QC Relish and Whisky Winter 2015

Winter | 2015

Relish and Whisky

QC Quintessentially

Canadian

The Macallan 1824 Series

Local Gastronomic to the Angel’s share

Glassware101 Red to White Tumbler to Flute DomainePinnacle Loving their sweet success

Dark Chocolate and Saffron Tart Bacon Washed Bourbon Alternative

Christmas Dinner

SALTED ALMOND & BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE COOKIES

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Green!and!Blacks!Organic!Mint!Chocolate!

The!delicate!mix!of!dark!chocolate!and!fresh! peppermint!come!together!to!wow!your!senses.! !

Relish!and!Whisky!

Features! ! !

7!Editor’s!Thoughts! !

9!The!Musketeers! !!!!Enjoy!slipping!into!17th! !!!!!Century!France!

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10!Glassware!101! !!!!!!Let’s!keep!it!simple! !

28!IceGwine! !!!!!!Picked!within!the!! !!!!!!!!darkness!

The Macallan Distillery

12 Alternative Christmas Dinner 17

CONTENTS

QC !

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32!!Domaine!Pinnacle! !!!!!!!Dark!Chocolate!and!! !!!!!!!!!Saffron!Tart!

33!Change!with!the!seasons! !!!!!!!!Getting!through!the!meat!and! !!!!!!!!potatoes!! ! !

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34!!The!Roni!&!Spiced!Old!!

29!Bacon!Washed!Bourbon! !!!!!!!Fashioned! !!!!!!A!smoky!food!and! !!!!!!!Recipes! !!!!!!!!drink!combination!! ! !

35!Green!&!Blacks!

31!Domaine!Pinnacle! !!!!!!!!SWEET!AND!SPICY!PECANS! ! ! !

!!!!!!!!Salted!Almond!&!Brown!Butter! !!!!!!!!Chocolate!Cookies! !

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36!Green!&!Blacks! !!!!!!Organic!Mint!Chocolate! !!!!!!!!Whoopie!Pies!!

Relish QC !

Quintessentially

Canadian

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Editorial!DirectorRobert'Windover!

Associate!EditorJudith'Kipka!

Art!DirectorAutumn'Clare!

Creative!ConsultantFaith'Kerry' Design!ConsultantTaylor'Gordan!

PublisherQuintessentially/ Canadian4Group/

Toronto!ON! !

Enjoy!all!our! publications!at!!issuu.com! !

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Disclaimer:!

Quintessentially!Canadian!Magazine!makes!no!warranties!of!any!kind,! written!or!implied,!regarding!the!contents!of!this!magazine!and!expressly! ! disclaims!any!warranty!regarding!the!accuracy!or!reliability!of! information!contained!herein.!The!view!contained!in!this!magazine!are! those!of!the!writers!and!advertisers;!they!do!not!necessarily!reflect!the! views!of!Quintessentially!Canadian!Magazine!and!it’s!publisher.!

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Whisky

Editor’s!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Thoughts!

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Christmas Time First snowfall and then the drinks and treats start coming out more often with joyful reasoning, “it’s Christmas Time,” you say with revelry and love, warmth and laughter. Then the Music begins. It can be heard throughout the day. From car to living room.

Singing once in a while to the melody but aware that no one is around to hear. At least until a few festive glasses have warmed the cockles of the heart. The noise, noise, noise can be wonderfully appreciated when the dinner is over and the house has fallen back to the resemblance of calm, peace and tranquility. We have some of our favourite things in this, our Christmas issue for you to enjoy with your loved ones. From neat to on the rocks, from rib roast to sticky toffee pudding and chocolate, of course.

Who wants the gizzard?

Happy Christmas QC magazine !

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Cardinal!Rule:!Don’t!Sweat!It!

From!The$Flavour$Principle!

Courtesy!HarperCollins!Publishers!Ltd.! ! !

EXPLORE THE 1824 SERIES

Founded in 1824, The Macallan was one of the first distilleries in Scotland to be legally licensed. Since then, The Macallan has built a reputation as one of the world's truly great single malt whiskies.

THE 1824 Collection is 100% natural colour, 100% Sherry Oak and 100% MACALLAN

GOLD A burnished gold spirit offering a lemon citrus nose,then orange peel and sweetness that softens but doesn’t eliminate the zest.A note of vanilla followed more assertive by dark chocolate – with lingering floral and light oak notes.Citrus and boiled sweets dance on the palate,along with hints of ginger and cinnamon, while soft oak tones reveal toasted apples. The finish is medium sweet, malty and slightly dry.

AMBERA floral, citrus sweet nose gains presence, commanding a chorus of sweet vanilla notes over freshly harvested grain.Raisin,sultana and cinnamon look on as toffee apples
 and candy floss step into the limelight. On the palate, fresh green apples and lemons mingle with cinnamon. Ginger notes hover as fruit takes over, with subtle oak lingering. The finale is light to medium, with soft fruits and cereal, slightly dry.

SIENNA A warm opening with a subtle vanilla nose, persistent yet not overpowering.

Orange arrives, turning zesty and sharp, though tempering green apples add freshness and balance.

Next comes white chocolate truffles, chewy and sumptuous, with elegant oak notes.

Dates, figs and raisins lead the palate then make way for nutmeg and ginger with a splash of oranges and apples, before vanilla returns. The final fanfare is gentle, smooth and warming.

Every good story requires a combination of strong characters and creativity to bring it to life. For The Macallan this is particularly true of its latest, innovative development. An entirely new range, The Macallan 1824 Series is the perfect combination of two of the most influential factors, or characteristics, which make this single malt whisky amongst the most distinctive and desirable, namely oak sherry casks and natural colour.

The starting point for all Macallan sits firmly in ‘The Six Pillars’, from which it is crafted and lovingly cared for at The Macallan distillery. Natural colour is one of these pillars which define and distinguish it from other single malt whiskies. All Macallan bottled by the distillery takes 100% of its colour from the wood in which it is matured. It is the interaction of the new make spirit with the casks alone which delivers the rich and natural diversity of The Macallan’s spectrum of colour, from light oak through to darkest mahogany.

Maturation in sherry seasoned oak casks, the most distinctive and defining characteristics,lies at the heart of The Macallan. The new 1824 Series is 100 per cent matured in sherry casks crafted from American and Spanish oak. These exceptional oak casks constitute another of the Six Pillars. Wood being a natural product, each tree is different, and, in turn, the cask coopered from the tree imparts different flavours and colours to the whisky during maturation.

Combining these two factors of oak sherry cask maturation and natural colour, The 1824 Series is driven by colour first and foremost, with the character derived from the colour. This means looking at a broad range of casks which delivers a specific colour then working with the resulting sensory character of these casks. The range delivers a gradation of colour from light to dark, with the wood character defining each expression’s flavour, moving from lighter, lemon citrus to richer, dried fruit notes.

As The 1824 Series develops, The Macallan’s Whisky Maker, Bob Dalgarno, has looked to different cask types for the colour they give to the whisky. As the whiskies become darker and richer, so the pool of casks able to deliver this character becomes smaller and rarer.

By drawing on his broadest range of skills in cask selection, Bob has been unshackled by the need to draw on casks selected first and foremost for their age. His expert skills ensure consistency through the effective management and selection of the casks, which provide the spectrum ofnatural

colour and character essential to The Macallan. As some 60% of the aroma and flavour of The Macallan derives from the oak maturation casks, this new range is a genuine opportunity to demonstrate the critical role of these exceptional casks and also to challenge perceptions about bottling at arbitrary ages. The 1824 Series consists of Gold, Amber, Sienna and Ruby – names reflecting the actual colour of the whiskies in the range, but also describing naturally occurring mineral and metals.

RUBYSpanish Oak piques the nose before reluctantly admitting rich, dried fruits and an edgy trickle of treacle. A hesitant sweetness enters, then oak returns, burnished and mature. On the palate a rush of ginger, nutmeg and resin herald orange, sultana and raisin with their restrained but pervasive sweetness. Clove is here and gone, leaving oak the undisputed maestro. The finish of this ruby-red spirit is long, lingering and reflective.

The Macallan distillery

was founded in 1824 by

Alexander Reid, a barley farmer and school teacher. Farmers had been making whisky on their farms in the area for centuries, distilling their surplus barley during the quieter winter months.

From its founding by Alexander Reid, through the subsequent owners of The Macallan distillery in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and into the present century, The Macallan has been recognised for the quality of its product above all else. This is the foundation for the worldwide fame of The Macallan.

‘Macallan’ is most likely derived from two Gaelic words -‘Magh’ meaning a fertile piece of ground and ‘Ellan’, meaning ‘of St Fillan’, an Irish born monk who travelled widely in Scotland spreading Christianity during the eighth century.

Farmers have been growing barley on the lands around The Macallan distillery for centuries. As now, the barley would be sown in the spring, growing through the summer, and harvested in the early autumn.

In the winter, with little activity on the farm, the barley would be fermented and distilled into whisky. The cold, wet weather provided plenty of cooling water for the stills. The whisky would be drunk new, straight from the still. Any surplus was stored for consumption in the summer or transported to more distant markets. In the spring, the cycle would begin again.

Our Spiritual Home Built in 1700 from locally quarried sandstone for Captain John Grant, Easter Elchies House is a fine example of a Highland manor house, displaying many features typical of Scottish architecture of the period, including the crow-stepped gables and turret.

The Macallan estate lies in an area of great natural beauty and is farmed sensitively, in harmony with the environment. The estate covers 390 acres (158 hectares), of which some 90 acres are sown in the spring with our own exclusive barley variety (Minstrel) to make The Macallan. A single acre will produce nearly two and a half tons of barley, which will yield around 1,800 bottles of The Macallan.

The farmland is very fertile, with light, alluvial soils, ideal for growing barley. There is also pasture for sheep and highland cattle, woodland, beetle banks, uncultivated field margins, areas of unharvested crop and unmown grassland to attract biodiversity.

The river Spey, one of Scotland’s most famous salmon rivers, borders the estate to the south and south-east. The scale and diversity of the estate is unique among distilleries and is managed in harmony with the beautiful landscape.

The Curiously Small Stills

Exceptional Oak Casks

The Macallan’s curiously small spirit stills are the smallest on Speyside. Their unique size and shape give the spirit maximum contact with the copper, helping to concentrate the ‘new make’ spirit and provide those rich, fruity, full-bodied flavours so characteristic of The Macallan. There are fourteen of these curiously small stills, crafted from copper, each holding an initial ‘charge’ of 3,900 litres.

The Macallan’s oak maturation casks are the single greatest contributors to the outstanding quality, natural colours and distinctive aromas and flavours of The Macallan.

Because of this, The Macallan spends more per cask than any other distillery in sourcing, crafting, seasoning and caring for its casks.

These stills are so famous that they have appeared on the back of a Bank of Scotland £10 banknote!

Primary aromas and flavours derived from: Spanish oak sherry cask: chocolate orange, dried fruits and spices American oak sherry cask: sweet citrus, light spice, vanilla, light oak American oak bourbon barrels: sweet citrus, coconut, oaky.

The Finest Cut

The Natural Colour

Only some 16% of the spirit, collected from the spirit stills at an exceptionally slow rate of boil, is filled into casks for maturing into The Macallan. This is the best of the best, ‘the heart of the run’.

This small portion, or ‘cut’, is extraordinarily selective and one of the smallest in the industry. It is a prime reason for the fullbodied richness of The Macallan ‘new make’ spirit. The clear, colourless spirit is collected from the stills at an average 69.8% alcohol by volume. This distinctly robust and characterful ‘new make’ spirit is the starting point for all Macallan.

The rich range of colours in The Macallan whiskies is drawn only from the woodof our exceptional oak casks All colour in The Macallan whiskies, bottled by the distillery, is natural. Only the interaction of the ‘new make’ spirit with the oak of the maturation casks delivers the rich and natural diversity of colour throughout the range, from light oak through to darkest mahogany. These natural colours remain ‘fixed’, as opposed to artificial colour which fades relatively quickly in bright sunlight.

Great skill is required by the Whisky Maker to achieve consistency of natural colour from bottling to bottling.

WINTER!

Alternative Christmas Dinner

SERVES 8

meat has become the new indulgence, and there is something especially stately and welcoming about a large roast of beef. Some of my best memories are of family dinners where we exchanged news and chatted around a table that featured a rib roast.

In Britain, a large roast used to be featured at the traditional Sunday lunch. Today it is served at celebrations like Christmas dinner. Americans eat turkey at Thanksgiving a month before Christmas, so roast beef has replaced it as the Christmas meal in many homes.

This richly textured menu also works with a roast turkey (page 232) as the centerpiece, and, as an added benefit, most of the meal can be prepared ahead. Make the soup base up to two days ahead. The potatoes and roasted vegetables can be cooked the day before and reheated in a 350째f oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Blanch the sugar snaps ahead of time and reheat in the skillet just before serving. The pudding and sauce can also be made up to two days ahead and reheated.

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From!A"matter"of"taste!

Courtesy!HarperCollins!Publishers!Ltd.! ! !

Alternative Christmas Dinner

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Blanquette de Limoux much serious eating lies ahead, so the drink of greeting should probably be a true aperitif rather than an end in itself—something light and tart and charming that will pique but not satisfy the appetite. Champagne is never far from our thoughts during the festive season, but this is an alternative Christmas and therefore an alternative bubbly is required. France is full of ethereal sparkling wines from regions other than Champagne. Most of them are called Crémant—Crémant de Bourgogne, d’Alsace, de Loire, de Bordeaux, de Die . . . The most ancient is from Limoux in Languedoc, though it has only recently been named a Crémant. Before that, it was known as Blanquette de Limoux, made in the same way as Champagne, with a second fermentation in the bottle, but with a history at least a century older.

Traditionally, Blanquette had always been made with the grapes of the area—Mauzac, which has a delicious cider-apple flavor, and a little Clairette.

Changing laws in the past two decades allowed more Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc to infiltrate the blend, increasing marketability but also threatening the unique character of the ancient bubbly. Today, Crémant de Limoux stands comfortably alongside the Crémants of other regions. But some is still produced in the older style, still called Blanquette, and still with a hefty percentage of Mauzac in the blend.

How can a white wine from so far south taste so fresh and crisp and, well, northern? The vineyards are high in the southwest of Languedoc, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, influenced as much by the Atlantic as the Mediterranean. Blanquette, incidentally, just means “white” in Occitan, the old “langue d’Oc.” Frothy, lightweight and di¤erent, Blanquette or Crémant de Limoux has the anecdotal trappings to get the preprandial conversation going while fulfilling its purpose as an aperitif.

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WINTER

Mustard-glazed Standing Rib Roast SERVES 8

The secret to a great rib roast is to begin with great meat. Look for marbled, aged meat such as naturally raised prime beef. For easier carving, have the butcher remove the chine bone. I like to remove the meat from the rib bones before cooking and then tie the roast back together. Before serving, I cut the strings, remove the meat and slice. Then I add a bone to the bone lovers’ plates.

Broiling the roast before roasting results in lots of crispy fat and makes the first few slices more well cooked than the center—good for those who don’t care for rare beef. Cook the roast for 15 minutes per pound, plus an extra 15 minutes for rare; cook for 20 minutes per pound plus an extra 20 minutes for medium beef.

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp chopped garlic 2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp coarsely ground pepper 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or thyme, or 1 tsp dried 1 standing rib roast (about 7 lbs) Salt to taste

Combine mustard, oil, soy sauce, garlic, parsley, pepper and rosemary. Brush

over roast including bones. Let sit for 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 450°f. Turn on oven broiler. Place roast fat side up on a rack in a roasting pan and broil for about 4 minutes, or until fat is crispy. Turn o¤ broiler, reheat oven to 450°f and roast for 30 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350°f and roast for about 11/2 hours longer for rare.

Remove roast to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes to allow juices to retract while you make gravy. Remove roast from bones and carve into thin slices. Serve with gravy.

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Alternative Christmas Dinner

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And to drink . . . the most harmonious marriage of beef and wine I have ever experienced took place fifteen years ago in Argentina. The beef had been spitgrilled very slowly in the local fashion and was cooked through but still fairly moist and superbly meaty. The wine was a fine Malbec from Mendoza’s Luján de Cuyo area, made in the traditional way with long aging in the barrel.

Even then it was going out of fashion, as winemakers experimented with a more fruity international style, but it had the perfect qualities for that beef—a touch of spicy cherry in the bouquet but with a wealth of soft tannins from grape and wood and a subtle mineral edge. It was wonderfully smooth and sophisticated, as sleek and supple as soft, polished leather.

One of these mature Argentinian Malbecs would be great with Lucy’s roast beef, but they are highly valued in their own country and finding them elsewhere can be a problem. Just as satisfactory would be a fine red from Bordeaux’s Pomerol region. Unlike the Cabernet-based stars that shine forth from most areas of Bordeaux, Pomerol reds showcase Merlot as the principal variety in the blend. By local standards they are opulent and fruity, but don’t expect the soft, easygoing accessibility of a Merlot from California. This is still France, and the wines show an elegance and a tannic and acidic structure that are decidedly Old World—the very characteristics that make such beautiful music with a magnificent standing rib roast.

Pour all but 2 tbsp fat from roasting pan. Add 1/2 cup chopped shallots and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, or until shallots are brown around edges. Stir in 2 tbsp all-purpose flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until browned. Gradually stir in 1/4 cup red wine, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 3 cups beef stock and 1 tsp tomato paste. Bring to a boil, stirring.

Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until gravy is thick and glossy.

Season with salt and pepper.

Makes about 2 cups.

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Potato and Mushroom Gratin SERVES 8

We used dried porcini mushrooms in this recipe because they have the most flavor, but you can use any dried mushrooms. Bake this ahead and then reheat at 350°f for 20 to 30 minutes before removing the sides of the springform.

1/2 cup dried mushrooms

2 cups hot water or beef stock 4 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 1 cup milk 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp butter 4 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 8 oz fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced 1 tsp chopped garlic Salt and freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup whipping cream

Soak mushrooms in hot water or stock for 15 minutes.

Combine potatoes, milk, dried mushrooms, mushroom soaking liquid and

crushed garlic in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes, or until potatoes are slightly softened. Drain, reserving cooking liquid.

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat while potatoes are cooking.

Add shiitake and cremini mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes. Add chopped garlic and sauté for 2 minutes longer, or until mushrooms are limp and any liquid disappears.

Preheat oven to 375°f.

Spread one-third of potato mixture in a buttered 10-inch springform pan placed on a baking sheet. Season well with salt and pepper. Cover potatoes with half the sautéed mushrooms and one-third of reserved cooking liquid.

Repeat layers, finishing with potatoes.

Combine cream and remaining potato cooking liquid. Pour over top layer of potatoes.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and top is browned. Let sit for 15 minutes before removing sides of springform. Place on a serving plate and cut into wedges.

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Sticky Toffee Pudding SERVES 8

Scrumptious sticky puddings are a staple of British cooking, and of my dessert repertoire. This one is my particular favorite because of its rich caramel flavor. Make it as individual desserts or as one big one.

Use the luscious Medjool dates for the best result.

To reheat, place the pudding in an ovenproof dish and bake at 350°f for 10 minutes. Serve warm, drizzled with sauce, with ice cream.

3/4 cup boiling water

1/3 cup butter, at room temperature

11/2 cups chopped pitted dates

1 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup grated peeled apple 2 tsp grated lime zest

1 tsp baking soda 13/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt

Pour boiling water over dates. Let soak for 30 minutes, or until dates soften.

Stir in baking soda.

Preheat oven to 350°f. Butter a 9-inch square cake pan and line base with parchment paper. (You can also use 8 well-greased individual molds or ramekins.)

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and flu¤y. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add one-third of the flour and half the date mixture to butter mixture, stirring to combine after each addition. Stir in another third of flour and remainder of date mixture. Then add remaining flour and combine. Stir in grated apple and lime zest.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean and center of pudding feels firm to the touch. (Individual molds will take about 25 minutes.)

Cool for 5 minutes, then unmold onto a serving dish.

In a pot, combine 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp corn syrup and 1/2 cup whipping cream. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for about 5 minutes, or until mixture thickens.

Makes about 2 cups.

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There’s&sweet&irony&in&a& glass&of&Canadian&icewine.&&

!!IceKwine!

& & & A&country&once&deemed&too&frigid&for&tender& European&grape&varieties&(a&fallacy&shown&the& door&decades&ago),&Canada&proved&not&only&that& its&summers&were&sufficiently&warm&to&yield& quality&wine&but&also&that&its&famous&winters& could&go&one&better.&This&intense,&syrupy&elixir,& made&from&the&rich&juice&of&grapes&left&to&shrivel& on&the&vine&until&December&or&January,&is&a& national&signature.& !

Global!recognition!came!in!1991,!when!an!

Inniskillin!vidal!took!home!the!Grand!Prix! d’Honneur!at!Vinexpo!in!France.!New!entrants! rushed!in.!More!medals!followed.!And!those! distinctive!slender!(and!expensive)!bottles!soon! became!dutyKfreeKshop!fixtures!proudly!sold!around! the!world!(especially!in!Asia,!where!sweet!wines!go! over!particularly!well).! !

Brimming!with!opulent!flavours!of!tinned!peaches,! apricots,!honey,!mango!and!caramel,!icewine!has!a! finish!longer!than!the!TransKCanada!Highway.!It’s! just!the!thing!for!intense!desserts,!even!foie!gras.!

Frankly,!I!prefer!it!as!dessert!unto!itself.! !

Picked!in!the!darkness!during!the!first!sustained! plunge!in!temperature,!grapes!are!gently!pressed,! permitting!the!stillKfluid—and!concentrated—juice! to!seep!out!while!water!(roughly!80!per!cent!of!a! grape’s!content)!remains!trapped!inside!the!skins!as! ice.!The!yield!is!roughly!oneKfifth!that!for!dry!table! wine,!which!helps!account!for!the!price,!often!$75! for!a!halfKbottle.! !

Canada!did!not!invent!icewine.!It’s!been!made!for! centuries!in!Germany!and!Austria,!where!it’s!known! as!eiswein.!But!the!requisite!temperatures!there! come!around!only!every!few!years,!whereas!the!

Great!White!North!can!play!the!game!without!fail! every!winter.!Like!scores!of!other!European! immigrants,!the!wine!has!found!a!more!prosperous! home!in!the!New!World.! !

From!The$Flavour$Principle!

Courtesy!HarperCollins!Publishers!Ltd.!

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28!

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Bacon:Washed!Bourbon!

!

Back!in!the!early!years!of!the!millennium,! if!you!could!fry!bacon,!your!career!as!a! trendy6restaurant!sous!chef!was!pretty! much!guaranteed.!Pork!belly,!a!back6 pocket!flavouring!agent!of!cooks!through! the!ages,!declared!victory!over!all,! including!the!ice6cream!course.!Today,!that! same!skill!could!land!you!a!job!behind!the! bar.! !

Bacon6washed!bourbon!might!sound!like!a!

Monty!Python!joke,!or!a!fast!route!to! trichinosis.!But!suspend!your!disbelief!(or! disgust).!It’s!not!just!a!dumb!novelty,!it’s! compelling,!the!smoky!bacon!bringing! depth!to!the!sweet!corn!liquor.!It’s!also!the! best!way!I!know!to!work!pork!into!your! diet!without!much!in!the!way!of!added! calories!(assuming!you’ve!counted!the! bourbon!calories).!Substitute!rye!or!

Canadian!corn!whisky!if!you!like.!Serve!it! in!a!variety!of!drinks—as!the!base!for!a! hoggy!Manhattan!(bourbon!and!sweet! vermouth),!on!the!rocks!with!a!red!chili! pepper!tossed!in!as!a!garnish,!or!with!a! splash!each!of!vermouth!and!kirsch.! !

1!bottle!decent!bourbon,!! !

6!thick!strips!very!smoky!bacon! !

Fry!the!bacon!until!most!of!the!fat!is! rendered.!Remove!bacon!strips!and! consume!in!another!context.!When!the!fat! in!the!pan!has!cooled!but!is!still!liquid,! pour!it!into!a!large!mason!jar!and!follow! with!the!whole!bottle!of!bourbon.!Let!the! mixture!steep!at!room!temperature!for!8! hours.!Place!the!jar!in!the!freezer! overnight.!Remove!the!congealed!fat!by! straining!the!liquid!through!a!coffee!filter! into!another!vessel.!Presto:!clear6brown,! potable!porky!goodness.! !

From!The$Flavour$Principle!

Courtesy!HarperCollins!Publishers!Ltd.! !

29!

Change'' with'the'seasons' By'Joshua'Groom' ' Fall is my favourite time of year. The leaves change, the temperature drops, and everyone starts to get ready for winter. This doesn't have to be a bad thing.

I feel the key to seasonal change is to find the things to look forward to. Whether it be the coming ski season, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas or simply the fact we get to enjoy alcohol forward cocktails again, without feeling guilty for their effects.

For me, my favourite change is the swing in eating and drinking habits. I change from wanting light and refreshing, to needing comfort and warmth. Basically what I am saying is, I go from wanting an Ungava Gin & Tonic to loving Old Fashioned cocktails and Negronis. Ungava Canadian Premium Gin is obviously showcased best in summer cocktails, but as humans who love to consume, we can't forget about the bitter apertivo cocktail that is the Negroni.

Built on gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, this historical cocktail is meant to be enjoyed as a palate starter and can also double in helping digestion after a big meal like Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

The bitterness of the last two elements can help aid in digestion and fight any discomfort of gluttony.

Getting through the meat & potatoes – and getting to exactly that – in this article, leads me to ponder the recent resurgence of the Old Fashioned. This is by far one of the world's most famous cocktails, but often what people don't know is that though this cocktail is traditionally made with Bourbon or Rye Whisky, a simple change can make a world of difference. This change is using rum instead of either grain based spirit when stirring an Old Fashioned. Chic Choc Spiced Rum offers much in the production of this classic cocktail. The alcohol content of Chic Choc and the balance of the boreal spices leads to a far more approachable version of this classic.

If you receive anything from this drinking propaganda, it is that change is a great thing.

Whether to simply try something new, like a Negroni post dinner, or to change your spirit in your Old Fashioned. Change is a great thing, and if welcomed may do more for you then ever imagined. Infuse you with great Canadian Spirits.

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Roni% Gin,!Ungava!

30.00!

Campari!

30.00!

Vermouth,!Antica!Formula!

30.00!

Soda!

15.00!

Orange,!zest!

1.00!

Total!Recipe! !!

Yield!

1.00!

Ice:!Cube! !

Glassware:!Old!fashioned! !

Technique:!Stir!strain! !

Method:! !

Load!mixing!bowl!with!scoop!of!ice!

Add!alcohol!and!stir!for!15!seconds!

Strain!over!new!ice!in!glass! !

Garnish!with!orange!zest! ! ! ! !

!! !! !! !! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! % Spiced%Old%Fashioned% Rum,!Spiced,!Chic!Choc!

60.00! ml!

Bitters,!Angostura!

4.00! dash!

Orange,!zest!

3.00! ea.!

Yield!

1.00! portion!

Ice:!Cube! ! !

Glassware:!Old!fashioned! ! !

Technique:!Old!fashioned! ! !

Method:! ! !

Load!two!zest!and!bitters!in!mixing!bowl.!Press!

Add!scoop!of!ice!and!alcohol.!Stir! !

Strain!over!new!ice!in!glass.!!

Garnish!with!zest! !

ml! ml! ml! ml! ea.! !! portion! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

2! !! !! !! !! ! ! ! ! !

oz.! !! !! !! !! ! ! ! ! !

!

!

!!

1!

1!

1!

0.5! !! !! !! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

!! oz.! oz.! oz.! oz.! !! !! !! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

SALTED ALMOND & BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Ingredients: 1 cup 2 cups 3 /4 tsp 2 tsp 2 /3 cup 2 1 tsp 1 cup 1 bar 1 bar

Unsalted butter All-purpose flour Baking soda Sea salt Granulated sugar Large eggs Vanilla extract Soft dark brown sugar Green & Black’s Dark 70% Chocolate, chopped Green & Black’s Almond Chocolate, chopped Coarse sea salt for garnish

Directions: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue to cook until the butter starts to foam then reduce the heat to medium. Once the butter starts to brown and smell nutty, remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature (you can speed this process by placing the mixture in the fridge after letting it sit 20 minutes).

Preheat a convection oven to 325°F (163°C). If you do not have a convection oven, reduce the temperature to 300°F (150°C) degrees.

Whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla on high speed until light and pale in colour (about 6 minutes).

Add flour, baking soda, cooled butter and half of the salt then gently fold together. Add chocolate and mix through.

Spoon balls of the cookie mix on to suitable non-stick trays, and bake for 12-14 minutes.

Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with a little of the remaining sea salt. Once cooled a little, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie mix.

Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Tip: The assembled batter mix can now be used straight away, or refrigerated for up to a week to help the flavours develop even more. Storing the batter for at least 24 hours is preferable.

Recipe courtesy Green & Black’s Organic Holiday 2015

GREEN & BLACK’S ORGANIC MINT CHOCOLATE WHOOPIE PIES Pie Ingredients ½ cup 150 g 1 cup 3 1 tsp 2 cups ¼ cup ½ tsp

Unsalted butter at room temperature Green & Black’s Organic Mint Chocolate Sugar Large eggs Vanilla extract All-purpose flour Good-quality cocoa powder Baking powder

Frosting Ingredients 2

/3 cup 30 ml ¼ cup

Unsalted butter Semi-skimmed milk Icing sugar Natural peppermint extract

Optional

Natural green food colouring

Directions: Preheat a convection oven to 325°F (166°C). If you do not have a convection oven, reduce the temperature to 300°F (160°C) degrees.

Line two baking trays with baking parchment.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl for about three minutes or until light, fluffy and pale in colour, then fold in the chocolate mixture.

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder together and fold into the mixture.

Place tablespoons of the mixture onto the baking trays (the mixture should make about 20 biscuits) and bake for 10–12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

For the filling, cream the butter, sugar and milk together. Add a few drops of peppermint extract to taste. If desired, finish with a few drops of the natural food coloring until you’re happy with the final color. Cream everything together until light and airy.

When the pies have cooled, pair them up and apply a layer of filling to one of the flatter sides and sandwich them together. Dust with icing sugar.

Makes about 10 Tip: For the filling, begin with a wooden spoon – if you start with an electric whisk you may disappear in a cloud of icing sugar.

Recipe courtesy of Green & Black’s Organic Holiday 2015

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Merry !

!

Christmas to all !

! Family and our

!

Friends ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

• Created from 100% fair trade, ethically sourced Bamboo !

• Designed and made with love in Canada !

• Use as a serving or cutting board !

• A unique piece to own or gift !

• Comes with protective Balmbu ™ finish !

• Available in all provinces, selected Canadian city shapes !

• Sold ! at select retailers across Canada

Who continue to pick us up and enjoy us online everywhere

Handcrafted Bamboo Cheeseboards www.lovemylocal.ca

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Celebrate the place you love most

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Green!and!Blacks!Organic!Hazelnut!&!Currant!Chocolate!

Bittersweet!dark!chocolate,!crunchy!hazelnuts!and!sweet! currants!together!in!mouth!watering!harmony.!