Culinaire 5

Culinaire
CALGARYS FRESHEST FOOD & BEVERAGE MAGAZINE

$4.95
OCTOBER 2012
+
BIRDS OF A FEATHER | OKTOBERFEST & FALL BEERS | DEVILISH SPIRITS
Were Falling
In Love
With Autumn
CONTENTS
OCTOBER 2012 / ISSUE #5
FEATURES
16 Higher Learning
SAITs new downtown culinary school campus.
by Fred Malley, CCC
22 Freakishly Festive Fall Beers
Seasonal beers are much more complex and substantial
than summer thirst quenchers, and can be paired with
some of your favourite comfort foods.
by Meaghan OBrien and David Nuttall
34 le Vie en Rouge
Despite the competition, Rouge continues to execute
service on a level that few others can attain.
by Adrian Bryksa
44 Its a Pleasure Doing Business
Cam Dobranski, Executive Chef at Brasserie Kensington
and Kensington Winebar, learned years ago to adopt
a strong business skill set to have more control in the
success or failure of his cooking career.
by Cory Knibutat
56 Yo Ho Ho and a Barrel of... Rum!
For more than four centuries rum, aka Kill Devil,
aka Rumbullion, aka Nelsons Blood, has played a
prominent role in Western Civilization.
by Andrew Ferguson
PHOTO ON THIS PAGE:
by Adrian Bryksa
1 CULI NAI REMAGAZI NE. CA
2 CULI NAI REMAGAZI NE. CA OCTOBER 2012
5 Taste of Calgary
by Linda Garson
6 Festivals and Events
8 A Gala Reinvented
by Wendy Ell
9 Open That Bottle
by Linda Garson
10 Ask Culinaire
by Janice Beaton
12 The Art of Ambience
by Gabriel Hall
14 Julie Van Rosendaal:
Calgarys Friendly Neighbourhood
Home Cook
by Elizabeth Chorney-Booth
19 Commanderie de Bourdeaux
by BJ Oudman
20 The Stuffng Your Meal is Made Of
by Natalie Findlay
26 Chef s Tips
by Natalie Findlay
30 Menu Gems
32 Pumpkin 3 Ways
by Linda Garson
37 Made With Love
by Gabriel Hall
38 The Soup Kitchen
by Dan Clapson
40 Burgundy the Beautiful
by Tom Firth
42 Le Beaujolais est Arriv
by Tom Firth
48 Birds in the Wild
by Brenda Holder
49 The Summer of Duck
by Tom Firth
50 Fall Pheasant
by Jeff Collins
52 Turkey Trends
by Heather Hartmann
55 Enjoy Thanksgiving Without
Losing Your Belt
by Vincci Tsui
60 The Humble Spud (continued)
by Silvia Pikal
61 Treats That Did the Trick
by Jocelyn Burgener
62 Inserting a Little Bit of Summer
Into Autumn
by Leonard Brown
63 Napkin Folding 101
by Wendy Brownie
64 Talking Turkey
by Linda Garson
CONTENTS OCTOBER 2012 / ISSUE #5 MORE INSIDE
60
63
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Culinaire
Publisher/Editor
Design
Contributors
Advertising
Linda Garson
Mark Bilodeau
Stephanie Arsenault
Leonard Brown
Wendy Brownie
Jocelyn Burgener
Adrian Bryksa
Elizabeth Chorney-Booth
Dan Clapson
Jeff Collins
Wendy Ell
Andrew Ferguson
Natalie Findlay
Tom Firth
Gabriel Hall
Heather Hartmann
Brenda Holder
Heather Kingston
Cory Knibutat
Patricia Koyich
Ingrid Kuenzel
Fred Malley
Karen Miller
David Nuttall
Meaghan OBrien
BJ Oudman
Silvia Pikal
Vincci Tsui
Joanne Black
403-401-9463
joanne@culinairemagazine.ca
Natalie Findlay
403-771-7757
natalie@culinairemagazine.ca
Maureen Maki
587-899-6254
maureen@culinairemagazine.ca
Lindsey Schneider
587-434-3450
lindsey@culinairemagazine.ca
To Contact Us
Culinaire Magazine
#1203, 804 - 3 Avenue SW
Calgary, AB T2P 0G9
info@culinairemagazine.ca
www.culinairemagazine.ca
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OUR CONTRIBUTORS
< FRED MALLEY, CCC
He started cooking at a tender age under grandmas eye and
has continued working with food throughout his life. Freds
working career includes being a chef, food and beverage
manager, educator, caterer, food stylist, author and technical
writer. An alumnus of SAIT Polytechnic, he has instructed
for over 30 years including curriculum development. He is
currently tasked with validating Individual Learning Modules
for Alberta Apprenticeship for the trade of Cook.
< NATALIE FINDLAY
Natalie is a freelance writer, photographer and pastry chef.
Her food aspirations started at an early age as she took
over baking desserts for her family and friends as soon as
she could use a mixer. Natalies love of food resulted in her
graduating from The Cordon Bleus Pastry Program. Over
the past 10 years, Natalie has been a pastry chef and cook
in hotels and restaurants while managing her own business
creating custom-made wedding and special occasion cakes.
< JEFF COLLINS
Jeff Collins is a retired Calgary broadcaster. He is an avid
target shooter and hunter. He is also an enthusiastic, if not
entirely competent, cook. Jeff Collins retired from a 30 year
career with CBC Radio in the summer of 2009 and moved
to the Village of Delia, Alberta. He has since been elected
to Village Council and serves on numerous local boards
devoted to keeping rural Alberta vibrant. He is an avid
shooter and hunter and runs a small business dealing in
frearms accessories.
< BJ OUDMAN
BJ Oudman is a physical therapist by trade, owning a health care clinic in downtown Calgary for
14 years before selling it three years ago. She decided in her semi-retirement at the age of 40
to pursue her passion in food and wine. She has a Level 2 certifcation through the International
Sommelier Guild. She has been an investor in the private wine market as well as advising her
own group of clients. She is also very active in ftness. In fact, when running the Oregon Wine
Country marathon 2 years ago she loved the area so much she bought a second home in the
heart of the Portland just to enjoy the full food and wine culture there!
< DAN CLAPSON
Dan Clapson is a food writer and columnist based out of Calgary, Alberta. His array of published
works covers everything from restaurant features and chef profles to creating recipes and
hands-on culinary experiences. Dan has spent time learning in the kitchen with some of
the countrys top young chefs like Connie Desousa and Dale Mackay. He believes a true
appreciation of food culture comes by experiencing food from all sides, which is refected on his
popular blog, dansgoodside.com. While hes not writing or eating, you can fnd him teaching
university students how to cook through his non-proft cooking initiative, Start From Scratch.
< BRENDA HOLDER
A Cree/Iroquois Mtis, Brenda is pleased to follow her lineage as a traditional Mtis guide
from the Kwarakwante of Jasper. Learning through research and talking with elders, traditions,
which are a part of her heritage, have become a pleasure for her to share with others. With a
strong background and understanding in the world of science, she has blended her traditional
knowledge with the modern world in a unique way that allows a deep respect for the plant
medicine that surrounds us! Brenda offers walks, talks and experiential programs for groups and
tourists at any time of the year!
For more information about some of our many other talented contributors
please visit us online at www.culinairemagazine.ca.
I picked up my
frst Culinaire
last night
thinking what a
lovely magazine
and who should
I see inside. I
wanted to say
congratulations.
I enjoyed the
tutorials on
my favourite
Shiraz and I
look forward to
reading more.
~Colleen C.,
Calgary
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
W
hat a glorious
autumn were
having this year.
The days may be
getting shorter
but also more
beautiful, with most of the trees in our
city still fully clad in golden and russet-
coloured leaves, as I write. Our markets
are overfowing with the warm colours
and smells of soft fruit, ripe cobs of corn,
squash, apples and berries.
And following fast on the heels of the harvest
is our most anticipated feast Thanksgiving.
We are so lucky in Calgary as we have so much
more than many cities of the world, to give thanks
for!
This month, were talking turkey...and duck...
and chicken...and pheasant...and wild birds...and
odd birds too. Its our feathered friends issue,
even if they dont all fy. We meet the people who
have mastered poultry dishes, and have tips
and tricks for cooking and carving the birds, with
recipes for soups, stuffng, and accompaniments
to go with the Thanksgiving meal. Were also
featuring the vegetable that embodies this time of
year for many of us the pumpkin: one of the few
vegetables that can star in every course (and in
some beverages too!).
What should we be drinking with the traditional
holiday meal? In this issue we take a closer
look at the wines of Burgundy and Beaujolais,
possibly the most food-friendly wines available
and, without doubt, the ideal partners for a turkey
dinner. But October is also a big month for beer
enthusiasts and we learn about the roots of
Oktoberfest and the special beers that appear in
our stores at this time, for just a brief period.
At the end of the month comes Halloween, and
we delve into the devilish spirit, rum, its history
and different expressions. We also trick and treat
you with what was to be a story of happenings in
heritage buildings, but turns out to be something
completely different!
Calgary is a city full of local success stories,
and were proud to be able to shine a light on
these local people who have worked hard to get
to where they are we dont think well ever run
out. This month we highlight cooks and cocktail-
makers, as well as peeking behind the scenes
at the designers of our restaurants, and what it
takes to do their job.
While were giving thanks, we certainly want to
mention the people that make Culinaire magazine
possible; our contributors of both words and
photographs, who inform, educate and captivate
us with their knowledge, stories, vision and
recommendations. And also a giant shout-out to
our supporters who advertise with us and make
Culinaire possible. Please visit them to thank
them personally!
We love to hear your feedback and comments,
so please head to culinairemagazine.ca to
enter our competitions and to let us know your
thoughts. We thank you too!
Cheers!
Linda Garson
Editor-in-Chief
linda@culinairemagazine.ca
In last months issue, we
mistakenly printed the
wrong website address
for the recipes and ideas
for easy-to-make dishes
with homemade tortillas
from Mexican chef, Norma
French. Her website is:
favorsofmexicocalgary.com
Erratum
Celebrating cultural diversity, Taste of Calgary has been bringing
together international cuisines and beverages for 16 years at Eau
Claires Festival Plaza. It is always very well-attended and regularly
trends on Twitter, with people recommending their new favourite dish.
24 food booths plied sample-sized portions of Caribbean, Chinese,
Thai, Japanese, Eastern European, Irish, Indian, Italian, Greek,
Persian, and north American dishes to a willing public, while in the
Beverage Garden, ffteen wine, beer and spirits companies offered
measured sample pours of a wide range of thirst-quenching libations,
accompanied by local entertainers live on the Main Stage.
Some old favourites were here who can resist Pegasus
Roast Lamb on a Spit with the melting Oven Roasted
Potatoes not me! And Rics Grill Caesar Salad with Cajun
Chicken - always a crowd-pleaser, particularly in such hot
weather as Taste of Calgary
was blessed with this year. It
paired particularly well with
Yakima Valley Mercer Riesling
from Highlander Wines and
Sprits booth in the Beverage
Garden.
And some recent favourites such
as Shiraz Persian Cuisine and their
addictive warm Kashk-e-Bademjan
(Roasted Eggplant Dip), and La Jawabs
Veggie Samosas and Hakka Shanghai
Fish (watch out for more on Hakka food
in our November issue!).
Finally there were new favourites:
Airdries Standard Taps Red Cream Ale
Beef Ribs were worth getting your hands, mouth and face covered in
sticky delicious BBQ sauce! And downtownfood debuted, showing off
their tasty BLT of house-smoked bacon,
local tomatoes and lettuce, on
home-made baguette very
moorish, and a perfect match
with Yalumbas The Strapper,
grenache, syrah and mataro
blend, a juicy dry wine that is
very food-friendly and would
go with everything from butter chicken to paella and often
does at a Taste of Calgary where you can just about sample
them all!
Taste of Calgary
Eau Claire Festival Plaza (August 16 - 19, 2012)
reviewed by Linda Garson
Heritage Park Harvest Sale
reviewed by Stephanie Arsenault
September 8 and 9, 2012, marked the 34th annual Harvest Sale
at Heritage Park and boy, was it a success. Thousands of people
packed the large green space over the two days, equipped with
wagons, dollies, and even shopping carts for their goods. It was
necessary however, as most of the fruits and vegetables were sold
by the bag or caseload - and cheap. Watermelons, for example, were
sold for two dollars each, a 50 lb bag of onions was just $15, and six
pounds of pears were going for $4.
Make no mistake; the prices werent the only old fashioned thing
about this event. With the volunteers calling out to customers, and the
Heritage Park employees decked out in their old fashioned garb, it truly
did feel like a blast from the past.
All of the produce for the event was donated by the Calgary Produce
Marketing Association, and proceeds went to a variety of charities,
including: the Calgary Community Kitchen Program, the Alberta
Childrens Hospital Foundation, and the Heritage Park Society.
For more information on the Harvest Sale or the Calgary Produce
Marketing Association, visit www.calgarypma.ca.
Feast of Fields
reviewed by Linda Garson
Now in its 11th year, Slow Food Calgarys Feast of Fields is always
eagerly awaited at harvest time, and this years sold-out event
certainly lived up to expectations. Nineteen of Calgarys top chefs
and restaurants paired with local Alberta producers to showcase their
creativity to an appreciative crowd.
As you might expect, there were many full-favoured beef, lamb,
pork and bison dishes, and while its not possible to list them all
here, there were some notable and delicious examples. From Nicole
Gourmets Braised Bite Beef Tongue in Adobe Sauce with Smoked
Fairwinds Farms Feta on little tortillas, to Teatros duo of Silver
Sage Beef Heart Tartare and Beef Consomm with instant Canola
Oil noodle, via 80th & Ivys Driview Farms Braised Lamb Neck on
a Parsnip and Potato Latke with Goat Cheese Crme Fraiche, and
Cuisine et Chateaus Broek Pork Conft Shoulder in Manuel Latruwe
croissants - there was certainly plenty to savour.
On such a beautiful day, with a cloudless deep blue sky, it was a
delight to fnd some light and fresh dishes too, such as Brava Bistros
Chopped Vegetable Salad with Feta and Oregano Vinaigrette;
Downtownfoods Summer Watermelon 3 Ways with Noble Meadows
Goat Cheese; and Winebar/Brasserie Kensingtons Francos Fiord
de Latte, with Roma Tomato Jam. Craig Boje, newly promoted to
Executive Chef at Hotel Arts, was there too, with his Roasted, Pickled
and Fresh Beets, Elderfower Pickled Blackberries, Blue Veined Goat
Cheese, Toasted Pecans with Burgundy Truffe.
As well as the edibles, there was no shortage of beverages to wash
them all down, from the ten Canadian wine, beer, mead and cocktails
booths, many local and organic.
But the prize for creativity goes to District, for their Spraggs Meat
Shop Bacon, Smoked Pecan, Organic Grilled Pear and Ciel de
Charlevaux Blue Cheese Gelato, a feast from the felds indeed.
Great Canadian Beer Festival
Royal Athletic Park, Victoria, B.C. (September 7-8, 2012)
reviewed by David Nuttall
At 20 years, not only is this one of Canadas oldest beer
festivals, it is also one of the largest outdoor beer festivals too.
Imagine visiting 65 booths and sampling over 170 beers and
ciders while walking on grass under the blue skies and sunshine of
Vancouver Island. It is truly a spiritual experience.
What used to be an international beer festival has transformed
into an almost exclusively Canadian event. Part of the reason is
the growth of the local (B.C.) brewing industry, and part is due to
the BCLCB rules which govern the festival. This has driven down
the American representation to a mere two breweries, and caused
the Europeans to disappear completely. The strong Canadian
contingent not only opens up the festival to the local brewers, but
to more eastern Canadian breweries as well. For the first time,
there were five Quebec and nine Ontario breweries present- some
of which dont even sell their beer west of Lake of the Woods.
One of the novel features of the festival is a number of one-
off, unique cask condition beers, brewed exclusively for the
festival, and allowing the brewmasters to get truly creative. They
are always the first beers to disappear. Amongst the 23 beers
available were such exotic brews as Amber Jack Ale (with a splash
of Jack Daniels) from Cannery Brewing, Gaels Blood Potato Ale
from Grannog Ales (made with organic potatoes), Cucumber Mint
IPA from R & B Brewing, and Spring Fever Gruit Ale from Salt
Spring Island Ales.
Many of the 8,000 attendees themselves provide some
amusement by donning costumes, which make the visual display
almost as entertaining as the beer. The beer itself is all priced at
one token ($1.25) for a 4 ounce sample.
Held the weekend after Labour Day (September 6-7, 2013), the
festival sells out every year. Tickets go on sale around mid-July,
but a word of warning; they sell out in less than a day. Much of the
money is donated to local charities.
For more information see www.gcbf.com.
The Book of Kale
The Easy-To-Grow Superfood
by Sharon Hanna
Harbour Publishing Co. Ltd.
$26.95
reviewed by Karen Miller
I was instantly attracted to this
book by the pictures of familiar
recipes where kale has been
substituted. Not only did they
look appetizing but very enticing.
Apparently kale is an easy
food to grow, hearty and with
many varieties. The authors
background is in gardening
and there are many useful
instructions on planting (even
the ever-so-trendy microgreens
and growing in containers),
harvesting and seed saving.
Hanna sings the praises of
kale with nutritional information, explaining that kale is one of the
most nutritionally dense foods on the planet - a true superfood.
It contains vitamin A, C, K, calcium and many minerals. This is a
food we know we should like. The recipes use kale raw, stir-
fried, in soups, savoury muffns, egg dishes, smoothies, pasta
dishes and the splendid kale chips. There are crackers and
condiments (who knew there were so many ways to use leftover
kale chips?). The book takes the unknown out of kale and with
a little practice we should all be able to fnd a way to include it
in our food choices. I cant wait to try the Kale Colcannon for my
Thanksgiving dinner. Alas there are no desserts but there is a
savoury version of Brown Betty, as in Green Elizabeth.
Thanks & Celebration:
A Gala Reinvented
Calgary Stampede BMO Centre
(November 3, 2012)
by Wendy Ell
This fall Albertans will have the
opportunity to experience Canadas harvest
in a whole new way. A unique celebration
promises an unconventional blend of
delicious regional cuisine, a bevy of
artwork, friendly farm spirit and upscale city
glamour, pulling together elements of both
city life and rural living.
Behind the event is Agriculture for
Life, a new organization of committed
industry leaders, delivering educational
programming geared at improving rural
and farm safety, and building a genuine
understanding and appreciation of the
impact agriculture has on lives.
In the past, more than 1,200 people
from agriculture, business and government
attended the event each year, rotating
annually between Calgary and Edmonton.
A Growing Alberta initiative, it was a great
fundraiser, but is now being resurrected and
reinvigorated to celebrate and raise funds
and awareness for Ag for Life programs.
There will be plenty of great food,
entertainment, and widespread appeal
at this function, says Agriculture
for Life Director, Development and
Communications, Luree Williamson. There
will be no awards program at the event -
just food, ambiance, friends and fun.
The ballroom will be transformed
to present a fusion of urban and rural,
complete with a farmers market display of
Alberta produce; a masterful photo gallery
showcasing the beauty of agriculture, an
artists area with local artists mingling about,
a silent auction, and seating areas.
We invite industry, young people and
community leaders to come together to
celebrate the harvest, indulge in excellent
food and beneft an outstanding new
organization, said Agriculture for Lifes
Chief Executive Offcer, David Sprague.
Tickets are $250 each or $2,000 for
a table of eight. Special ticket discounts
are available for registered not-for-proft
organizations, agricultural post-secondary
students, clubs and associations.
Visit www.agricultureforlife.ca to
purchase tickets online, or call toll free
1-877-682-2153 to purchase your tickets
through 4-H Alberta.
Fine Cooking Thanksgiving Cookbook
Fine Living The Taunton Press
$12.95
reviewed by Karen Miller
My favourite meal to cook is Thanksgiving dinner. At 16 years
old I cooked it all by myself for the frst time and have never
looked back. Not everyone is so calm about this meal. This
book will help! The book provides great tips on all aspects
of surviving this and any other holiday meal. It addresses
common complaints or problems that arise. The book gives
instructions on many ways to cook a turkey, including brining
and a maple bacon glazed turkey! It will not be hard to fnd
side dishes to please the pickiest of guests; there are many
favourites and many vegetable dishes with interesting twists.
Not only does the book give 1-2-3 instructions on making gravy
but also illustrates how to carve a turkey gracefully. There
are many make-ahead ideas and there is a whole chapter on
leftovers. The editors of Fine Cooking magazine have done a wonderful job compiling this book,
providing basic instruction for the frst attempt or variety for the more seasoned cook, recipes not
just for Thanksgiving.
Now Director of Food and Beverage/Sales at WinSports Canada
Olympic Park, Jason was a gymnast for many years, achieving Provincial
Diving Champion for Saskatchewan three years in a row and earning the
title of National Champion for Diving at only twelve years old.
Sports is what our family did, he explains, both his mother and
grandfather coached gymnastics as well as their full-time jobs. There
used to be dormitories at COP where athletes and their families could
stay while training, and Jason was a regular visitor as a young boy.
For a couple of years after leaving school, Jason worked at Family
Pizza in Saskatoon as a manager, but he wanted something bigger so he
came to Calgary armed with little more than his resume. He was hired as
a line cook at Carnmoney Golf and Country Club, and as at the time they
had no chef, he took over the kitchen and worked 12 hours a day, 7 days
a week. But it was here that he learned about food from the other staff
members, like the elderly Asian chef who taught him how to cook eggs.
In 1999, someone at the club arranged for Jason to get an interview
with COP, but he got lost en route and completely missed the
appointment. The chef called later that day and couldnt believe that
Jason hadnt been able to fnd Canada Olympic Park, so he rescheduled
the interview for the following day and gave him explicit directions! He
was hired as a line cook for $7/hour and worked mornings from 5:00am-
1:00pm at Carnmoney and then 2:00pm-10:00pm at COP. This only
lasted a couple of months before he realised that hed have to give up
one job, and decided to work full-time at COP. Jason worked his way
up the ladder to the top, via an apprenticeship course at SAIT for three
years, then on graduating, becoming sous-chef, then executive chef the
following year. He ran the kitchen for a further three years before being
promoted to Food and Beverage Manager in 2010, and within three
months was promoted again to Director of Food and Beverage and now
includes Sales in his title too.
So what is the bottle that Jason is saving for a special occasion?
Two years ago, the Calgary Sports Hall of Fame was closed down
as the Canada Sports Hall of Fame was moving here from its home in
Toronto, and Jason and the curator were responsible for taking inventory
of everything at the Hall. It proved to be a veritable treasure trove of
sports memorabilia and they discovered everything from the original
bid letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the Winter
Olympics, to Elizabeth Manleys skates, a doll of Barbara Ann Scott (the
frst Canadian to win a Gold Medal for fgure skating) from 1949, Wayne
Gretzky jerseys, torches and.... a bottle of Olympic Vintage 1988 Red
Wine!
And when is he going to open it?
On February 13th 2013 - the 25th anniversary of the opening
ceremony of the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics!
We dont know what the wine is, where in Canada it was made (Ontario, we think!), or if there is any more in existence,
but were on the hunt for more bottles. If you have a bottle or a full set of PetroCan 1988 Olympic wine glasses, then go to
culinairemagazine.ca and enter to be invited to join us and an Olympic Star at the 25th anniversary celebration of the opening
of the bottle!
Well also looking for the best Winter Olympic memories from 1988-2010, so let us have your story to win your chance to be
invited to the celebration too! Go to culinairemagazine.ca to enter for both competitions!
OpenThat Bottle
by Linda Garson photograph by Ingrid Kuenzel
Jason McKay is a lucky man, his work encompasses his two passions sports and food.
Question: I love cheese and I want to incorporate some into my Thanksgiving
Day menu. Could you please help me choose some options for Thanksgiving Day
and maybe provide some fall menu ideas?
Answer: Yes, we have some great suggestions for cheese, both at the Thanksgiving
table and for fall.
What is a harvest dinner without a root vegetable pure? In this recipe, the
ingredient that will get your guests talking is the addition of Bleu Bndictin, from
the Abbaye Saint-Benoit du Lac in Quebec, which provides a complex and savoury
undertone. With Baked Romelia, we swing across the country to Salt Spring Island
Cheese Company in BC. Whether kicking off your holiday meal or saved for a cool
autumn evening, this is the equivalent of
instant fondue!
Finally, we land here in Alberta with the
toothsome and delicious Queso Fresco
from Latin Foods. Skewers of grilled cheese
alternating with cubes of roasted vegetables
is a simple and eye-catching starter for your
Thanksgiving dinner or you can pan fry or
grill a slab of this cheese, perch it on top of a
mlange of mixed greens and call it an easy
fall supper.
Baked Romelia
Serves 6 as an appetizer
or 2 for dinner, with a salad on the side
1 Romelia (approx. 220g)
60mL (1/4 cup) grapeseed oil
(or other high smoke-point oil for sauting)
Optional: 200 mL sliced mushrooms:
a mix of shiitake, portabello, cremini
*This mini fondue on its own is stunning, but the addition of sliced
mushrooms enhances the earthy character of the cheese.
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. If using the mushrooms, saut in oil until
golden brown.
2. Split the Romelia in half; place one half in the bottom of a ramekin
or baking dish that is the same circumference as the cheese. Spread
the mushrooms over the cheese and place the other half on top.
3. Bake the cheese until bubbling and slightly browned, about 10
minutes. Serve with crackers, baguette, or dried apples.
We are truly grateful for the bounty of wonderful chesses made in Canada today.
The following recipes are great examples of how to use cheese in your fall cooking.
AskCulinaire
To answer the question for suggestions on how to include cheese
on the Thanksgiving table, this month we turned to Janice Beaton,
proprietor of Janice Beaton Fine Cheese and FARM Restaurant.
Root Vegetables with Sage Brown Butter and Bleu Bndictin Pure
Serves 8
400g (1 2/3 cups) rutabaga, peeled & cut into 1 cubes
400g (1 2/3 cups) celery root, peeled & cut into 1 cubes
45mL (3 Tbs) olive oil
To taste salt & pepper
10 large sage leaves, roughly chopped
100mL (1/3 cup + 1 Tbs) butter
150g (2/3 cup) Bleu Bndictin cheese, crumbled*
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Toss the rutabaga and celery root cubes
with the olive oil, salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan large
enough to accommodate them in a single layer.
2. Add 250 mL (1 cup) of water, cover the pan loosely with foil and
bake for an hour or until the cubes yield easily when pierced with a
fork. Reserve.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow the butter to
cook to a light brown colour. Remove from heat and add the sage.
4. Place the vegetables in a blender or food processor with the butter/
sage mixture. Pure until the mixture has a smooth texture. Transfer
from the blender to a bowl and stir in the blue cheese immediately so
that it begins to melt. Check seasoning and serve.
*Blue Juliette (Salt Spring Island Cheese, BC)
or Dragons Breath (That Dutchman, NS) could be substituted.
If we were to liken great chefs to iconic inventors and artists such as da Vinci, we might
also make the comparison of their kitchens to Verrocchios workshop, a place where
some of the greatest minds of the ffteenth century honed their skills. If we continue to
draw parallels, we could say the dining room, where one enjoys their masterful creations
of sight and taste, would be equivalent to the Louvre or the British Museum.
The aesthetics of the dining room is a critical but often overlooked component of the
dining experience. After all, sitting in an alley next to a dumpster eating an exquisite meal
would hardly be an encounter one would want to remember. The unseen task of creating
a comprehensive dining experience falls upon the many architects and interior designers
who like chefs, use colour and texture to create an emotional response.
INSIDE JOB:
AMBIENCE
THEART OF
by Gabriel Hall
Kasey Sterling
Korr Design
Designing a restaurant often requires an
insiders touch. Kasey Sterling of Korr
Design draws upon her own experience
working in the hospitality industry, in
order to connect with the operator to
discuss their needs behind the bar, in
the kitchen and on the floor.
Every restaurant faces the same
challenge: How can you maximize the
number of revenue generating seats/areas verses the functional
needs of the back of house? Sterling responds when asked about
the vastly different needs and tasks that all work in harmony within
the single space.
You have to know and understand the menu to properly design
for both areas, Sterling continues, for example, is the food going
to be served family style? Will serving utensils and additional
share plates be required? These questions relate to plate storage
and where that storage needs to be in proximity to the back of
house. This same information also relates to the table sizes in the
front of house. Harmonizing a multitude of aesthetic and utilitarian
factors is the essence in the development of a comfortable space
that provides top quality service to customers within the allotted
budget.
Sarah Ward
McKinley Burkart
The expectations of restaurant patrons
have taken a drastic turn in the last
few decades. A classic night out used
to be a quick dinner before moving on
to the theatre, a movie or a club. Many
couples now spend hours sitting at the
bar chatting with the staff while enjoying
a bottle of wine, often being entertained
by the activity in the kitchen. The
kitchen has become the new stage.
Sarah Ward from the firm McKinley Burkart has been designing
open kitchens at restaurants such as Notable, Olives and the new
Candela Lounge. There has been a cultural shift as far as food
is concerned, notes Ward, People want to know where it comes
from, who is producing it and what goes into getting it on the plate.
Open kitchens allow a glimpse into the behind the scenes of food
and a relationship between the chef and the patrons.
Designers have to continually update their skills and knowledge
of industry trends, in order to design spaces that capitalize on the
changing landscape of the dining world, as well as develop spaces
that are innovative, sleek and pleasing to the senses.
Corinne Keddie
KAI (Keddie Architecture Inc.)
Restaurant designers come from many
different backgrounds; but regardless
of how they started, it requires a great
deal of knowledge, experience and
passion to deal with the complexities
of the design process. There are many
different codes and requirements that
a designer has to integrate into the
project, along with functionality and
aesthetics. And like the great masters, it takes years of honing
ones skills to really excel at the job.
People always ask me how I got involved in restaurant design,
says architect Corinne Keddie, The truth is Calgary has always
been a fairly conservative city in terms of architecture, especially
when I first started in the industry, and so I was looking for
projects to work on that allowed me to push the boundaries of
design. Designing restaurants interiors allows me to be as creative
as I want and to really experiment with new ideas.
Restaurant owners always are looking to be the next big thing,
so they are willing to take more risks. And sometimes those risks
really pay off. I remember when we designed a long communal
table at The Living Room. It was a way to get more seating in a
narrow, small space, but we didnt really know if it would work. It
actually turned out to be the most popular place in the house to
sit.
It appears that many roads lead to Rome, but the fact is that
restaurant design involves much more than just picking finishes
and furniture. To make the entire process even more demanding,
it does not happen in just a few days, often contrary to the clients
wishes.
What makes a great design is not just about how much money is
spent, or ensuring return on the investment period, but rather that
it creates an experience that makes customers yearn to return.
Perfecting each component in the precarious balance between
food, service and ambiance through design, are vital in the
creation of a chef duvre.
photograph by Ingrid Kuenzel
Julie Van Rosendaal:
Calgarys Friendly Neighbourhood
Home Cook
by Elizabeth Chorney-Booth photos courtesy of Julie Van Rosendaal
When Julie Van Rosendaal was three years old, she asked her
mother when she would be old enough to cook on her own in the
kitchen. Her mother, fguring she was buying some time, told the
toddler that she could cook once she was old enough to read a recipe
by herself. Young Julie snuck off with some cookbooks, studied them
carefully, and came back with a question:
Whats a tiblespnn? she asked her mother.
A tiblespnn? her mother asked, confused. Use it in a sentence.
Add one tiblespnn of sugar
Wanting to cook so badly, the three-year-old had taught herself
to read. This may just be an exaggerated legend of Van Rosendaal
family lore, but it also illustrates her lifelong obsession with recipes
and home cooking. Van Rosendaal eventually translated that love
of working with food into an impressive career as a food writer
and media personality. Through her various cookbooks, television
appearances, print and online articles in both local and national
publications, popular Dinner with Julie blog, and a regular food
column on CBC Radios Eyeopener morning show, Van Rosendaal
has become one of Calgarys most trusted and beloved local food
authorities.
Even though she decided early on that she didnt want to be a
restaurant chef, Van Rosendaal couldnt stay away from the world
of cooking and food appreciation. After studying photography at
ACAD, she opened a bakery and began work on her frst cookbook, a
collection of low-fat cookie recipes called One Smart Cookie. Taking a
page from her role models at The Best of Bridge, Van Rosendaal self-
published the book, which turned out to be an outstanding success.
Building on the media attention that came from the release of One
Smart Cookie, Van Rosendaal used the contacts that she made
through promotional television and radio appearances to develop the
regular gigs that she has today. In the meantime, shes also written
four additional cookbooks, the most recent being Spilling The Beans,
which she co-wrote with Sue Duncan (featured in the June 2012 issue
of Culinaire Magazine).
A good part of Van Rosendaals success can be attributed to her
approachability and open-minded attitude towards food. Listening
to her radio spots or reading her blog feels more like chatting about
cooking and sharing recipes with a good friend than receiving expert
advice from a chef. Dont be mistaken Van Rosendaal has some
enviable kitchen skills, but shes careful to send the message that
anyone can make her recipes and we all should be able to have fun in
the kitchen. Shes also adamant that people recognize her as a home
cook, not a trained chef.
As a chef, youre wearing your whites, youre sort of segregating
yourself from your audience, Van Rosendaal says. Youre putting
yourself on a pedestal and cooking things that the average home cook
isnt going to try. But when you look at Best of Bridge, who have sold
how many millions of copies, or Jean Pare at Companys Coming,
people can relate to them on their own level. Its like a friend or a
neighbour giving you a recipe and you know that you can actually do it
because theyre just regular people too.
A quick look through Van Rosendaals blog reveals plenty of
delicious recipes that even cooking neophytes can make quickly
and deliciously. Filled with easy salads, simple desserts, and meals
sometimes thrown together out of whatever happens to be in her
fridge on any given day, Dinner with Julie is a diary of what Van
Rosendaal feeds her family. Along the way she offers anecdotes,
ingredient notes, and helpful tips, all without being overly technical or
making assumptions about her readers culinary education.
So many people think they cant cook, but they can cook just fne,
she says. But they have that standard and the bar has been raised
so high that they think that you have to be a pastry chef to make a pie.
Its not that complicated. Ive always liked the idea of sharing recipes
with people and I think weve lost that.
The next logical step for a media personality with a niche in the
food landscape and a dedicated following would be a cable cooking
show, but Van Rosendaal has little interest in becoming the next Food
Network TV star. She did co-host a program called Its Just Food for
the Viva Network (the show is now in re-runs) and regularly appears
on Breakfast Television, but for the time being, at least, shes happy
with the freedom that comes with her existing projects. Even though
plenty of food writing jobs lurk in Toronto, Van Rosendaal plans to stay
put in Calgary and would rather expand her reach within the city in a
way that goes beyond mere food writing. She is currently working with
the Calgary Board of Education on a new nutrition policy and is also
working to create a list of approved farmers and food producers who
can come into classrooms to teach kids about food production and
healthy eating. This is on top of The Gullet, a second blog that she
recently launched, and a job as the food editor of Parents Canada.
I feel like a lot of what I do right now is kind of fuffy and could be
more meaningful, Van Rosendaal says. I love doing recipes and
talking about how to make pie, but sometimes I want to do more and
make more of a difference. I want to make a living, but I also want to
make a difference.
Higher Learning
SAITs New Downtown Culinary School Campus
written and photographed by Fred Malley, CCC
There is a lot cooking in the
hallowed halls on the hill.
I sat down recently with Tom Bornhorst, Dean of the School of
Hospitality and Tourism at SAIT Polytechnic, for an update on all
the new projects. The 740,000 square foot Trades and Technology
complex has been stealing the limelight but SAITs culinary programs
now feature one of the only charcuterie labs in North America housed
in a school.
The Michelle OReilly Charcuterie Lab opened this fall and will have
a profound impact on student training. The unique $300,000 addition
to the schools training capabilities is a testament to Michelles families
love for a life taken unexpectedly, and a ftting memorial to a person
who was passionate about everything in her life; raising a young family,
competing in martial arts, cooking, and of course her love for Dan.
Fitting too, due to Michelles parents, Don and Mazel Chamberlands
fondness of fshing; we spent an enjoyable afternoon creating salmon
pepperoni from their catch of sockeye. Dan explained (lump in throat),
Don and I were looking for a way to honour Michelles memory and
her passion for cooking. She was proud of her culinary skills and liked
the art of cooking. She would be so excited by this and the lab is an
opportunity to help lots of people, which is ftting because Michelle was
always helping others.
An existing area within the meat cutting area has been refurbished
to open up the space, and all professional cooking, apprentice cooks
and meat operations students will take part of their training in this
new lab. It is outftted with state-of-the-art digitized controls on the
equipment to document the science behind creating favourful and
food-safe charcuterie products. An Omcan Hydraulic Sausage Stuffer,
custom-built InterGastro Curing Chamber and Scottpec Atmosphere
Controlled Smoker complement an existing smoke chamber that
is operated manually. In addition to producing, curing and drying
specialized sausages and prosciutto, other products such as bacon,
ham and fresh sausages are produced. The usual Hobart grinder,
vertical cutters, vacuum packer and steam kettle complete the major
equipment.
Two faculty members have been sent to specialized technical
courses on charcuterie production, with an emphasis on the science
behind the processes. Desmond Johnston (Brassica Mustard) and Abe
van Melle are as excited as kids in a candy shop. Look for the fruits of
their labours in the Market Place located in the John Ware building on
campus.
An established memorial tribute, Jacksons Garden, (Henuset family
of Willow Park Wines and Spirits) thrived with the summer heat and
humidity. An intern gardener from Olds College split his time between
there and Rouge Restaurant over the summer. Culinary students
participate in growing and planting seedlings and harvesting from this
for internships during the
summer months.
SAIT fast-tracked
construction of the facility over
the summer months to ensure
a fall opening. The challenge
arose from securing a suitable
space for the ambitious project.
As Dean Tom Bornhorst commented, You dont know what you dont
know. Fortunately, there is plenty of expert support from faculty and
staff on the main campus, plus a successful operating model.
The Continuing Education classes are structured to meet the clients
needs and provide a fun and informative session. The popularity of
Culinary Team-Building classes has been expanded to utilize the
state-of-the-art facility in the evenings and on weekends. Look for the
Rush Hour Recipe, a 45 minute class beginning after work, where
you get instruction on how to prepare a quick, tasty item and take the
preparation ingredients home to cook your dinner; the time-consuming
mise en place done for you. You can avoid some of the rush hour
traffc and the LRT is nearby. The Artisanal Series focuses on educated
cuisine. Classes will feature an ingredient, such as vinegars, local
purveyors and growers, and seasonal themes.
The new chocolate/sugar
lab was built a couple of years
ago and there are spectacular
creations coming from it.
Chocolate sculptures and
blown, pulled and poured sugar
art are common sights in the
Market Place, which features
baking, pastries, a fresh meat counter, prepared chilled soups and
other foods plus a selection of specialty ingredients. Christmas is an
exciting time when you can purchase all your holiday treats prepared
with top quality ingredients. Look for a selection of chocolates too.
If you thought the opening of SAITs new 740,000 square foot
Trades and Technology buildings were the only excitement on campus,
consider the School of Hospitality & Tourisms newest addition to the
Travel and Tourism program. Destinations is a travel agency located in
the Senator Burns building. It is the only live agency of its kind in North
America. Students experience real world customer service. Chair,
Gerry Suffeld and his team of instructors are excited to integrate this
project into their courses. This new feature to programming means
that all Hospitality & Tourism students at SAIT have a live training
component in their courses.
fresh outdoor classroom. You cant beat the aroma or favour of just-
picked rosemary, chives or carrots. The tomatoes actually taste like a
tomato. There is a selection of fruit-bearing trees and bushes. A new
addition is an eco-engineered greenhouse utilizing bubble technology
that extends the growing season and expands students appreciation
for growing your own. The garden bounty fnds its way into the
Highwood dining room and various culinary and apprentice classes.
The Harvest Dinner featured an entire menu utilizing organic produce
from the garden, highlighting a number of instructors creativity,
including using the outdoor forno oven.
Culinary Campus (Downtown) is a new SAIT business venture
designed to expand enrolment in the wait-listed Professional Cooking
and Baking and Pastry Arts programs. Located at 226, 230- 8th Ave.
SW, on the Plus 15 level of Scotia Centre adjacent to the Bay, it has
access off Stephen Avenue.
This 10,000 square foot world-
class facility is a live classroom
for cooks and bakers. Geanel
Restaurant Supplies leveraged
$2.3 million to build and outft
the space. MIWE, Rational
plus stacked convection ovens,
a Rotisol Rotisserie, CDS display cases, True refrigeration, Nordeck
Freezers and coolers, Doyon Spiral mixer, sheeter and bun divider, tilt
skillets, electric kettles, charbroiler, griddle, fryers, ranges and a Hobart
potwasher round out the major equipment.
The concept draws on the successful integration of teaching,
production, service and retailing, from the main campus. It is a
testament to the expertise of the faculty in the School of Hospitality
& Tourism. In addition to addressing industry needs for more
professionally trained personnel, it adds a new element to the
downtown scene; you can watch the students in action.
Arrive at 7:00 am, Monday through Friday, for fresh brewed coffee
and baked yeast goods. It is a grab and go format, with a Market
Place for salads, sandwiches and yeast goods, open until 5 pm. Lunch
service features live action stations, look for the Rotisserie, Hot Foods
and la minute for pastas
and stir-fries. The hot foods
selections are not your typical
food court offerings, offering
fare worthy of any upscale
restaurant in town. Operations
are a year-round weekday
model that will employ students
Boy Scouts, sports teams, the debate club...
Most of us belonged to something growing
up. It was a place to interact with other
like-minded individuals...
(or maybe it was just because our parents made us go!)
Did you know that Calgary has a variety of food and beverage
clubs that promote sharing common interests? One of these is the
Commanderie de Bordeaux. Commanderie translates to commandery
or prefecture an administrative jurisdiction under the governance of a
higher-level commander, like the Order of the Grail or the Zhou Dynasty!
The governing body of the Commanderie is the Grand Conseil du Vin
de Bordeaux in France, overseeing a worldwide network of chapters
from Europe to North America. The Calgary chapter was established in
1977 and has almost 40 members. It has a counsel or board, the head
of which is the maitre, currently Greg Stebbe, and the others are called
regents.
The Commanderies role is to be a gathering place for like-minded
gastronomes/oenophiles. According to Greg, the Commanderie is
based on having fun whilst learning about Bordeaux wines, wine culture
and traditions. Our events vary from taking over a bistro for the evening
with a short themed fight of wines before a nice 3 course dinner, to
having a cinema night where we screen a French language flm with
wine and amuse bouche during, followed by a dinner after, to straight
tastings of a more serious nature with little or no food accompaniment.
The Commanderie holds six to eight events throughout the year,
including a black tie induction dinner where new commandeurs
(members) are welcomed into the order. The club even partners
Commanderie
de
Bordeaux
by BJ Oudman
annually with the Shakespeare Company to host a backyard play and
luncheon in July! All events focus on wine, food and camaraderie (yes,
the commandeurs have camaraderie say that after a few glasses of
wine!).
Whats so special about Bordeaux? Why not a commanderie de
shiraz? Bordeaux is full of tradition and history. Ive been there I
know! From the 1855 Classifcation System to Bordeaux wine futures
to the grandiose chateaus and their lawns, it is a region unmatched
in class. I have personally visited frst growth chateaux to unclassifed
vineyards, and tradition oozed from every square foot of land!
The Commanderie maintains their own cellar to use for their events;
they currently hold approximately 900 bottles. Stebbe explains,
our cellar is centered on Cru Classe wines, but increasingly we
are purchasing lesser known chateaux producing fantastic wines.
Escalation of prices of top-rated Bordeaux recently has all but
eliminated these wines from normal consumption and are added for
tastings only.
Can anyone join? The counsel suggests attending several events as
a guest to see if the club and their approach to Bordeaux is a ft. Stebbe
laughs we are serious, but certainly not reverential! Visit their website
at www.commanderiedebordeaux.wordpress.com for more information.
Bordeaux, toujours Bordeaux.
The concept of a stuffng is simple: gather a group of ingredients
together and place inside meat, fowl, seafood or vegetable to cook as
it soaks up the favours of its vessel. Remember, the devil is in the
detail.
Its the details that can turn your stuffng from stove top to chefs
table. If you are making a bread stuffng then try challah, sourdough or
rye bread. For a rice stuffng, mix in some wild rice for a nutty favour.
Cornbread pairs nicely with a chorizo stuffng. Your vegetables should
be sauted (in butter and garlic for favour) and seasoned. Choose
good quality ground meat or sausage, cook and add into the rest of
your dressing ingredients. The fruits, nuts, herbs, and seasonings are
picked from the things you like the most. You could add sweet potato,
apple, cinnamon, allspice, walnuts and sage for a sweeter pumpkin
pie combination. Prefer something spicy? Chorizo sausage, thyme,
and red onion may suit your taste buds. If you are fond of citrus, then
incorporate lemon and orange zest, orange juice, ground chicken,
sourdough bread and lemon thyme into your blend. This is a time to
use your imagination or enhance your family recipe.
Heres a simple guide to help you build your own stuffng recipe. You
can create your own family tradition.
1. base (bread, rice, potato) + vegetables + meat + fruit + nuts
+ herbs + seasonings + liquid (stock, wine, milk)
2. take base + sauted vegetables + cooked meat, place all in
a large bowl, and cool
3. add egg, fruits, nuts, herbs, seasonings and combine
4. add liquid
5. stuff inside your bird, or a separate dish
6. cook
Where do you stuff your turkey? The consensus is, if you are going
to stuff your bird, then it should be in the neck and breast cavity.
Reason being, the breast cooks quicker than the rest of the turkey so
stuffng the breast cavity will slow down the cooking time improving
the chance of your bird cooking evenly. You should stuff your bird right
before you put it in the oven and do not overfll the cavity. The dressing
is cooked once it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. You
should plan for 120-180 mL (1/2 to 3/4 cup) of stuffng per person. Any
extra stuffng that does not ft in the bird (and I always advise having
more stuffng) can be cooked in a greased casserole dish at 350 F for
approximately 45 minutes or until the top is golden and heated through.
When it comes to stuffng your
Thanksgiving bird there are many
variables, least of which, is the comfort
of the traditional stuffng passed down
from your family. Stuffng or dressing
(used interchangeably) has been
around for centuries.
The Stuff
ing
Your Meal
Is Made Of
words, photos and recipes by Natalie Findlay
Sweet Potato, Apple, Walnut Stuffing
Serves 6
Prep Time: 30 minutes, Cook Time: 1 hour
1.5 L (6 cups) brioche, dried and cubed
1 onion, diced small
120 mL (1/2 cup) celery, diced small
120 mL (1/2 cup) carrot, diced small
4 cloves garlic, minced
120 mL (1/2 cup) butter
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3 tart apples, peeled and cubed
60 mL (1/4 cup) bourbon
240 mL (1 cup) walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 zest of lemon
3 eggs
Herbs: sage, thyme and parsley
240 mL (1 cup) stock
To taste salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Boil cubed sweet potato until soft, about 15 minutes.
3. Saut onion, celery, carrots and garlic in butter over medium heat,
until soft. Deglaze with bourbon.
4. Add sweet potato and apples and cook another 5 minutes. Let cool.
5. In a large bowl combine, bread, sweet potato mixture, walnuts and
lemon zest with 3 eggs along with the herbs, and mix well with hands.
6. Add stock if mixture needs more moisture. Stuffng should be moist
but not wet. Season to taste.
7. Cover casserole dish with buttered foil and bake 45 minutes.
8. Uncover and bake until top is crisp, approximately 15 minutes.
Mushroom and Herb Stuffing
Serves: 6
Prep Time: 40 min, Cooking Time: 1 hour
480 mL (2 cups) hot water
28 g (2 Tbs) dried porcini mushrooms
450 g egg bread, crust trimmed,
dried & cut into 2cm cubes
240 mL (1 cup) hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
90 mL (6 Tbs) unsalted butter
3 leeks, coarsely chopped
480 mL (2 cups) celery, diced
240 mL (1 cup) shallots, diced
550 g crimini mushrooms, sliced
225 g chanterelle mushrooms, sliced
120 mL (1/2 cup) white wine
Herbs: parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary
2 eggs, lightly beaten
180mL (3/4 cup) chicken stock
1. Soak porcini mushrooms in 480 mL (2 cups) hot water until the
mushrooms are soft, approximately 30 minutes. Reserve soaking
liquid, and chop mushrooms coarsely.
2. Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Cook leeks, shallots,
chanterelle and crimini mushrooms in butter until tender, about 15
minutes. Deglaze with white wine.
3. Mix in celery and porcini mushrooms, and cook for 5 minutes.
Transfer to a large bowl, and mix with bread and nuts. Season with
parsley, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Stir in eggs.
4. Combine broth and 180mL (3/4 cup) reserved porcini soaking liquid;
add just enough broth mixture to the stuffng to moisten.
5. Transfer stuffng to a buttered 25 x 38 cm (10 x 15 inch) baking dish.
Cover with buttered foil, and bake until heated through, 45 minutes.
6. Uncover, and bake until top is crisp, approximately 15 minutes.
Note: use your favourite mushrooms for this recipe.
Mrzen /Oktoberfest beers have been
around for hundreds of years, a product
of Bavarian brewing law which decreed
that beer can only be brewed between
St. Michaels Day (September 29) and
St. Georges Day (April 23), in order
to minimize brewery fres and brewing
problems which occur in the heat of the
summer months. The last beers made,
the Marzens, would be stored (lagered)
in cellars or caves with blocks of ice,
until opened to celebrate the harvest
and the start of the new brewing season.
This tradition took a giant leap forward
when Crown Prince Ludwig (later to
The crisp air, leaves turning gorgeous
colours of yellow and orange, the
smell of pumpkin pie and warm apple
cider, are the things many of us look
forward to in the fall. So are the cozy,
colourful and festive beers that are
Oktoberfest/Mrzens, pumpkin brews
and other seasonal concoctions. These
seasonal beers are much more complex
and substantial than summer thirst
quenchers, and can be paired with
some of your favourite comfort foods.
Freakishly
Festive
Fall
Beers
by Meaghan OBrien and David Nuttall
be King Ludwig I) married Princess
Therese on October 12, 1810. No single
man-made event has been responsible
for more beer consumption around the
world than this wedding; not the day of
celebration of deaths of patron saints,
not annual carnivals based on religious
dates factored around full moons, not
arbitrary yearly calendar fips, and not
even 10 day rodeos. Since the wedding
went so well, all of Germany decided to
celebrate the anniversary in the form of
a 16 day festival every year since (only
being interrupted by war and economic
reasons). While Oktoberfest in Munich
now attracts about 7 million visitors a
year drinking litres of beer in tents which
hold almost 10,000 people, the festival
has now migrated all over the globe, with
Kitchener-Waterloo holding Canadas
biggest event.
In Munich, only six breweries within
the city limits are allowed to produce
Oktoberfest beers, most of which dont
show up in Alberta; at the time of writing,
its unclear which ones will arrive in
2012, although Hacker-Pschorrs was on
tap last year. Fortunately, there are other
beers from Bavaria which fll in the gap,
such as Ayingers Oktober Fest-Mrzen
from just outside Munich,
Needless to say, these beers
scream for sausages, pork,
roasted chicken, beef and game,
yet also have a sweetness which
allows them to go with many
desserts, such as Crme Brulee.
To clarify, true Oktoberfest/
Mrzens are brewed only once
a year in the spring, and stored until
their release in the fall. They are slightly
higher in alcohol (around 5%-6%), tend
to be slightly darker than most lagers
(with the exception of the Helles style),
and have a predominantly malty,
simply not complete without a
treat to satisfy that sweet tooth.
Ambers Brewing Co. brews
their Sap Vampire Maple Lager
year-round but distinct maple
notes, malty fnish, and of
course the clever title, make it
a great beer to
crack open with some
roasted beer nuts or a
slice of warm
apple pie on
Halloween. They
also make the chillingly named
Zombie Apocalypse Red Lager,
which you can fnd only on tap.
Rogue Brewery, out of Oregon,
brews a German style Maibock,
coined Dead Guy Ale. The rich
creamy and caramel favour. Oktoberfest
(without the Mrzen) beers are made
mostly in North America and are inspired
by the style, but havent been lagered.
Often brewed using native hops, these
beers are much like the original, just a bit
more bitter. Many are brewed more than
once, so they hang around a little longer
than the Mrzens. Samuel
Adams Octoberfest is probably
the most ubiquitous, but search
for limited
releases such
as Ein Prosit!
Oktoberfest from
Edmontons
Alley Kat, and
Washingtons
Leavenworth Oktoberfest Ale.
Finally, check and see which
seasonals are being brewed
down at your local Brewsters.
Pumpkin beers are becoming
a more popular seasonal
brew for many craft breweries
located in the pumpkin belt.
The National Beer Hall, well
known for their large selection of North
American beer, is serving
up Quebecs St. Ambroise
Pumpkin Ale this fall.
Manager Chris Joyce,
whose mantra is to serve
only good quality food
and beer, is excited to
announce that they will
be the only bar in the city
serving this great fall beer
on tap (it is also available in stores in
a four-pack). To accompany this pint,
Joyce suggests their spice rubbed
roasted chicken or a National burger;
Pumpkin beers are going to go well
with our burger, medium-rare of course.
Deck it out with toppings of cheese,
mushrooms, fried egg,
or the works; for the
epitome of indulgence.
Squamish, B.C.s Howe
Sound will also be back
with Pumpkineater
Imperial Pumpkin Ale
in their
famous
one litre
re-closable bottle, brewed
with fresh roasted pumpkin.
And brand new to the
market, but with a very
limited supply, is Parallel
49 Brewing Companys
Oktoberfest lager. Look for Tree Brewing
from Kelownas Limited Edition Jumpin
Jack Pumkin Ale and Brooklyns Post
Road. Even Alley Kats Pumpkin Pie
is returning due to popular demand
after a year hiatus.
To further satisfy the
craving for pumpkin,
look for several other
breweries versions.
But act fast, they run
out quickly.
Pumpkin beers
are not the only
fall creations worth trying, and with
Halloween in mind there are many
different beers that draw their inspiration
from this ghoulish eve and provide a
delicious treat for adults. Halloween is
hearty favour and sweet malty aroma
goes great with a marinated spicy pork
chop, a side of honey-glazed
butternut squash and mashed
potatoes. For those of you
wondering about its gruesome
name, this ale was created as a
private tap sticker to celebrate
the Mayan Day of the Dead
(November 1, All Saints Day)
for Casa U Betcha in Portland.
The design was so popular, that
they made it the label for their Maierbock
Ale. They also make Voodoo Bacon
Maple Ale, whose part sinister/part sweet
name is exactly what it says it is; and it
goes great with bacon maple doughnuts
and cupcakes. To add a bit more
unconventional delicious favour to your
taste buds this fall, try Freaktoberfest
by Coney Island Brewing Company of
Brooklyn, New York; a blood
orange coloured beer made
with six hops, six malts and
comes in at 6.66% ABV.
(get it?).
The Wychwood Brewery
of Oxfordshire, England
produces a veritable enchanted
forest of beers which seem
to pop in and out of the
Alberta market like an elusive
leprechaun. With names like
Hobgoblin, Goliath, Scarecrow,
and Wychcraft (amongst
others), the labels alone
can decorate your house at
Halloween. Dieu de Ciel out of
Quebec also contributes to the season
with Corne du
diable (Horn of
the Devil), Pch
Mortel (Mortal Sin),
Paienne (Pagan),
Rigor Mortis ABT
and others. The
good news is most of these beers are
available year round, when you can fnd
them.
Cant decide whether to try an
Oktoberfest or a pumpkin beer, or
something devilishly brewed for
Halloween? Mill Street Brewery out
of Toronto
has released
the best of all
worlds. Their
new Autumn
Harvest
Seasonal
Classics
six-pack
contains three
Oktoberfest
beers brewed in the Marzen style and
three Pumpkin Ales called Nightmare on
Mill Street, based on their brewmasters
wifes pumpkin pie recipe.
So, whether you decide to celebrate
the change of the seasons with a tasty
Mrzen, a North American Octoberfest, a
spicy pumpkin ale, or some menacingly
named brew, be prepared to be spooked
by how delicious some of these fall
brews are. These beers can be found all
over the city at your local store and the
happening beer-forward pubs and bars,
but make sure you act quickly, because
much like our fall season, they wont last
long.
1. Patience: The art of resting the bird before carving. Heat
causes the bird to tighten up. If you start to carve your turkey
straight away, all the juices will fow out of the meat. Allowing
it to rest 15 minutes will allow the bird to absorb the juices,
therefore creating a moist product.
2. Make sure the knife youre using allows you the ability to
carve your turkey. A carving knife should be about 24cm in
length and 3 to 4 cm in width.
3. If you are carving your bird before you get to the table then
remove it completely from the bone before proceeding to carve
Mike Wrinch, at Knifewear in Inglewood, knows a thing or two about carving a bird. He
gives us his four top tips for successful carving:
it into slices. If you are carving the bird at the table then the
most important step begins before the bird goes in the oven.
Mike says to remove the wishbone that attaches the back to
the wing. By doing this, it allows you to carve the breast easier
and make you look like a pro.
4. Mike also believes that the leg and thigh usually end up
being the best part of the turkey. In order to get the most from
it, he suggests removing the leg and cutting around the bone
like you would cut around an apple core, leaving you with three
pieces of meat to slice and serve.
Chefs
Tips
written and photographed by Natalie Findlay
Chef Andrew Winfeld, has been with River Caf for
eleven years, and is dedicated to working with natures
bounty. His tip is to up the ante. Chanterelle mushrooms
are top of his list at this time of year, particularly those from
Saskatchewan that are frm and small with a musky, apricot
sweetness. He also wants us to take the best of the seasons
harvest to preserve. The corn harvest signals the end of
summer, and the kernels can easily be preserved through
pickling, freezing or canning. Chef Winfeld uses a salting
method to turn duck breasts into duck proscuitto.
Perfect for a Thanksgiving starter.
Duck Prosciutto with Taber Corn & Sage Sformato
and Sauted Saskatchewan Chanterelles
Look for a 225-250 g duck breast, neatly trimmed by a butcher.
Curing Mix
2 Kg course salt
5 g (1 tsp) juniper berries, ground in a mortar
6 g (1 heaped tsp) bay leafs, crushed fne
15 g (1 Tbs) fresh thyme leaves
1. Slightly toast crushed juniper
berries in a shallow pan, then mix
all ingredients together.
2. Place 240 mL (1 cup) of curing
mix into a glass container big
enough to ft a duck breast.
3. Place duck breast on top and
pour over 480 mL (2 cups) of curing
mix, packing tightly.
4. Let sit in fridge for 18 hours
5. Remove duck breast from salt,
rinse, pat dry and wrap lightly in
cheesecloth.
6. Tie with butcher twine and hang
in a cool cellar (ideal around 12-
13C) for 12 to 14 days, until duck
has lost 30% of its weight.
It is now ready to be sliced.
See www.culinairemagazine.ca for the Taber Corn & Sage Sformato
and Sauted Saskatchewan Chanterelles recipes.
Oven Roasted Alberta Duck Breast with Duck Confit Polenta and Sour Cherry Jus
Serves 4
1 whole Alberta duck (or 2 legs and 2 breasts)
60 mL ( cup) sour cherry jam
240 mL (1cup) veal or duck demi glace
Herb Salad:
85 g arugula
chervil, mint, tarragon and parsley leaves
15 mL (1Tbs) extra virgin olive oil
1. Heat a large pan or skillet with cooking oil or duck fat.
Season each breast generously with salt and pepper, and
cook in the hot pan, skin side down on medium heat. After
approximately 10 minutes, the skin should be crispy; fip the
breasts and cook for another 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and
let the duck rest in the pan for 3 minutes before serving.
2. Melt sour cherry jam in a little pot and add the demi glace.
Bring to a boil, cook until it reaches a thick consistency and set
aside until needed.
3. Mix all herbs leaves and arugula in a bowl. Season with the
olive oil, salt and pepper and toss gently.
4. Slice duck breast and cover with the sour cherry jus. Finish
with the herb salad and serve right away.
Chef Xavier serves this dish with a duck conft polenta. Go to www.culinairemagazine.ca for the recipe.
Chef Xavier Lacaze, of
Home Tasting Room, grew
up with duck as a staple.
His tip is to love duck all
year long. Its moist and
has a deeper favour and
can be substituted for any
other protein on your plate.
He especially loves the fall
season for duck as it is a
rich, comfort food that fts
into the abundant favours
of fall and every special
occasion.
Mary Ellen Grueneberg, of Green Eggs and Ham
Farm, is an expert on birds. She carries all your festive fowl
requirements. The European holiday bird is the goose, whilst
the French prefer guinea fowl and duck for their special
occasions, and she has them all. Here in North America
we are partial to turkey for our Thanksgiving and Christmas
gatherings, and Green Eggs and Ham Farm has all sizes
of turkeys. She also carries turkey and duck sausages to
complement your thanksgiving stuffng, as well as duck
eggs that will make any dessert lighter and smoother.
For smaller families that may have trouble fnding a turkey that doesnt have you
eating leftovers until next Thanksgiving, she recommends a turkey bombe. This is
a stuffed turkey breast flled with cranberries and orange, and just enough bread to
bind the flling together. It comes bagged and frozen. The instructions for cooking are
simple:
1. Boil from frozen for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove turkey bombe from bag and let
cool just enough to handle.
2. Prepare a crust of fnely chopped
pecans, walnuts, almonds, and herbs on
a sheet tray.
3. Prepare melted duck fat (for a crisper
crust) or duck egg wash in another tray.
Coat turkey bombe in duck fat or eggs,
then roll in the crust coating. Place in
preheated 350 F oven and roast for
20 to 40 minutes, or until the internal
temperature reaches 155 F.

~
Stephanie
~

Arsenault
Cassis Bistro has an
incredible chicken entre
that I would happily
indulge in any day. The
Sunworks free-range
chicken (chicken leg,
morel mushroom sauce,
arugula, and mashed
potatoes) is favourful,
well balanced, and
comforting; you just cant
go wrong especially
if you start out the meal
with a glass of Pastis.
~ Wendy Ell ~
One of my favourite
poultry dishes is the Mr.
Chicken Panini form
The Holy Grill. Grilled
chicken, fve star bacon,
roasted red peppers,
tomatoes and red onions.
Very few sandwiches can
you call Mister. This
one has earned the right.
~
Heather
~
Hartmann
On my frst visit to Avec Bistro on 11th Avenue, I was
blown away by the duck conft. Its incredibly tender,
and the richness of the duck is beautifully balanced by
stewed sour cherries. Theyve only been open a couple
of months, so I havent been back yet, but I will.
Heather
~
Kingston
~
In the heart of Kensington lies The Brasserie. This bistro
is the number three seller of Foie Gras in Canada. I
decided to pass on the Foie Gras this time because the
Duck Rillettes looked so good! The roasted, shredded
duck meat came piled atop a fresh piece of French
bread. The aioli brought the entire open-faced sandwich
to a delicious taste experience. I have my eye on their
Duck Conft for my next visit!
~ Tom Firth ~
Based on my history with
canards and plate glass,
Ill eat anything with duck
in it. See page 49 for the
story and a few picks.
~ Linda Garson ~
I ordered the Wild Mushroom, Truffe, Basil and White
Cheddar Scramble on Noble Duck Conft Hash for
brunch at Big Fish recently. It was a very generous plate
and I still fnished every last bite. The Cornish Hen at Il
Sogno is always cooked perfectly with crispy skin and
moist, tender fesh - defnitely a favourite. Then theres
the chicken curries... Kang Kiew Wan Kai (green curry
chicken in coconut milk with basil, zucchini and green
peppers) at Thai-Sai-On, Chicken Karai Masala at Safari
Grill and the Butter Chicken at La Jawab all plate-
licking dishes!

Menu Gems
Here are some of our favourite poultry dishes!


~ Adrian Bryksa ~
When it comes to fowl in Calgary, my choice for
presentation to seek out is the Fois Gras Poutine from
Brasserie Kensington with its layers of potatoes fried in
duck fat, duck gravy, truffe oil, parmesan cheese and
lobes of fois gras. It is extraordinarily decadent and
perfect to share with a glass of Siduri Pinot Noir. This is
comfort food taken to the excess.
~ Gabriel Hall ~
If you share my aversion
to turkey, listening to
people prattle on about
the wonders of the big
bird wears quickly on
your nerves. To regain
my sanity, I hop out to
Happy Hill on Centre
Street and 8th Avenue
North (or any major
Chinese restaurant) and
order myself some deep
fried squab. This crispy,
cute little birdy always
reminds me that bigger
isnt always better.
~ Patricia Koyich ~
My favourite duck dishes
are both at Il Sogno and
thats no bias! One is
the duck croquettes -
amazing with chili honey
and/or paprika aoili
... like little nuggets of
bliss! The other is on our
lunch menu, conft leg on
rich mushroom risotto.
Perfect comfort food!
~ Fred Malley ~
I recently enjoyed the
rotisserie duck at Wurst.
Very meaty and tender,
crisp skin, it comes
whole on a carving
board. Excellent value
for two and youll have
leftovers for the next day.
~ BJ Oudman ~
My favourite is BBQ duck
from the T & T takeout
counter. This is simple
food I cannot make - buy
a container to go and
add your own sides for a
great meal at home.
~ Wendy Brownie ~
Notables Happy Chicken to go is brilliant! Order your
crisply roasted succulent bird accompanied with fngerling
potatoes, veggies and amazing sauce for your drive
home. So easy and so delicious. It is habit forming all
good!
~ Vincci Tsui ~
I really like the Duck Two Ways from 80th & Ivy. The
croquettes are nice and crisp on the outside, while the
duck provides a rich favour, without being too heavy or
greasy, and it goes very well with the sweet, thick date
paste that they provide for dipping. The faky pastry on
the pastilla was a very pleasant surprise (I had originally
thought it would be more like a spring roll) and again, it
just really brings out the rich favour of the duck. All this
richness contrasts nicely with the watercress and pear
salad thats also on the plate!
3Ways
Pumpkin
by Linda Garson
Pumpkin and Coconut Soup
Serves 6
450 g pumpkin pureed
45 mL (3 Tbs) olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 smoked chipotle chilli
55g slice from cream of
coconut block
720 mL (3 cups) chicken stock
salt, pepper, croutons
1. Fry onion in oil until slightly coloured, then
add chilli and garlic.
2. Fry for a minute, add pumpkin and fry for a
further minute.
3. Add stock and simmer 10 minutes.
4. Crumble in cream of coconut and stir till
dissolved.
5. Season to taste and serve topped with
croutons.
Pair with a lightly oaked Chardonnay such as
Plaisir de Merle $26 or a sparkling wine like
Saurus Brut $22
Turkey & Cashew Nut
Stuffed Pumpkin
Serves 4
375g turkey breast
3 cloves garlic, chopped
60 mL (4Tbs) olive oil
1 cm ginger, chopped
25g butter
100g plain cashews
1 large onion, chopped
200g chicken livers (optional)
5 mL (1tsp) ground mace
6-8 sage leaves
5 mL (1tsp) paprika
1.5kg pumpkin, (hollowed out)
5 mL (1tsp) dill seeds

1. Melt all the butter with 30 mL (2tbs) oil in
a pan, add onions and cook till soft. Stir in
paprika, dill seeds, garlic and ginger.
2. Chop turkey into small pieces and add to
pan, stirring until opaque. Place in bowl.
3. Add 5mL (1tsp) oil to pan and fry cashews
until brown, then add to turkey.
4. If using, fry chicken livers briefy and add,
with the sage, to the bowl.
5. Stuff pumpkin, replace the top and wrap
with foil.
6. Bake in roasting pan for 2 hours at 350F
or until fesh feels soft when you insert a
knife.
Pair with a Beaujolais such as Villa Ponciago
Beaujolais-Villages $21 or any of the fall
pumpkin beers in our October beer article.
Pumpkin and Ginger
Cheesecake
Serves 8
170g digestive biscuits,
crushed
50 g melted butter
15 mL (1Tbs) sugar
450g pumpkin,
cooked & pureed
3 large eggs
150 g soft brown sugar
5 mL (1 tsp) ground ginger
225 g cream cheese
30 mL (2 Tbs) four
4 pieces stem ginger
1. Mix biscuit crumbs, sugar and butter
together and press into 20 cm pie tin.
2. Mix pumpkin, eggs, cheese, ginger, brown
sugar and four together. Add stem ginger.
3. Pour into tin and bake at 350 F for 40-50
minutes or until set.
Pair with Pinnacle Ice Cider,
either still or sparkling $29.50
Pumpkins, and their gorgeous autumnal colour, symbolize fall in Canada. Is it a coincidence that
they are the same colour as turning leaves? Theyre not quite so prevalent in England although
we did try growing them in our veggie patch one year and had considerable success too! But
then I had no idea what to do with them all, so I experimented with pumpkin recipes, both sweet
and savoury, to build a repertoire of trustworthy dishes for entertaining (and impressing) my
friends!
Here are three dishes to cover all courses a starter of pumpkin and coconut soup with a subtle
hint of smoky chipotle chili, a main course of pumpkin stuffed with spiced turkey and cashew nuts
and for dessert, a beautiful pumpkin and ginger cheesecake. Theyre all really simple to make
with easy to fnd ingredients and very tasty!
Patrons of the restaurant
scene in Calgary are
constantly having their
attention grabbed by new,
up-and-coming additions and
this can lead diners to forget
about those trail blazers that
paved the way. Fortunately,
despite the competition,
Rouge continues to execute
service on a level that few
can attain.
Since 2001, the team at Rouge led by owners Paul Rogalski
& Olivier Reynaud, has consistently delivered creative, artful
expressions of food combined with service that is second to
none. In 2010, it was recognized by Restaurant magazine as
number 60 in the San Pellegrino top 100 restaurants in the world,
a list compiled by over 800 industry experts. That same year, it
was voted Restaurant of the Year by Avenue magazine, and it is
continually recognized, both digitally and in print, as one of the
best places to visit for finer dining in Calgary.
There is a calculated simplicity to the menus at Rouge that
other restaurants could take note of. For example, the lunch
menu consists of only twelve options: six first courses and six
second courses. While the menu is rooted in French cuisine and
technique, one shouldnt be surprised to see Asian-inspired dishes
such as duck confit salad rolls or a unique interpretation of Indias
mulligatawny soup. In short, the lunch menu is a cultural culinary
melting pot with influences that reflect ingredient availability and
the inspiration and collaboration of Rouges talented kitchen team.
The dinner menu demonstrates the same approach and offers
several starters, two soups, two salads and only seven main
courses. It should be noted that Rouge is one of approximately 40
restaurants in Calgary that takes part in the Ocean Wise program,
written and photographed by Adrian Bryksa
le Vie en
Rouge:
No Scarecrow
Required
and the menu proudly denotes the Ocean Wise seal if the dish
contains seafood from a certified supplier. For guests looking to
experience the ultimate in culinary creativity, Rouge offers a six-
course chefs tasting menu matched only by local contemporaries
such as River Caf, Teatro and Chefs Table at the Kensington
Riverside Inn. Rouge culinary team members are creative and
flexible with their menu and adapt their offerings based on
availability of ingredients or unique diner needs (celiac, vegan,
lactose-intolerant and pescatarian, to name a few).
Rouge staff havent limited themselves to service within the
confines of the former Cross residence. They have designed and
crafted a beautiful, functional garden area walled in by shrubs and
trees to provide a private sanctuary. Within the larger area are
several vegetable gardens, where the chefs who tend them can
find just the right ingredient. This garden is symbolic of the teams
philosophy. They are dedicated to ensuring sustainability and
freshness, and they try to source ingredients from local producers
whenever possible. It is not unusual to see chefs scurrying out
to the garden to harvest ingredients between the lunch and
dinner rush. This patio and garden area also doubles as a space
for various receptions such as weddings, and is an oasis in the
hustle and bustle surrounding it from the lively community within
Inglewood.
The team has unique logistical challengesall their inventory
must be manually carried down a set of stairs and their storage
areas can only handle about one-weeks worth of produce. Given
the complexity of their lunch and dinner menus, the chefs tasting
menu and banquet menus, a highly organized inventory master
is a must, and this man is Luis Elias-Obergnon, one of Rouges
two sous chefs. He joined us for a conversation and served my
dining companion Linda Garson and me his interpretation of
Thanksgiving dinner, a stunning presentation of baby squash
risotto crowned by medallions of white and dark chicken with
edible flower petals and leeks, accompanied by an eggplant puree
and balsamic vinaigrette.
Chef Elias-Obergnon described how the chicken was halved:
the meat from the breast and the leg was separated and prepared
in a roulade, then the meat was rolled back up and roasted in the
skin of the chicken. The crispiness of the exterior skin combined
with the juicy white and dark meat within was superb. The creamy
risotto was his replacement for potatoes and was livened by sweet
slices of baby squash and executed perfectly with rice cooked al
dente. The leeks provided freshness, texture and acidity, while the
eggplant puree added visual contrast and delicate flavour.
Combining the sensory elements of smell, presentation and
taste, the dish came together magnificently and would have been
complemented by a glass pour from the wine list of the 2010
Stuhlmuller Chardonnay from Sonoma, California. Both Linda and
I agreed that this dish would be a welcome change from our usual
Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing.
Earning Wine Spectators Award of Excellence every year
since 2005, Rouges wine list has something to please almost
any palate. It includes 13 five-ounce glass pours ranging from
$11 to $12: six red, six white and one ros. Additionally, three
bubbly glass options are available, including Champagne in the
non-vintage Taittinger for $20. For those guests who choose
the chefs tasting menu, two options exist for wine pairings - a
standard offering of six glasses for $60 or a premium selection
of six glasses for $100, per guest. The list has an old-world feel,
with various regions of France receiving several nods. Bordeaux
is well represented, with 19 wines, including rarities such as the
2nd growth 2005 Chteau Pichon Comtesse Lalande for $395
and the 2003 Les Forts De Latour for $350. Burgundy is covered,
with selections such as the 2008 Domaine Marc Roy Clos Prieur
from Gevrey-Chambertin for $125 and the 2007 Domaine Leflaive
Macon-Verze for $90. Not to be outdone, Italy and the US are
showcased, with highlights from producers Gaja in Piedmont and
Tuscanys Fontodi along with Washington States Quilceda Creek
and the ultra-rare Sine Qua Non from California. Rouge also
offers a selection of Canadian wine, with the remarkable 2008
Blue Mountain Chardonnay from the Okanagan for $75 acting as
a guiding light. The list also includes a diverse beer and cocktail
selection for those looking for something other than wine or a
different apritif or digestif.
Our original idea for this feature was to do a story on
restaurants in Calgary that are inhabited by spirits, since Rouge
remains a stop on Calgary Ghost Tours Inglewood walk. However,
it would appear that any spectres that may have occupied it have
been removed, so our article relates to our Thanksgiving theme.
The staff radiates a positive energy that is reflected in how they
care for their space and in the food they serve their guests. As
patrons of restaurant dining in Calgary, this October we give
thanks for the constant that is Rouge in our diverse and ever-
changing scene. As writers, we will continue to extol the its virtues
and hope that we have given you enough reason to visit them for
the first time, or revisit if you have dined with them in the past.
We wish them a long future and hope they continue to strive for
excellence and continued evolution as leaders in our culinary
community.
Cocktails, in recent decades, have been treated like a marginalized
little brother. Overshadowed in its youth by beers motorbike riding,
leather jacket wearing tough guy image, it seemed that mixed drinks
were always struggling to fnd their identity by cladding themselves
in fruity yellow hammer pants and nuclear lime green shirts. As both
drinks matured, the rough guy image of beer persisted, while cocktails
remodelled itself into a suave Dean Martin-esque veneer.
One of the leaders of the maturing cocktail culture in Calgary is
Nathan Head, co-owner and resident mixologist of Milk Tiger. Nathan
has spent the better part of his life devoting himself to the proliferation
of quality drinks throughout the Calgary scene, garnering Milk Tiger a
reputation for delivering both innovative cocktails and consistent takes
on classic staples like the Mad Men Old Fashioned.
The people right now that are drinking cocktails know what
theyre after. Theyre drinking good spirits, they eating good food,
theyre ordering good cocktails. They have well rounded palettes
Nathan noted. His dedicated efforts have culminated into producing
the winning drink at this years Calgary Made With Love mixology
contest.
A Bit of Northern Hospitality
1 oz Canadian Rye Whiskey
oz Averna Amaro
oz black tea simple syrup
oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz pilsner lager infused
with Earl Grey tea
1. Combine the frst four
ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
Shake lightly for 5 seconds.
2. Strain with a hawthorne (the
slotted disc with a coiled spring)
and fne mesh strainer into a
double old fashioned glass.
3. Add ice and top off with Earl
Grey infused beer
Black tea simple syrup:
250 mL water
2 black tea bags
210 g sugar
1. Boil the water and add the tea bags. Let it steep for 3-5 minutes
2. Add sugar and stir until dissolved
3. Cool before use
Steam Whistle infused with Earl Grey tea:
1 bottle of Steam Whistle lager
1 Earl Grey tea bag
1. Pour the bottle of Steam Whistle into a glass
2. Add a teabag of Earl Grey tea and let it steep for 5-10 minutes.
3. Remove the tea bag and discard
His event-winning tea infused beer cocktail pays homage to the
dominant and still expanding beer culture that is prevalent in the
city, combines it with the fast-growing demand for brown spirits like
whiskies and bourbons, and utilizes lemon, simple syrup and tea to
maintain the delicate interplay between sweet, acid, bitter, strong and
weak favours. The result is a deceptively simple sounding beverage
with a complex and refreshing favour.
Nathans next conquest will be the national Made With Love fnals
in Montreal this December. Although he faces challenges tapping into
the Montreal spirits culture and working without familiar surroundings
or tools, his vivid imagination and dedication to creating well-balanced
drinks will help him display the depth of Calgarys cocktail culture and
mixology talents on the national stage.
Made With Love
Growing Cocktail Culture with a little TLC
written & photographed by Gabriel Hall
Hearty Chickpea and Chicken Soup
Serves 5-6
Total cook time: 45 min
I start refning my hearty soup skills once autumn rears its ugly head.
Well, I dont actually mean ugly, I really do like fall, the changing
of the leaves, being able to wear knits again, pumpkin bowling, all
of those things are great. Its just that Im always sad to watch the
warm weather slip away, and with it, my tan. But, I digress...this soup
embodies fall. It is meant to warm you up on a chilly evening. This soup
can be served pureed or left chunky. I prefer somewhere in the middle,
pureeing half, leaving it a bit chunky! I love eggplant and cook with it
often. For any eggplant haters out there, this soup will help convert
you, I promise. I wouldnt lie to you would I?
What youll need...
2 yellow onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 eggplant, 1 cm cubed
2 13.5oz cans chick peas, drained
(reserve liquid of one can)
5 mL (1 tsp) masala tandoori powder
5 mL (1 tsp) garam masala powder
5 mL (1 tsp) yellow curry powder
480 mL (2 cups) cooked chicken meat, roughly chopped
1 12.5oz can diced tomatoes
1.25 L (5 cups) chicken broth
15 mL (1 Tbs) red wine vinegar
15 mL (1 Tbs) lemon juice
olive oil
1. Start things off by tossing the onion and garlic in a medium-sized pot. Drizzle with some olive oil, and cook
down on medium-high heat until the onions become translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add in the eggplant and chickpeas, as well as the masala tandoori, garam masala, and curry powder.
Stir mixture until the spices have evenly coated the vegetables. Continue to cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring
occasionally, until the eggplant pieces start to soften.
3. Now place all remaining ingredients into the pot, including the reserved chickpea liquid.
Once the pot comes to a boil, reduce to low heat and simmer on the stove for at least
30 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper, pure if you wish,
but above all else, enjoy!
Best served with warm bread...naan if youve got it!
The Soup Kitchen
recipes and photos by Dan Clapson
Citrus Tortilla Chicken Soup
Serves 3-4
Total cook time: 35 min
Now that weve had our frst taste of cooler weather, its time to warm up those bones with a hot bowl of
soup! This Mexican-inspired soup provides a little bit of heat to warm your soul and please your taste buds!
What youll need...
1.25 L (5 cups) chicken stock
1 yellow onion, fnely chopped
4 cloves garlic, fnely chopped
2 jalapeno peppers
2 (ripe) tomatoes
480 mL (2 cups) cooked chicken meat, roughly chopped
5mL (1 tsp) chili powder
1 bunch cilantro
Garnish tortilla chips and sour cream (for garnish)
2 lemons
2 limes
olive oil
1. Place chopped onions and garlic in a pot
on medium heat with some olive oil. Once the
onions soften, add 240 mL (1 cup) of stock.
Simmer until reduced by half.
2. While the stock is reducing, chop up your
jalapeno peppers (if you remove the seeds youll
get less heat from the peppers) and tomatoes,
then zest both the lemons.
3. When the stock is reduced by half, add in
the chopped veggies, chicken, lemon zest, juice
from the lemons and limes, chicken stock, chili
powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a
boil again, then simmer on low for 20 minutes so
all the favours have a chance to intermingle.
4. Right before you serve the soup, throw in
some chopped cilantro, then top with some tortilla
chips and sour cream to balance out the heat.
Burgundian pinot noirs area little erratic. From year to year the
quality and expression of the wines fuctuates quite a bit (these are
the differences between a great vintage or a mediocre one), a wine
that was absolutely perfect one year might be merely passable the
next. The wines of Burgundy, specifcally the reds, are the perfect wine
for those annoying wine experts who love to boast about little-known
wines they regularly enjoy - from the best vintages of course - that you
never will.
So, frst things frst, you dont have to know all the minutia of
Burgundy to enjoy the wine. Many good burgundies are simply good
wines that dont require an understanding of the mysteries of the
universe to enjoy. Get out there and try them!
The second thing - whenever talking about pinot noir, two things
must be mentioned:
1. Its the heartbreak grape; tough to grow well. If something
isnt going perfectly in the vineyard- pinot noir doesnt like it. It
is this delicate nature that helps pinot noir exhibit the nuances
of where it is grown.
2. There is a movie you might have heard of, called
Sideways. Wine, specifcally pinot noir, fgured prominently in
the movie and interest in pinot noir increased as a result.
Pinot noir is grown in much of the wine-producing world, but tends to
produce its best wines in cooler climates. It is a relatively fragile grape,
prone to rot, frost, viruses, heat, and so on, but is capable of producing
sensual, complex wines, that can showcase favours and aromas of
where it is from better than almost any other wine grape.
Pinot Noir pairs easily with a range of foods, due to its lower tannins
and higher acidity, perfect with anything from vegetarian cuisine to
seafood such as salmon, to duck, and even game meats. In fact, if in
doubt which red wine will go with a dish, pinot noir will almost always
work.
Burgundy has a cool, continental climate. Outside of France, most
of the top pinot noirs comes from cooler places like Oregon, New
Zealand, and even Canada. What makes Burgundy so special is that
with a history of planting one red grape in the area for several hundred
years, the very best vineyard sites are very well-known for their unique
Oenophiles love to talk about Burgundy; its tricky to get a handle on, and takes
a long time to become anything like an expert on it. It is a journey that is worth
it though. The elusive and beautiful wines are a bit like spotting a perfect sunset.
Many are beautiful, but once in a while the perfect one comes your way and you
keep watching out for the next perfect one.
by Tom Firth
characteristic and the effect on the vine. Equally important is the skill
of the people involved, often over generations, that is used to evoke
the best sense of the vineyard into the wine. Coupled with the marl
and limestone soils, the altitude and incline of the vineyards, and the
aspect, or where the sun is relative to the vineyard slope, all amount
to terroir, which is that elusive sense of place in your wine glass that
winemakers all over the world strive for, but rarely achieve.
The wines of Burgundy are classed according to quality based on
which vineyard(s) the wine comes from. Historically, with Napoleon to
thank, vineyards were split equally amongst heirs, meaning that while
the size of the vineyards were fxed, descendants inherited smaller and
small portions of a vineyard. Since some vineyards are split into nearly
infnitesimal sizes, many growers are simply too small to produce
commercial wines, and sell their grape or wines to larger organizations
called ngociants that vinify, blend, and sell the fnished wine.
Since terroir matters so much in Burgundy, it is worth getting a rough
sense of the broad regions involved. The regions of Burgundy stretch
south from the city of Dijon in France to the city of Lyons. Heading
from Dijon, you would frst come to the Cte de Nuits, this region
is almost exclusively devoted to pinot noir and has 24 Grand Cru
vineyards inside. Many of the best wines in Burgundy come from the
Cte de Nuits. Next is the Cte de Beaune, which includes the town
of Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy which hosts its famous wine
auction each November. One of the greatest pinot noirs in the world,
Corton, comes from this region. Together, the Cte de Nuits and Cte
de Beaune comprise what is known at the Cte dOr. Further south are
the Cte Chalonnaise and Mconnaise, which are less well known for
premium reds, but there are still some fantastic wines from these parts
of Burgundy.
At the top of the quality pyramid are the Grand Cru or Great
Growth vineyards, which account for less than 2 percent of total wine
production in Burgundy. These will have specifc vineyard names like
Corton or Clos St. Denis on the label and there are 33 of these top
vineyards. If the label doesnt say Grand Cru or you didnt memorize
the list, the price tag of several hundred dollars a bottle should help
you recognize them. If you plan on aging wine, these are good
candidates, as many vintages will age for decades.
Next on the pyramid are the Premier Cru or First Growth wines.
Accounting for around 11 percent of production, this tier has 562
vineyard sites (rather than specifc vineyards) or Climats to choose
from, and the label will typically have the name of the commune
along with the name of the vineyard on the label. Confused yet? The
commune is a fancy way of saying the village and the surrounding
vineyards in its area. The prices are a little more reasonable with a
Chambolle-Musigny typically less than $100 on a retail shelf. These
wines also age well, but you should plan to drink them within a decade
or two, unless you would prefer to drink them now, and that is entirely
up to you.
Following Premier Cru are the communal or village wines. These
wines are named after the village rather than the specifc vineyards,
but there are exceptions to further muddy the waters. Village wines
account for around a third of total production, but on the bright side,
there are only 42 to remember. Prices tend to be well under $50
making them a little easier to experiment with while still having good
expression and quality. Some wines will age longer than others, but are
generally best consumed within a decade of vintage. Below this tier are
the 22 regional wines; these account for the remainder of production
and all have labels that say Bourgogne right on the front. Prices here
are generally less than $25 and these wines are meant for consuming
now or soon, with little improvement coming from further cellaring.
The wines of Burgundy are varied, complex, and exciting to drink,
and for most, this is enough to become passionate consumers and
collectors of its wines. I asked sommelier Jackie Cooke, proprietor of
Avec Bistro, what drew her into the wines of Burgundy and it was an
experience where, how could a wine so pale, have so much to say?
Its delicate nature and velvety tannins took my breath away. Maybe its
time to open up a bottle - in good company - and hear what Burgundy
wants to say to you?
Most good wine shops should have a
selection of Burgundies that they are
comfortable recommending at most price
levels. But here are a few suggestions to
help you get started on your search.
Bouchard Pere & Fils 2010 Bourgogne Pinot Noir $23
Louis Latour Domaine de Valmoissine Pinot Noir $19
Joseph Faiveley 2010 Bourgogne $17
Louis Jadot 2006 Echezeaux $172
Joseph Drouhin 2009 Gevry-Chambertin $76
Chanson Pere & Fils 2007 Pernand-Vergelesses $80
Louis Jadot 2007 Savigny Les Beaune $54
Toms Wine Picks
The release of these light and refreshingly fruity wines
involved liquor store line-ups and parties celebrating the
release, the frst wines released from a vintage, the harvest
having only been completed a few weeks before. The wines
would be shipped around the world (rumour has that wines
were even shipped via Concorde to get to certain markets on
time) and retailers would be forbidden from selling the wine
prior to the release date, a modern equivalent would be like
book vendors selling copies of the Harry Potter books before
the release date. If caught, they would be unable to carry the
future releases.
For Beaujolais, those heady daystheyre gone. When I
got my start at Willowpark Wines & Spirits in the mid 90s, we
could plop a few pallets of Beaujolais Nouveau in the middle
of the sales foor and they would fy out the door. By the time
I left several years later, it would be a few sad-looking stacks.
A few scandals, rising prices, and the trend towards bigger,
fruit-rich reds, all helped kill the interest in Beaujolais.
What exactly is Beaujolais? The red grape responsible
is a relatively little-known one called gamay. As the grape
goes, its primary residence is in the Beaujolais region at
the southern tip of Burgundy in France. It is found in much
smaller quantities in Italy, the United States, Canada, and
in a few other regions. It is a grape generally meant to be
We dont talk about Beaujolais
much anymore. In its heyday,
the distant past, around the
mid 1970s to early 1990s, the
wines of Beaujolais were sought
after, and once a year, on the
3rd Thursday of November,
when Beaujolais Nouveau
was released to the world,
the excitement for the wines
reached heights on par with a
Robert Parker 98+ point score.
Le Beaujolais
est
Arriv
by Tom Firth
consumed young and is rarely a show-stopping performer,
as it doesnt handle high alcohol levels or excessive oak
well. It ripens early and to make quality wines, growers must
keep the yields low. Gamay often undergoes a process in the
winery called carbonic maceration, where, in a low oxygen
tank, the grapes begin an intracellular fermentation prior to
the normal fermentation. It helps make a fruity, aromatic,
refreshing, and light-bodied wine, and wine made with this
process often has a soft bubblegum or banana aroma, which
is usually very easy to identify in Beaujolais Nouveau.
Gamay generally doesnt age well and most, including the
best, should be consumed within a few years. Beaujolais
Nouveau is usually meant to be consumed before Christmas
of the same year of its release if a friend tries to gift you
a bottle of 95 Nouveau, pour them the frst (and second)
glass. Beaujolais is also available year round as (in order of
quality):
Beaujolais - the basic bottling
Beaujolais Village - from the premium vineyards
of the region and fnally as one of the 10
Crus of Beaujolais.
These select villages such as Chiroubles, Fleurie, Morgon,
and St. Amour are regarded as having some of the best sites
and are able to produce wines labelled with the village of
origin. These Crus arent widely available in Alberta, but if
you like gamay, they are worth looking for.
Thankfully, the higher acids of gamay help it match well
with turkey dinner and all the fxings, so Thanksgiving
or Christmas is a great time to try them out. Celebrants
of American Thanksgiving are in luck since a bottle of
Beaujolais Nouveau should suit the table well. Some of
the Crus are excellent with beef, game meats, or slightly
spicier dishes as well. Good and widely-available producers
of Beaujolais and Beaujolais Nouveau include Georges
DuBoeuf, Bouchard Pere & Fils, Bouchard Aine, Chanson,
and Joseph Drouhin.
Toms Wine Picks
Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques 2009 Moulin-a-Vent $31
Joseph Drouhin 2009 Brouilly $23
Villa Ponciago 2009 Beaujolais-Villages $21
Bouchard Aine & Fils 2010 Beaujolais $15
DuBoeuf 2010 Beaujolias $15
While Dobranski may be known for his contemporary French cuisine
and not being afraid to ruffe some feathers to support his and other
restaurants choice to feature fois gras on their menus, food is only part
of Dobranskis overall ambitions.
Like a lot of talented chefs, Dobranski started out in kitchens early at
the age of 13, working in a caf in Edmonton where he grew up, before
moving on to more challenging restaurants like Earls, while he fnished
high school. A strong student, he wasnt dead-set on cooking as he
debated pursuing a career in biological sciences.
I was good at science but I wanted to take time off and wanted
to travel, Dobranski said. I dont think I could have traveled as well
in biological sciences as I could in culinary arts. Im sure you could,
but I wanted a little more adventure and something not so serious,
Dobranski added.
After high school, Dobranski crafted his cooking skills at Culinary
Arts School, so well, in fact, that he earned several scholarships
and fnished at the top of his class. This led to him being invited to
compete with Culinary Team Canada at the World Culinary Olympics in
Germany in 2000, where he represented Junior Team Alberta, earning
a gold medal and some international attention.
While I was over there, I got a job offer over in Switzerland,
Dobranski said. So I drove from Germany to Switzerland to sign a
contract, few back to Canada to pack my stuff and few back.
While he was in Switzerland for nearly two years, Dobranski was
accepted into Business Management, focusing on international
business and organizational behaviour, back home in Edmonton at
Grant MacEwan University, forcing him to take a bit of a break from
cooking altogether.
It was a two year course that I did in 12 months, Dobraski said. So
I basically quit everything, didnt take a break for twelve months and
just focused on school. I just didnt want to be in school for two years
and waste time.
By now you may be able to see that Dobranski is someone who
doesnt feel comfortable taking it easy or being tethered to a single
project for too long. After fnishing his Business Management degree,
he even tried becoming an on-air TV personality in Edmonton before
The Food Networks endless supply of celebrity Chefs took control of
the television airwaves.
I tried working for A-Channel, back when they existed, Dobranski
said. They actually accepted my TV show. I would go around
interviewing chefs and go to restaurants and do cooking shows for
Breakfast Television and be that kind of guy.
A good idea at the wrong time. A-Channel green-lighted his project
just before going on strike for nine months, effectively shutting down
any hopes of his show making it to air, as funds were cut to keep the
company afoat.
I just wanted to be a normal person for a bit and see if I could be
normal but I realized that Im not and dont want to be, Dobranski said.
Im not a nine-to-fve guy, I hate nine-to-fve. I cant sit in front of a
computer; I have ADD.
I would rather drink a beer at 10:00 in the morning and hang out,
Dobranski added.
Shortly after Dobranskis television career sputtered out, his
girlfriend at the time landed a job in Calgary and he decided to follow
her here in hopes of putting his cooking career back on track.
I saw a lot of opportunity in Calgary, Dobranski said. I liked the
food that was going on here and I got on with Muse as the Chef De
Parti. I left and did a stint at The Palliser, realized I hated working at
hotels, and had an opportunity to come back to Muse as the Executive
Chef six months later.
Calgarys now thriving food community was in its infancy when
Dobranski arrived to town in 2004. With restaurateurs not quite sure
how to invest their money despite a growing demand for better, more
imaginative and innovative cuisine.
From what it was 9 years ago to what it is now, its like night and
day, Dobranski said. I attribute it to the boom in 2006 because at that
time Calgary was the place to be, so it brought all these cool chefs in.
People followed the money, Dobranski added. I came here. Xavier
(Lacaze), who was at Muse now at Tasting Room, Justin Leboe, and
there was all these guys from around the world or different parts of the
country, and we all starting establishing another level of dining which
people jumped all over and started spending money on.
All the cooking skills in the world wont guarantee a successful restaurant if youre
business-illiterate. Cam Dobranski, Executive Chef at Brasserie Kensington and Kensington
Winebar, learned years ago to adopt a strong business skill set to have more control in the
success or failure of his cooking career.
It s a Pleasure
Doing Business
written and photographed by Cory Knibutat
With a strong food culture established, thanks to the economy at the
time, and a new generation of foodies and restaurateurs alike all eager
to support Calgary businesses, the door was open for Dobranski,
to take on the challenge of utilizing his business background to
complement his thriving cooking career.
Four years ago, Dobranski founded Medium Rare Chef Apparel Inc.
and became a business partner with C2 Distribution Ltd.. The former,
a kitchen clothing line supplying not just chef coats and aprons but
casual food-inspired shirts, hats and jackets designed for both people
working in the industry and foodies, while the latter is a fatware and
plate ware supplier to over 400 restaurants across the country.
Im not old, but Im maturing as a business person and seeing the
opportunities that werent there before that I can focus on, so now Im
bringing this new company, Medium Rare, and selling to restaurants,
Dobranski said. I design and manufacture in Montreal, here and
Vancouver. I have a really cool team and we just decide what the
market wants and design for the market.
Medium Rare
designs for the
market based
on how well
products perform
in Dobranskis
own kitchens and
on the feedback
he receives from
his team.
Its not about
me anymore,
Dobranski said.
I see what the
20 or 25 year
olds want. Im
focusing on
the future of
restaurants
and what the
up and coming
generation
wants.
C2 Distribution
Ltd. currently
supplies all of
Western Canada.
Dobranski has
rights to Western
Canada and hes
working with a
business partner
who has rights to
Eastern Canada.
For my importing company, I get to go to China, pick out plate ware,
design plate ware, bring it back here and see what people want and
test it out, and its been going pretty well, Dobranski said.
With four companies currently on the go, Dobranski usually works
seven days a week. If its not at the restaurants, its at one of his
companies, with downtime usually coinciding with business.
The only time I really take time off is if I go away, Dobranski said.
I go away for three weeks and nobody can really get in touch with me.
It (business) might only take two days but Ill go away for two weeks
(laughs).
Striking a balance between career successes hasnt been the
smoothest of rides thus far. Dobranski sold AKA Winebar in Bridegland
over the summer and only recently parted ways with Muse, as more of
a business move to narrow his focus and simplify his approach to food.
I owned four restaurants in the last two years and just realized it
was too much and I couldnt do everything, Dobranski said. I realized
I was just a little too eager to rule the world. Sometimes its not worth
it and you need to focus and just chill out. Im trying to not get spread
too thin. I have four businesses to run and Im happy doing that,
Dobranski added. I would rather work 18 hour days for myself and
keep busy, than 8 hours a day for some dude. Its just way more
satisfying.
With Medium Rare and C2 Distribution rightfully taking up enough
of Dobranskis time, his focus, with Brasserie Kensington and
Winebar Kensington, is to keep things simple and approachable while
maintaining a refned level of dining. With the economy slowed a bit
since the boom of 2006, Dobranski feels diners arent interested in
white-tablecloth dining. Not all the time anyway.
What I want people to experience is to chill out, Dobranski said.
I dont think people want to spend a ton of money anymore and I
dont want them to. I want them coming back every week instead of
once a month or once every three months. I think a lot of fne dining
restaurants have that issue. Ive seen it, Ive been apart of it.
Brasserie
Kensington is
a rustic take
on Canadian
Brasserie
colliding with
French styles
and techniques
or as Dobranski
calls it, modern
freestyle.
Winebar
Kensington,
located right
below Brasserie,
is intended
to be simple,
contemporary
and fun.
Just
something
different,
Dobransky
noted. When
you walk in the
door, just feel
like, Yep, I want
to hang out. I
used to be fne
dining and cook
the best of the
best but I dont
think people
want to spend 150 bucks per person, per night, unless its a special
occasion, Dobranski said. Theres not enough special occasions to
make it viable, I think.
Although its Dobranski himself working the 18 hour days, seven
days a week and keeping a watchful eye on his mini-empire, hes
the frst one to point out that his successes lie with his staff. Finding
people he can trust and rely on has lifted some responsibilities from his
shoulders, allowing Dobranski to relax, even if its only slightly, while
witnessing his team of employees strengthening.
I want to be the chef but Im going to give all my guys the credit and
if somebody says, Oh you did a great job! Ill say no my guys did a
great job, I wasnt there, Dobranski said. Im in the kitchen too helping
them but Im also on the fnancial side of things now.
I think the greatest part is my employees, Dobranski added.
Theyre a big part of what we are. They believe in what I do, theyve
been great learners and theyve taught me a lot. I wouldnt be here
without some of my core people.
Roasted Duck
with Blackberry Cassis
2 duck breasts
30 mL (2 Tbs) olive oil
For frying Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1. Score the skin of the duck breasts.
2. Heat pan with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and
bring up to smoking temperature. Put duck
breast skin side down in pan, and lower heat
to low.
3. Render the skin till crispy, then place in
oven at 400 F for 5 minutes or until medium
rare.
Cassis:
240 mL (1 cup) blackberries
120 mL ( cup) blackberry cassis
60 mL ( cup) red wine
15 mL (1 Tbs) diced shallots
30 mL (2 Tbs) parsley
1. Sweat off the shallots and garlic.
2. Add blackberries and deglaze the pan with
wine and cassis.
3. Reduce until thickened.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper
Chicken Leg Confit
with Yukon Potato Hash, Arugula & Mushrooms

6 chicken legs
120 mL ( cup) salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 sprig rosemary, chopped
4 sprigs of thyme, chopped
2 bay leaves, broken up
To taste pepper
480 mL (2 cups) olive oil or duck fat for frying

1. Rub chicken legs generously with crushed garlic, course salt, rosemary,
thyme, pepper and bay leaf, and refrigerate overnight
2. Next day, rinse off salt and herbs with cold water and place in a pot.
Cover with olive oil or duck fat, cover pot
3. Simmer chicken in oil over low heat for approx for 1.5 hours or until the
meat is falling off the bone.
4. Let cool and take out of oil

To reheat conft, heat up a pan with oil to smoke point. Place chicken leg
in pan, skin side down, reduce heat and place in an oven at 350 F for 10
minutes, or until skin is crispy and chicken is hot.

Yukon Potato Hash
3 Yukon Potatoes, peeled and medium diced
To taste salt
1. Boil a large pot of salted water
2. Blanch the diced potato in the boiling water for 3 minutes or until tender
3. Remove from water and shock in ice water

For the Hash
480 mL (2 cups) mushrooms, sliced
480 mL (2 cups) arugula
To taste salt & pepper

1. In a hot pan with oil, saut the potato until it starts to brown, then add
mushrooms until cooked, and fnish with arugula. Cook until wilted. Season
with salt and pepper.
2. Place in the middle of a plate, top with chicken conft & garnish
Win a special night at
Brasserie Kensington for you
and three friends, watching
Cam and his chefs create
a tasting menu for you, and
enjoy each course paired
with drinks!
We want to know what is the
most indulgent or interesting
meal you have had and
where was it?
Go to www.culinairemagazine.ca and let us
know about your most indulgent or interesting
meal, to be entered in the competition. We cant
wait to hear from you!
Reader
Competition!
As a child, autumn was a great time of year for me because everything was different and
exciting in the world. Scents in the bush, colours, temperatures and food. The autumnal
harvest brings an abundance of food, and that includes birds!
At thi s ti me of the year we focus on Thanksgi vi ng and
often that bri ngs to mi nd turkey for many of us, whi l e
some may prefer goose. I m thi nki ng about what we cal l ed
bush chi ckens - the Spruce Grouse. A smal l yet sui tabl e
al ternati ve to the turkey or goose, al bei t a very di fferent
taste.
Spruce Grouse al ready comes wi th a savoury type of
seasoni ng si mpl y from the food they eat, so al l that i s
needed mi ght be some wi l d cranberry gl aze. My husbands
reci pe i s an i deal one and wi th a few mi nor changes, i t can
al so be used as a del ectabl e dressi ng for dandel i on sal ad.
The reci pe i s qui te si mpl e and best of al l i t i s qui ck!
2 spruce grouse
120 mL (1/2 cup) wild cranberries
a very small palm-full juniper berries
a few bunches wild garlic, finely chopped
a few tablespoons agave syrup (or maple syrup)
60 mL (1/4 c) balsamic vinegar
60 mL (1/4 c) olive oil
a few tablespoons plantain seeds, hulled well
Mi x al l i ngredi ents together except the pl antai n seeds, pl ace
on medi um heat and gentl y si mmer 10 mi nutes or so. Pour
or l adl e over the
grouse, spri nkl e on
the pl antai n seeds
and bake i n the oven
at 350 F for about
30 mi n or ti l l done.
Enj oy!
Of course we can t di scuss the use of wi l d cranberry and
pl antai n wi thout di scussi ng the benefi ts of each pl ant, and
as wi th al l wi l d pl ants, the benefi ts are pl enty!
Pl antai n i s al so known as rattl e snake root and the
medi ci nal benefi ts are qui te astoni shi ng. The reason i ts
cal l ed rattl e snake root i s that i t was a pl ant that was
tradi ti onal l y used when a person was bi tten by a snake. The
pl ant has the abi l i ty to neutral i ze the venom of the snake
as wel l as other poi sons that we may i ngest, such as some
poi sonous pl ants and mushrooms.
The seeds from pl antai n are i ncredi bl y good for the
di gesti ve tract. In fact, so much better than psyl l i um fi bre as
a muci l age - and cheaper too! They are easy to col l ect, and
removi ng the chaff i s as easy as rol l i ng the seeds between
the pal ms of your hands and bl owi ng i t away.
Wi l d Cranberry i s great for a troubl ed bl adder, but i t i s
al so great for an abundance of ski n condi ti ons. Not onl y i s
i t excel l ent to use on the i nsi de of the body to hel p get to
the source of the ski n troubl es, but i t i s al so very good as
an outer treatment to hel p di stressed ski n. The sl i ght aci di c
nature of the pl ant i s qui te cl ose to the aci di ty of human
ski n, and so i t can bal ance and tone the ski n to a heal thy
gl ow!
Regardl ess of what bi rd you choose to serve on your tabl e
duri ng thi s festi ve ti me of year, experi ment and enj oy the
bounty that nature has to offer us!
in
the
by Brenda Holder
We had out of town houseguests staying with us
for my wifes convocation. We left the house a few
hours earlier than our guests for the ceremony, and
imagine my delight when our houseguests arrived at
the convocation with the words, You arent going to
believe what happened.
So, we were upstairs getting ready and we heard
this loud crash. We thought the dog might have
knocked something over, but when we got downstairs,
the dog was just running around all freaked out and
we couldnt see anything broken. We looked around
the living room, and noticed that there was a Mallard
duck lying dazed in the fowerbed under the picture
window. When they noticed all the broken glass
around the duck, they looked up and saw the pie plate
sized hole in the picture window above their heads.
The little bastard sat there for a minute collecting
his thoughts, then hopped off the fowerbed,
waddled down the front lawn to the street-and to the
amazement of our guests, turned right and few away.
Probably into someone elses picture window.
On the bright side, the feathery torpedo didnt make
it all the way into the house, he broke the outer pane
and left a little smear on the inner pane. The thought
of facing a very dead duck inside my house is as
appealing as the thought of facing an alive and very
scared, horribly injured Mallard inside my house trying
just as hard to get out as he tried to get in.
The days results were chalked up to just an absurd
occurrence until we got the frst estimate for fxing the
broken window. Coming in at more than a couple of
thousand dollars, I made a vow (with some artistic
licence) - fst raised to the sky, lightening cracking,
driving rain, wind blowing, timpani booming- declaring
Until this window is fxed, I will eat duck every chance
I get!!! There may have been some expletives in
there too.
This wasnt an idle threat. The nature of being a
wine writer is that I eat out A LOT. Most of the fner
establishments in Calgary have at least one dish on
the menu with the noble canard on it. The ease with
which I was able to make restaurant appetizer and
entre selections, was incredible, I would scan for
waterfowl, and upon seeing it, decision made. I would
know that revenge would taste oh so sweet. Duck
conft, seared duck breast, Peking duck, duck fat
popcorn, to roast duck, I ate and revenged myself well
that summer. The side beneft being that I was able
to discover the sheer number of great restaurants in
Calgary with great duck. As the summer wound down,
the summer of duck turned into the autumn of duck,
and I fnally eased off the duck in December. The
window had long since been fxed, but this delicious
journey was completely worth it.
In June 2010, I was blessed with an event that
led to many delicious adventures. Leading up
to this summer, I had been on a binge of sorts
where I had only been eating cuter animals
when given the option. Veal, rabbit, lamb,
and so on had graced my plate many times,
and I had been eating well. The kick-off to the
summer of duck was about to happen.
Calgary Duck Lovers Rejoice!
A number of farmers markets and specialty grocers carry duck, both frozen and fresh,
you dont have to hunt your own if it has to be fresh. Some great places to try the duck:
Rouge: seared duck breast, favourful, crisp, and the cherries really help it shine
Blink: Noble farms duck, honey roasted with gnocchi. Delicious
Taste: Reappearing on the fall menu will be the decadent Duck Fat Popcorn, in the
meantime, try the duck prosciutto.
Best Peking Duck? Thats a tough one, I am a fan of supporting neighbourhood
restaurants, but Silver Dragon topped a number of lists around the offce.
Avec Bistro: Duck conft with white bean and stewed cherries. So good, only on the
dinner menu though.
Te
Summer
of
Duck
by Tom Firth
by Brenda Holder
We have a male pheasant around The Ranche who runs around and hes really loud.
Every morning when I come to work I either hear him or see him. Chef Thomas Neukom
laughs at the irony. Thats one nervy pheasant. Hes hanging around one of the few
restaurants in Calgary where he is also on the menu.
The Joy of Cooking calls Pheasant Under Glass, the ultimate
in upscale dining in an earlier era. But that era has come and gone
in Calgary and pheasant is scarce as a menu offering. All fne dining
establishments have to keep a sharp eye on food costs. Pheasant is
expensive; too expensive to offer on a menu when there are so many
modern alternatives, such as bison or elk. At The Ranche it is listed
as an appetizer. Chef Neukom says it fts in well with other game
dishes and the philosophy of the owners, Canadian Rocky Mountain
Resorts, to offer a distinctive Rocky Mountain Cuisine. It also offers
less adventurous diners a chance to try a game meat that, as Neukom
explains, tastes a lot like chicken.
That thought is echoed by Ken Bills. Ken and his wife Doreen own
and operate an unusual business in Alberta. It is a private hunting
preserve just off Highway 2, between Carstairs and Crossfeld. At
Wessex Game Birds the couple raises as many as 8,000 pheasants
and partridges. Hunters arrive and pay for a minimum of ten birds to be
released on one of two quarter sections of land. Then they use either
their dogs, or one rented from Wessex, to track down the birds.
Private hunting preserves can be controversial. Even hunters
argue over the morality of so called pet shoots. Doreen stares into a
netted pen, as skittish pheasants, both hens and cocks, dive into the
underbrush. Theyre not pets. she says.
For the Bills, raising pheasant and Chukar partridge is akin to raising
Charolais or Angus, minus the high costs of the local slaughterhouse.
The Bills look after raising the birds. The hunters do the rest. The
operation has been providing a living for the couple for more than
three decades. Aside from a battered wooden sign on the side of the
highway, there is no advertising. Word of mouth from lots of happy
customers keeps Wessex Game Birds going.
Ken says his birds have a taste more similar to turkey than it is to
chicken. He and Doreen eat a lot of pheasant, and both say pheasant
should be prepared with lots and lots of moisture. Doreen is keen on
substituting pheasant for domestic chicken in her slow cooker. She
says any recipe for chicken will work well with the wilder bird.
Thomas Neukoms Marinated Pheasant Breast is actually placed
in a seasoned brine for several hours then cooked Sous Vide. Think
Boil in a Bag and you get the drift. The result is a beautiful plate with
small but thick slices of round tender pheasant breast, served with
Fall
Pheasant
by Jeff Collins
Photographs by Jeff Collins
and Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts
Pheasant photograph by Gary Noon
watercress, a bit of pickled carrot, potato crisps and saffron pearls.
If pheasant is hard to fnd in Calgary restaurants, it is also scarce
among local butchers. Greg Keller is the Manager and Chief Operating
Offcer for Bon Ton Meat Market Limited. One entire wall in the shop in
northwest Calgarys Stadium Shopping Center, is freezer space. Greg
reaches into the very bottom shelf and pulls out a frozen pheasant
and a package with a pair of Pheasant Breast Supreme. Supreme
means the wing is still attached. Theres not much meat in a pheasant
wing, but Keller explains that it allows chefs to be creative with the
presentation.
It is the price that gets my attention. The full bird rings in at $37.46
a kilogram, while the breasts retail at an eye-popping sixty-six bucks
a kilo! Bon Ton stocks pheasant because a changing Calgary market
demands it. As Keller explains, The market is making a complete
shift. Weve seen a huge change in the last fve years. People, instead
of going out for a lot of fancy meals, with the advent of the internet,
with the Food Network, all this kind of stuff thats going on, people are
experimenting at home and they want different food.
A study by Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada reported, Farm-
raised game such as bison, boar, elk, deer, quail, pheasant, ostrich,
emu, and rabbits are gradually making inroads into the Canadian
marketplace. Game meat is stimulated by its growing appearance on
restaurant menus, attention by food writers and the media.
OK, so I guess we are doing our part. I have trouble recommending
anything that tastes like chicken, except chicken, but Ill make an
exception for pheasant. It is an easy entr to the world of game.
Pheasant Spring Rolls with Plum Quince Compote
Recipe from Simple Treasures
courtesy Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts
Spring Rolls:
1 pheasant, may substitute chicken or duck
1 carrot, peeled
1 zucchini
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
240 mL (1 cup) bean sprouts
2 leaves baby bok choy
240 ml (1 cup) snow peas
15 mL (1 Tbs) ginger, fnely chopped
120 mL (1/2 cup) fresh cilantro, fnely chopped
120 mL (1/2 cup) soya sauce
45 mL (3 Tbs) sesame oil
5 mL (1 tsp) hot chilli sauce
Spring roll wrappers
For frying oil
1. Season and roast pheasant at 375 F approx 1 hour, until fully
cooked but not dry. Remove from pan and cool.
2. Cut all vegetables into julienne (fnely cut sticks). Remove meat
from pheasant carcass and julienne.
3. Heat a wok or saut pan over high heat, add oil, ginger and
vegetables and saut, without colour until vegetables are slightly
crisp but start to go limp. Add soya and chilli sauces, and pheasant
and cook further for a minute. If desired, mixture may now be slightly
thickened with a little cornstarch and water. Remove from pan and
add cilantro, adjust seasoning and cool.
4. Place spring roll wrap on a dry table with one corner pointing
to the top. Lightly dampen the 2 top sides with water then place
approx. 2 heaped tablespoons of mix in centre of wrapper. Fold up
the bottom corner of wrapper over mixture then fold the corners in
and roll up towards top until mixture is surrounded with wrapper.
5. Heat oil and fry as required.
Plum Quince Compote
2 quince, peeled cored and diced
3 plums, sliced
15 mL (1 Tbs) ginger, fnely chopped
1 red onion, fnely diced
30 mL (2 Tbs) brown sugar
120 mL (1/2 cup) rice wine vinegar
3 pieces star anise
1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until liquid has
evaporated.
2. Remove star anise and serve at room temperature.
Its that turkey time of the year. Turkeys are standard fare for
Thanksgiving, and later, Christmas. Traditions however can get a bit
tedious, and that plain old roasted turkey is giving way to a whole
new fock of funky poultry preparations. Some are genius, some
are funny-sounding, and some are just plain weird. Here, a look at
some of the most popular poultry trends sweeping kitchens.
Turkey Trends
by Heather Hartmann
Brining
Brining is the process of soaking a bird in water saturated with salt
and any other desired ingredients prior to cooking. Salt in the brine
causes the turkey to retain water, making it juicy, and breaks down the
proteins in the meat, making it tender. The Turkey Farmers of Canada
recommend brining a turkey for a minimum of six and a maximum
of 24 hours the day prior to cooking. For food-safety reasons, they
recommend brining only in a fridge, in either a bag specifcally
designed for this purpose, or a food-safe, non-corrosive container with
a lid. If you dont want to brine at home, Second to None Meats sells
brined birds by special order.
Brining tips:
After the turkey is brined, rinse it extremely well with tap water, and
dry with paper towels before cooking.
Remember that the salt in the brine has already seasoned your turkey,
so adjust your other seasonings, rubs, etc. accordingly.
There are many different recipes for brines available, depending on
your tastes. Once brined, a bird can be roasted or deep-fried. If deep-
frying, you will want to be very thorough in making sure the turkey is
dry prior to placing it in the fryer.
Spatchcocking
It sounds like an unpleasant medical procedure, or something that
people claim happened to them during an alien abduction. In reality,
its a technique that involves removing a birds backbone and either
pressing down on, breaking, or altogether removing the breastbone so
the bird lies fat. The biggest advantage to spatchcocking is that the
bird cooks in about half the time the same-size intact turkey would.
Some butchers will spatchcock a turkey for you. You can also
spatchcock at home, with instructions available on the Turkey Farmers
of Canadas website at www.turkeyfarmersofcanada.ca.
Spatchcocking tips:
Cook a spatchcocked bird over indirect heat, either in the oven or on
the barbecue.
You can place a brick or cast-iron skillet on top of the spatchcocked
bird while it is cooking to fatten it even more and ensure even cooking.
Since youve eliminated the cavity where stuffng would go in an intact
turkey, you will have to cook any desired stuffng on the side.
For those who have been hesitant to brine because of the diffculty
of ftting an intact turkey in the fridge, spatchcocking is the answer.
Its much easier to ft a spatchcocked turkey than an intact bird in the
fridge, since it will lie fatter.
Deep-frying
Were Calgarians. At Stampede, we have deep-fried Twinkies,
Oreos, pickles and everything else. Why not deep-fry a turkey?
Though there are some safety considerations to be aware of, theres
no need to be nervous if you follow the guidelines and use appropriate
equipment. Deep-frying a turkey has to be done outdoors, and not
on a deck or in a garage. You can do it on your lawn, though Shawn
from Barbecues Galore cautions that if you do, it will kill the grass
underneath. The CSA-regulated Masterbuilt propane turkey deep
fryers he and his colleagues sell at both the north and south Calgary
locations feature a timer that you have to push every 15 minutes,
otherwise the fryer will shut itself off in order to ensure it isnt left
unattended. The quicker cooking speed makes keeping up with the
timer no chore though, as its just three minutes/lb, plus fve minutes at
350 F oil temperature.
Deep-frying donts:
Dont exceed the maximum recommended fll of oil for the fryer.
Dont put a still-frozen turkey in the fryer.
Dont use a larger turkey than the recommended maximum size for
the fryer.
Dont try to deep-fry a stuffed turkey.
For preparation, you can inject and/or rub the turkey. Barbecues
Galore has all the equipment and ingredients to do either, or you can
make your own. To avoid blackening on the outside of the turkey, keep
the size of the turkey at or below 15 lbs. and use a low- or no-sugar rub
because the higher in sugar content, the more it will blacken.
Also, for those who want the deep-fried favour without using oil,
there are new oil-less deep fryers available.
Turduckens
For the uninitiated, a turducken is a duck, stuffed inside a chicken,
stuffed inside a turkey. Theyve been quasi-mainstream for a few years
now, so its no longer a surprising term to hear, but where on earth did
the concept come from? Who was sitting around planning their meal
and thought, hey, let me just stuff various birds inside other birds? And
how on earth does it work?
Believe it or not, the general concept is not new. The proper term,
engastration, is almost as fun to say as spatchcock, and means one
animal is placed inside the gastric passage of another. The practice
has been going on for centuries.
The way they make them all ft is by deboning the birds, which
allows them to ft inside the cavity of the next largest bird. Once all
birds are inside the turkey, the remaining spaces are flled with a meat,
not bread-based stuffng, so the end result is nearly solid meat. Thus,
a turducken will feed many more people than a conventional turkey of
the same size.
To some of you, this may sound like something intriguing to attempt
at home. To those who just want to pop their bird in the oven it
probably sounds like a whole lot of work. Bob Choquette of Second
to None Meats offers options no matter which camp you fall into. His
stores (Mission and MacLeod Trail locations, with a third opening
in Willow Park Village in late September, conveniently timed for
Thanksgiving) offer customers the choice of pre-ordering a turducken
from Valbella Meats in Canmore, as well as do-it-yourself options.
For purists, they will debone a duck, chicken and turkey, which you
can then assemble at home. The fastest, easiest way though, after
you get your turkey boned-out, is to buy duck and chicken breasts and
use those rather than deboning whole birds, says Bob. Of course, they
can provide you with those as well.
Bob is proud of the poultry at Second to None. They offer turkeys
from Winters Turkeys, or a Hutterite colony theyve been purchasing
from for eight years. Their chickens are from Maple Hill Farms, which
Bob enthuses is possibly the best chicken in Calgary. Its grass-fed
and phenomenal-tasting. Their duck is either Brome Lake or Noble
Farms.
Turduckens are also available at some supermarkets, including
Calgary Co-op, which has a turducken ordering page on their website.
Turducken tips:
Remember, a turducken is almost solid meat, so if you buy one frozen,
it will take longer to defrost than a comparably-sized turkey.
Do not attempt to deep-fry a turducken.
Thanksgiving is certainly not the best time for
those who are watching their waistlines. It is,
after all, a holiday centred on food! If you dont
want to spend your long weekend in a food
coma, here are my top fve tips for keeping
your feasting in check:
5
Dont starve yourself
before dinner
Its common for people to not eat
anything during the day so that
they can save their calories
for the Thanksgiving dinner that is a big
mistake. As I always say, you dont crave
salad when youre starving! Coming to the
dinner table super-hungry will only lead to
overeating. Instead, plan to have a small
snack, like a piece of fruit and some almonds,
a couple of hours before supper. It will be
easier to make sensible choices, and you will
eat fewer calories overall.
4
Stick to just one plate
With the delicious Thanksgiving
spread laid in front of you, its hard
not to go for seconds. However,
forcing yourself to just eat one
plate of food creates a sort of optical illusion
even if you are piling the food on, chances
are, you wont be serving yourself two full
plates worth of food on one plate. On the
other hand, if you ate one plate frst and went
for seconds, you would be more likely to fll
up the empty plate and end up eating more.
3
If youre hosting, focus on
the sides
The turkey is usually the
centrepiece of the Thanksgiving
meal, but by offering lots of
delicious, healthy side dishes vibrant,
crunchy salads, roasted root vegetables,
sweet winter squash, wild rice stuffng, green
beans amandine or brussel sprouts dressed
with lemon, just to name a few you can
make the turkey an afterthought, and eating
healthier will be a no-brainer for you and your
guests.
2
Follow the Half-Plate Rule
This is one of my favourite pieces
of advice to give my clients for any
meal. Instead of loading your plate
with turkey and mashed potatoes,
aim to fll half your plate with vegetables - it
can be more than one kind, if a mountain of
broccoli sounds a little too daunting! Then
leave a quarter of your plate for starchy foods
(i.e. potatoes and bread) and another quarter
for the turkey. This way, you are still eating
a full plate of food, but the type of food has
shifted so you are eating fewer calories and
less fat.
1
Indulge in your favourites
Most of us probably have a few Thanksgiving dinners under our belts, so we probably know which foods
are our favourites (the candied sweet potatoes!) and which ones are the duds (dry supermarket dinner
rolls.) Dont be afraid to be a little picky instead of having a little bit of everything, leave room for a little
more of your favourites. You will get way more satisfaction out of eating the things you like, as opposed to
scarfng down green bean casserole just to keep Auntie happy.
Enjoy Thanksgiving
without
Losing Your
Belt!
by Vincci Tsui, RD
In 2009 I was in Guatemala for a week-long mountain biking tour based out of
the colonial city of Antigua. Id heard rumours of a rum called
Ron Zacapa before visiting, and after arriving in town I set out to fnd a bottle.
Yo Ho Ho

and a
Barrel
of ...
Rum!
by Andrew Ferguson
It was a surprisingly diffcult task, not least because a bottle at USD
$50 was more than many locals would earn in a week or a month. The
rum was a hit, over a glorious week spent mountain biking through the
Guatemalan highlands, and around the magnifcent Lake Atitlan, two
fellow Canadians and I put paid to three bottles of the brown nectar.
For more than four centuries rum, aka Kill Devil, aka Rumbullion,
aka Nelsons Blood, has played a prominent role in Western
Civilization. Every colonial power with territories in the Caribbean or
Central America produced rum, ron, (Spanish) or rhum (French). Rum
infuenced cultures from Brazil to the Canadian Maritimes. It drove
the growth of colonies in the Americas and Caribbean, helped fuel
the slave trade, made water potable for long sea voyages and most
importantly, it made an otherwise dreary life more bearable.
Rums role in the development of Western Civilization is best
exemplifed by its connection with the British Royal Navy. The Royal
Navy was instrumental in the rise of Britain and the establishment of
its colonies. Beginning in the 1500s, an era of state-sanctioned piracy,
British Privateers developed a taste for rum while raiding Spanish
shipping. Prior to the mid 1600s the Royal Navy gave their sailors a
daily ration of French Brandy or beer; but beer frequently went bad
on long voyages and French brandy wasnt easy to acquire when you
were at war with the producer. With the capture of Santiago (Jamaica)
from the Spanish in 1655, the British fnally had access to their own
supply of rum, and so began the daily rum ration.
The sailors rum ration, or tot, was an astounding half a pint served
neat twice a day until mid 18th century. Over the years it became
common practice for the rum to be mixed with lime juice and in 1740
it was watered down. Admiral Edward (Old Grog) Vernon, concerned
that intoxicated sailors were less effective in their duties, had the rum
watered down to a mixture that would come to be called Grog; which
gave rise to the term groggy. Rum took on a different name in the
Royal Navy after the battle of Trafalgar in 1805, in which its victor and
tragic hero was killed in action. Most sailors killed in the heat of battle
would have been unceremoniously thrown overboard, while others
might be given rights at sea. Such a fnal tribute would not do for
someone of Nelsons stature however and so his body was stored in a
cask of rum to preserve it until the ships returned home. Legend has it
that on arrival in Britain it was discovered the sailors had drilled small
holes in the cask to consume the rum, giving rise to the term Nelsons
blood.
Rum is a distillate created by fermenting sugars extracted from
sugar cane, a species of grass native to Southeast Asia. It is
characterized by long fbrous stalks, that can grow up to 6 M in height,
containing a rich sugary liquid. No one knows when sugar cane was
frst cultivated as a crop, but what is certain is that the frst evidence
of refned sugar dates from more than 5,000 years ago in modern
Pakistan, a region where these grasses are not native. Sugar cane
was later brought to the Mediterranean and North Africa during the
Islamic Caliphates of the 8th Century where it eventually came to the
attention of Europeans.
Cane was so valuable it was one of the frst crops brought to the
Americas, introduced to Hispaniola (modern Haiti and the Dominican
Republic) on Christopher Columbus second voyage in 1493.
There was a rapacious demand for sugar in Europe that drove the
development of the new territories and in turn the slave trade. These
sugar-producing islands were so valuable that, at the end of the Seven
Years war, France traded its Canadian possessions (a few acres
of snow) for the return of its Caribbean islands. Sugar was sold in
Europe to purchase trade goods that were exchanged in Africa for
slaves, who were then sold in the New World to purchase more sugar
to sell back to Europe.
Boiling houses were set up next to sugar cane plantations from
the late 1500s, where slaves would crush the stalks extracting the
cane juice and then boil the juice to precipitate out refned sugar. A
byproduct of this process was molasses, which in the early days was
just as often as not thrown away. It was likely a slave who frst noticed
that under the right conditions the molasses would ferment. And it was
not long after this that the frst rum distilleries would have popped up,
borrowing the knowledge of distillation from brandy and aqua vitae
production. Legend tells us that rum was frst produced in Barbados,
though the earliest documented reference to rum comes from Brazil in
the 1620s. A Bajan document produced in 1651 does
make reference to rum: The chief fuddling they make is
Rumbullion, alias Kill-Divil made of sugar canes distilled,
a hot, hellish, and terrible liquor. By 1664 there was a rum
distillery on Staten Island and within three years another was
established in Boston. These distilleries, as with later ones in
Newfoundland, produced rum from imported molasses often
exchanged for salted cod.
Over the following centuries there was a divergence in the
world of rum production. While Spanish and English colonies
continued to distil rum from molasses, French colonies
chose, or were compelled to produce, Rhum Agricole. Rhum
Agricole arose out of necessity in the early 1800s when
France began producing sugar from sugar beets. Producers
in the French colonies had diffculty competing and had a
surplus of cane juice. Rather than distill the byproduct of
refned sugar they switched to distilling the pure cane juice.
Consequently Rhum Agricole has a very different feel to
it, more subtle, foral and nuanced than the richer, darker
Spanish and English colonial rums.
For most of the last 400 years, rum has been a mass-
produced spirit created to numb our senses and give
pleasure. It is only in the last 30 to 40 years that weve seen
the emergence of mature, aged sipping rums produced to
be enjoyed neat like a fne whisky or cognac. Styles and
techniques are changing too with more and more producers
releasing different concoctions and older expressions.
Recall the Ron Zacapa rum I fell in love with, it is produced
in a former Spanish colony, but from cane juice and not
molasses. So does it qualify as Ron Agricole? Frankly it
doesnt matter, the rum industry may have a rich history and
deep-rooted traditions, but it isnt quite so pedantic as some
others.
Note: Ron Zacapa was a limited release in Alberta but there are a
few bottles left on the shelves now. You can fnd where it is available at
http://www.liquorconnect.com/Products/Pages/3210-00738103.aspx
Amrut Old Port Rum
A sipping rum for around $25? You must think
I am mad, but youd be wrong. This is one
of the best bargains in the rum world, and it
can be enjoyed both neat and, thanks to its
price, in a mixed drink! Indias hot climate and
the distillerys high altitude give this rum a
smooth gentle palate for so few years in oak.
Thick caramel, soft citrus notes and a smooth
oaky fnish.
$26.49
El Dorado 12 Year Demerara
Distillers of Guyana is one of the worlds most
respected producers of aged rums. Though
the 15, 21 and 25 year olds have made them
famous, their 12 year old is the workhorse
of the brand. Elegant enough to be enjoyed
on its own, it is also priced well enough to
consider using in a cocktail. The palate is
driven by the dark molasses notes with some
spice and soft fruits.
$43.99
Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva
Founded in Cuba, the brand had to fee to
San Diego, Dominican Republic. Matured in
a solera system, the average age of the rums
is 15 years. The solera system gives the rum
a depth and smoothness found in older rums
while retaining a more youthful vigor. Silky
smooth on the plate this molasses-based
rum has notes of caramel chews and candied
nuts with a dry fnish.
$49.99
Rum Nation Panama 21 Year
This is a full on show stopper. Massively fruity
(raisins and fgs) and chocolaty, this big thick
rum can hold its own with the best of them,
and it comes in a beautiful decanter. Rum
Nation is a project run by an Italian with an
eye for picking single casks of fabulous rums
and whiskies. The Rum Nation range is one
of the most interesting in the market.
$103.99
Rhum Clement XO
Like most French colonial rums the XO from
Clement is Rhum Agricole meaning that it
is made from sugar cane juice rather than
molasses in the case of former English and
Spanish colonies. Clement has one further
designation, its own AOC (Appellation
dOrigine Contrle). The XO is a blend of
rums aged 25 to nearly 50 years of age. It is
very well balanced, complex and fruity with
soft spice.
$124.99
Ron Millonario Solera 15 Year
Produced in the North of Peru it most closely
resembles the Ron Zacapa in style; sweet,
chewy, and fruity. Each bottle is covered in a
hand woven basket of Toquilla straw made
by indigenous Andean artisans. The brands
colours are the traditional colours of Peru.
$47.99
Diplomatico Exclusiva
This 12 year old Venezuelan rum is a bargain
for the price, produced using traditional
copper pot stills. It is nutty with sweet spices,
molten brown sugar and lots of soft creamy
vanilla notes.
$54.99
Cadenhead Classic Green Label
Demerara rums, like the El Dorado 12 above,
must be made in Guyana from sugar cane
grown along the Demara River. It is distilled
in Guyana, but matured and bottled in
Scotland. Christmas in a bottle with candied
dark fruits, rich festive spices, sweet vanilla
and dark molasses.
$69.99
Agua Luca Cachaca
This Brazillian sugar cane based rum is
unaged and heavily fltered to make it extra
smooth. Enjoying it neat, you will fnd it light
and clean. Cachaca is best enjoyed in a
cocktail though, so try it in a batidas or a
caipirinhas.
$46.99
Appleton Estate 50 Year
Only 800 bottles of this Jamaican
Independence rum have been produced
from hand selected casks aged 50 years or
longer. One of the oldest rums in the world, it
is an absolute treasure. Dark dried fruits, rich
chocolate, leather, tobacco and soft creamy
oak. This is a magnifcent rum and a tragedy
in the sense that there are so few bottles
available.
$5,000.00
Gordon & MacPhail
Long Pond 1941 58 Year
The only thing more rare than a 50 year old
rum is a 58 year old one, distilled during
WWII and then shipped to Scotland in 1946.
G&M came to own it in 1976 and bottled it in
1999. Surprisingly, it retained a strength of
50% after all those years and has the most
pleasantly unusual palate: sweet with notes
of spearmint, linseed oil, tobacco and vanilla.
$949.99
Andrews Rum Picks
From appetizers to desserts, every month Culinaire cooks will share a new recipe that
illustrates the diversity of the potato.
Smoked Cheese Potato Croquettes
Serves 4, makes about 16-18 croquettes
Leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving can easily be turned into a crispy side dish or snack known as croquettes. A croquette is a small,
deep-fried roll that can be flled with anything youd like, including ground meat or cheese. Croquette comes from the French word croquer, which
means to crunch. My family is Croatian, so in my house they were known as kroketi.
I loved mashed potatoes as much as the next kid, but at family gatherings I would restrain myself from taking a second helping in the hopes that
my mother would fry up some kroketi the next day. Anyone who took seconds was treated to a glare from me, as they were scheming to ruin my
plans. Today, Im old enough to help my mother in the kitchen. One of our favourite things to do is whip up new recipes for our blog and introduce
old family favourites. Since cheese makes everything better, weve introduced double-smoked cheddar cheese to the recipe.
Mashed Potatoes
414 mL (1 cups) Yukon Gold potatoes
15 mL (1 Tbs) margarine
15 mL (1 Tbs) milk
Croquettes
200 mL (3/4 cup) all-purpose four
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 mL (1/2 tsp) salt or more to taste
150 mL (2/3 cup) breadcrumbs
100 mL (scant cup) double-smoked cheddar
cheese, fnely grated
Enough canola oil to fll 13 mm of pan
If using leftover mashed potatoes, skip steps 1-3.
1. Peel and chop potatoes. Cook potatoes in salted, boiling water in a medium-sized pot for 30
minutes. When potatoes are soft enough to be pierced with a fork, strain and return to pot.
2. Add margarine and milk to potatoes and mash until smooth.
3. Let mashed potatoes cool until they can be handled.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, egg yolk, four, salt and grated cheese.
Mix by hand until smooth, then roll out mixture into a long log. Cut log into small rolls that are
approximately 2 cm thick and 4 cm wide.
5. Set up a breading station. Beat remaining egg into a small bowl and place the breadcrumbs
on a plate. Dip each croquette into the egg mixture, then roll through breadcrumbs until
croquette is well covered.
6. Heat canola oil in a large skillet. Fry each croquette in oil until brown on both sides, about
4 minutes of frying on each side. Fry in small batches, cooking about eight at a time. Do not
overcrowd pan.
7. Place on paper towels to drain.
Serve with Ajvar,
a Balkan red pepper spread.
Humble Spud
(continued)
written and photographed by Silvia Pikal
Trick or Treat! Id shout with enthusiasm, then wait. Slowly the door
would open and Id thrust my bag forward. What a clever costume! Id
hear as the lady scooped candy into my sack. My mother had painted
an old cardboard packing case like a candy wrapper. I was dressed as
an OHenry bar.
My brother had told me that a good costume increases the loot you
collect. He should know, he wore the OHenry bar for two years until he
outgrew it. Id watch as the lady scooped a second handful of Tootsie
Rolls and a Kit Kat. Thank you, Id say as she closed the door.
I am convinced that the exposure to such a variety, not to mention
quantity, of a usually restricted substance, helped me to develop a
discriminating palate. For, once the loot passed through Moms security
check, the fun began. After taking inventory and sorting, came the
tasting - and I savoured the tasting.
Halloween may be about ghosts and
goblins, but when I was a child, October 31st
was not about black cats and witches, for
me it was all about going door to door and
coming home with a sack full of candy.
Candy apples on a stick, coated in a hard red sugar glaze, or
covered in soft caramel, were delicious. While peanuts in their shells
were not considered candy, they were a tasty snack. The taste of salt
subdues the intense sweetness of fruit and candy.
Licorice Allsorts (a tad bitter) were the most colourful, but I preferred
the licorice pipe, (very bitter), still do. Peppermint Patties (refreshing),
were different in texture and favour. Maple fudge (too sweet), I still
dont put maple syrup on my pancakes. Chocolate was its own food
group.
A lollipop should not be rushed, and Mackintosh Toffee could not be.
Smarties were just plain fun. I thought Wine Gums were sophisticated,
little did I know. So much candy, so much to learn.
My brother always thought I hoarded my Halloween candy. I didnt. I
was educating my palate.
Treats
Trick
by Jocelyn Burgener
Tomatoes are many peoples favourites, and ripening on the vine
outside or in a greenhouse can be challenging in Calgary, due to our
cooler nights. Pick tomatoes when ready or when convenient, but
before the cold arrives. Green tomatoes can be ripened indoors on
window sills or in brown bags, and then used fresh or utilized in many
other ways. Small cherry tomatoes are reliably early ripeners and
one of my favourite appetizers using these tomatoes, is what I call a
reverse or deconstructed Caesar.
Place the tomatoes in a container with vodka of your choice, and
allow a few weeks for the tomatoes to be infused with the alcohol, and
for the vodka to be favoured by the tomatoes. Classically, a Caesar
drink contains clamato juice, vodka, Worcestershire sauce, tabasco
sauce, celery salt, pepper and a lime wedge. So frstly I wet the rim
of a plate with the vodka liquid, which is then dipped in celery salt. I
place the vodka-marinated tomatoes on a plate or a bed of lettuce,
sprinkle with a few dashes of tabasco sauce and the juice of a lime or
lemon, and place some sticks of chopped fresh celery on the plate. I
serve with a small glass of chilled lemonade, breadsticks and crumbled
Gorgonzola cheese.
Lavender infused Champagne - sounds elegant - tastes great!
Make a syrup of half a cup of sugar and half a cup of water, and
add one tablespoon of dried lavender fowers. Allow fowers to infuse
the syrup. Strain and place the syrup at the bottom of your favourite
champagne glasses, add champagne or other sparkling wine, and
enjoy.
Cherries are abundant in August and September, and if you have
been lucky enough to freeze some, you could always improvise on my
original cherry liqueur recipe. I strip my Evans Cherry tree once the
cherries are very ripe. Wearing surgical gloves, squeeze them until
all the skins are broken, the pits are free and the juicy pulp plentiful.
Measure by quantity and place all into a clean carboy. Add granulated
white sugar to the cherries in the ratio (0.5-1):2, trial and error will
enable personal preferences of the fnal sweetness based on the
amount of sugar added. It isnt necessary to add yeast, as the fruit,
skins and seeds contain natural yeast that will initiate the fermentation
process. Make sure you have a one-way fow stopper on the carboy,
so that gas can escape and nothing can enter. After a few months,
when bubbling activity has ceased, the contents of the carboy can be
strained through muslin cloth or fne strainer. The liquid can then be
bottled, the bottles stopped, and the liquid allowed to settle. Very fne
sediment will be seen at the bottom. If there is a signifcant amount,
it can be re-fltered to eliminate more sediment. The resulting cherry
alcohol can be enjoyed in small quantities as a sweet liqueur.
These are just three ways that summer garden produce can be
enjoyed well after the gardening season has ended. Enjoy!
As the growing season draws to an end, now is the time to complete your
harvest and also to remove all root vegetables from the ground before it
freezes and the vegetables are ruined.
Inserting a Little Bit of Summer
into
Autumn
by Leonard Brown
Whether you are planning a romantic dinner for two, an informal lunch or a
lively childrens party, it is fun to learn how to fold a napkin.
Napkin Folding 101
Creating table settings with beautifully folded napkins adds style to even the simplest occasions. Freshly ironed cotton or linen napkins are
essential for folding purposes. The napkins must be square and the fabric cut straight on the weave so that the cloth will not pull out of shape easily.
Napkins measuring 45 cms to 56 cms (18 to 22 inches) square work best for simple folding, as well as for the more complicated folding techniques.
The art of napkin folding below will help you add the fnishing touch while creating stunning table settings that will delight your guests.
1. Fold the napkin into quarters so
that the free edges are facing away
from you. Fold the frst layer down so
that the top corner is just above the
bottom corner nearest to you.
1. Start with the corners of the open
napkin top and bottom in the form
of a diamond, and fold the top point
down to the bottom point.
2. Starting from the point, make even
accordion pleats up to the top edge.
Decorative Pocket
Tis clever design makes an elegant pocket in which to place anything from
cutlery to fresh fowers.
2. Repeat this process with the
second layer, again positioning its top
corner just above the one before.
3. Fold under the side corners until
they just overlap at the back.
Lovers Knot
A simple design adding a romantic touch to a candle-lit dinner:
3. With the frst pleat facing away
from you, fold the right point over
the left one and tuck back through
the loop created to form a loose but
tidy knot.
by Wendy Brownie photographed by Natalie Findlay
Wild Turkey dates back to 1940, when Thomas
McCarthy, a distillery executive, took along a supply of
whiskey with him to enjoy with friends on an annual wild
turkey hunt. They all enjoyed it so much that the following
year they asked him to bring more of his Wild Turkey
bourbon to the hunt, giving rise to the name.
It has appeared in many books, such as and Fear
Loathing in Las Vegas, being a favourite of author Hunter S.
Thompson, David Foster Wallaces novel Infnite Jest, and
when asked what the bar whiskey is in Stephen Kings book
It, the bartender replies, For everyone else in this dump its
Four Roses, but for you I think its Wild Turkey.
Wild Turkey regularly appears in flms too, such as in
Thelma and Louise, The Color of Money, and Crazy Heart,
and has been the drink of choice for male leads in Rambo:
First Blood Part II, In the Heat of The Night, Who Framed
Roger Rabbit, and the Eiger Sanction.
In 1954, Wild Turkeys current master distiller, Jimmy
Russell, joined his grandfather and father in in the distillery.
His son, Eddie Russell, is now the 4th generation to work
at the Austin Nichols Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky,
working his way up from Relief Operator to Associate
Distiller. The new Wild Turkey 81 is the frst Bourbon to be
released that has been solely crafted by Eddie.
Ive spent the last 30 years working with my son Eddie,
and teaching him everything I know about making bourbon,
says Jimmy Russell. As soon as I tasted Wild Turkey 81, it
was clear he was paying attention. I am one proud Dad.
A blend of six, seven, and eight-year-old Bourbons, Wild
Turkey 81 is designed to be an everyday whiskey that can
stand up to any mixer, using high-rye mash and maturing in
American oak barrels that have an alligator char. It is the
only bourbon in the category to use this expensive, deep
char (also called a #4 char) which gives the characteristic
vanilla and caramel favours.
Its inevitable when talking about Thanksgiving
that the subject of turkey will crop up, so
we just couldnt resist including a recipe for
drinking it too!
Talking
Turkey
by Linda Garson photographed by Ingrid Kuenzel
A good month ahead of our neighbours when it
comes to giving thanks, heres an easy recipe,
using ingredients most of us will have to hand,
to celebrate Thanksgiving Canadian-style.
Wild Turkey Maple Leaf
2 oz Wild Turkey 81 Proof
oz maple syrup
oz lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
1. Shake ingredients together with ice in
a cocktail shaker.
2. Strain into a chilled glass, add a
cinnamon stick and serve.
Culinaire
AS NECESSARY AS YOUR MORNI NG CUP OF COFFEE.
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CALGARYS FRESHEST FOOD & BEVERAGE MAGAZINE

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