalie is a freelance writer, photographer and pastry chef. A graduate of Cordon Bleu’s pastry program, she manages her own business too to create custommade cakes.

27

Truffle Love

by CHRISTA BEDWIN

At the moment, the price of gold is around $25,000 per pound. Record truffles, on the other hand, have sold for record amounts exceeding $100,000 per pound.

What makes truffles as desirable as diamonds and more costly than gold? Is it their rumoured aphrodisiac qualities, their increasing scarcity in the market, or simply that they are so addictively delicious?

The Romance There’s some kind of magic that goes into truffles done well. Start with excellent truffles. They need to be just ripe enough (best determined by a truffle-hunting pig or dog), though you need to know that every truffle is a little different, and even truffles from adjacent trees might vary in quality. Truffles also lose their aroma and intensity when transported too far from their home.

Add a passionate chef. Without passion and a flair for food combination, truffle dishes can seem lacklustre.

Once you’ve had truffles done with 28

that soupçon of magic though, you’ll never want to go back.

Some people rave over preserved truffle derivatives, such as truffle oil, but for others, only the real, fresh thing will do.

(Great news! Black French Périgords are now grown in Canada, so even if you’re not a traveller, you might be able to access the magic right here).

The Literature Peter Mayle, who is perhaps Provence’s best English-language food writer, can’t resist slipping truffles into every book, fiction or non-fiction. He shares cloak-and-dagger village tales of truffle

theft late at night, shady tales of back street truffle deals, ecstatic recountings of various truffle dish experiences.

Even truffles from adjacent trees might vary in quality

Mayle takes us with him as he learns how they’re hunted with pigs and dogs (and marvels at the value villagers place on their truffle dogs), and attends a truffle blessing at a mass in Richerenches. He has even made acquisition of the

mysteries of truffle cultivation a motive for (fictional) murder.

Eighteen Peter Mayle books are available at the Calgary Public Library.

Every one of them is a delight, and every one contains mysterious, delicious, fascinating truffles.

The Festivals Oregon, where people are growing a variety of truffles, has hosted a truffle festival since 2006. (oregontrufflefestival.com) If you’d like to go, put it on your schedule for January 2017, and buy your tickets in February 2016. The January 2016 festival is already sold out.

Or, head to Italy. Alba, home of the world’s most expensive white truffle, has held their Fiera del Tartufo (everything sounds better in Italian, doesn’t it?) since 1929. Events from October 10 to November 15 this year will include medieval pageantry, a donkey race, and a baccanale of truffles. It might cost a little more to get to Italy than Oregon, but they have plenty of free and amazing events. (Check out fieradeltartufo.org/2015/en and lifeinitaly.com/food/white-truffle-alba) If, like Peter Mayle, you believe that the black Périgord of Provence is the best, you might want to check out the array of events there, including blessing the first truffles of the season in Richerenches, official opening by the

Confraternity of the Black Diamond and Gastronomy in their ceremonial robes, and demonstrations of truffle digging with truffle-sniffer dogs. (provenceguide.co.uk/truffle-events)

Black French Périgords are now grown in Canada

The Science: Canadian Truffles!

Though Mayle claims that truffles are so hard to cultivate that it’s nearly worth killing for the secrets, other sources reveal that the past century has brought a fair amount of success in the magic of truffle farming. Canadians, among others, are making some headway in farming them in new locations.

Betty and Grant Duckett decided to move to Vancouver Island and become truffle pioneers after a lifetime of prairie agriculture (ducketttruffieres.com). In 2007, seven years after they first planted and inoculated their trees with Black Périgord truffle spores meticulously imported from France, they harvested their first truffles.

They now provide inoculated trees

and dog services to a growing truffle industry in BC. Many of the people who have started to farm truffles are keeping it fairly quiet, to avoid theft. UBC, however, is going public with their studies.

Ministry of Environment research scientist Shannon Berch, leader of the Mediterranean truffles in BC project, does a nice job of explaining all about it in her presentation: agroforestry.ubcfarm.ubc.ca/ubcfarm-agroforestry-initiatives/truffiere The BC truffle organization supports new truffle growers in BC (see bctruffles.ca). It’s not a cheap crop – truffles love limey soil (hence their prevalence in the limestone lands of the south of France), and one successful BC truffle farmer reports laying down 20 tonnes of lime per acre of BC soil to ready the soil for truffle trees.

Of course, they sell for thousands of dollars per kilogram. But the initial investment and wait time are huge.

Growing truffles isn’t for everyone, just as eating them might not be. But those who love them, love them a lot!

Christa Bedwin is a travelling writer and editor. She has two cats, one son, and many worthy adventures under her belt.

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Raw Bar is an award-winning lounge-style restaurant residing on the lobby level of Hotel Arts.

Chefs prepare Vietmodern dishes served family-style, which pair perfectly with the hand-crafted cocktails. Order the Chef’s Collection to sample a selection of dishes. Live music is offered every Thursday night featuring local artists. $0.99 oysters, $4.99 Prosecco and $4.99 pints offered every Friday.

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The Bourbon Room boasts 44 house cocktails to choose from, and over 120 whiskeys. The room also hosts Soul Saturdays with DJs, movie nights, cocktail classes, and live music. Voted by ‘The Bourbon Review’ as one of the 10 Best International Bourbon Bars in the World, there is no better spot in Canada to sip on America’s only native spirit.

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There are cocktail bars, and then there’s ONE18 EMPIRE. ONE18 EMPIRE is Calgary’s newest Cocktail and Whisky Bar featuring over 150 whiskies, ryes, bourbons and scotches from around the world. ONE18 EMPIRE’s seasoned bartenders work closely with their culinary team to cultivate unique homegrown ingredients for high-end, handcrafted cocktails that create memorable and truly engaging experiences. They are not just alchemists; they are masters of their craft. Experience Calgary’s finest bar.

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The State of Imbibing story and photography by GABRIEL HALL

Not a day goes by in Calgary where someone doesn’t bemoan the price of oil. Executives trumpet the effect it is having on their company’s stock prices, workers angrily shout that they’ve been laid-off from their well-paying oil field jobs, restaurants see their customers driven before them and hear the lamentation of their owners.

Calgary’s job market isn’t actually as bad as everyone makes it out to be; there is actually growth in the number of net new jobs province-wide. Although restaurants are seeing a general downturn in their overall spending, the number of cocktail bars appearing all over the city certainly indicates that it is not all “doom and gloom” for the industry.

Perhaps it is the penchant for falling back into the comfort of a well-made drink that creates solace for many these days, but the recent spate of new cocktail bars indicates that people are doing more than just indulging in self-medication.

“There’s about half a dozen; four cocktail primary bars and a number

of good restaurants with really good cocktail programs as well” notes Nathan Head, managing partner and bartender at the recently opened cocktail bar, Proof, in Victoria Park. Head points out that there isn’t a single specific demographic leading the charge to cocktails either.

It is not all “doom and gloom” for the industry “Cocktails are like a thing all across the board. You get nice middle-aged couples who love to travel, you’ve got a bunch of young guys who want to drink an old fashioned all night, then you have those who look for the full-on cocktail experience and who want to be wowed.”

Mark Roeric, a bartender at Cannibale in Bridgeland, which also debuted on the cocktails scene earlier this year, has also seen a large outpouring of interest from Calgarians.

Nathan Head 32

“The community has really come together, they’re happy there’s a watering hole and a cool room to hang out in Bridgeland.” Roeric observes, “There’s a lot of young professionals who stop in after work to have a drink and a sandwich. They’re a little wide-eyed, some of them are confused but they’re excited. They embrace it and they want to learn.”

Franz Swinton

Franz Swinton, the bar manager at Anejo in Mission and professional bartender who has seen Calgary go through the cycle of beer, wine, and spirits, says cocktail culture is here to stay, not just in Calgary, but globally.

“It’s blowing up right now” Swinton declares, “Any good restaurant has to have a good cocktail program. It’s part of the deal unless your focus is specifically wine or beer. If you go to the major restaurants around the world, they all have cocktail programs.”

Swinton is also this year’s ambassador for the Made with Love cocktail competition, which has seen increased year-over-year participation by bartenders as well as attendance from the public.

“In our [2015] qualifier we had 22 people signed up. We’ve never had a turnout that big.” Swinton notes that this is up significantly from the 15 entrants from last year. “The demand from the public is great, they want to see what’s new, what’s up and coming, and see what’s happening in cocktail culture in Calgary.”

There are a number of factors preventing Calgary from playing on the world cocktail stage. It is partially due to the economic downturn, partially due to large number of bars and restaurants already in the city, and partially due to the availability of spirits and the relative infancy of Calgarians’ palates.

A major hindrance, identified by many of the bartenders in town, are the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) rules which regulate the limitations around the use of spirits.

These rules have some significant restrictions that do not exist in other provinces or countries around the world.

One primary example is the inability to infuse spirits with flavours or other ingredients before serving.

“The fact that we can’t do that means that we can’t create the interesting cocktails which are unique to every space.” Head continues, “The boys in New York and Vancouver are not doing things much differently than we are, but they do have more tricks up their sleeve, and that’s what allows them to take it to the next level. This is one of the best cities in the world to live in according to the Economist and other places, why are we not doing the absolute best?”

Discover award-winning Kim Crawford wines

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in Alberta

New Zealand Pinot Noir in Alberta

Head, Roeric, and Swinton all agree that there is ample room to grow for Calgary’s cocktail bars. They point to Vancouver supporting around two dozen cocktail bars or cocktailcentric restaurants with only double the population of Calgary. They also allude to the number of Calgarians returning from overseas, and the influx of international workers who demand something a bit more sophisticated.

With all these factors we can expect to see many more cocktail menus, bars, and choices become available very, very soon.

Gabriel Hall is a freelance writer who has traveled to many parts of the world to explore food and culture. His website, levoyagegourmand.com and his Twitter, @voyagegourmand are living archives of his experiences.

ADORE US ON Facebook.com/KimCrawfordWines • Please drink responsibly.

ACD Data Sales $ through May 2015

Tired Of Something Old? Try Something New! Subverting The Usual Suspects

by ADRIAN BRYKSA

Pop quiz...you're at your local wine market and feel like you're drowning in a sea of the usual suspects, what do you do?

Most people might “give up”, and minimize their risk by doing one of the following: Seek out a trusted or smart-looking staff member for a recommendation, or select their go-to bottle because it’s safe and easy. While tried and tested, the time is now for a little bottle bravery, and colour outside the lines with a wine from lesser-known red grape variety. You may be pleasantly surprised at how delicious this approach can be.

You may be pleasantly surprised at how delicious this approach can be Let's begin with an alternative to everyday cabernet sauvignon with the rare and regional touriga nacional.

Touriga nacional is a Portuguese variety that traditionally was used for port but has enjoyed recent success vinified in a dry style. In terms of grape yields, touriga nacional is notoriously stingy but produces fruit with high levels of tannin and loads of black and blue berry fruit.

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lip smacking acidity with dusty tannin and a long finish that accompanies a hanger steak with ease.

Select the 2009 Quinta De Ventozelo Touriga Nacional from Douro, Portugal (CSPC + 720734, $30) as it showcases touriga’s tendency towards black plum and black currant for fruit, a richly spiced mouth feel, and muscular tannin.

Touriga nacional sings with grilled protein and it marries exceptionally well to lamb shank and beef ribs.

The grape also known as samso, mauzelo, carignano, and cariñena is primarily used for blending but has seen success as single varietal expressions in Spain, France, and Chile. Known for its rich, dark purple hue and elevated acid, carignan requires patience in the vineyard and warm temperatures.

Consider the 2010 Miguel Torres Chile Cordillera Carignan (CSPC +704323, $32) as it expresses the rich dark black fruit the varietal is known for with notes of cola, ink, and dark cacao. It has racy,

Diverting from the usual cabernet sauvignon and merlot is the noble grape petit verdot. Like our friend carignan, petit verdot has been relegated to the supporting role in places like Bordeaux as a blending constituent due to lengthy ripening time. Fortunately, the varietal has found a permanent home in the new world where warm climates allow for successful ripening year to year.

Think about Australian producer Pirramimma in their 2012 McLaren Vale Petit Verdot (CSPC +608216, $27). The aromatics and flavours of this wine explode from the glass with notes of violets, rose, dried cherries, graphite and red currant. Bright acid, lively tannins and a slightly sweet finish bring the experience full circle. Look to pair petit verdot with charcuterie, smoked game and pate as well as manchego and blue cheeses.

Always relevant and never compromising, Adrian is one of the voices behind yycwine.com and has freelanced for Wine Spectator, New York and Good Bottle of Wine, London, England.

Fresh Whites To Invigorate Your Palate

by PETER VETSCH

Quick, what’s the last bottle of white wine that you opened? Let me guess – was it a sauvignon blanc, chardonnay or pinot grigio?

Despite an ever-expanding array of white varietals, this trio continues to dominate thanks to a combination of familiarity, drinkability and consistency: these grapes give you what you expect of them and retain a fairly clear sense of themselves across a range of expressions and price points.

Keep your favourite standby from becoming mundane with these options But sometimes this glassed comfort can become a glass ceiling, locking you into routine and suppressing the sense of discovery that is so much a part of the enjoyment of wine. Keep your favourite standby from becoming mundane with these change-of-pace white options.

Want to add some kick to your sauvignon habit? Keep an eye out for grüner veltliner. Almost inarguably the coolest-named grape in the world, grüner is Austria’s signature varietal and an absolute powerhouse of shifting flavours, dancing between lush tropical fruit, white pepper spiciness, piercing arctic minerality, and a distinctive and downright wacky chemical edge reminiscent of elastic bands and rubber boots. It is as wild a sensory ride as white wine gets, and the longer it sits in bottle the funkier and more layered it becomes.

For a subtle and approachable, yet unmistakably grüner introduction to the grape, try the Nikolaihof Grüner Veltliner “Hefeabzug” (CSPC +762181, $27) from Austria’s oldest winery, which has been matured on its lees for extra complexity.

Tired of chardonnay? Stick to France but take the path less travelled with chenin blanc. Chenin, a native of France’s central Loire Valley, remains staunchly under the radar. Rich, honeyed, waxy and full-bodied, yet with a cutting swath of balancing acidity that allows it to age for decades, chenin blanc can have a surprisingly pleasant “sheepy” quality to it, subtle notes of wool and lanolin that set it apart from the crowd.

ups the ante with a powerful rush of tropical flavour.

Often (unfairly) derided as simply cheap sweet fizz, quality versions of moscato can deliver a level of instant refreshment and sheer drinking joy that is impossible to match for the price.

An astounding and electric native example is the Benjamin Bridge Nova 7 (CSPC +756521, $28), from Nova Scotia of all places, which tastes like pink grapefruit in a particle accelerator.

Peter is a local lawyer by day and wine writer by night, maintaining his own wine blog at popandpour.ca. He is always on the lookout for the next way to experience wine, and the next good bottle to try.

Unlike chardonnay, a chenin excursion also allows you to grab a pinnacle expression of the grape for less than $40, the Domaine Huet “Le Haut Lieu” Sec Vouvray (CSPC #1076068, $39). This is deep, complex and stellar with food: chenin blanc at its finest.

Ready to graduate from the pinot grigio school of easy refreshment? Moscato is ready to serve (chilled, out on the deck, of course). A slightly sweet, lightly sparkling preparation of muscat initially found in the Asti sub-region of Piedmont, Italy, moscato takes pinot grigio’s thirst-quenching abilities and

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The Mighty Hybrid

by TOM FIRTH

Hybrids aren’t limited to the automotive industry any gardener could tell you that, but they do occupy a niche in the pantheon of grape varieties.

In viticulture, there are only a few species of grape vines out there.

Grapevines belong to the genus Vitis, which is composed of the 60 or so various species such as vinifera, labrusca, and rupestris. Ideal for winemaking is Vitis vinifera - this is the “European” vine and the various varieties of this species is where cabernet sauvignon comes from, where chardonnay comes from, and so on. Thought of another way, you have wolves and domestic dogs. In your home you might have a Chihuahua, a boxer, or a poodle. You can breed a dachshund and a corgi to get a cross, but if you breed two different species, you get something different - a hybrid - a bit like a mule.

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Biologically speaking, the role of a vine isn’t to make wine, it is to make fruit, which is then eaten by various species of animal that help disperse the seeds etc., and ultimately propagate the species.

It’s just that man, somewhere along the way, figured out that by letting grapes rot in a bucket, you can have some fun on the weekend and certain grapes taste pretty good when you do this.

When Europeans came to the Americas they were pleased to find that vines were already abundant, and whether you think that the missionaries needed communion wine, or the colonists just wanted to enjoy a Saturday night with a buzz, sooner or later efforts turned to making wine from what was on hand.

The North American indigenous vines such as labrusca and rupestris evolved specifically for the conditions to propagate the species. Winter hardiness is typically attributed to these vines, especially when compared to the Middle East and Mediterranean conditions where European vines have their history.

But that comes at a price, the fruit is less… well suited to our palates and wine made from these varieties often has a distinctively rustic character -often described as “foxy” flavours.

Calm down swinger, not sexy-foxy but hairy-animal foxy. Aspiring viticulturists and winemakers in the eastern states and eastern Canada thought to cross European varieties with the local vines in the hopes of getting the best of both worlds.

Although often shunned by wine drinkers who favour the “purity” of European varieties, hybrids can and do make quality wine when made by winemakers who know the nuances of these grapes. These varieties are generally only found in Canada and the eastern United States but can certainly add some variety to your table.

Stag’s Hollow 2014 Tragically Vidal, Okanagan Valley, BC Nothing tragic here, unless you aren’t willing to at least give it a try. A hybrid cross most commonly found in Canada and widely used for icewine. Its parents are ugni blanc (trebbiano) and a parent of seyval blanc. It generally lacks the foxy character of hybrids and can sometimes present a mild “vinyl” aroma in its icewines. From Stag’s Hollow in the Okanagan, it’s one of the few vidals in Alberta that isn’t a late harvest or icewine. Fruits are concentrated with orange and lemon zippiness with good balance and a pleasant finish. It pairs well with pork loin or seafood in creamier sauces. $24 on select wine shelves for now.

Quail’s Gate 2013 Old Vines Foch, Okanagan Valley, BC Marechal Foch is a grape of convoluted heritage – it is lighter bodied than baco noir, and found produced in both BC and ON. It generally avoids too much foxiness, though some examples can have a lot of… “flavour”. This is one of the best examples of foch out there, ripe, brambly fruits, smoke, chocolate, tar, and leather with just a little rustic character. $28 CSPC +639625 Hybrids can and do make quality wine when winemakers know the nuances of these grapes

Calona 2014 Sovereign Opal, Okanagan Valley, BC

Were they successful?

Henry of Pelham 2013 Baco Noir, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

Unique to the Calona winery, sovereign opal is a weird crossing of marechal foch and golden muscat. Currently only grown by the Caruso Family, it’s best when picked early to avoid some “hybrid” characteristics. Lots of lime and a flowery core that is unique to the variety along with some interesting mineral-type expressions. $13 CSPC +364265

To borrow a line from Vancouver-based sommelier, Kurtis Kolt, “imagine a glass of ice-cold milk, and a glass of spoiled milk, blend them together and think about what the resulting milk tastes like.

You get a larger glass of spoiled milk.”

This is sort of what happens with hybrid grapes. Sure, you often get the winter hardiness of the one, but you don’t always get the pretty fruit of the other.

Only a few examples can be found in Alberta of a hybrid that does quite well in Canada. Wine drinkers love the fullbodied character of this grape along with some smokiness and good balance in a package that can age reasonably well. Here, look for juicy prune, sour cherry, cigar smoke, tar, spice, decent fruits and good tannin presence. About $20 CSPC +270926

Tom Firth is the contributing drinks editor for Culinaire Magazine and the competition director for the Alberta Beverage Awards. Follow him on Twitter @cowtownwine.

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From there, gaze upon an old mill and an awesome view to the US border.

As Sandra notes, autumn is a great time to visit the South Okanagan wineries, when tasting rooms are less crowded and you can take your time to savour each sip. She also recommends several signature fall events, such as Oliver's Festival of the Grape in September, or Winter

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in Wine Country in November.

The latter celebrates rosé, as a nod to the versatility of pink wine and a social media movement celebrating it.

From pink to Pinot: Stoneboat Vineyards is styling itself as a Pinot house. "We focus on who we are," says manager Jennifer Busmann. "We are all about Pinot-Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinotage-and we let the wines express that vision."

and his brother Gordon both

Why visit? All of the wines are

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vintage," says Walter. With more

Vineyards may greet you as you

its “Maggie May” vineyard. Hit

than 20 different wines produced,

make your way through the castle-

“pause” on the classic rock song

including different varietals

like doors to the tasting room,

playing in your head, this spot

such as Ehrenfelser, one of his

or further on to the executive

is named for co-proprietor Julie

favourite wines to both make and

lounge for a "frosé" slushie, if you

Martiniuk's mother, Margaret

drink, Walter is passionate about

need to cool off. Taste the wines,

May, as she first farmed it with

the soil the grapes come from. "We

all of them if you desire, with a

her husband Harold after they

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member of the Luckhurst family

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Road 13 seeks wines that reflect

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oversee the winery's operations.

Watch for a new "stone" inspired package, coming soon.

We are one of the "older kids on the block", says Walter Gehringer, with more than 25 years of welcoming imbibers, Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery is rooted in tradition. Walter

Focusing on Rhône-style blends, Road 13 seeks wines that reflect character.

character, says Joe, General Manager and son of proprietors Mick and Pam, but he's excited about the possibility of a sparkling Syrah in the winery's future. Joe drinks "loads of Syrah" but boasts about the Syrah-Malbec blend.

"As a region, we should be really proud of our Syrah."

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Take in a winery dinner, held a few times each month and through the fall wine festival, and speaking of bubbly, visitors can explore Road 13â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sparkling wine caves and get an education in the traditional method for producing bubbles. And who wouldn't want to take some of that knowledge home?

After growing grapes for 21 years and becoming one of the largest growers in the Okanagan with about 30 varietals

they've made and be presented

craft artisans, food carts, and

under vine, the family behind

with a case of Kismet too.

live entertainment descend upon

Kismet Estate Winery

Hester Creek for a day showcasing

decided it was their destiny-

After a day in the vineyard,

the translation of the winery's

you'll need sustenance and sleep.

name from Punjabi-to finally

Hester Creek Estate Winery

Admission is by donation with

make wine.

offers both. Enjoy dinner at

funds raised supporting Oliver

the Italian-inspired

Elementary School's Farm to

Terrafina Restaurant,

Table lunch program.

"We're friendly and family-oriented," says Kismet's Dapinder Gill. The invitation to enjoy a food and wine pairing, perhaps with a taste of the redblend Karma, is open to everyone wanting to explore BC wine.

If you're keen to develop your wine educat i o n, co nside r entering the Harvest

The invitation

or better yet register for a cooking class

local garlic growers.

TIME TO REST

with a local chef. And

is open to

by cooking class...

If the six suites at Hester's

simply

observe

villas are booked, plan a stay

everyone

dinner being expertly

at Walnut Beach Resort in

prepared right in

Osoyoos, a gorgeous lakeside

wanting to

front of your eyes

hotel with spectacular sunset

while relaxing with

views, and a secluded private

explore

newfound friends. An

beach along Canada's warmest

BC wine.

experience not to be

lake. Or choose to relax in the

missed. Once dinner

heated pool with a glass in hand

is

from the wine bar.

way

done, to

the

make

Competition. Five winners will

your

comfy

be chosen to experience the

and stylish villas to rest

An idyllic getaway any time of

grape harvest, from helping

and dream.

the year, each suite is expertly

in the vineyard to filling bins

crafted for luxury and comfort.

with grapes for anywhere from

The winery's annual Garlic

The resort has everything you

one day to five depending

Festival should not be left off

might need after a lengthy day of

on winnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s availability.

your Google calendar. Held in

exploring: the Vista Point Grill,

Participants will sample the wine

early October, food vendors,

an on-site spa, workout studio,

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steam room, and sauna...all this

May, an outdoor gathering with

mere minutes from wineries,

spring wine releases and pig

golfing, skiing, several desert

and poultry-themed dishes from

interpretive centres, and even a

local chefs; register early for the

model railroad.

lottery to get a spot in North

PLAN YOUR GETAWAY

America's fastest selling foot race, the Half-Corked Marathon in May, and join costumed runners

Rich

in

history

intertwined with First Nations peoples, the Oliver-Osoyoos region invites you to cultivate a moment. Savour the bounty of fall harvest, join a new wine club, explore history and culture, bike or hike a trail, and enjoy the hush surrounding you.

The desert landscape inspired early settlers, and their legacy lives

Once dinner is done, make your

as they "race" from winery to winery.

Each

November,

celebrate Winter in Wine Country and a RosĂŠ Revolution, as wineries gather together

way to the

for fun and festive

villas to

doors, and the signature

rest and dream.

on in the vast orchards

events at their cellar "pink" celebration.

Rural charm paired w ith sophisticated amenities,

resort

accommodat ion and

and vineyards that define this

culinar y experiences make

picturesque area of small town

Oliver-Osoyoos Wine Countr y a

sophistication, family farms, and

contender for Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best wine

mountain vistas.

region. Come uncork the sun and taste for yourself.

Save the dates for signature food and wine events such as Pig Out in

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Making The Case

by TOM FIRTH

September is a funny time in Calgary, it’s “back to school” and summer seems to be over - though the nice weather continues on for several more weeks.

Patios are still open, we still entertain outdoors, but maybe it’s that life gets a little more hectic when the school zone signs take effect and the leaves start to turn…. so take some time to slow down and smell the flowers a little. They’ll be gone soon enough.

Here is a selection of excellent wines that either celebrate the last of the summer days, or herald the start of fall.

Wente 2012 Riva Ranch Pinot Noir Livermore Valley, California Quite pale in the glass with leafy herb, wicker, and compost notes offset by cherry fruits and a smidge of liquorice root. Quite spicy with vibrant acids on the palate, it should prove quite versatile with foods. I’m thinking peppery steaks, or a hearty tomato sauce… About $25 CSPC +453134

Giulio Ferrari 2002 Reserva de Fondatori, Trento, Italy Aged 10 years on the lees yielding a creamy, honeyed texture and aromas of roasted hazelnuts on mouth and palate. Something special to drink that feels decadent, but you won’t feel any guilt about enjoying it. Although 2002, it is still vibrant and youthful. Made from 100 percent chardonnay, it’s a wonderful alternative to tête de cuvée champagne. Around $120-140 or so CSPC +769583

Chateau Mourgues du Gres 2011 Terre D’Argence, Costières des Nîmes, France From the southern Rhone, this blend of shiraz and grenache is sourced from 80-year old vines and is completely organic and biodynamic. Earthy and spicy with coffee bean, cocoa powder, black cherries and smoke, with dried cranberries, it has plenty of structure for your next barbecue. Around $24 CSPC +718449 50

Ferrari 2007 Perlé , Trento, Italy

Gran Clos 2012 Blanco, Priorat, Spain

Finca el Puig 2010 Priorat, Spain

A blanc de blanc sparkling wine made in the traditional method from 100 percent chardonnay and aged for five years on the lees, silky and rich (but less that its pricier sibling) with peaches, slate mineral, apple and a bit of citrus.

Sleek and stylish, a very tasty bottle.

About $40 CSPC +414169

This is the good stuff. Mostly white grenache with about 25 per cent macabeo, look for lemon, cactus, apple blossom, and a birch tree woodiness on the nose. Flavours are lifted and crisp with plenty of acidity, followed by subtle vanilla and almond qualities. Cellars exceptionally well too, buy a few for a “just in case” evening. Arriving late September $34-35 CSPC +775326

Sure it’s a little hard to find but you’ll be glad you looked. Made from 100-year old vines in the heart of Priorat, the Puig (pronounced a bit like “luge”) is a Catalan word for hillside farm. Layers upon layers in this glass with mint, cherry, and chocolate and the tiniest bit of blackberry preserves. Perfect for hard cheese or red meats. So, so good.

Just under $40 CSPC +719572.

Culmina 2014 Decora Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

Veuve Cliquot NV Rich Champagne, France

Montes 2011 Folly Colchagua Valley, Chile

Lots going on in this bottle. Look for dried limes, flint, green apple peel, and a steely character on the nose while on the palate, about six grams of sugar give it a bit of juiciness and body, but still allows the zingy acids to lead the way and it finishes with only the barest sweetness. Buy it now and start drinking around the holidays or be ready for next summer. Approximately $30 on most shelves. CSPC +794743

Brand new to the market and only available in a few places in Alberta so far. This is a sweet (doux) champagne intended for mixing into cocktails (I know! WT…heck right?). That said, it is very much an after dinner champagne as the sweetness is a bit much, though it still possesses the profile of VCP. If you aren’t into mixing too many cocktails with champagne, this might make the perfect mimosa. About $87 CSPC +1123949

A beautiful bottle of Chilean syrah bursting with blueberry and raspberry fruits overlaid by smoke and ginger notes, and a touch of orange peel.

Still a little tight in the mouth so decant vigorously if drinking now, but the fruits are definitely there under those tannins with a delicate floral character. Will be even more awesome in three-five years or go the distance! $100 CSPC +709873

Tahbilk 2013 Roussanne Marsanne, Viognier Ngambie Lakes, Australia

Culmina 2014 Saignée Rose Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

Wente 2012 Charles Wetmore Cabernet Sauvignon Livermore Valley, California

A stunning example of what can be done with these grapes in Australia.

Layers upon layers of floral and tropical aromas lead into a very mildly oaked palate with a little weight and nuanced fruits. It’s pretty intense but enjoy with salads with fresh fruit, sushi/sashimi, or grilled fish. Retails for about $22 CSPC +772570

A delicate, almost ethereal rosé from the Okanagan. Aromas are of strawberries and dried cherries with candy stick and floral tones. In the mouth, slightly creamy and juicy reminiscent of vanilla ice cream with a bit of strawberry marbling. Quite dry, and quite pretty too. I enjoy it on its own. CSPC +829358 About $30.

Cola and cassis with cherries, violets, cedar, and a herbaceous bell pepper quality on the nose. Firmish tannins balanced by good fruit presence. It’s plush, like drinking from a velvet bag filled with cherries and dark chocolate.

Drink anytime you need a big cabernet.

Around $25 CSPC +409292 51

Looking for that perfect spirit?

Love wine? Delight in a good beer?

Make sure to get your copy of the October issue of Culinaire to view the best Alberta has to offer.

Visit culinairemagazine.ca from October 1st to find everything related to this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alberta Beverage Awards â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including our 20 Top Value wines collection.

sponsors:

Try Some Award-Winning Beers

by DAVID NUTTALL

The 2015 Alberta Beer Festival Awards were held at the Calgary International Beerfest, at the BMO Centre in Stampede Park. This is the largest commercial beer judging competition held in Western Canada each year, with well over 300 individual beers judged this year, an increase of over 25% from 2014. Beers were judged in 17 categories, along with one category for ciders and perry.

While over a dozen countries were represented, over 70% of the beers judged were from Canada. Although about 他 of those beers were split evenly between Alberta and B.C., eight provinces and the Yukon also had entries. An additional 11 awards were given out to regional winners based on scores from category judging. In total, of the 15 open categories, Alberta won 11 of the possible 45 awards, so it was a great showing all around. To see which local beers triumphed, see below.

53

Alley Kat Brewing Company Main Squeeze Grapefruit Ale, Edmonton First Place, Fruit Beer, First Place, Best of Alberta and also Second Place, Best in Show

Something Brewing Company Dark Side Schwarzbier, Red Deer Third Place, Amber/Dark Lager/Bock Coming from the craft beer department of Drummond Brewery, this is an often-overlooked beer style, commonly called a black lager. With a roasted malt flavour, yet the clean finish you expect from a lager, this version is very close to its German cousins. CSPC +766643, $10 for 4pk cans

Minhas Brewery Lazy Mutt Alberta Brown Ale, Calgary Third Place, American Ales Made in NE Calgary with six different malts and 2 hops. Its brown colour shows off its caramel/chocolate maltiness. CSPC +759431, $5 for a 650 ml bottle, also available in 6 pks.

54

A Triple winner. What started as a summer beer in 2013 has proven so popular, it is now made year-round.

This North American-style wheat ale has a 50% wheat/50% barley blend and enough grapefruit to make it a breakfast beer (if you are so inclined).

CSPC +733630, $17 6 pk.

Fallentimber Meadery Hopped Mead, Water Valley Second Place, Gluten-Free One of Calgaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three local meaderies, Fallentimber has combined Chinook and Cascade hops with light coloured and carmelized honey, to create something part way between beer and mead. Its colour and effervescence make it look like a beer, but the combination of sweet honey and bitter hops make it unique. At 7.5% ABV, it has much less alcohol than mead, and because it has no barley, those on gluten-free diets can drink it too. CSPC +766863, $8 for 500 ml bottle

Fallentimber Meadery Ginger Mead, Water Valley Third Place, Gluten-Free Very similar to the above, with a touch of ginger. Available at Fallentimber Meadery only. $8.00 for 500 ml bottle

The Dandy Brewing Company Smoke Boss, Calgary Second Place, Specialty Beers The new (small) kids on the block proved worthy in their first appearance at Beerfest. Smoke Boss is a rauchbier (smoked beer) infused with Tonka beans and strips of bourbon barrels for a faux aging effect.

Brewsters Brewing Company Oilberta Stout, Calgary Third Place, Stouts Oilberta is as black as its namesake and has flavours of roasted coffee, milk chocolate and vanilla. Its 6% ABV and 50 IBUs make it more full bodied than standard stouts. Available only on tap at Brewster locations.

Brewsters Brewing Company Farmer's Tan White Ale, Calgary

Ribstone Creek Brewery Rangeland Ale, Edgerton

Third Place, Wheat/Wit/Rye

Second Place, UK Ales

Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tan is a Belgian style wit ale made with flaked wheat, coriander, orange peel and Belgian yeast. True to the style, it is unfiltered with plenty of orange zest. Also only available on tap at Brewster locations.

A light-styled English pale ale (4.5% ABV) with a nice balance between the hops and the malt. CSPC +759102, $15 6 pk cans

Ribstone Creek Brewery Old Man Winter, Edgerton Second Place Porters This porter has a balance between chocolate roastiness and caramel sweetness. At 6.6% ABV, it will warm you up. CSPC +769278, $15 6 pk cans

Last Best Brewing Co. and Distillery There Will be Porter, Calgary Third Place Porters Calgaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest brewpub is finally open. This is a very proper London Porter, with toffee and coffee essence and a dry finish. Single hopped with five malts and a touch of wheat, it is available only on tap at the newly opened Last Best Brewing and Distillery at 607 11th Avenue SW, and at other select bars around town.

The brewing scene is starting to grow in leaps and bounds in Alberta, so get out there and try some of these and other local beers.

For a complete list of winners, go to albertabeerfestivals.com/2015%20 award-winners

56

presents

2015 GRAND TASTING HALL ALBERTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LARGEST SELECTION OF FINE WINE, SPIRITS, BEER & GOURMET FOOD

CALGARY October 16 - 17 Stampede Park BMO Centre

Friday Evening Session: 5 - 10 pm Saturday Afternoon Session: 12 - 4 pm Saturday Evening Session: 6 - 10 pm Supporting SAIT culinary school, Calgary Food Bank, Mealshare, and Jumpstart.

For Tickets, Festival & Contest Details, visit rockymountainwine.com Please enjoy your beverages responsibly. Minors are not permitted.

Victoria, BC. Now a construction lawyer here in Calgary, he is also a presence on Calgary's online wine scene through his popular blog Pop & Pour. So how did that happen?

“It came about not accidentally, but off the cuff,” he says. “My first son wasn’t a good sleeper at all, and so we would do shifts - I would stay up till midnight every night to let my wife get four or five hours of solid sleep before her night time insanity started, and I would be sitting on the couch watching TV for hours once everyone else was asleep.”

Open That Bottle

by LINDA GARSON photography by INGRID KUENZEL

Peter Vetsch desperately wanted to be a palaeontologist as a child, but from the age of 12 people told him that he’d make a good lawyer.

“I like the idea of taking and defending a position, and I tend to be fairly inquisitive about things”, he explains.

Born in Edmonton, Vetsch took political science and philosophy at university, before studying law in 58

He decided he needed to do something more productive, and his interest in wine had been growing; he’d been reading on the side, and buying more bottles to taste, so decided to devote this time to something more creative - and started a blog. “The thing about the internet is there’s no barriers to entry,” Vetsch says. Writing a couple of reviews a week, he’s now over four years into the blog and had another child since then, but says it's been hugely rewarding and helped him get more connected with wine.

“It rounds out my life a little bit,” he adds, “my work life is great intellectual stimulation, I have my kids and my family life, and this is my soul nourishment side I guess - a passion project.”

So what is the bottle that Vetsch is saving for a special occasion?

A 2013 Max Ferdinand Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese.

“I’ve been trying to collect wines that are able to age sufficiently from the birth years of my kids,” says Vetsch, “and there’s nothing more impressive, visually, than a magnum of German Riesling, it’s massive! And it's instantly celebratory; it's probably my most favourite kind of wine - ‘specially from the Mosel Valley where this one is from. So it’s from my favourite vineyard, the producer’s name is Max (his son’s name), and it's 2013.”

Vetsch was at the right place at the right time, in line to pay for another wine in one of his favourite wine shops, when he saw the person before him had a gigantic bottle that could only be a magnum of Riesling. Vetsch reacted quickly, asking if they had any more. “It doesn't matter how much it costs, I’m buying one. And they had one left so I grabbed it and off I went,” he grins. “It wasn’t hugely expensive for what it is, but it’ll easily cruise into when we're going to open it.”

And when will he open the bottle?

June 16, 2031 is the official day – Max’s 18th birthday. “It’s going to be hard to look at it longingly until then, but it's a fun way to connect your kids with wine,” says Vetsch.

“They both smell my wine every time we have dinner because they have a natural curiosity for it, and they’re starting to understand that wine is more than just a drink. It’s a good way to connect my passion with my family and an experience for everyone to share.

It makes it a fun countdown to the celebration, especially in a situation like this when you're planning the big reveal, it will a lot of fun when the day arrives.”

(See culinairemagazine.ca for a photo of Max with the bottle –it’s as tall as he is!)

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