New Issue of EAT Hits Stands July 1st: Get It While It's Hot
CLICK HERE FOR EAT ONLINE
featuring...
Spin Doctors
Towards fixing food security
Pg. 16 by Karen Platt
Pasture to Plate
Is there any open range left in Alberta?
Pg. 32 by Gary Hynes
The EAT interview
Next Generation Fisherman
Pg. 36 by Chris Mason Stearns
Small town, big eats
Dispatches from The End of the World
Pg. 48 by Andrew Morrison
Plus:
Nathan Fong's recipes: All things raspberry
Local Kitchen: An alfresco meal prepared ahead of time using local ingredients.
Wine: Summer BBQ Wines
and
Five Great Restaurants We'd Never Heard Of
Christopher Pollon reviews American beers
Ceviche
Anita Stewart's Canada
Fermented Foods are Good For You
A Paella-Making Competition in Vancouver
|
event
Sandhill Winemaker's Dinner at Fire & Water Fish and Chop House
Thursday, July 17th, 2008-06-27
Distinguished winemaker Howard Soon is will be pairing up with Executive Chef Dave Roger for a four-course dinner and reception at Fire & Water. The dinner is designed to showcase several of Sandhill's latest award-winning vintages. Soon has been residing and making wine in Kelowna for over 20 years. His Gold Medal at the Chardonnay du Monde in France (as well as many other awards won for Sandhill), experience as a certified wine educator, and close work with individual grape-growers have earned him the reputation as an innovative and legendary vintner.
Limited Seating: $100 (taxes extra)
Contact Regine Brucks at
(250) 480-3836
r.brucks@victoriamarriott.com
Click here for the Marriott
Click here for Sandhill
|
Event
Jordan's Crossing at the Nita Lake Lodge Welcomes Celebrated Winemaker Paul Hobbs and Pascuel Toso Wines From Argentina
On July 3rd the Nita Lake Lodge, a boutique hotel nestled on the shores of Nita Lake, Whistler, is presenting a five-course meal prepared by chef Julian Owen-Mold featuring Argentinian wines. Internationally renowned winemaker Paul Hobbs is extending his wealth of knowledge and love of wine by selecting  a few mindfully chosen vintages from the reputable Argentinian winery, Pascual Toso.
The Pascual Toso winery was originally founded in 1890 by an Italian immigrant who recognized the lush region's potential for translating into superb terroir. Hobbs, a self-described farmboy from upstate New York, has accumulated years of experience both studying and practicing the art of oenology in California, Argentina, and Chile. With an appreciation for old world techniques, single-estate grapes, and an eye for up-and-coming regions, Hobbs has earned a reputation for creating superb wines .
Combined with Chef Owen-Mold's instinct for foraging fresh and local ingredients and transforming them into a magnum opus, the pairings promise to be as exquisite as the mise en scene at Nita Lake. For more information call 1.888.755.6482 or click here.
|
Event
Slow Food Nation's "Come to the Table" in San Francisco
A land-marking event is about to take place on the West coast and will be well worth the train, plane, or gas money to get to San Francisco. Slow Food Nation (the American branch of the international Slow Food organization)  is throwing a four-day educational celebration of slow, local, organic, and fair trade foods. Chock-a-block with some of the leading thinkers of the 'delicious revolution' toward sustainable eating, attend the Speakers' Series to hear the auspicious words of Micheal Pollan, Carlo Petrini, Vandana Shiva, Alice Waters and more of their leading-edge contemporaries.
Wander through the Taste Pavilion for a slice of warm skillet corn bread with Kentucky ham and Appalachian sour corn relish and stay on for the Taste Workshop hosted by the experts and food producers who will share the gastronomical stories behind their artisanal coffees, chocolates, preserves, and cheeses.
There will be art installations, concerts in Golden Gate Park, a children's program (not just a daycare, it makes them an integral part of the event), and tours of nearby olive farms and vineyards, as well as some of the best chefs on the continent preparing seasonal menus.
Many events are free - like an organized hike through the breathtaking views of Marin and the working Buddhist Green Gulch Farm; tasting your way through the unparalleled Ferry Plaza Market with its mushroom shop, Blue Bottle coffee, and rainbow array of fruits and vegetables; and sitting in at Changemaker's Day -a dynamic roundtable that hopes to come up with solid suggestions for changing the way we use the natural world by changing the way we eat. A few scholarships will be given to students or starving artists. For other events, you'll need tickets.
There has never been a food event of this spectrum, size, or importance on North American soil -don't miss your chance to take part. Click here to visit the very user-friendly website for tickets and more information and events.
|
local travel
San Francisco
I lived in San Francisco for a while and I'm pretty sure I actually did leave my heart there, in several specific places. Here's a few recommendations I've either experienced firsthand or heard good things about.
how to get there:
Amtrak offers a beautiful train ride through Washington, Oregon, and Northern California skirting along the ocean. Last time I took the Coast Starlight I couldn't decide which side of the train was the best view; flaming red sunset over the ocean to the West or quaint whistlestop towns and mountains to the East. Tickets go for around $260.
If time is of the essence we can all praise AirCanada for adding direct flights from Victoria and Vancouver to San Francisco. Tickets vary greatly depending on day and month, but expect to pay somewhere in the ballpark of $400 to $500 if you're going economy. Hallelujah!
where to stay: In North Beach, by far one of the coolest neighbourhoods in town, the Hotel Boheme is small, romantic, and has a distinctly European flavour -including complimentary sherry in the lobby at cocktail hour.
415.433.9111 www.hotelboheme.com
David Bowie stayed at The Pheonix and so can you! This hotel popular with the musical crowd has a hip, but laidback style with palm trees and a shrine to Vincent Gallo on the second floor.800.248.9466 www.thepheonixhotel.com
Hotel de Sol is ideal for families with their "Kids Are VIPs" program including a children's library and three baby-proofed rooms. 877.433.5765 www.thehoteldelsol.com
where to eat:
If you're going to the "Come to the Table" event, you'll probably just want to nosh your way through that (I would go so far as to say the Ferry Plaza Market is the best place to eat in town), but if you're looking for something on the side: Tartine in the Mission for the best pain au chocolat, excellent coffee in perfect cups, and a bon vivant, very French atmosphere. Café Lo Cubano for amazing Cuban coffee, served rich and sweet; drip is a buck only from 7am to 9am. Ride the bus to the top of Telegraph Hill for a 360 degree view, then walk down the winding steps through the cottage like homes and wild parrots and cross the street to Fog City Diner for damn good revamped classics like Truffle Fries or Macaroni and Gouda Cheese. End the night with an old-fashioned at The Alembic where they make all their mixing syrups from scratch using farmers' market fins and invent new cocktails while honoring old-world techniques.
|
Event
Rouxbe: World's First Online Cooking School
In an age of celebrity chefs that are sometimes more celebrity than chef, online organization Rouxbe has come up with a truly crackerjack idea. The streamlined and easily-navigable site holds a library of sophisticated yet simple recipes, some of which can be viewed as step-by-step instructional videos. Try one (for free) and the advantage is clear. You can push pause at any step or click on the sidebar offering instructional tips, culinary definitions, or a short clip on proper technique (for, say, mincing the onion or removing the pinbones from the fish required in the recipe). The up-close footage features the food with minimal dialogue and no glamour, and just enough guidance.
 The online cooking school offers a well-rounded curriculum for the cook-at-home who wants to evolve to the next level of culinary arts without going to a classroom. Study Knives and Cuts, The Five Mother Sauces, Charcuterie, as well as many other integral areas of study at your own pace in your own kitchen -optional quizzes, assignments, and evaluations keep you on your toes. Stay tuned to Tapas for an exclusive offer to EAT readers for a Rouxbe membership, but in the meantime do check out this superb site for its recipes, tips, forums, and Rouxbe For Life portion - which donates 15% of membership fees to hunger relief agencies that focus on sustainability, such as school feeding programs in developing countries. Click here to check it out.
|
in season
the Apricot
The apricot, or Prunus armeniaca, is of the plum family with a softer, pulpier flesh than its sister fruit. Its brilliant sunset-orange colour makes it a jewel for cooking, especially desserts. For the longest time while living in France, I thought the popular tartes d'apricots were actually some kind of pie topped with rich, shining, deep orange egg yolks. Until I tried one; the bite of an apricot is sour like a plum with less juice than a peach accompanied by a soft sweetness and a unique and pleasing, floral aroma.
The apricot is one of those fleeting gems of the stone fruit world whose season comes and goes so swiftly that if you don't seize it, you can miss it. In fact, there is even an Egyptian proverb Fel meshmesh meaning "in the apricot" which refers to an event which may not happen at all, because the apricot vanishes from the Egyptian market only a few days -or weeks, if one is lucky- after it first appears.
Perhaps to stretch its season to the utmost (or perhaps its short life is part of the appeal) the apricot added to an otherwise ordinary recipe can lift a particular food to a refined state. Try slathering the absolutely perfect Bonne Maman Apricot jam (Pomodori's, Ottavio's) on a toasted baguette -or better yet pair it with a fresh loaf of Apricot Anise from Wildfire Bakery in Victoria. The recipe following would go well with Portland Pyramid Brewery's golden and light Apricot Hefeweizen.
Find fresh apricots at your local farmers' market, roadside stands, or the following grocers:
Market On Yates, Market on Millstream, and Peppers in Victoria; Choices Market in Vancouver and Kelowna; and Capers Community Markets throughout Vancouver.
|
recipe
Spicy Skewered Pork (Sosaties) with Tomatoe and Red Onion Salad
from Anita Stewart's Canada
This is one of chef Micheal Allemier's South African classics. 'As a whole, many elements of the food of South Africa can be spicy -it's a hot country,' he says. 'The chili's recommended in this but is optional. However, the curry and apricot are the lynchpins. They are much better cooked over the charcoal-fired braai.'
Yield: 8 servings
Marinade:
¼ cup corn oil
1 small onion, diced
¾ cup curry powder
4 cups white vinegar
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup chili flakes
1 cup apricot jam
Salad:
1 egg
1 tsp dry mustard
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 large vine-ripened tomatoes
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 lbs lean pork, cubed
1 large green pepper, seeded and cubed
3 red onions, cubed
20 button mushrooms
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; sauté the onions until wilted and beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the curry powder; cook, stirring, for 10 to 15 seconds. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, chili flakes and apricot jam. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes before transferring to a food processor.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the egg and mustard. Slowly whisk in the vinegar and then the oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and add the onions. Pour the dressing over the tomatoes; taste and adjust seasonings. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Soak 10 to 12 wooden skewers in hot water for 1 hour. Thread the meat, pepper, onions and mushrooms onto the skewers and layer them in a large roasting pan. Pour the marinade over them. Cover and marinate for 4 hours. Drain and place skewers on the grill over medium coals; cook until meat is starting to brown and vegetables are tender-crisp. Serve with the tomato salad.
To read about the author or send her a note visit her website at www.anitastewart.ca
And read Jeremy Ferguson's review of Anita's book in the July/Aug EAT
|
wine of the week
Chateau de Valcombe Syrah-Grenache 2006 Costieres de Nime s
This just in from EAT wine writer Larry Arnold: "Yeow! This is one heck of a wine for thirteen bucks! An equal blend of Syrah and Grenache sourced from the sun drenched, stony vineyards of south France. It is complete and balanced with a lovely intense nose of garrique, cassis and dark plummy fruit that fills the glass and eases through the palate. Medium to full bodied with a soft supple texture and a long ripe finish. Nothing aggressive, just pure simple pleasure."
|
book
Au Pied du Cochon
(winner of the 2007 IACP Cookbook Awards and 2007 Canadian Culinary Book Awards)
This is no ordinary cookbook. This is a paint-splattered, memoir-crammed, photo collage- ode to the love of food, friends, and the great art of running a restaurant that is truly, courageously unique. If you don't know of Au Pied du Cochon and can't make it to Montreal anytime soon, you can easily become acquainted with owner and head chef Martin Picard by turning the pages of this paper beauty. 
Wrap your head around recipes like Pig's Feet Meatball Ragout, Venison Carpaccio, and Pets de Souer (which translates gracefully into 'Nun's Farts'). Look for foie gras in everything from oh, sushi to poutine. But also note an entire section on the practice of preparing foie gras and the treatment of ducks. In this same vein, the chapters dedicated to pork and venison celebrate the noble pig and deer -as well as the hunt of them. Here is a chef that revels in the slaughter of animals as much as the cooking.
In the words of writer Anthony Bourdain (who provides an introduction to the album which should not be skipped): "In an open kitchen, behind a long, customer-friendly counter, [Picard] has created one of the Western world's few 'Bullshit-Free Zones,' a place where it's all about -and only about- what's delicious, pleasurable, and true.' With chapters devoted to applauding everyone from Picard's culinary mentors to his dishwashers, a profile of the European oenophiles who supply his wine and snapshots from staff hockey games, the joy and authenticity of this remarkable eatery translate colourfully to the page. Simply looking through this book is an inspirational act.
Available via the Au Pied du Cochon website: click here.
Also through the publishers at Douglas & McIntyre.
|
The Tapas Bulletin Board
Events at a Glance
Thursdays - Chambar Restaurant presents "Freedom Nights" Parents can bring
their children aged 3 to 7 to Medina every Thursday for the ultimate
kid's party supervised by professional nannies from Nannies on Call, then slip next door for dinner at Chambar. 604.879.7119 or www.chambar.com
July 5&6 - Organic Islands Festival and Sustainability Expo Over 120 exhibits, interactive displays, presentaions, natural food demos, entertainment. Live Green. Do Good.We'll show you how! www.organicislands.ca or call 250.658.848
July 6 - The Scotty Hard Club is holding a 9-course North African banquet with wine pairings by some of BC's most exclusive winerieies, at the Marrakesh Bistro. Admission by donation with all proceeds going to the Scotty Hard Trust. To reserve contact scottyhardsuppers@gmail.com.
A Spin on the Traditional Farmers' Market
A new farmers' market has opened up in Oak Bay, Victoria at Estavan Village. The market is the brainchild of SPIN (Small Plot Intensive) farmer Paula Sobie who uses urban front and backyards as fields for her wide array of greens, herbs, and vegetables. Her motto, "growing food
for the community on urban ground" is both practical and revolutionary. Peruse the market on Thursdays from 2:30 to 6:30 and talk to Paula about SPIN methods -last time I did that I walked away with a number for a backyard garden that is now bursting with greens and baby tomato plants I sowed. For a complete list of her produce and more information on SPIN farming click here.
Mangrove Action Project Brings Awareness to Shrimp Consumers
The Mangrove Action Project is a grassroots organization committed to reversing the degradation and loss of mangrove forest ecosystems worldwide. Its main goal is to promote the rights of traditional and indigenous coastal peoples, including fishers and farmers. Mangrove Action Project (MAP) recently launched a Seattle-based campaign, "The High Cost of Cheap Shrimp," urging consumers to greatly reduce their consumption of imported shrimp. MAP was part of the Spot Prawn Festival in Vancouver and will also be leading a panel discussion at Slow Food Nation's "Come to the Table" event on Labour Day weekend in San Francisco. The campaign addresses the environmental, community, and health problems associated with the shrimp aquaculture industry, and coincides with a new report released by the American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) highlighting the labor abuses common in the production of farmed shrimp. Click here for more information about the Mangrove Action Project and how you can support.
|
|
|
