December 2007 - eatdrink Magazine

Transcription

eatdrink
Serving London, Stratford & Area
FREE
PLEASE TAKE ONE
RESTAURANTS • RECIPES • WINE • TRAVEL
David Chapman’s
Roadmap to Success
Still Cookin’ at Bijou
eatdrinkmag.net
aLwayS MoRe onLine
Restaurant Search • Reviews • Maps • Links
Issue Five • December 2007
Trendspotting:
what’s Hot in Tea?
-LH[\YPUN H \UPX\L TLU\ M\ZPUN 4LKP[LYYHULHU
U
L
PUNYLKPLU[Z HUK ;OHP ÅH]V\YZ ^P[O HU L_[LUZP]L
^PUL SPZ[ HUK ZL_` H[TVZWOLYL
Please join us for dinner
Tuesday through Sunday
Visit Our Website to Check Out
Our Christmas and New Years Eve
Menus and Other Special Events
2PUN :[YLL[ 3VUKVU ^ ^ ^ [ O L Y L K N V H [ J V T
CONTENTS
RESTAURANT PROFILE
6
Baby, it’s Cold outside
But the Bijou Restaurant is still cookin’in Stratford.
By Cecilia Buy
WINE
10
icewine: our national Treasure
A review of Icewine: Extreme Winemaking.
By Shari Darling
SPOTLIGHT
14
Pass da Pasta, Kathy!
The Spotlight shines on Kathy Hundt of Stratford’s Pass da Pasta Specialty Food Shoppe.
By Chris McDonell
TRENDSPOTTING
15
Tea has come of age in many interesting ways.
By Martha McAlister
BOOKS
19
a Baking Bible & Food to Die For
A review of Baking Illustrated By Jennifer Gagel
A review of The Year of Eating Dangerously By Darin Cook
CHEFS
22
a Roadmap to Success
David Chapman is dedicated to his customers. And his staff.
By Melanie North
EATDRINKBUZZ
32
new & notable
Chefs, restaurants, culinary trends and notable hot spots. Catch the buzz!
By Bryan Lavery
BEER
42
winter warmers for the Holidays
Strong Beer suggestions, and don’t forget to put some down in your “beer cellar.”
By The Malt Monk
SEASONAL RECIPES
48
Let it Snow, Let it Snow!
Christmas treats that are easy to make and oh so good.
By Christine Scheer
TRAVEL
50
a Culinary Tour of Barcelona
Medieval charm and 21st-century flare.
By Kent Van Dyk
MIXOLOGY
53
Holiday eggnog
Do you really want to serve your special guests pre-packaged eggnog?
By Darcy O’Neil
THE LIGHTER SIDE
56
The Christmas Dog
An errant email from a society maven tripping to Ikea and down memory lane.
By Millicent Windsor
eatdrink
™
RESTAURANTS • RECIPES • WINE • TRAVEL
eatdrinkmag.net
A Food & Drink Magazine Serving London, Stratford & Area
™
» Register for the free digital edition to be delivered monthly
— more recipes, photos, stories and links.
» A virtual magnet for all things culinary
— find restaurants, read reviews and much more.
Publisher & Advertising Manager
Chris McDonell
[email protected]
Office Manager
Cecilia Buy
Telephone & Fax
519 434-8349
Mailing Address
525 Huron Street,
London ON N5y 4J6
News & Feedback
[email protected]
Contributors
Bryan Lavery
Melanie North
Shari Darling
Cecilia Buy
Christine Scheer
D.R. Hammond
Jennifer Gagel
Millicent Windsor
Kent Van Dyk
Darin Cook
Darcy O'Neil
Editorial Advisory Board
Bryan Lavery
Chris McDonald
Cathy Rehberg
Copy Editor
Melanie North
Graphic Design & Layout
Hawkline Graphics
[email protected]
Website
Milan Kovar/KOVNET
Printing
Impressions Printing
St. Thomas ON
Cover Image
Chef and restaurateur David Chapman, left, in his namesake David’s Bistro, with his daughter and restaurant manager Natalie. Behind them, Chef Elvis Drennan of David’s
Bistro and Chef Kelly Hamilton of Katana Kafé.
All of the photos in our David Chapman profile, including
this image, are by Jackie Noble (www.jackienoble.com).
Copyright © 2007 eatdrink™, Hawkline Graphics and the writers. All rights reserved.
Reproduction or duplication of any material published in
eatdrink™ or on eatdrinkmag.net™ is strictly prohibited without
the written permission of the Publisher. eatdrink™ has a circulation
of 10,000 issues published monthly. e views or opinions
expressed in the information, content and/or advertisements
published in eatdrink™ are solely those of the author(s) and do not
necessarily represent those of the Publisher. e Publisher
welcomes submissions but accepts no responsibility for
unsolicited material.
always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net
december 2007 • issue five
5
NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
eatdrink and Be Merry!
By Chris McDonell
L
et me open this issue by stating that I
hope you are enjoying a quiet and
peaceful moment with eatdrink. As
I pen this, I am experiencing the flip side
of that coin, scrambling pell-mell with
busy-ness while the holiday season thrusts
itself onto my agenda. Picturing you, a
reader, with feet up and drink in hand,
leaves me feeling less frazzled and a little
more inspired. We’ve worked hard so that
the magazine might do the same for you.
I could as easily call this the “prize issue”
instead of the holiday issue. We’ve
launched a new department called
“Trendspotting” with an article on tea, and
there’s a fun little quiz that you can complete for a chance at, appropriately, some
delightful teas. Good luck!
We’re also launching a contest for subscribers to our free digital edition. No worries if you’re already a subscriber—you’re
already entered—but on January 24, 2008,
we’ll randomly select the winner of a fabulous prize package. Details are on page 41
and entering is easy; just follow the “Magazine” link on our website and register.
Remember, we guarantee no spam, and you
can unsubscribe at any time. We’ll keep you
up to date with future issues via email, or if
you’d prefer to pay for a printed subscription, we can look after that too. Of course,
we’ll still have the magazine out and about
in the community, free of charge, but our
digital version allows us to include more
content than our printing budget allows. As
well, it’s interactive, and serves as a gateway
to reams of related information.
I’m pleased to announce that our Restaurant Reviews are now up online. Had a dining experience that you’d like to share with
other readers? Be our guest. We’ve got some
reasonable and common sense guidelines
to follow, but again, it’s a simple process that
will be fun and useful. We’ll post your helpful reports right where people are looking
for restaurant information.
With 2007 soon to come to an end, I’d like
to acknowledge the many people who
have supported this magazine launch. You
made 2007 a satisfying year for me personally, as well as helped create a useful publication for our community. To my family,
our writers, our advertisers and our readers: ank you. Happy Holiday! They say home is where the heart is.
NOW
OPEN
911 Commissioners Road East (at Adelaide)
519-936-0585
Carlitos welcomes you to our home,
that we might share our heart with
you. Our desire is to serve you with
excellence in all areas of your dining
pleasures.
On behalf of the entire family at
Carlitos, we invite you to dine, relax
and leave the rest to us.
6
issue five • december 2007
RESTAURANTS
Baby it’s Cold outside,
But They’re Still Cookin’ at the Bijou
By Cecilia Buy
way for horse-drawn wagons carrying
farmers and their produce to the Market.
Stepping through the door of Bijou, you
tread onto the diagonally laid floor of a former pool hall. Glance into the kitchen that
still holds vestiges from its diner days, and
look up at the blackboard menu. You’re
obviously in southwestern Ontario, circa
2007, because you are considering, perhaps, the Japanese-style Escabeche of
Lake Huron Pickerel with cucumber, ginger and dried miso.
Bijou’s cuisine embraces the ethos of
local and seasonal, but the Linleys stamp it
with their own brand. “Modern French,
with some Asian and Italian influence” is
how it’s described on the website. Aaron
provides a more informative description:
As an application of the technique, modern
French means “lighter reductions, lighter
sauces with less starch, more [seasoning
with] vinaigrettes with fresh
herbs.” e production itself
is less complicated than in
the haute cuisine of
Escoffier. is simplification
of process, along with the
use of the freshest possible
ingredients, allows the natural flavours of the ingredients to shine. Similarly,
adds Bronwyn, “the Asian
and Italian influences
involve technique as well as
ingredients.”
e couple met at the
Stratford Chefs School
(Aaron is a local; Bronwyn
moved here from Kingston).
After graduation, they travelled and worked at such
Photo: Evan Dion
F
estival season is over, but Stratford
should still be on your list when
you’re looking to dine out.
After months of 70- to 80-hour weeks,
Bronwyn and Aaron Linley, chefs/owners
of Bijou Restaurant, are looking forward
to a well-earned rest. With the theatre season finished, many businesses in this
tourist-driven town either shut down or
cut down on their hours. For the restaurants that have gained or maintained their
reputations during the past months (or
years), November usually brings a more
relaxed pace. But at Bijou, although
they’re open for fewer regular hours,
they’re still serving, and ramping up for
Christmas parties, caterings and cooking
classes.
Like many buildings in the area, history
lingers around Bijou Restaurant. It is just
south of Allen’s Alley, a former passage-
Bijou Restaurant Chefs/Owners
Bronwyn and Aaron Linley.
restaurants as Scaramouche and
Acqua. “When you graduate from
chefs school, you’re not necessarily a
chef,” says Aaron. “You’re just starting out. You continue to work on it all
the time.”
Bronwyn’s specialty is desserts,
but in keeping with the notion of
continuing education, she is now
partway through training as a sommelier. As she says, the expertise of
the wine person in a restaurant is
like that of the chef, in that “you gain
experience
through
working,
research and familiarity.” With a
busy restaurant, and two young children, the balance of her training will
have to fit into the schedule.
ey opened Bijou in 2001. Initially, only half of the property was
utilized, but three years ago they
acquired the other half, which fronts
onto Wellington Street. is allowed
the addition of seating for 20 to the existing 35, as well as a beautiful antique service bar, and an intimate private dining
room for six.
All of the kitchen staff is either a graduate or current student of the Stratford Chefs
School, where Aaron teaches four mornings a week. Since opening,
the Linleys have enjoyed
very low staff turnover. For
instance “server extraordinaire” Scott Hlusiak has
been with them for six
years. is makes for a
pleasant experience for
returning diners, but also
highlights one of the satisfactions the Linleys treasure
in their chosen life at Bijou:
the development of friendships and community. Former chef de partie Ross
Derek returned from Ireland recently for a visit, and
in a few weeks the Linleys
will be travelling to Chicago
to visit clients-now-friends.
(Part of the upside of the
challenge of wintertime in
Stratford is having “time to
7
A comfortable settee in front
of the “window” on Wellington Street.
do what the rest of the world can do all
year,” says Bronwyn.)
is past October, the Linleys joined
with some other Stratford restaurants
(including Down the Street, Foster’s Inn
and Pazzo Ristorante) in offering 100-mile
menus. As a widely publicized tourism
The chalkboard menu reflects
a commitment to freshness.
8
ey espouse using local ingredients
as much as possible. After all, as
Aaron says, it’s “always cheaper,
always more readily available and it’s
always better.” But the chefs make no
bones about sourcing from elsewhere too. Some things just aren’t to
be had locally, or may be out of season, or not available in the quantities
needed for a restaurant to be able to
offer numerous portions. Some of
their meat, for instance, comes from
Quebec, often via the highly
regarded purveyor La Ferme. But
area suppliers like Soiled Reputation, Carol Francom, Larry Bender,
and Terry’s Global Fish remain at the
top of the shopping list. When the
pace permits, the Linleys go to markets a little further afield, including
those in St. Jacob’s and in Kitchener.
A private room is available.
It’s difficult to pigeonhole Bijou,
promotion, it was a success for the town, to pinpoint its precise location on the
but Bronwyn notes that it did not require spectrum of dining options. e menu is
“a huge departure from our regular menu.” “every bit as ambitious” as you would
Elegance & Simplicity
• Cabinetry
• Vanities
• Countertops
• Millwork
It’s a feeling. When
craftsmanship of
cabinetry meets the
detailing of hardware,
it creates a symmetry
of elegance and
simplicity that just
feels right.
From Roy omson
Hall and the John
Labatt Centre to
many fine homes in
London, integrity of
design has been the
hallmark of our work
for over 45 years.
Call or visit our
showroom for a
consultation.
CONTINENTAL
CABINET
COMPANY INC.
519.455.3830
547 Clarke Road (Between Oxford & Dundas)
Showroom Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; Sat 8am-Noon
www.continentalcabinet.com
expect from a fine dining restaurant, and
prepared with no less attention to detail.
e wine list is extensive, and kitchen and
service staff highly trained.
But the atmosphere and
décor are more bistrocasual. What the Linleys
aimed for in crafting their
Bijou was to bring all their
experience and creativity
to the table, and to put that
table into a dining room
that provides “a different sort of evening …
a sophisticated, pleasant experience.”
So one of these cold winter days, when
your timetable is not driven by showtime,
slow down your pace and visit Bijou.
ey’re still cooking. Bijou Restaurant
105 Erie Street, Stratford
519-273-5000
www.bijourestaurant.com
winter hours: thursday-saturday 5-9pm
9
TOP: Dark chocolate
and dried cherry bread
pudding with a sour
cream ice cream;
FAR LEFT: Purée of Jerusalem artichoke soup
with tamarind and tandoori oil;
BOTTOM: Crispy braised duck with French lentils, baby
bok choy and wakami broth.
CECILIA BUY is a writer and designer who has enjoyed living and dining in London for the past 17 years.
YOUR COUNTERTOP SPECIALISTS
Countertops By MB
Fast Turnaround Time
Delivery • Installation
519-659-3838
1490 Hamilton Road, Unit 2
Southwestern Ontario’s Largest Selection
Over 100 Quartz & Granite Colours & Patterns!
Forest City Custom Counter Tops
519-691-0303
Visit Our Showroom
100 Belmont Drive, Unit 8, London
(At Wharncliffe Road S, across from Ray Cullen)
Mon-Fri 9-5 • Sat 10-2
www.forestcitycustomcountertops.com
10
WINE
icewine: our national Treasure
By Shari Darling
I
t can be difficult to find that ideal gift
for the wine lover who owns a plethora
of wine paraphernalia and operates a
wine cellar filled with expensive bottles.
What you may want to consider giving your wine-loving
friends, family or clients is a
copy of the just-released book
entitled Icewine: Extreme
Winemaking (2007, Key Porter
Books). is is a stunning,
hardcover coffee table book
worth its $50 price tag.
Icewine: Extreme Winemaking is filled with beautiful
photographs and drawings.
Authors Donald Ziraldo and
Karl Kaiser are the former owners of
Inniskillin Wines in Niagara-on-the-Lake
who brought home the Grand Prix d’Honneur in the 1991 VinExpo Wine Competition. VinExpo is considered one of the most
prestigious international wine competitions and sees thousands of wine entries
each year. is award not only established
Inniskillin as a leader in the
production of Canadian
icewine, but put our country
on the world wine map. is
award created a demand for
icewine around the world,
especially in China and
Japan.
In this book, Ziraldo and
Kaiser take us on a scientific
journey. e book begins
with the explanation of the
formation of one molecule
of frozen water and ends
with many gorgeous recipes
using icewine as an ingredient. e recipes were developed by Inniskillin’s former
in-house chef, Izabela Kalabis-Sacco. is book is the
first in-depth study of
icewine, but also one that celebrates what
Canadian wine lovers could call our greatest national treasure.
My favourite chapters are “e Taste
Experience” and “Icewine
with Food.” In the former, we
learn about the importance
of using a quality wine glass,
in this case an icewine glass,
to enhance the characteristics of a wine. e authors
point out that one glass will
bring out the wine’s vibrant
fruity aromas, while another
will thwart them. A quality
wineglass makes a wine’s
acidity taste refreshing and
pleasing to the palate; an inferior one
makes the same acidity seem tart and
offensive. e quality and intensity of the
aromas of icewine are determined not only
by the personality of the wine, but also by
its affinity to the glass shape.
Knowing the importance of the shape of
a wineglass, Ziraldo and Kaiser were the
Photo by Anton Fercher, from Icewine by Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser, published by Key Porter Books.
*!.5!29 s 3AMPLE WINES s BEERS s SPIRITS s TEMPTING CUISINE
#HEF !NTHONY 3EDLAK
,ADIES .IGHT
1SFTFOUFE CZ .BOJDVSFT BOE .BSUJOJT
1SPH
PHS
HSFTT #VJMEJOH
OH 8F
8 UFSO
8FTUF
SO 'B
'BJS &WFOU $FOUS
USF
-POEPO
O 0/ XXXXFTUF
UFSSO
SOG
OGB
GBJSDPN
HDWGULQN

HDWGULQNPDJQHW x"WJSUVBMNBHOFUGPSBMMUIJOHTDVMJOBSZ
&//$ .%
.%47/2+
4 7/2+ IS A TTRADEMARK
RADEMA
D
RK OFF 44ELEVISION
ELLEVISION &OOD .ETWORK '0 USED W
WITH
ITH PE
PERMISSION
R M SSION
12
first to introduce an authentic Riedel
icewine glass to the world. In 1999, Ziraldo
enlisted Georg Riedel, the Austrian creator
of fine crystal wine glasses, to design the
“perfect” glass for icewine. Ziraldo
arranged that the preliminary trials of
existing Riedel shapes be done at a tasting
with some of the world’s most influential
wine writers. I was fortunate to be a part of
this team. We tasted a variety of icewines in
a range of dessert wineglasses and documented our experiences. From this workshop, Riedel created four prototype
icewine glasses. Each member of the team
received the four prototypes, along with a
range of different Inniskillin icewines. We
were asked to document what we liked best
about each glass and why. Using the prototype glasses and their individual characteristics as a guide, we were then asked to
draw our own “perfect” icewine glass on
paper. We sent our findings to Inniskillin
Wines. e long-stemmed Riedel icewine
glass, with a bowl like a just-opening tulip
blossom, was launched in 2000.
e chapter entitled “Icewine with
Food” is dedicated, in loving memory, to
Izabela Kalabis-Sacco. She served as
Inniskillin’s resident chef from 1988 to
2006 when, at age 43, she died from breast
cancer. A significant portion of this book’s
profits goes to a foundation in her name,
created by her family.
In this chapter, the reader discovers
icewine as an ingredient in desserts, as
well as an accompanying partner for
cheeses, foie gras and a variety of dishes.
is chapter includes recipes, such as
Icewine-Soaked Figs on Hazelnut Crust
with White Chocolate Mousse; Icewine
Sabayon and Raspberry Coulis (developed
by Izabela Kalabis-Sacco); Foie Gras with
Granny Smith Apples and Black Currant
Reduction; and Bittersweet Chocolate
Icewine Truffle Cake.
Icewine: Extreme Winemaking is a great
book to obtain if you are someone who
likes to entertain in style. It is available at
bookstores and online. e book has also
been incorporated into a variety of beauti-
.COKPCVGF %CPCFKCP 9KPG 9JGGN
&GUKIPGF D[ 5JCTK &CTNKPI
7
)
,
*
<
$
'
,
/
2
$ *5($7 +
VCZGU KPENWFGF
#XCKNCDNG CV
YYYUQRJKUVKECVGFYKPQEQO
'5JQR QT ECNN
november 2007 • issue four
ful gift baskets, complete with a bottle of
icewine and Riedel icewine glasses. e
baskets are available directly through
Inniskillin Wines (905-468-2187 ext. 2) in
Niagara-on-the-Lake and can be delivered
to your door.
“ Wonderful food, caring service, ambiance
that lifts my spirit ... I walk in to a
warm welcome and leave with a
desire to return.”
— Kitchener Record
Recommended Bottles
Inniskillin icewines are available at the
LCBO and in Wine Rack Stores.
inniskillin VQa Vidal icewine, (lcbo
551085, $54.95) is an icewine with typical
vidal flavours of apricot and honey. Serve
with a buttermilk panna cotta with fresh
mango and kiwi.
inniskillin VQa 2005 oak aged Vidal
icewine (lcbo 19083, $79.95) offers a balance of sweetness with acidity. Having
spent three months in oak, this wine offers
flavours of caramel and vanilla with dried
apricot and honey in the background.
Keep desserts simple and not too sweet,
such as a simple vanilla custard with a
slice of fresh melon.
Choose inniskillin VQa 2004 Sparkling
icewine (lcbo 560367, $55.05) over the
top bubbly if you’re celebrating New Year’s
Eve in style with a few close friends in dinner-party style. is sparkling icewine
offers the best of both worlds: effervescence and intense apricot, peach and
honey flavours. Pair with foie gras on
canapés at midnight.
inniskillin VQa 2004 Riesling icewine
(lcbo 558288, $69.95) is produced from
the Riesling grape, so you are sure to enjoy
more refreshing acidity and fresh peach
and honey flavours. Vanilla ice cream drizzled in maple syrup is the ideal partner. SHARI DARLING is a member of the Wine Writers’ Circle of
Canada, author of books such as Harmony on the Palate:
Matching Simple Recipes to Everyday Wine Styles and
co-author of The Wine Manual, a resource for sommelier
and wine training. She can be reached through her website:
www.sophisticatedwino.com.
Private
Dining Room
Available for
Christmas
Parties
Chris & Mary Woolf
519-349-2467
[email protected]
Corner of Hwy #7 and Perth Road #118,
just outside St. Marys
14
SPOTLIGHT
Pass da Pasta, Kathy!
By Chris McDonell
H
er passion for Italian cuisine
led her into the business. Tellingly, that same passion still
fuels Kathy Hundt 13 years later, and
is the key to her thriving specialty
food shop. Pass da Pasta is tucked
into an unassuming house at 127
Albert Street in Stratford. And
Hundt’s brainchild (she made her
plan while working at Breadworks
and bartending at Down the Street) is
now a local institution.
Stratford residents come all year,
and many are on a first-name basis
with the regular source of their fresh
pasta, sauces, paninis and salads.
Gourmet cheeses, dips, oils, olives
and soups are also available from the
small but surprisingly abundant shop. During festival season, locals patiently take
their turn with the myriad tourists and
actors who also appreciate the quality
offerings. With no seating, the transient
guests take their Italian soul food back to
their B & B or for a picnic down by the river.
But with such a plethora of fabulous spots
for dining in Stratford, what brings them
back time and again to Pass da Pasta?
“‘Consistency’ is my favourite word,” says
Hundt, and there’s clear evidence of that. A
long-time friend, Lindsay Reid, is on staff,
with Rynolde Bergman coming in a couple
of times a week, but Hundt remains the
only person to make the pasta. She closes
for the first week of January and otherwise
is open Tuesday to Friday, 10-6, and Saturdays 10-5ish, but that flexibility only
extends to staying open later, never closing
earlier. She follows her own recipes religiously, having patiently developed them
early on (her brother is a food scientist)
and refining them to her—and her customers’—complete satisfaction. at
lengthy process, spending months chang-
ing just one ingredient at a time and taking
careful note of the small differences,
turned out to be an excellent investment of
time. But one could also argue that the real
secret to Hundt’s success is her consistent
use of quality ingredients.
“You can taste the difference,” she states
categorically, explaining why she only uses
premium Stanislaus canned tomatoes
from California in her sauces. Why canned
tomatoes? Again, for consistency. Hundt
also uses large numbers of farm fresh eggs
rather than a cheaper “liquid egg product”
that finds its way into most commercial
pastas. As well, she usually uses 100%
semolina flour, only using some all-purpose flour if she’s intentionally looking for
a more elastic pasta.
e final piece of the puzzle comes from
the enthusiasm and positive energy that
finds its way into the food. “I love what I’m
doing,” says Hundt, shrugging off the long
hours. “We’re happy here. And if you love
what you do, it’s not hard work.” CHRIS MCDONELL is the publisher of eatdrink.
15
TRENDSPOTTING
By Martha McAlister
W
hat is “so hot” in the tea market
that it makes it “cool” for celebrities and VIP’s to be photographed drinking and enjoying it? When
Polly was asked in the traditional nursery
rhyme “to put the kettle on so that we
could all have tea” she could never have
envisioned the evolution that would take
place to create this tea revolution.
Tea is the second most widely consumed beverage in the world. According to
the Canadian Tea Council, in 2006, the tea
market in Canada was worth approximately $319 million, with 90% of Canadians drinking seven billion cups per year, a
43% increase compared to 1996. Further
evidence of this phenomenal growth is to
look at the number of tea houses in
Canada. Statistics Canada counted only
500 in 1997, whereas today there are more
than 2,500.
In terms of innovation, one of the biggest
hits of the last year was the blossoming
of flowering teas. ese are hand
rolled, long leaf tea with a flower
tucked inside so that when it is
infused, it unfurls into a magnificent floral display. If one places it in a
clear glass teapot,
or even a
Flowering teas make a stunning
and lively display as the tea “bud”
slowly blossoms.
brandy balloon or large wine goblet, this is a
spectacular way to complete a dinner party.
Most buds that you see are only made with
green teas but some of the more prestigious
companies have them available in a variety of teas. Also, the better quality ones can
be used several times over to produce
excellent tea. Naturally, each different
flower that is incorporated into these displays has a different health property, thus
affording one a double treat that will have
you bubbling with delight.
If we follow these bubbles, we should
naturally try “bubble tea.” is trend
started in Taiwan about a decade ago, a
successful ploy to tempt rather jaded
younger people back to the tea experience.
“Boba Tea” derives its
name from the tapioca
pearls incorporated
into the drink of
which there are
two types—
milk or
fruit.
16
Green Tea has increasing popularity
due to lower caffeine content and its
health-giving properties.
e former can be made using black
or green tea with honey and soy or
rice milk. e latter can have real
fruit pieces puréed or fruit concentrate, with the most popular being
mango, lychee and strawberry. e
biggest novelty with this drink is the
“pearls” that are sipped through a
wide brightly colored straw, somewhat reminiscent of the old barber
shop poles.
From Asian influences, we move
to traditional Indian ones and Chai
Tea. Ch’a is the international word
for tea, although it may be spelled in
different ways depending on your
home. e version that has burst
onto the North American scene is a
spiced tea milk infusion, generally
incorporating cinnamon, cardamom,
ginger, cloves, pepper and a few
secret family variables. For those
who have traveled to India, the Chai
sellers at the railway stations are a
common site. e spices create a
synergy as well as act on one’s digestive
system, giving a gentle lift. e flavours
have so captured our imagination that
Chai Tea has been incorporated into candies, chocolates and cookies.
If Chai can be used in cooking, why not
other teas? e possibilities for creating
exciting flavour twists are almost endless,
while also gaining the documented health
properties of this beverage. Many chefs are
making salad dressings, poaching fish, and
making ice creams and desserts using
green and white teas. Tea rubs have been
developed, particularly with “Lapsang
Souchong,” a Chinese black tea that is the
world’s only truly smoked tea, so that tea
can find a welcome place on your barbeque goodies.
Let’s examine several varieties of teas
that have burst onto the world stage: Green
Tea has been experiencing steadily
increasing popularity due to its lower caffeine content and its health giving properties (although all tea has these to varying
degrees). If health is one of your goals, then
THE
eatdrink
TEA QUIZ
A draw of correct entries will take place on December 27, 2007.
The winner will receive a beautiful Numi Bouquet Box,
courtesy of London’s EVERYTHING TEA.
Mail your entry to:
eatdrink, 525 Huron St., London ON N5y 4J6
1. How old is tea? K 100 years; K 1000 years; K 5000 years.
2. What tea is the name of a flower? K red tulip; K red rose; K red begonia.
3. What are the three basic types of tea?
(Pick 3) K black; K white; K green; K oolong; K tetley.
4. Herbal teas contain real tea leaves. K True; K False.
5. According to legend, who discovered tea while visiting a distant region
in his realm? K Emperor Shen Nong; K Ghengis Khan; K King Henry VIII.
6. What country first introduced tea to Europe? K Iceland; K Spain; K Portugal.
7. Earl Grey was an actual person. K True; K False.
8. Which hotel is famous for its afternoon tea? K Banff Springs; K Chateau Laurier; K Empress.
Name: _________________________________________________________________
Street Address: ____________________________________________________________
City: __________________________________ Postal Code: _______________________
Phone: _____________________ Email Address __________________________________
18
To help navigate the staggering
variety available, a good tea shop
can offer excellent suggestions for
both the neophyte and the
connoisseur tea drinker.
ent presentation, in that a
small amount is drunk after
being frothed up with a
handheld bamboo whisk.
For some, it is an acquired
taste, so it is frequently
blended with other ingredients. One of the most popular flavours today is
pomegranate, but the richly
diverse flavoured teas and
blends are only limited by
one’s imagination.
Although not actually teas
(because they do not come
from the camellia sinensis
plant), Maca and Mate from
South America are drunk as
teas, as are Rooibos or “Red
Tea” and Honeybush from
it follows that White Tea should also be South Africa.
Today, the health conscious consumer
considered. It is made from the youngest
wants a delicious, refreshtop leaves of the tea plant
ing and revitalizing beverand is picked in the early
age that is also an excellent
spring before they are fully
value. Tea meets all of these
opened. e name is
requirements. Why not
derived from the fuzzy silimmerse yourself in the tea
ver and white down or tips
experience? on the leaf. It is consequently rarer and more
expensive. Sales figures
MARTHA McALISTER was weaned on
indicate that demand for
tea and classically trained in the UK. An
this tea has tripled since
inveterate traveller, qualified teacher,
2001.
tea consultant and workshop presenter,
Mat’cha, or what is othershe has for the last 12 years been cowise known as Japanese
“Bubble” Tea owner of Everything Tea Inc. in Lonceremonial tea, has taken a
don, Ontario.
turn in the spotlight most recently, again
for health reasons. It offers a vastly differ-
Experience the World of Tea @
EVERYTHING TEA
London’s Premier Tea Merchants
Since 1996
353 Talbot Street, London
(between King & York)
519-433-9522
Owners Gary and Martha McAlister
19
BOOKS
i Swear By My Baking Bible
Review by Jennifer Gagel
E
ver wander over to peer at your
host’s cookbook shelf? It is the one
place where I’m hoping for a tattered
gem, where a cracked or broken spine,
with pages bearing the remains of many
splatters, means a well-loved book. On my
shelf, that would be Baking Illustrated:
e Practical Kitchen Companion for the
Home Baker (America’s Test Kitchen,
2004, $49.95) by the editor’s of Cooks Illustrated Magazine. It is, quite simply, the
best baking book I have ever used.
ere is a great deal of chemistry supporting the art of baking, and no matter
how artistic and creative we may be, it’s all
for naught if our muffins
function better as hockey
pucks than snacks, or the
cookies crumbled so fast that
more ended up in our laps
than in our mouths. ankfully, the recipe developers
have made these mistakes
and many more, so we no
longer have to. Using clear,
precise instructions, they
give us 350 recipes we can
trust; I’ve never had one fail.
e recipes range from
breads and muffins, cakes
and cookies, pies, tarts, and pastries, right
through to pizzas, foccacias and other flatbreads. All the old standards are here, plus
variations. ey have two distinct recipes
for Cornbread, Northern and Southern,
along with three variations of the Northern. You’ll also find classics from other
cultures, such as the traditional Italian
Crostata Di Marmellata, or Jam Crostata.
Whether you require stunning Profiteroles
to wow and amaze, or the absolute best
brownies for lunchboxes, Baking Illustrated will be the first place you turn to.
ey set out with clear intentions at the
beginning of every recipe: “Good banana
bread is soft and tender with plenty of
banana flavor and crunchy toasted walnuts. It should be moist and light, something so delicious that you look forward to
the bananas on the counter turning soft
and mushy.” ey share the results of their
tests that went awry, and so teach us about
how texture is affected by different mixing
methods, and the impact of various liquid
ingredients. ese insights have made me
much more adept at judging recipes
before I try them, as I have a better understanding of the role of fats or the different
ways gluten develops. I am also better able
to adapt and improve other recipes.
Not that you’ll be ranging far afield once
you have this book. Every
recipe is sure to become
the definitive version in
your house—I simply cannot imagine using another
Pumpkin Pie recipe, as I
would never risk losing the
outstanding raves of my
guests. e Devil’s Food
Cake has been coined velvet cake in my home,
because it is so superior to
any other devil’s food cake
that it merits its own name.
With a rich chocolate taste,
the product of using both bakers’ chocolate and cocoa, its texture is sumptuous
crushed velvet, melting on your tongue. I
usually pair it with a thin layer of vanilla
buttercream, to accentuate the full chocolate flavour, as they show in one of their
many beautiful photographs.
Baking Illustrated also has wonderfully
illustrated tutorials, shortcuts, and tips on
such things as Rolling and Fitting Pie
Dough, Baking Multiple Batches of Cookies, and Shaping Pavlovas. High altitude
bakers will love the chapter devoted to
them and the accompanying troubleshooting chart. And before you go out to buy a
new whisk or any other kitchen item, refer-
20
ence their section on baking equipment
and you are sure to be satisfied with your
purchase. Better yet, read why you cannot
live without a bench scraper or standing
mixer and then add it to your wish list.
If you are a baker, you need this book. If
someone you know bakes, they need this
book. Either way, it should be under many
trees this holiday season. JENNIFER GAGEL began her love affair with food at age
eight, cooking for a family of food lovers and fickle eaters
under the tutelage of her two European grandmothers. She 3
works for the London Public Library, where she scours the
cookbook selection to plan her next culinary experiment.
Recipes courtesy of Baking Illustrated (America’s Test Kitchen).
Devil’s Food Cake
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
¼ cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1¼ cups boiling water
¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ cup plain cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
16 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened but cool
1½ cups packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1
2
Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and
lower-middle positions; heat the oven to
350˚F. Meanwhile, grease three 8-inch
cake pans and line the bottom of each
pan with a round of parchment paper or
waxed paper. Combine the chocolate
and cocoa in a medium bowl; pour the
boiling water over and whisk until
smooth. Sift together the flours, baking
soda and salt onto a large sheet of
parchment or waxed paper; set aside.
Beat the butter in the bowl of a standing
mixer at medium-high speed until
creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown
sugar and beat at high speed until light
and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop the
mixer and scrape down the bowl with a
rubber spatula. With the mixer at
medium-high speed, add the eggs 1 at a
time, beating 30 seconds after each addition. Reduce the speed to medium; add
4
the sour cream and vanilla and beat until
combined, about 10 seconds. Stop the
mixer and scrape down the bowl. With
the mixer at low speed, add about a third
of the flour mixture, followed by about
half of the chocolate mixture. Repeat,
ending with the flour mixture; beat until
just combined, about 15 seconds. Do not
overbeat. Remove the bowl from the
mixer; scrape the bottom and sides of
the bowl with a rubber spatula and stir
gently to thoroughly combine.
Divide the batter evenly among the cake
pans and smooth the batter to the edges
of each pan with a rubber spatula. Place 2
pans on the lower-middle rack and 1 on
the upper-middle rack. Bake the cakes
until a toothpick comes out clean, 20-23
minutes. Cool on wire racks 15-20 minutes.
Run a knife around each pan perimeter to
loosen. Invert each cake onto a large
plate; peel off the parchment and reinvent
onto a rack. Cool completely.
Assemble and frost the cake. Cut into
slices and serve.
Rich Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 lb (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but
still cool, each stick cut into quarters
1
2
Combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and
salt in the bowl of a standing mixer;
place the bowl over a pan of simmering
water. (Do not let the bottom of the
bowl touch the water.) Whisking gently
but constantly, heat the mixture until it
is thin and foamy and registers 160˚ on
an instant-read thermometer.
Beat the egg mixture at medium-high
speed until light, airy and cooled to
room temperature (about 5 minutes).
Reduce speed to medium and add butter, one piece at a time. Once all the butter is added, increase speed to high and
beat 1 minute until light, fluffy and thoroughly combined.
a lway s m o re o n l i n e
More recipes from
Baking Illustrated!
21
The year of eating Dangerously
Review by Darin Cook
M
any people travel as a way to try
exotic foods directly from the
source. Who couldn’t argue that
Pad ai tastes exponentially better from a
stall on the streets of ailand or that
Crème Brûlée has a certain je ne sais quoi
when eaten in a Parisian bistro? As British
food writer Tom Parker Bowles
describes in his book e Year
of Eating Dangerously: A
Global Adventure in Search of
Culinary Extremes (St. Martins
Press, 2007, $31), sometimes it
is best to experience cuisine by
delving into food that defines
the extreme edges of a culture,
the type of food that not everyone across cultures would even
agree is food.
e author’s early impressions of food are filled with the
cafeteria menu from his British prep
school, “institutional slop of the lowest
form, the sort of bland, unthinking crap that
gave British cuisine such a filthy reputation.” us began his lifelong journey of eating meals of dubious ingredients. His first
affection for foreign cuisine was a fascination with American fast food, candy, and
soft drinks. Lucky for us, he doesn’t stick
with this childish love affair. His adventures
cover much more elaborate ground—from
the obligatory cobra bile that every extreme
eater tries in Hong Kong; to the ultimate
fresh salad in Laos, chasing live river
shrimp around the table before munching
them; to sucking the black jelly out of the
brain of a whole octopus in Sicily.
Anecdotes and world cuisine history
give Bowles plenty of fodder. Nearly everything in China, if it is prepared and eaten
properly, has auspicious side effects: the
cobra bile liquor is legendary for increasing male libido and turtle soup symbolizes
long life. e “most difficult to read” part
of Bowles’ travels (for anyone with pets) is
when he’s tracking down dog soup in
Seoul, but it is done nonetheless in the
name of culinary research.
But not all of the travels take Bowles into
the world of Fear Factor foods. e element
of danger reaches new levels when he takes
on the physical challenges of schlepping in
the Severn River near Gloucester, Britain,
with the fishermen who provide the
world’s supply of elver eels. His
trip to Sicily is not dangerous
in itself except for the calibre of
his dining companions: the
Sicilian Mafiosi.
Although much of the book
celebrates culinary artistry
around the globe, Bowles is
always on the lookout for the
extreme. He tries hot sauces
that require disclaimers to be
signed before the vendor will
hand them over, for fear of
being sued. Some are stronger
than police pepper spray, although the
hottest sauces on record are more collectors’ items rather than condiments, saved
as a reminder of what a tiny chilli can do.
In Tennessee, dangerous eating is the
quantity he consumes as a judge at e
Jack Daniel’s Invitational Barbeque Competition. “is time I pushed it too far,”
writes Bowles. “I’d make a wretched competitive eater. My head throbs, my stomach
churns and every burp is tinged with peril.
My discomfort is all consuming, and I
never want to see food, any food, ever
again.” Even days later, Bowles feels “like
an anaconda after a particularly large
mammalian dinner” and vows “I will never
again put my gut through such exacting
excess.” And this is where dangerous eating
hits home. Even if we don’t fancy snake
soup or deep-fried bugs, this is the same
empty promise we all make after dangerously, but happily, gorging ourselves on a
huge holiday dinner. DARIN COOK is a London-based writer and bookseller. He
does not eat all that dangerously, but enjoys reading about
those who do.
22
CHEFS
a Roadmap to Success
David Chapman at David’s Bistro and Katana Kafe
By Melanie North
hen I stepped into David’s Bistro Mn: Can you tell me about your apprenon a dull and cloudy autumn
ticeship?
afternoon, everything changed. I DC: I grew up just outside Belfast and so
entered a warm and cozy place, the very
I apprenticed first in Ireland and
definition of a bistro. e walls are
then in England, Bermuda and
wrapped in fabulous red paint, tables
Canada. I always wanted to be a
dressed in black and white checked cloths
chef. My Mom stayed at home and
and two wingback chairs positioned near
cooked and did the baking every
the entryway facilitate a comforting welSaturday. We always ate together as
come. e very genial David Chapman,
a family and that showed me how
well-known London chef, greeted me. We
important food was. My Mom
sat at a comfortable table, drank coffee and talked about his career.
W
Melanie north: How would you
describe “where you’re at” right
now?
David Chapman: I firmly believe
our business has become a
profession and I can say I am a
professional. In the last twenty
years there has been an explosion of interest in food. ere
are star chefs now, and the
Food Network is incredibly
popular. In terms of my own
career, a chef really goes
through three stages in life.
e first stage is school and
your apprenticeship, when
you learn the basics. Stage
Two establishes your reputation as a chef in your own
right. In this stage you work
under a great chef or in a great
restaurant, generally travel the
world. In the third stage, you
make a decision to stay in the
kitchen or work as an Executive Chef in a big hotel or get
out of the kitchen and own
your own place. So I am in
Stage ree.
David Chapman has been a fixture
in the London dining scene for over
20 years.
always had an appreciation of food
and I decided I should be a chef. In
my apprenticeship I always worked
under chefs who could teach me
well. e cycle is you learn all you
can from a chef, and then move on to
a new experience with another chef.
Mn: And Stage Two?
DC: I moved to London in 1980 for a
chef’s job at Widdington’s and then
became chef at Anthony’s Seafood
Bistro, which is now David’s Bistro.
As a chef, French Classical was my
favourite, although with modern
overtones (for example, fewer
sauces). It has that regional sense to
it—using local food and simply done.
If there are more than five ingredients, then there are too many. I like
the simplicity, the purity of the food.
Mn: How did you go about establishing
your own reputation? Did you have
signature dishes?
DC: I have an inventory of recipes, but
really there hasn’t been anything
new over the past 100 years. What a
chef really does is his own interpretation or adaptation of a traditional
David’s Bistro is a warm reflection
of the man behind the name.
23
dish. For example, take a Provencal
Stew: you can purée or not purée.
Over time, you personalize recipes
and also perfect them. As a professional, I felt that if everyone else was
doing a particular thing or cooking a
certain way, I would go out of my
way to be different, I would have to
do something else. I introduced
many kinds of fish to Anthony’s
Seafood Bistro. I wanted to put my
own stamp on it, be the best in
town, Chef of the Year. It was important to me to be the best of the best.
I also introduced many Ontario
wines and that was 20 years ago,
when very few [restaurants] were
doing that. Another innovation was
the “Trust Me” dinner—a kind of
precursor to today’s popular Chef’s
Tasting. I always wanted to try
something different, to push the
envelope a bit, and it’s worked well.
Mn: Were you influenced by others?
DC: I get ideas from books and magazines and the Food Network. I like
Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Kennedy
—he seems to really be a cook. And I
like Emeril because he has that
24
Saffron risotto with
prosciutto-wrapped scallops
hunched-over look like he’s REALLY
worked.
I’m a big fan of Gary Rhodes too.
He is an English chef who takes traditional English dishes and updates
them for today’s palate. It’s about
perfecting the food rather than
inventing. My biggest influence, I
would have to say, was Fred Reindl.
He was the Executive Chef at the
1FSTPOBM 4FSWJDF
(SFBU 1SJDFT
7JTJU 0VS 4IPXSPPN BU
6OJU $MBSLF 3E -POEPO BU (PSF 3E
XXXKVTUnPPSTXBSFIPVTFDPN
*UST &LOORS 7AREHOUSE
Hyatt Regency in Toronto
(now the Four Seasons,
Yorkville). He was 6’4’’ with
a tall chef’s hat on top of
that, German, and he
intimidated everyone. He
really taught me business
manner—to do things more
effectively and efficiently,
not to be satisfied with the
status quo.
Mn: Why, when your
career got to Stage
ree, did you make
the decision to get out of the kitchen?
DC: When the lease was up and
Anthony’s became available, I
decided to try something different
and I wanted my own name “up in
lights.” It was a whole new experience to give up the kitchen, but I
wanted to get out of the “closed”
kitchen space. I didn’t want partners
because this bistro is a personal
statement and I wanted to have
absolute control. I hired Patrick
Hersey as my chef, whom I’ve
known for 17 years, and I knew the
kitchen would be in good hands. For
the last 12 years, Elvis Drennan has
been the chef here. He did his
apprenticeship with me at Anthony’s
and he is one of the most consistent
chefs I’ve ever known. Other restaurants may be more adventurous, but
we are 100% consistent.
Mn: What was it like for you to be out
front for a change?
DC: I was out there, interacting with customers, and serving—I was scared
“s---less”. It was unnerving. People
were looking for advice, for what to
order. I really think that every chef
should spend some time out front,
just for the experience, and see it’s
clear that every person working in
the restaurant is equally important.
It came to me as a big shock—it’s
not all about the food! It’s about the
total experience. And it’s much harder
to work out front. As a chef, it is hard
physically, but in the front of
the house it is much more
mental as well as physical.
Mn: Can you give me an example of
one of those early encounters
with a customer?
DC: Well, my wife, Cindy Kinsella
(we met when we both worked
at Anthony’s) made me go out
to a table while I was still chef
at Anthony’s. It was a table of
four from New York City, three
women and a man. e
women were very nice and
said the meals were great and the
man said that it was the worst steak
he had ever had. I said to Cindy,
why on earth did you send me out
there? I decided to refund the gentleman’s meal and left an envelope
with the money in it at the Hilton
where he was staying. ey have
been regulars ever since. Every time
they are here in London, they come
to my restaurant. So sometimes
when you stay in the kitchen, you
don’t see the big picture.
Mn: How do you view your customers
and their experience here?
DC: I’m looking at a long-term relationship, so some things don’t make
sense economically at the time but
in the long term it does. For example, I had a customer who I told to
try the “skate wings.” He didn’t want
to, but I persuaded him and said if
he didn’t like it he didn’t have to pay
for it. Well, he loved it and every single time he is in here he orders skate
wings. Now that is not something we
ordinarily have on the menu these
days, but when I know he is coming,
I order it from my fish wholesaler for
him. People in London, they are
customers for life. Many ask for my
advice on what to order, I even give
them serving ideas for an event in
their own homes. It’s a big picture
interchange of information and
ideas.
25
Classic Crème Brûlée
MM: And how does your staff fit into the
equation?
DC: It has to be more than just a job; it
has to be a passion. e pay is not
that great in this business, so I want
this to be a place where people can
excel, where they want to come
every day, not just because it’s a job.
I enable my staff. If there’s a problem then deal with it, whatever it
GENUINE
Traditional Collectible Practical
100% Lead-Free and Made in USA since 1861
679-685 York Street, London
519-432-8323
www.londonglassandmirror.com
26
stantly learning from people here,
and what great chefs we have. It is so
encouraging for me. Ultimately, I
want to please the customer, but I
want to please the staff too. To see
Kelly and Elvis, who both came in
originally with no experience, grow
and prosper—it’s a big part of it,
they’re like your kids. I think the
staff feels the same way—they’re
still here! Even though we may not
always agree with each other, we all
respect each other.
Duck leg confit
on rosti potatoes
with lingonberry
jus
Mn: You sound like a very happy
and satisfied man.
DC: I live to work and my wife
Cindy is like that too. She manages a restaurant in Grand Bend,
the Lakeview Café, during the
summer months and helps out
here in the winter. We may not have
a lot of time together, but whatever
time we do have is a good time. And
I have a unique relationship with my
daughter Natalie. It’s so easy-going,
which is great because this is a
takes. You don’t have to go ask
someone. We have a small staff here
of eight people and they know our
customers and give them personal
attention, even what table they like
to sit at.
Mn: Describe your role now.
DC: It is the duty of a true professional
chef to pass on your knowledge. I
have no problems passing on my
knowledge and my recipes as well. I
now see myself more as a mentor to
young people. My own daughter
Natalie has worked here at David’s
Bistro in the front of the house for
the last seven years. She was quite
shy in the beginning but has grown
tremendously and is now the manager. As a mentor, I facilitate the
environment for the staff and for
each chef to be and do their own
thing. Here, Elvis likes to stay in the
kitchen and that’s totally fine. I also
operate the Katana Kafé for Diamond Aircraft and my chef out
there, Kelly Hamilton, likes to go out
to the tables more and that is what
suits her. She also did her apprenticeship with me.
Even though I have been in the
business for forty years, I am con-
Recipe courtesy of David Chapman of David’s Bistro
Fig and Prosciutto Tart
Makes 4 tarts
4 puff pastry circles, 4” in diameter
4 Tbsp ricotta cheese
4 fresh figs, cut into wedges
4 oz sliced prosciutto, cut in julienne
drizzle of olive oil
1
Preheat oven to 400˚F.
2
Put one tablespoon of ricotta cheese in
the middle of each puff pastry circle.
Leave 1” edge.
3
Fold edge in to make ridge. Place one
fig cut into wedges round outside of
puff pastry and place prosciutto in
middle.
4
Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 8-10
minutes or until golden.
Serve with watercress salad.
stressful business. We think so much
alike it’s unreal. And after work, we
often go out together for dinner! It’s
not work, it’s a way of life.
In addition, can you imagine
anything more personal than to feed
someone? It’s instant gratification. I
can take raw ingredients and make
something beautiful out of it. What’s
not to like? And as for being the
owner, we have carved out that ability to do what we want to do and
give the customer what they want to
have. So many places are just feeding people, but we create an environment and want our customers to
say, “I had a great time.” MELANIE NORTH is a seasoned communications professional with experience in broadcast TV, corporate video,
website development, communications strategy, writing and
editing. She can't cook, but loves to eat!
David’s Bistro
432 Richmond Street, London
519-667-0535
www.davidsbistro.ca
lunch: wed-fri, 11:30am-2:30pm
dinner: every day, 5-10:30pm
Katana Kafé
2530 Blair Boulevard, London
(Diamond Aircraft Centre)
519-455-9005
lunch: every day, 11am-3pm
dinner: wed-sun, 5-10pm
breakfast: sat & sun, 9am-12 noon
a lway s m o re o n l i n e
Got a favourite chef or restaurant?
Why not put your feelings into words
and write a review on our website?
This is a new service we’ve added,
with the goal of being a virtual magnet
for every kind of food and drink
information, in print and online.
Go to “Restaurants.” It’s just a click away!
gifts that
give twice
630 Richmond Street
London
(519) 433-0977
14 Ontario Street
Stratford
(519) 272-0977
Fair trade since 1946
www.TenThousandVillages.ca
“The appreciation for quality that Stratford visitors have
for theatre extends to what they eat ... A cosmopolitan
food scene featuring imagination and craftsmanship has
evolved in the area.”
— Katherine Dowhan, Homemakers
l
e
z
t
i
n
h
ScHOUSE
the
Photo courtesy of Bradshaws
Stratford is more
than great theatre.
Outstanding
Lunch Buffet
Tuesday-Sunday
107 Downie Street • Stratford
(Next door to the Avon Theatre)
519-275-3266
el
nitz
SchUNDED
PO AILY
D
Photo: Dave Rees
Fresh Homemade Variety of Schnitzels
Rouladen • Vegetarian • Seafood
SHELDON RUSSELL
CHEF/PROPRIETOR
time for
s
Every Friday and Saturday
from 9 pm - 12 am at Fellini’s
Savory Spanish- inspired morsels
like caponata stuffed calamari and
frites with truffle creme fraiche
just to name a few.
“Modern, ever-evolving,
flavour-packed cuisine.
You will enjoy it.”
Covered outdoor patio
34 Brunswick behind the Avon Theatre
Reservations 519 271 5645
www.keystonealley.com
Italian ~ Mediterranean ~ Delicious
www.fellinisstratford.com
107 Ontario St. downtown Stratford
519.271.3333
Why dine and drive?
Great rates
and packages
are available
at our boutique
inn. Downtown
Stratford, right
across from
Fellini’s.
104 Ontario St.
1.888.816.4011
Appetizing suites
Upstairs at the Cafe
Reservations 519 271 5645
www.mercerhallinn.com
“I made a delicious discovery: Stratford has a culinary obsession. And, for
me, finding what I call a ’food town’ is a rare and magnificent thing ...
You’ve got a place that feeds all the senses.
From spring to fall, Stratford is alive with theatre productions and string
quartets. In winter, chefs hone their talents in local restaurants.
I savour Stratford’s every delectable moment.”
— Marion Kane, Food Writer
(Dish: Memories, Recipes and Delicious Bites)
www.marionkane.com
WWW.FOSTERSINN.COM
111 D o w n i e S t r e e t , S T R AT F O R D 1- 8 8 8 - 7 2 8 - 5 5 5 5
Just steps away from Theatre
Café Ten
Our food, coffee and dessert menu is based
on fresh ideas incorporating today’s culinary
trends. We offer quick friendly service with
knowledgeable staff. Our objective is to serve
flavourful, fresh, colourful dishes at affordable prices.
Sunday & Monday: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tuesday to Saturday: 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
www.wightman.ca~café.ten 10 Downie Street, Stratford (519) 508-2233
Photo courtesy of Visit Stratford
Food~Coffee~Dessert
9HJHWDULDQ 5HVWDXUDQW
&OKPZ UBTUZ WFHBO EJTIFT IPNFNBEF CBLFE
HPPET TPVQT TBMBET TBOEXJDIFT
GSFTI TRVFF[FE KVJDFT BOE NVDI NPSF
&BU *O PS
5BLF 0VU
/08
-*$&/4&%
1RZ WDNLQJ RU
GH
IRU WRIX WXUN UV
H\V
IHVWLYH SLHV
DQG DQ\ RWKH
U
YHJDQ HQWUHH
V RU GHVVHUWV
WR FRPSOHWH
\R
KROLGD\ FHOHEU XU
DWLRQ
&SJF 4USFFU 4USBUGPSE
'MPSJOF7FHPVU!HNBJMDPN
32
EATDRINKBUZZ
new and notable
By Bryan Lavery
Buzz [buhz], noun. 1. A feeling of calm,
usually happy intoxication. 2. a particularly
strong kind of word of mouth.
F
or me, the holiday season is as much
about the planning and rituals
involved in preparing for Christmas
Day, as it is about the celebration itself. In
my family, we have many traditions that
revolve around friendship, comfort hospitality and food. In recent years, many of
our family traditions have been scaled
back due to busy lives. When I was a child,
we always had a turkey dinner on Christmas Day. Fortunately turkey is no longer
the compulsory Christmas dinner. Several
years ago, while writing my food column in
the London Free Press, I mentioned that
our mother used to take delight while
thawing the requisite turkey by chasing my
brothers and me around the living room
with the frozen turkey neck. is was usually timed to coincide with our annual rewatching of “Scrooge,” the 1951 film version
of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. My
mother was mortified by my retelling of
this harmless prank; several readers wrote
to say they were appalled. Viewed in these
days and times and by current standards,
that story might seem more eccentric and
bourgeois than it actually was, but it
reminds me how much more playful, joyful and simple life used to be.
How we eat, what we eat and where we
eat can often be linked to particular points
in time. And few things continue to rouse a
A
t the top of the most recommended restaurants in
London, Michael’s on the Thames (established 1983) has
remained a popular success for its cuisine, unmatched superb
service and fine dining at an affordable price.
London’s renowned Maitre d’Extraordinaire Jack DiCarlo and
the staff make your dining experience a memorable one.
Whether for business or private functions, the menu will
please every palate. A welcoming atmosphere is enhanced
with music from the grand piano six nights a week.
Take the time to enjoy superb cuisine, tableside cooking, fine
wine and the company of friends.
Call Us Now
to Book Your
Christmas Party or
New Year’s Eve
Celebrations
Monday to Friday 11am-11pm
Saturday and Sunday 5pm-11pm
Gift Certificates Make the Perfect Gift
1 York Street • Free Parking
Dine with us before events at the John Labatt Centre
Reservations are suggested. Call 519-672-0111 • www.michaelsonthethames.com
distant memory as easily as food. Today,
what we eat, where we eat and where we
shop have all become statements about
our health, our politics and our social consciousness.
It has been a long held opinion of mine that
the food media are necessary members of
the culinary community. Many members
of the restaurant community have told me
that this publication has a significant influence with the dining public.
Like any thoughtful patron, I hope that I
bring appreciation and sensibility to the
table. But the food media’s mission goes
beyond that. ey must pass their unbiased
impressions on to the readers while alerting the dining public to the diversity of
choice on the dining scene. Good food writing furnishes you with enough information
and insight to help you make informed
decisions, while helping to arbitrate the
standards of dining out. If you don’t have a
good, strong food media—whether you
love them or loathe them— you don’t have
33
the same degree of interest and enthusiasm. Joanne Buckley, a former London
Free Press restaurant reviewer, once told
me, “One of the best things ascribed to writing a column about the culinary scene is
discovering the unexpected jewel or the
diamond in the rough.” In my opinion, one
of the worst things about writing a column
about the culinary scene is discovering
restaurants that don’t live up to their reputation on a consistent basis.
Writing about restaurants brings unique
challenges. Sometimes the food may be
excellent, with the perfect calibration of
flavours, but the service mediocre. Other
times the service is top-notch but the food
anemic and undistinguished. A glowing
article about a restaurant can set expectations so high that they may be difficult to
maintain on a daily basis. Conversely,
reading someone else’s assessment of a
restaurant is not necessarily enough for
every reader to evaluate a restaurant. It is a
plain and simple fact that no food writer,
or patron for that matter, is going to like or
The Fire Roasted Coffee Company
Roasting over 50 types of regional
coffee, offered by fine retailers and
restaurants in London and area.
Visit us at:
The London Farmers Market,
Western Fair, Saturdays 7-3
&
Our new Roastery Art Studio at
3392 Wonderland Rd, Bldg 7, Unit 6:
Tuesday-Friday 12-7; Sunday 11-4
www.fireroastedcoffee.com
519-639-4963
“the ultimate experience in fine dining”
LUNCH Tues to Fri 11am–2pm
DINNER Tues to Sat 5:30pm–10pm
SUNDAY BRUNCH 11am–2pm
Closed Monday
1269 Hyde Park Road, London
Reserve for Your
519 472 6801
Christmas Party Now
www.volkers.ca
Chef Volker Jendhoff
34
appreciate every style of cuisine or restaurant. But bad food or bad service is a fact
of dining out. Sometimes going out for
dinner feels like a game of Russian roulette
and almost induces hibernation.
Because of the power of the press in
reporting culinary matters and influencing
standards in the industry, chefs and
restaurateurs often feel hostage to the food
media. Writing about restaurants is a double–edged sword. My comments in this
column are meant to characterize restaurants, not compare them to another place
with a totally different philosophy or mission. Among the most important powers
attributed to restaurant writers is the ability to generate excitement about restaurant dining in general.
I remember clearly when restaurant
writers seemed to be less objective and
more cloak-and-dagger. When the London
Free Press employed a full-time restaurant
reviewer, there were many in the hospitality industry that fantasized about there
being a reviewer for the food reviewer. It
“ We are indeed
much more than
what we eat, but
what we eat can
nevertheless help
us to be much
more than what
we are.
would seem that the reviewer’s model may
be lifted right from John Lancaster’s culinary book, Debt to Pleasure: “If the chef’s
mother dies there will be no tears in the
béarnaise.” As a chef, I can tell you that
that these words ring a lot truer for many
in the hospitality industry than you might
believe possible. As they say, the proof of
the pudding is in the eating.
Denizens of diners, lunch counters, grills
and snack bars enjoy a camaraderie that is
denied to the devotees of fine dining. To
dismiss this genre of eateries is to deprive
yourself of a world of Formica counters,
vinyl covered banquettes, laminated
menus and short order cooking.
London’s once thriving “counter culture”
continues to disappear, yet a few fine
examples of this restaurant style have managed to survive. e High Lunch remains
the genuine article, with its counters, bar
stools, open grill and good food. At the
helm, Pat Spigos is a formidable cook and
the model of generosity and hospitality. Pat
trü restaurant
”
Free Parking Every Day
45 King St.
London, Ontario
519-672-4333
www.trurestaurant.ca
is well known for her charitable initiatives,
among them serving Christmas dinner to
people in need in our community. e
High Lunch continues to be a London
institution and the preferred weekend latenight destination for many in the know,
especially those in the restaurant business
who appreciate a place with personality. I
suggest leaving your attitude at home
because Pat, like her late husband George
Spigos, is a one-person show and does not
have the time or inclination to suffer fools.
Despite the sign that suggests they are
open 24 hours each day, Pat keeps regular
but quirky hours that reflect the busy times
for the restaurant (and because she’s the
one woman who makes it all happen). e
casual diner food of the High Lunch
remains a treat in these days and times.
Carrying on the family business, Pat’s
children Betsy and Bill operate the very
popular Prince albert’s Diner on Richmond Street, a trendy late-night eatery
that caters to the Richmond Row clientele.
35
Speaking of Richmond Row, Coffee Culture just opened their doors and are doing
a brisk business. is upscale coffee shop
features a wide variety of sandwiches,
baked goods, coffees and specialty teas.
Another Coffee Culture location will be
opening on Dundas Street in the old Swiss
Chalet building, just next door to
Jonathon, a sophisticated downtown
ceramic and art gallery.
Heading west to 129 Dundas Street, Martinis and Manicures owner Martin younan
just announced an expanded menu starting in the New Year. is trendy shop offers
esthetics services in a lounge atmosphere,
picking up on a popular and growing trend
in major cities across North America.
Another notable Richmond Street eatery is
the popular Toddle inn. It was refurbished
several years ago but remains a well-loved
destination by many Londoners.
A bit further south on Richmond, Mike
8JL8C ,K<8B?FLJ< 8K 8E ==FI;89C< )I@:<
(SFBU 4UFBLT 3JCT 4FBGPPE $IJDLFO BOE 5IF #FTU 1SJNF 3JC JO 5PXO
#SFBLGBTU ʳ -VODI ʳ %JOOFS ʳ 5BLF0VU ʳ ,JET .FOV
.PO5IVST BNQN
'SJEBZ BNQN
4BUVSEBZ BNQN
4VOEBZ BNQN
XXXUJNCFSTDIPQIPVTFDB
8FMMJOHUPO 3E 4
+VTU 4PVUI PG 4PVUIEBMF
3FTFSWBUJPOT 8FMDPNF
Great Food. Great Prices.
Famous for Our
“Build-Your-Own”
Burgers
Kim &Mike
145 King St., London (across from the market) 519-438-7281
36
inwood’s one-of-a-kind, owner-operated
Café one Fresh Food eateries continues
to delight customers with their signature
pad ai dish, as well as many new
favourites. Café One continues to be the
hot spot on Richmond Row.
Richmond Row pioneer Mike Smith, proprietor of a number of London bars and
restaurants including Joe Kool’s, Jim Bob
Ray’s, Fellini Koolini’s, e Runt Club,
“The hip, cosmopolitan bistro
in the heart of Downtown”
TheBraywick
Bistro
and Chancey Smith’s (Mike’s foray into
the heart of downtown London), was
recently honored by the London Downtown Business association and MainStreet London as one of a select group of
“Downtown Champions.” is annual
award is given to only a few individuals
who have made significant contributions
to downtown revitalization. Mike has been
a respected advisor and member of the
downtown business community for many
years, and the Downtown Champion
award was given in gratitude for everything
he has done to help improve downtown
London. Several members of Mike’s management team were on hand to congratulate Mike and celebrate his achievements.
People in the restaurant business are
firmly behind the ambassador London
Program. is is a grassroots, volunteerbased initiative whose goal is to spread the
message about a great community.
London Mansion will soon open downtown, a major renovation at 89 King Street
across from the John Labatt Centre. A
group of owners from both London and
Toronto are involved in the project, overseeing major renovations to both the interior
and exterior of this high-profile property.
Word on the street suggests this same group
of owners also has plans for a steak house in
the building next door, formerly occupied
by a design and retail business.
WELCOME
Chef Paul
Rousom
244 Dundas St., London
519-645-6524
www.braywickbistro.ca
King Street continues to be a space to
watch for unique hospitality experiences
downtown, building on the foundation
“An oasis for
food lovers ...”
LUNCH
Wed to Fri
11:30-2:30
DINNER
from 5pm daily
432 Richmond Street at Carling • London
519 667 0535
www.davidsbistro.ca
FREE PARKING AFTER 6 PM
OFF QUEENS AVENUE
established by mainstays like La Casa,
waldo’s Bistro and wine Bar, Chancey
Smith’s, Trü, Market Grill, Patty’s on
King and more recent additions like e
Red Goat, Mint and e only on King.
With close proximity to the JLC, this trend
is expected to continue for some time, as
entrepreneurs continue to see opportunities to expand the local appetite for food
and entertainment in the core.
I was recently treated to dinner at La Casa
by a fellow chef, and had the opportunity
to sample Chef Bob Murphy’s tasting
menu. e New Zealand shank of lamb I
had for my main course was pure comfort
food, braised to perfection and falling off
the bone, as it is supposed to. It was deliciously accompanied by a flavourful jus
and a gallimaufry of seasonal root vegetables.
No mention of King Street would be complete without paying homage to Jill wilcox
at Jill’s Table. Jill continues to supply
many local gourmets, foodies and local
chefs with an exquisite variety of culinary
products and equipment in her superbly
merchandised emporium.
New Year’s Eve is the night that top chefs
and restaurateurs have the opportunity to
show off their culinary chops. A night as
momentous as this one is an opportunity
to pull out all the stops. Although it may
seem early, most restaurants are already
accepting reservations for New Year’s Eve
and many offer specialty menus and two
seatings to accommodate their guests.
I was speaking with master marketer ian
Greasley of Bloomers at the Market, and
the best food news he could come up with
was dinner at their house was so good the
other night that he asked his partner
Jackie noble for a second helping. Noble
is a well-respected local photographer,
known in the food and publication worlds
for her stunning food photography. [See
her photos on this issue’s cover and in the
David Chapman profile. —Ed.]
e Black walnut Bakery Café has
recently opened in Wortley Village. Proprietors Roy Cook and Michelle Lenhardt
pulled up stakes in Toronto to make a better life for their family here in London.
Lenhardt was the former pastry chef at the
art Gallery of ontario. She bakes everything from scratch, except the croissants
that are imported from France and
proofed and finished at the bakery. I was
there on opening day and by closing time
they were almost sold out. What my guests
and I sampled were top-notch classics
from a professional pastry chef ’s repertoire. e flourless chocolate cake and the
lemon curd tart were standouts.
/81&+
7XHV)UL SP
',11(5
0RQ6XQ SP
5LFKPRQG 6WUHHW
/RQGRQ 2QWDULR
ZZZEOXHJLQJHURQFD
/RQGRQ¶V RQO\ )RXU 'LDPRQG
$$$&$$ UHFLSLHQW
Speaking of new bakeries, nova era is
another hot-spot, especially with London’s Portuguese community. London
jazz songstress and local epicurean Gina
Farrugia asked me to keep this place a
secret because she loves the quiet relaxing atmosphere and delicious coffee. If
you are looking for classic Portuguese
baking, this is the place. Sorry Gina,
everyone deserves the opportunity to
sample their delicious custard tarts.
Nova Era is one of London’s best kept
secrets and is located in a strip mall at
Florence and Egerton.
Many people were sad to see the departure
of Mexacali Rosa’s, which underscores
the challenging nature of the hospitality
business. e patio at Mexacali Rosa’s was
a cool and welcoming oasis in the heart of
the city.
Carlitos has opened recently at the corner of Adelaide St. and Commissioners
Road. Proprietor/Executive Chef Carlos
Sotelo, formerly a co-owner of Tiger
Jacks, his wife Gabriele and daughters
Jennifer and Michelle have opened a
restaurant in the space formerly home to
Lenny’s Pizza (now at Wellington and
Grand). Catering to the business lunch
crowd and families, they're open seven
days a week for lunch and dinner, with a
Sunday brunch.
ose familiar with Toronto’s upscale
casual dining scene will welcome the
arrival of Milestones Grill and Bar at
Masonville Place on December 3rd. Full
hours begin December 10th.
39
goods, specialty teas, cider, cheese and
meat pies, will be held on Saturdays,
A new addition broadening the Stratford
December 1 and 8 at Festival Square, 10
restaurant scene, Pearl Sushi is a Japanese
Downie Street.
restaurant on Downie Street formerly
occupied by Globe restaurant. Owner and e end of one year and the beginning of
Sushi Chef Bud Park brings 20 years of another is a good time to reassess the role
experience in Toronto and states he is of food trends as an indicator of the popucommitted to offering high-quality fresh lar culture. e last few years will always
fish regularly flown in from Japan and Van- be remembered as the time that cemented
couver. Open Monday-Sunday, there are the trend to eating locally and seasonally.
always lunch specials, including a chang- It is also a time of unprecedented growth
ing Chef’s Special served in a bento box.
“VineArt 2007...size matters 8” should
prove to be another lively fundraiser for
Stratford’s co-op Gallery 96. On Saturday,
December 8 at 7pm, the annual “Wine and
Visual Arts Bash” offers a selection of fine
wines paired with foods donated by some
of Stratford’s best restaurants. A silent auction and art sale, of course, rounds out the
evening. Tickets are $35 in advance and
$40 at the door.
e only on King
172 King Street • London
519.936.2064
www.theonlyonking.ca
Reservations
Recommended
Stratford Chefs School has special menus
for Christmas dinners December 7 and 14,
as well as Christmas lunches December
14 and 21.
Special dinners are prepared and served at
e Screaming avocado, the alternate
cafeteria at northwestern Secondary
School in Stratford, under the direction of
Paul Finkelstein. You’ve seen them on
Food TV this fall (program title is “Fink”),
now you can taste the results of the culinary club’s efforts. e next one is coming
up on December 5.
Call now to reserve for your Christmas Party
or our New Year’s Eve Dinner.
Open for lunches from December 3-21,
Monday-Friday, Noon- 2pm.
Another reminder that the Stratford
Christmas Food Hall, featuring baked
Relaxed and Elegant Fine Dining
Wilberforce Inn
161 Main Street, Lucan
Only 20 minutes North of London,
straight out Richmond Street
519-227-0491
www.wilberforceinn.com
Lunch and Dinner
Tues to Sat, 11:30am to
(Last Seating) 8:30pm
Proprietors Tony & Irene Demas
/RGANIC /UTSTANDING /RIGINAL
4HATS WHAT THE / STANDS FOR AND
/ZONE IS THE PLACE TO FIND IT
)TS THE WAY FAST FOOD SHOULD BE n
WITHOUT ADDITIVES HORMONES
OR PESTICIDES
*UST YOU THE FOOD AND GREAT TASTE
.OTHING ELSE
2EAL &OOD &AST
&ANSHAWE 0ARK 2D 7 ,ONDON /. .' !
!T THE CORNER OF (YDE 0ARK 2OAD AND (IGHWAY 2IGHT BEHIND 3TARBUCKS
in the number of people eating healthier
and more nutritional food, including
organic and vegetarian.
One of the most notable practitioners of
this trend in London is the always innovative e only on King, which I think is the
most interesting new restaurant of the
year. Chef/Proprietors Paul Harding and
Jason Schubert have been joined in the
kitchen by adam Vaughn and Matt Lee.
e concise daily menus feature the best
of what is available locally. Fans of the e
Only on King will be happy to hear they
will be serving lunch in the month of
December. ey are also now selling the
documentary “Tableland,” a culinary
expedition in search of the people, place
and tastes of North American small-scale,
sustainable food production. is documentary features antony John (e Manic
Organic) as well as noted Chef Michael
Stadtlander of eigensinn Farm. e cost
for the documentary is $25.
Another notable newcomer is John
Moscarella, with his on the Fork Restau-
“Exquisite Artistic Elegant Catering”
A personalized
approach to
Weddings,
Dinner Parties,
Corporate Events, etc.
Katafnéa
Ka
“A little out of
the way,
A lot out of
the ordinary!”
519-455-9005
Lunch 11 to 3 (7 days a week)
Dinner 5 to 10 (Wed to Sun)
Breakfast 9 to 12 (Sat & Sun)
2530 Blair Rd, London
Diamond Flight Centre
rant & Lounge, driven by Chef Kent Van
Dyk and Pastry and Sous Chef Stefanie
Bishop. e menu features a variety of
small dishes and provocative flavour combinations. Brunch at On the Fork is a
delightful way to spend a relaxing Sunday
in comfortable surroundings.
41
Fairgrounds. It’s a great opportunity to
sample fine cuisine, specialty wines and
beers and watch appearances by high profile guest chefs.
Don’t forget to be part of creating the buzz.
Email interesting local culinary news to :
[email protected] Looking ahead to 2008, visit the eatdrink
booth at the 3rd annual London wine and BRYAN LAVERY is a writer, well-known local chef, former
Food Show, January 18-20 at western restaurateur and culinary instructor.
Jambalaya isJump-upWorldCuisine
— From MILD
to WILD
Vegan Selections available
646 Richmond Street, London
519-858-2000
www.jambalayarestaurant.com
WIN AN eatdrink WEEKEND
Winter Weekend
Getaway for 2
Sign up for your free digital subscription
and you could win a fabulous
in beautiful Stratford.
Go to
eatdrinkmag.net™
for more information.
Employees of eatdrink and the sponsoring businesses, and their
family members, are prohibited from winning this prize. Should
they be randomly selected, another name will be drawn. The
weekend booking is subject to availability, is based on double
occupancy and must be redeemed before April 2008.
The Winning Package for 2 includes
2 Nights Accommodation at
Mercer Hall Inn
+
2 Breakfasts at
Tango Café
+
Friday Night Dinner at
Fellini’s
+
Saturday Night Dinner at
The Keystone Alley
A random draw of subscribers
will be held on January 24, 2008.
This prize has a suggested retail value of approximately
$60o (alcohol is not included) but has no cash value.
42
BEER
winter warmers for the Holidays
By The Malt Monk
tion differently with these beers,
PlEASE NOTE:
A shorter version of this column appeared in print. sipping slowly, ideally from a
thin-stemmed Brandy snifterrrrrrrr… Just finished cleaning out styled glass. is induces a warming of the
the eavestroughs and raking the last ale to bring up its complex aromas and
of the wet leaves as I fend off
tastes, just like a good brandy or
the first sleet and chill of early winmadeira. Before I get flamed by Cognac
ter. Time to get back inside, spark up
aficionados and oenophiles for comthe wood stove and rummage about
paring brewed malt beverages to their
in my beer cellar for a winter
favourite liquors and fortified wines,
warmer. Having come up with a
allow me to state that I have talked to
three-year-old barley wine called
many craft brewers who were also
“Olde Deuteronomy” to sip on this
involved in the wine and liquor indusevening in front of the fire, I realtry, and they claim that making these
ized I better get cracking to
styles of beers is most challenging,
replenish my “winter warmers”
requiring a higher skill level, care
which were critically depleted by
and attention by the artisan to prolast year’s chill.
duce a good end product.
By the time this edition of eate best of these fortified beers
drink goes to press, the seaare made to be laid down and
sonal winter ales and beers will
cellared like a young wine or
be out. is is the time of the
sherry so that the flavour develyear we want to stock up on the
ops, gains complexity and
really substantial ales and
rounds-out in the ageing
beers, known for their warmprocess. I have many bottles of
ing, satisfying effects and for
barley wines, Imperial ales and
their ability to be laid away to
Belgian doubles and triples that
mature like a fine wine. I’m
are over five years old in my litreferring to Vintage Ales, Olde
tle stash. ey display a deeper
Ales, British strong ales, Barley
complexity and far better drinkwines, Belgian strong ales
ability with a year or so on them
(doubles and triples), Eisthan they do new. Find a dark
bocks, Doppel Bocks and
place to keep them at 46-50˚F
Imperial stouts. As well, we will
and you are on your way to colsee a lot of seasonal spiced ales,
lecting world class vintage
good for serving with holiday
strong ales. So here’s a new condinners or as party warmers.
cept for many beer drinkers: a
Before we discuss styles and
beer “cellar” in which to stock
character, it bears mentioning
up on rare and good fortified
that we don’t treat these beers
beers.
with the same casual familiarSpeaking of “stocking your beer
ity we do quaffing beers like Pilcellar,” we are in luck here this
sner or Pale Ale. ese beers are
season as the LCBO has done an
the malt equivalent of fortified wines, with excellent job of shopping the globe for
an alcohol by volume ranging from 6.2% to some of the better strong ales. While the
over 12%. We have to gauge our consump- variety could be richer, for the limited pri-
B
43
ority the LCBO affords world class beers, it is tion, agitate the bottle sedement and put
a pretty good selection, at reasonable prices. the lees in the glass. is is a matter of preference whenever you
encounter an unfiltered
Serving
beer, although most are filSuggestions
tered these days.
ese stronger beers need
a glass that will afford gentle warming (as they taste
Food Pairings
better as they warm) and
As a rule of thumb, the big
with an opening that proales are meant to be
motes the ability to smell
savoured by themselves ,
the brew as it warms just
with perhaps some cheese
before you take a sip. Traor rich holiday cake and a
ditionally, there have been
good cigar. Generally, the
smaller
stemmed
dark strong ales are fruity
“snifters” used for strong
and sweet and are best as
beer sampling, as well as
aperitifs or with dessert.
the “tulip” glass and even
e lighter strong ales are
large over-sized “chalice”
spicy and dryer and serve
wine glasses. e Belgian
well with roast turkey or
strong ale makers as well as some Trappist ham dinners. German Dopplebock and
brewers recommend the chalice. e style of Eisbock serve well with the traditional
glassware used for the type of beer con- German “wurst” meals or with chocolate
sumed is almost as important as the temper- desserts. Imperial stout goes well with
ature you serve it at. ere are some LCBO shellfish and the Olde English ales go well
gift packs from the Belgian brewers which with a variety of sturdy nutty cheeses.
include some of these glasses. An excellent Many English and Belgian strong ales that
beer glassware primer is one online at: beer- are bottle conditioned or unfiltered tend to
advocate.com/beer/ 101/ glassware.
really compliment pork dinners and dark
Big ales like these are best served at “cel- Belgian strong ales go well with beef or
lar temperature” or about 54-57˚F, with wild game.
Imperial stout, Eisbock, Doppel bock, Barley wine and Belgian triples being allowed e “Strong Beers”
to warm to 60˚F in the glass for optimum ere are sub-styles here: “Vintage Ales,”
flavour and aroma diffusion. If the beer “Olde Ales” and “Barley wine.” Olde Ale
contains lees (unfiltered sediment), you and Vintage Ale is a tad less potent and
can either gently pour the settled top and emphatic than Barley wine. English Olde
leave the sediment in the last portion of the and vintage Strong Ale is still a rich and
bottle to avoid it, or pour a small clear por- complex beer. Many are unfiltered and
9>HIG>7JIDGHD;DK:G'%A>C:HD;7:K:G6<:H
>
cX
a
jY^
c\/
<JGJ!
MA!
H=6G@!
76H:
6C9
HL>
C<
?
J>
8:
86AA
JH
ID96N/
*&.
+)'"
''%%
44
bottle conditioned. e colour tends to
land somewhere between amber and reddish copper to dark brown. ey usually
have a bold fruity ester and malty nose and
flavour. Vintage ales are generally strong
ales a brewer offers once a year, suitable
for cellaring. Olde ale is stronger ale that
has seen some maturation with the brewer
before release. Aromas are sweet and
malty with dark fruity esters, often with a
complex blend of dried-fruit, vinous,
caramelly, molasses, nutty, toffee, treacle
aromas. Some oxidative notes are sometimes present, akin to those found in
Sherry or Port. Flavours are luscious malt
complexity, often with nutty, caramelly
and/or molasses-like flavours.
Some great examples available at the
LCBO are:
Fuller’s 1845 (lcbo 504670) A world class
strong ale;
Fuller’s Vintage ale (lcbo 676213) A
sought-after imported vintage strong ale;
Great Lakes winter ale (lcbo 52019) A
wonderfully well balanced spiced strong
ale from Ontario;
St. ambroise Vintage ale from a Quebec
brewer, an excellent vintage strong ale;
Harviestoun old engine oil (lcbo 54304)
A highly rated English Olde Ale;
St. Peter’s winter ale (lcbo 890079)
Another highly sought after UK Olde ale;
Black Sheep Riggwelter Strong yorkshire ale (lcbo 890871);
Brakspear Triple (lcbo 615351);
Samuel Smith’s winter welcome ale
(lcbo 408005) A spiced strong ale for
Christmas;
wychwood Bah Humbug Christmas ale
(lcbo 3822) A Cinnamon-spiced strong ale.
Barley wine
Barley wine is Olde ale’s big brother. Contrary to what its name suggests, Barley
wine is very much a beer, a very strong and
often penetrating beer. Usually the
strongest ale offered by a brewery, many
brewers vintage-date it. Barley wine is
often aged considerably prior to release
but, with the stronger examples, a few
years in your cellar will add a lot to its complexity. e aroma should have a rich character with many layered tones including
bready, toasty, toffee, molasses, and/or
dark treacle notes. Aged versions may have
a sherry-like quality and likely some vinous
or port-like aromatics. Flavour is pronounced, intense, complex, multi-layered.
Malt flavours range from bready and biscuity through nutty, deeply toasted, dark
caramel, toffee, and/or molasses. Moderate malt sweetness on the palate, although
the finish can be moderately sweet to moderately dry (dependant upon age).
Some Barley wines available in the local
market this month include:
omas Hardy’s ale 07 (lcbo tba)
Scarce, subtle and complex, omas
Hardy’s Ale is the beer enthusiast’s equivalent of rare cognac.
Millstreet Barley wine is available at the
brewery store only but we look forward to
this local micro brewer’s winter offering.
For those of you who can get state side to
a speciality beer store, here is a short list of
the most sought after UK and US micro Barley wines: Brooklyn Monster ale by Brooklyn Brewing; young’s old nick Barley
ºÕÌiÌV ÀÌÃ «ÕL] iÝViiÌ v`] }Ài>Ì >ÌÃ«iÀi
ÜÌ Ìi >Ài>½Ã Þ V>ÃV`Ìi` Ài>>i° Ã«À}
Üi E LiiÀ ÃiiVÌÃ] > ÃiÌ > £ääÞi>À` LÕ`}°
Ì¿Ã ÜÀÌ Ìi ÃÀÌ `ÀÛi°»
$Y<S6 G
:A
$L/W
A
1*
.I,N
5K
R
$
A
3
P
(
E
5E( m
W
t
X
F)R
u
LQ eHsV
Pin
-XsVtW 10 oRnQdGoRnQ
Ju
/
L
I
f
oR
1
N
45
wine ale; ree Floyds’ Behemoth Barley- being cloying, but should have an impreswine; aleSmith old numbskull; Hair of sion of mellow rounded richness supthe Dog Brewing’s “Fred” Barleywine.
ported by a huge toasted malt presense.
Eisbocks are concentrated doppelbocks,
Doppel Bock and eisbock
created by freezing a portion of the water
ese are the strong beers of Germany. and removing it from the beer. is form of
Both are lagers (bottom fermented) and concentration increases the beer’s body,
both styles are usually dark beers, flavour, and alcohol content. In the old
although some examples can range
days, this was done by putting barrels
from tawny-red to orange amber to
of doppelbock out in the winter to
dark brown in colour. Darker versions
freeze. Anything that didn’t freeze was
often have ruby highlights. A doppeltapped off in smaller kegs.
bock is essentially a “double strong”
Eisbocks are deep copper to dark
lager. Doppelbocks are huge beers
reddish brown in colour, often with
with enough malt packed in them to
attractive ruby highlights. Aroma is
flood the palate like liquid bundt
dominated by a balance of rich,
cake. A Bavarian specialty first
intense malt and a definite alcohol
brewed in Munich by the monks of St.
presence with significant fruity esters,
Francis of Paula, they generally have
particularly those reminiscent of
a very full-bodied flavour and a
plum, prune or grape. Alcohol aroma
higher level of alcohol. is style hapshould not be harsh like a solvent.
pens to be one of my favorites.
e rich, sweet malt flavour is
Aromas: Very strong maltiness.
balanced by a significant alcohol
Darker versions will have decocted
presence, toasty qualities, some
malt compounds giving significant
caramel, a slight chocolate flavour
toasty-sweet aromas. Also a very faint
and significant fruity esters (plum,
noble hop aroma and a moderately
prune or grape). e character should
low fruity aspect to the bouquet, often be smooth, in spite of the alcohol content.
described as prune, plum or grape, may be Great cellaring potential.
present in dark versions and a very slight
Doppel Bocks and Eisbocks available
chocolate-like aroma may also be present. locally include:
Flavour: a strong sweetish malt flavor aventinus weizen-eisbock (lcbo 58875)
with toasty notes, slight chocolate flavor is A dark wheat doppelbock and a personal
usual in darker versions. Some fruitiness favourite;
(prune, plum or grape) is present. Invari- niagara Falls eisbock (lcbo 263673 and
ably, there will be an impression of alco- TBS 750 mL bottle) Locally made;
holic strength, but this should be smooth aventinus weisendarkbier (lcbo 366088)
and warming rather than harsh or burn- An Eisbock form Germany’s Premier
ing. Most versions are fairly sweet without brewer;
Introducing Northstar Retro Appliances from Elmira Stove Works
The look and mood of another era but with the professional
features that match your 21st-Century lifestyle and culinary
needs. Energy Star-rated, 9 cool colours, these appliances have
Form plus Function. All-gas, all-electric or dual fuel options.
Range Hoods and Dishwasher
panels are also available.
Just le!
your sty
2100 - 45 Oxford St. E., London
519-451-2124
www.elmirastoveworks.com
46
weltenburger Kloster asam-Bock (lcbo
893974) My favourite Kloster bock;
Paulaner Salvator (lcbo 926121) One of
the oldest and original German doppelbocks;
Schloss eggenberg Samichlaus Bier may
be available by mid-winter. Brewed yearly
for a Christmas release, this is the world’s
strongest doppelbock at 14% ABV.
imperial Stout
(Russian imperial Stout)
Historically brewed to high gravity and
hopping level in England for export to the
Baltic States and Russia, this was highly
popular with the Russian Imperial Court.
Today, the style has been widely revived by
micro brewers to renewed popularity with
the crafted beer devotee. With its jet black
opaque appearance and full-bodied velvety, chewy, luscious texture, Imperial
stout has a large following and makes converts daily.
Aromas: Rich and complex roasted
grain maltiness, fruity esters, bittering
hops, and alcohol. e roasted malt character has a coffee-dark chocolate, or
slightly burnt “char” to it. Fruity aroma
takes on a complex, dark fruit (e.g. plums,
prunes, raisins) character. Aged samples
have a slight vinous or port-like quality.
Flavour: Rich, velvety, deep, complex
and frequently quite intense, with roasted
malt suggesting bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate, java-cocoa. Medium to
aggressively high bitterness. Fruity esters
take on a dark fruit character (raisins,
plums, or prunes). Imperial stouts are
great to cellar for a few years.
Some world class Imperial Stouts available locally include:
Scotch-irish John by Imperial Stout
(lcbo), an Ottawa craft brewer making
their version of a widely acclaimed local
micro brewer’s Imperial Stout recipe;
wellington imperial Russian Stout (tbs
[e Beer Store] and the brewery store and
on tap at good beer bars). An award-winning beer from a Guelph micro brewer who
got the attention of European beer critics;
Sinha Stout (lcbo 676072) Worldwide
fame follows this foreign-brewed Imperial.
Rich in malts, chocolaty, roasty and
slightly sweet, this is one of the best stouts
the LCBO imports these days.
For those who can get stateside to a US
speciality shop like Premier Gourmet in
Buffalo, the world is your oyster for finding
great US micro brewed Imperial stouts.
Here’s a short list of my top rated ones in
order of personal preference:
aleSmith Speedway Stout;
Samual Smith’s imperial Stout;
ree Floyds Dark Lord Russian imperial
Stout;
Victory Storm King Stout;
North Cost Brewing’s old Rasputin;
Bells expedition Stout;
Great Divide Brewing’s yeti Stout;
Great Lakes Blackout Stout.
Belgian Strong ales
e whole universe of Belgian strong ales
is complex and technical, with many subgenres, so we are only brushing the surface
here in this limited space. Christmas time
is the only chance Ontarians have to get
these great ales when they appear as seasonals, so I hope to give you just enough
info to discern what your are buying/tasting. We will tackle the vast Belgian style
sheet bit by bit in later editions but for
today, let’s get highly generic with Belgian
strong ales and say there are two types:
dark and pale (or “blonde”). ese have
three sub-types, referred to as doubles,
triples and quadruples.
Unlike the Germans, Belgians are quite
unashamed to use candi sugars and other
high sucrose syrups to get strength in their
beers. So, aside from large malt content,
there is a lot of sugar (up to 20%) used in
the dubbels and tripels and more in the
quadruples. is can create some very
pleasantly complex flavours when brewed
with other non-standard grains and botanicals. Further flavour complexity comes
from the fact that many Belgian strong ales
are unfiltered. As a rule of thumb, Belgian
darks are musty, fruity (figs, dates) nutty
and rich. Belgian Pales (which range from
pale yellow to gold-amber) are spicy bright
and dryer. Dubbel, Tripel and Quadruple
refer to the alcohol strength, that can range
from 6.3% for a simple strong ale to 7.5%8% for a dubbel and 9%-10% for a tripel.
Quadruples can go as high as 14%.
is is strong stuff, but the flavours make
it interesting and it is a beer geek’s heaven
once you get a palate for these ales. We are
fortunate here that the LCBO imports some
excellent Belgian ales in the winter and we
also have a Canadian micro brewery called
Unibroue from Quebec, which makes
some of the best bottle conditioned Belgian ales available. If you see them in the
750 mL corked wine bottle, grab them, as
they are made for your beer cellar. Locally
available Belgian Strong ales include:
Unibroue La Fin Du Monde (lcbo and
tbs) A Belgian Abbey triple, award-winning and internationally recognized as a
world class example of the style;
Unibroue Maudite (lcbo/tbs) A Belgian
Dark strong ale on par with Belgium’s best,
made right here in Canada. A multiple
award winning brew;
Unibroue Trois Pistoles (lcbo/tbs) A
strong dark Belgian ale similar to a Port
wine. Is as dark as can be, mellow in taste
with an aroma of ripe fruits. e best from
this brewer, IMHO;
Leffe Brun and Leffe Blon (lcbo) is a Pale
and Brown strong ale in the commercial
vein for those who find other Belgian ales
too “adventurous.” is one’s safe for
uninitiated company;
affligem Blonde (lcbo) akin to the Leffe,
an approachable blonde strong ale for a
wide array of palates;
Chimay (lcbo) Blue cap, Red cap, and
White cap, Trappist-styled ales of Strong,
Dubbel and Triple strength respectively.
Great intro to Trappist styled ales;
Duvel (lcbo) e quintessential Belgian
blonde strong ale. Drinkable, delicious,
dry and deceptively intoxicating.
47
ance of the special exclusive Belgian ales
Gift Pack (lcbo 562397). It is a mixed
selection of Belgian Strong ale styles from
the Van Steenberge brewery. It cross-sections the rich variety of strong ale available
in Belgium, from Abbey dubbels and
Tripels to dark Quadruples:
augustijn: An Abbey Tripel;
Bornem Dubbel: An Abbey dubbel “double”;
Bornem Triple: An Abbey Tripel;
Bruegel: A Belgian amber strong;
Gulden Draak: A Belgian strong dark ale
(Quadruple);
Piraat: Belgian strong pale ale.
is year it is joined by the Biere Du Boucanier Mixed Pack (lcbo 612077) which
includes 2 each of:
La Bière du Boucanier Red ale: a strong
Red ale;
La Bière du Boucanier Blonde: a strong
Belgian blonde or pale ale.
La Bière du Boucanier Dark ale: A strong
Belgian Dark ale.
As if this isn’t Christmas
enough, e LCBO has
brought in one of my
favourite Vienna lagers which
is brewed by a Holland micro
brewer. For the holiday gift
season, Christoffel Robertus Vienna has been
imported in a special 2-litre
“growler” jug to share with
friends. I look forward to
Christmas every year,in the
hope this great subtle velvety
Vienna beer shows up. And
this year it did it in spades.
Happy holidays from e Malt Monk, and
may your New Year be enhanced by the
I have to focus on the great import beer gift discovery of good beer! packs the LCBO is offering. Many contain
proper glassware for enjoying the contents “The Malt Monk” is the alter ego of D.R. HAMMOND, an
of the gift pack.
industrial consultant by day and a passionate supporter of
is year a couple stand out for me. e craft beer culture in his spare time. A home brewer of many
first is the Jacobsen Lagers gift pack (lcbo years and an active reviewer and consumer of craft beers
52035), which contains a few of Carlsberg’s for as long as he cares to remember, D.R. can be found anybest crafted lagers from Europe.
where there is a celebration of the traditional craft brewing
Probably the best deal of the season, art and good food.
and one I anticipate all year, is the appear-
e Taste(s) of the Month
48
SEASONAL RECIPES
Let it Snow, Let it Snow!
By Christine Scheer
M
uch of the fun of Christmas time
is in the build-up: the planning,
special dinners, writing cards,
wrapping gifts and Christmas baking. I
certainly have the “tried and true” baking
favourites that I can’t do without, but I
always like to add a new cookie, square or
confection to my repertoire. Sometimes I
just don’t have the time to spend all day in
the kitchen, but I still want to make something special for my friends. ese treats fit
the bill perfectly: rich, delicious and decadent, but very simple and not time consuming to make. So put on the Christmas
music, roll up your sleeves, and enjoy!
Fudge Snowballs
These are quick, easy, and irresistible!
1 large (300 g) milk chocolate bar with
hazelnuts
1 can (300 mL) sweetened condensed milk
½ cup (125 mL) icing sugar
½ cup (125 mL) dried cranberries
Cocoa, for dusting snowballs
1
2
3
4
Lightly spray an 8-inch by 8-inch Pyrex
pan with cooking spray or lightly coat
with butter.
In a medium-size, heavy-bottomed
saucepan, melt the chocolate with the
sweetened condensed milk. Remove
from heat, stir in icing sugar and dried
cranberries. Transfer into prepared pan
and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Line a tray with parchment paper or foil
and lightly butter it. Scoop fudge out by
the teaspoonful, and quickly roll it into
balls. Place on prepared tray.
Before serving, sift cocoa into shallow
pan, roll fudge snowballs around in
cocoa. Serve. These look nice placed into
small foil cups.
Makes approximately three to four dozen.
Shortbread Snowballs
What’s Christmas without shortbread?
1 lb (494 g) butter, softened
1 cup (250 mL) icing sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp (30 mL) orange zest, minced
4 cups (1 L) sifted all-purpose flour
More icing sugar, for dusting
1
2
3
4
Heat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking
sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the
butter with the icing sugar, add in the
orange zest, and then the flour. Mix just
until blended, but do not beat.
Scoop dough out in teaspoonfuls, gently
rolling into a ball shape, keeping all the
balls approximately the same size. Place
on parchment lined baking sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until shortbread
is lightly browned on bottom. Cool on
rack, dust with icing sugar.
Makes four to five dozen.
Peanut Butter Snowballs
3
These have become a Christmas tradition at
our house.
2 cups (500 mL) peanut butter
6 Tbsp (90 mL) butter
2 cups (500 mL) icing sugar
2 cups (500 mL) rice krispies
2 cups (500 mL) icing sugar
water
3 cups (750 mL) coconut
1
2
3
4
49
chocolate. Blend in the cocoa and flour.
Sprinkle some cocoa onto your counter
top and rolling pin. Roll out dough to
about ¼-inch thick. Cut out with
snowflake-shaped cookie cutter. Gently
place onto prepared baking sheet. Bake
for 10-12 minutes. Cool on rack. Sprinkle
with sifted icing sugar before serving.
Makes two dozen.
Combine the peanut butter with the butter and 2 cups icing sugar. Stir in the rice
krispies. Roll mixture into bite-size balls.
Combine remaining icing sugar with
enough water to make a thick paste.
Place coconut in a shallow bowl.
Roll the balls in the icing sugar mixture,
then in the coconut, and then place on a
parchment lined tray to dry.
White Chocolate Snowflakes
These are a simple yet fabulous garnish for
your Christmas goodies.
1 package (300 g) white chocolate chips
Crushed candy canes (optional)
1
2
Makes approximately 4 dozen.
3
Chocolate Ginger Snowflakes
These taste even better if you let them sit for
a day or two.
Line a baking sheet with parchment
paper.
Melt white chocolate in the bowl of a
double boiler. When it is melted, stir until
it is smooth. Let it cool down for a few
minutes.
Scoop the melted chocolate into a piping bag, and pipe out into a snowflake
shape onto the parchment paper. Sprinkle with crushed candy cane if desired.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
1 cup (250 mL) butter
½ cup (125 mL) icing sugar
¼ cup (60 mL) candied ginger, finely chopped Makes approximately one dozen snowflakes. 1 oz melted semi-sweet chocolate
¼ cup cocoa, sifted
CHRISTINE SCHEER is a chef who lives on an organic farm
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
with her husband and two daughters. She has cooked for
More icing sugar, for dusting
London area restaurants, owned a catering business, written
a Covent Garden Market cookbook, taught many cooking
1
Heat oven to 350° F (180° C). Line a bakclasses and currently runs the Oakridge Superstore cooking
ing sheet with parchment paper.
2
In a medium-size bowl, cream the butter school. Her passions include using seasonal, local ingredients to create delicious fare, and teaching children how to
with the icing sugar. Stir in the candied
ginger, and then the melted semi-sweet cook. Reach Christine at: [email protected]
upstairs
Private Classes and Corporate Entertaining
Our public classes filled up quickly this fall and our winter classes will likely do the same. Are you interested in creating your own special
cooking class with friends or for entertaining clients? Need to boost morale, build your team and enhance workplace synergy?
We can arrange your private cooking class for groups of 12 or more. Contact our Cooking School Coordinators for more details.
www.loblaws.ca
FANSHAWE
WONDERLAND
1740 Richmond St N 3040 Wonderland Rd S
519-673-5326
519-668-7440
a t s u p e r s t o r e www.superstore.ca
OXFORD
OAKRIDGE
STRATHROY
825 Oxford St E
1201 Oxford St W
626 Victoria Street
519-434-2070
519-641-0932
519-245-4198
50
TRAVEL
Barcelona: Medieval Charm
with 21st-Century Flare
By Kent Van Dyk
hen I think of Barcelona, images
of Gaudi masterpieces, the
Picasso Museum, walking La
Rambla, shopping and eating all swim
through my head. It is one of the greatest
cities in the world. Having worked in Spain
for four months on the island of Majorca, I
already held the firm opinion that this
country is the most exciting and interesting place to eat right now. Not only are you
blessed with regional cooking rivaling Italy
or France, the Spanish desire to push the
envelope with everything from film to
music to architecture and especially food
are evident everywhere you look … but
especially in Barcelona.
Barcelona is the capital and largest city
in the province of Catalonia. It sits on the
Mediterranean and is still one of Europe’s
major ports. Founded as a Roman city, it
has a rich and varied history. At one time
ruled by the Moors, before the Catholic
King Ferdinand and his wife Queen
Isabella united Spain, Moorish influence
can be seen in the architecture of the oldest portions of Barcelona.
e food in Barcelona was the main
draw for me, but the sights and sounds of
W
The array of food
impresses and
inspires.
this ancient city pull you into its web of
medieval alleyways. You feel as though
you could get lost and never want to be
found. e most intriguing areas are the
Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter) and e
Born. Both are blessed with amazing
architecture, incredible shopping and
food at every turn. None of the streets run
truly parallel to each other, which makes
for tricky navigation and surprising discoveries. Just when you feel as though you
know where you’re going, you make a right
turn and out of nowhere you are standing
in the middle of a small square with a 500year-old church rising in front of you.
As far as eating goes, the choices are
endless. Although there are some “tourist”
spots serving un-inspiring paella and
tapas, most of the dining options offer
excellent examples of Catalan cuisine.
Two places in particular, Lonja de Tapas
(www.lonjadetapas.com) and Tapas del
Born, were superb and well-priced, with
efficient service and quaint charm.
For the sweet-tooth crowd, Cacao Sampaka (www.cacaosampaka.com) offers
amazing concoctions for those who like to
think outside the box. Examples such as
“Tomato and Chocolate
Jam” and truffles made with
all manner of spices, herbs
and edible flowers can be
found in this sleek, modern
space. Cacao Sampaka is a
chocoholic’s dream come
true.
e Born Demasie
(www.demasie.es) offers
similar twists, offering
“twoonie-sized” cookies in
beautiful packing with
combinations like dark
chocolate with peppermint,
white chocolate with preserved lemon and savoury
shortbreads with pesto, curry or
rosemary, just to name a few.
On the less traditional side of dining are ABAC, Comerc 24 and Espai
Sucre. ABAC (www.restaurantabac.com) is a Michelin-starred restaurant presided over by Chef/owner
Xavier Pellicer and it serves some of
the best food I have ever eaten. In a
most amazing and tranquil dining
room, I enjoyed dishes such as Turbot Tartar with Almonds, Caviar and
Flower Ice Cream; Tuna with Marrakech Cumin and Suckling Pig Jus;
Milk-fed Lamb with Vanilla; and
desserts such as Green Peas with
Eucalyptus and Sheep Milk and
Caramelized Carrot Charlota (Pellicer’s
take on Carrot Cake). ere is nothing
“precious” about this food. It is executed
perfectly, served masterfully and provided
one the best dining experiences I have
ever had.
For tapas taken to new and dizzying heights,
a trip to Comerc 24 (www.comerc24.com)
The sounds and colours are integral parts
of the Barcelona market scene.
to sample Carles Abellan’s cuisine is a must.
e chef trained with Ferran Adria, the
mad-scientist of Spanish cuisine and the
man who put the country on the gastronomic map (and trained many of the chefs
leading the way for the new Spanish cuisine). e room is modern but comfortable, the service impeccable and the array
Tis the Season For ...
5” Birch Bark Star, $4.00
51
Inspired Decorating,
Joyful Entertaining,
and Thoughtful Gift-giving.
SHOP OUR ONLINE CATALOGUE AT
http://www.blackdogdecor.com
Enjoy free shipping in London
by entering LONDON
in the checkout coupon box.
www.blackdogdecor.com
Furnishings & Decor | At the Table | By the Fire | Lighting | Deck & Dock | Vintage
52
La Bouqeuria
St. Josef is a
market not to
be missed.
of dishes staggering. e Kinder Egg of soft
poached egg in the shell with Black Truffles was amazing, the Braised Oxtail and
Mushroom “Caneloni” and the Hake with
Pil Pil Sauce were all beautiful to look at
and wonderful to eat. e sweets tapas
were astonishing, beautifully executed
miniature works of art. Hindsight being
20/20, we should have ordered the Festival
or Super Festival Tasting menu. Next time.
Espai Sucre (www.espaisucre.com) is a
dessert restaurant unlike anything I have
ever encountered. It seats just 24 people
and although there is the odd savoury dish
on the menu (such as Red Mullet with
Cosmo Caixa is a science
and natural history museum.
Sponge Cake and Peanut Brittle, a brilliant
combination for this amazing Mediterranean fish) one comes here for the
dessert tasting menu. Combinations such
as Green Apple Soup with Spicy Yogurt Ice
Cream; Bread Pudding with Bacon Ice
Cream and Pineapple; or Extra Virgin
Olive Oil Cake with White Peaches and
Green Olives are amazing. e kitchen
combines sweet and savoury with incredible dexterity. e descriptions are somewhat straightforward but give no
indication of the amazing presentations
that await. e restaurant also has a staggering number of dessert wines from all
over the world which they will pair
with your courses.
A trip to Barcelona is not complete without a stroll along La Rambla, the kilometres-long boulevard
that runs from the Placa Catalunya to
the waterfront. Filled with shops and
restaurants (mostly of the tourist
variety), it is eye-candy for anyone
who likes to people watch. But one of
the best reasons to head down La
Rambla is to explore La Bouqeuria
St. Josef, Barcelona’s amazing market. Here you will find everything
and anything you could imagine,
53
from fresh meat and fish to an astonCathedral
ishing variety of cheese, fruit, vegetaSagrada
bles and more Spanish ham than you
Familia
could eat in a lifetime. Get a seat at
one of the little market tapas bars
and consider yourself lucky to enjoy
food that was purchased feet away
and cooked simply and with the
utmost respect.
Although not food-related, a trip
to Barcelona is not complete without
visiting the Cathedral Sagrada
Familia. is soaring monument to
faith dominates the entire Barcelona
skyline. Definitely wait in line to go
up inside one of the spires (there are
eight now and when complete there
will be eighteen). is was the work
that dominated the last half of
Antoni Gaudi’s life, a masterpiece of
perhaps the greatest Moderniste
architect.
Also not to be missed, although a
little out of the way, is Cosmo Caixa
(perhaps the coolest science and
natural history museum in the
world). Again, in typical Spanish
fashion, the building is a combination of old and new, with five floors of sci- KENT VAN DYK is Executive Chef at On the Fork Restauence and history that range from the Big rant and Lounge in Museum London.
Bang to today and all points in between.
Barcelona is a city for exploring. Bring
comfortable shoes and take the Bus Have a gastronomic travel story
Touristic tour of the city on your first day to tell? Whether it’s a daytrip or a transcontinental
to become familiar with all the areas. But adventure, the focus must be on food and drink.
most important, bring your appetite and a Send your story (400-1000 words) to:
[email protected]. Winning entries will
sense of adventure. receive a $50 gift certificate from a great restaurant!
A Culinary Adventure: Mexico Magnifico
Join us for 7 fun-filled days of daytripping through
Mexico City and the Highlands, exploring a
vast treasure of history, culture & anthropology
Feb 5-12, 2008
.'+ -! /(%'(
.'+
-!
FRESH
MEXICAN
GRILL /(%'(
TAPAS LOUNGE
FRESH MEXICAN GRILL TAPAS LOUNGE
Discover “Real Mexico” with a
fun group and English-speaking
guide, at a super price!
Call the restaurant for details.
7-Night stay in the Hotel Royal Zona Rosa★★★★★
7 Buffet Breakfasts in the hotel
7 Dinners: 5 in hotel, 2 in Destination Restaurants
Richmond & Piccadilly
519-435-1197
www.iloveunderthevolcano.com
“A delightfully charming story for
animal lovers of all ages.”
The Best Products
You’ll Never See
Acrylic:
Clear to Your Needs
Lindsay
by Ann & David
David and Ann Lindsay owned and operated
Ann McColl’s Kitchen Shop with the help of their
animal friends in London
Ontario from 1969 to 2002.
Available at:
The Oxford Book Shop Ltd.
Attic Books
Jill’s Table
Acrylic poster holders can be
placed anywhere around your
restaurant or business. Vertical Poster Holder
This is just one
or slant frames are perfect to
example of what
we can do for you
hold promotional flyers and
in acrylic. We cusmessages that can be easily
tom fabricate our
changed for each season or
products to suit
sale. Keeping menus and other your specific need.
The only limit is
literature in neat and easily
your imagination!
accessible areas is a snap with
Call for your free
acrylic holders.
estimate.
Granton Plastics
1673 Richmond St., Suite 301
e of
London ON N6G 2N3
At this timider
$9.95
Sales benefit The London Humane Society
s
year, cono a cause
t
g
in
t
www.grantonplastics.com dona to your heart!
close
519 520 1270
(JGU
(
JGU $FSUJmDBUFT
$FSUJmDBUFT "
"WBJMBCMF
WBJMBCM
CF
'PS
'PS &&WFSZ
WFSZ 44FSWJDF
FSWJDF
3BOHF
**OO &&WFSZ
WFSZ 11SJDF
SJDF 3
BOOHF
3JDINPOE 44U
U --POEPO
POEPO
XXXXBRVBNBTTBHFMPOEPODB
XXBRVBNBTTBHHFMPOEPODBB
.BLFT B GBOUBTUJD
HJGU GPS BOZPOF
The Sunnivue Farmstore
Organic Meat and Produce
OPEN EVERY SATURDAY
To December 22, 10am-5pm
HOME DELIVERY
On Tuesdays from late January.
Please call for more info.
Organic Vegetables & Herbs
Fresh-Cut & Dried Flowers
Beef, Veal & Pork
Eggs & Beeswax Candles
Home-Made Bread & Buns
Maple Syrup, Honey & Jam
All Subject to Seasonal Availability
Here’s one of the many ways to Sunnivue: Take town on Queen (which becomes Petty St.) Turn right
Richmond St. to Elginfield and turn left on Route 7. on New Ontario Rd., a short distance outside of
Continue to Ailsa Craig and turn left in the middle of town, and drive about 1 km. to Sunnivue, on the left.
www.sunnivue-farm.on.ca
519-232-9096
55
MIXOLOGY
Holiday eggnog
By Darcy O’Neil
I
n the spirit of the holidays, I thought I’d
write my first column here about eggnog,
since it is customarily served as a welcoming drink. is tradition started in England sometime in the 1700s, with a drink
called Dry Sack Posset, a combination of
sherry, milk and eggs, served warm. Eventually, sugar and rum would be added, making
what we now know as eggnog. is drink was
originally served at weddings, then during
holidays and eventually became the standard “welcoming drink” for any celebration.
Eggnog is still popular, but commercialization has turned it into something you buy at
the grocery store. e elegance of the drink
into the drink, creating a light, frothy
has been replaced by convenience. Do you
eggnog. Pour into mugs and sprinkle
really want to serve the most important peofreshly grated nutmeg on top.
ple in your life pre-packaged eggnog?
The chances of contracting salmonella from
When I choose a drink, I like to look at the
raw eggs is very small, but if the idea of raw
original recipes, and then combine those
eggs is still off-putting, there are simple
recipes with modern methods and ingredimethods to cook the eggs while still mainents to create something unique, but familiar.
taining that creamy, smooth, eggnog texture.
For example, classic eggnog packs a calorie
i) Bring the milk and cream to a simmer, in
punch with over 400 calories per cup. In this
a pot.
version, the calorie count drops to about 250
ii) Place the eggs in the blender and begin
per cup, but still retains that classic eggnog
blending, slowly adding the hot cream
flavour in a lighter, more modern style.
mixture. This will slowly cook the eggs,
but keep the smooth texture of the
Holiday Eggnog
eggnog.
Serves Four
iii) Continue with the recipe.
4 large fresh eggs
If non-traditional is your style, you can make a
4 oz (115 mL) 18% table cream
Chocolate Eggnog. Simply melt 3 oz of dark
8 oz (225 mL) 2% milk
chocolate in 3 Tbsp of cream (18%). Add this
6 oz (170 mL) Cream Sherry
to the eggnog recipe and substitute the
2 oz (55 mL) Dark Rum
sherry with a coffee-flavoured liqueur. 3 Tbsp (45 mL) sugar
¼ tsp (1.25 mL) vanilla extract
nutmeg, freshly grated
DARCY O'NEIL is a London bartender with a formal educa1
Combine eggs, cream, milk and sugar in tion in chemistry. He became a bartender partially by chance
a blender. Blend for one minute on high. and partially to fulfill his culinary desires. Believing food and
2
Add the sherry, rum and vanilla with the drink are too important to allow shortcuts in quality, he
blender running. Refrigerate 15 to 20
quickly became an advocate for great cocktails. In addition
minutes.
to this column, Darcy spends his time writing about his
3
Before serving, blend quickly for 15 to 20 mixology and bartending experiences on his website The
seconds. This will help to incorporate air Art of Drink (http://www.theartofdrink.com).
56
THE LIGHTER SIDE
The Christmas Dog
By Millicent Windsor
Dear Leticia,
y, but aren’t we the bold one!
Paris and Milano in the same Season! Well, say hello to one and all
and especially to Paolo. And be a dear and
see if you can get me a scarf in my colour
from Visconti’s (if you can tear yourself
from the runways.)
Hope this finds you. I can’t tell you the
strange replies I get to my emails. I have no
idea where they go! (Someone said they
saw one in a Canadian food & drink magazine—can you imagine?) at’s why my
secretary usually types them. Oh well.
I took you up on your suggestion and
went to that Ikea place. I didn’t know what
to wear so as Mama always said, “When in
doubt wear basic black.” I wore the Donna
Karen pantsuit with the wide flowing legs
and 3-inch heels and carried a matching
Louis Vuitton bag. Do you remember how
cold it gets here in December? Fortunately
I still had the black sable full-length. I was
ready for anything.
You won’t believe the colours they use.
Royal blue and gold! What can you do with
that? (It reminded me of the uniforms of
those Swedish hockey players we met that
Christmas—blush blush. What were their
names, Carl and Gustaf?)
Riding up the escalator, I realize I’m
starving. (You know how shopping affects
my appetite.) So I followed the signs and
found myself in line for a fifty-cent hotdog.
I couldn’t believe it—I got two! And a cinnamon bun. (Same price.)
As Andre always says, “e proof is in le
degustation.” So I topped the hotdogs with
mustard and relish squeezed out of packets. (ey’re small enough to put lots in
your purse—if M. Vuitton only knew!) I
took my first bite and was immediately
transported back to that Christmas on the
Rio Ferali.
Do you remember, we had taken the
M
night train to Venice and got that little
room above the canal? We couldn’t cook
in the room so we smuggled in sausages
and cheese. And then I recalled all the little bakeries on the Marzaria de l’Orologio.
We would sit for hours drinking espresso
and eating chocolate-dipped biscotti.
at’s where we met Carl and Gustaf.
Well, right in the middle of this reverie, I
hear, “Hey Look, a Christmas Dog!” At the
next table, a boy has smothered his hot
dog in ketchup and relish—the Christmas
colours. He then starts licking the hot dog
clean of the condiments while his father
pulls a half-eaten hot dog out of his young
daughter’s diaper as she screams “Take
home for Riley.” (e mother just stirs coffee while looking off into the distance.)
en I felt a tugging on my sleeve, and
the boy is patting my sable like it’s a pet
gerbil. My heart skips a beat but I give him
my famous withering stare and he gets up
and walks over to his mother. She gives me
a look of apology and I smile back sympathetically. And pass her the cinnamon bun.
Back on the highway, I marveled at the
power food has to resurrect memories. I
think that’s why I always associate good
food with Christmas. Oh yes, and a little
sharing too.
All my Love dear and have a Great Holiday
Season!
Millicent
BTW, I can’t remember, was yours Gustaf
or Carl?
MILLICENT WINDSOR (an alter ego for a struggling London writer) is heir to a salt manufacturing conglomerate and
spends her time between the Continent and her home in
Ballymote, where she helps direct charities.
Have a funny story to tell, with a gastronomic bent? Send your story (400-600 words) to:
[email protected]. Winning entries will get a
$50 gift certificate from a great restaurant!
Bethanys Hope Foundation
proudly presents
Chef Michael Smith
host of
on the
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
Centennial Hall
Fabulous Gourmet Lunch
London, ON
featuring
Come early for the
Breakfast Workshop!
9:00 to 11:00 am
Tickets
$125.00 - Full Day
(Doors open at 8:30 am)
$100.00 - Afternoon Only
(Doors open at 11:00 am)
* Renovating Workshop with Patrick Malloy - Duo Building Ltd.
* Workshop with Mary Arthur - cohost Design Line
* Small Appliance Workshop with Michelle Kostya - Cuisinart
Fabulous Exhibitors from 9am to 5pm
Presented by
also presenting
Lynne Spence
featured on
City TV’s - City-Line
To register please contact
Lindey McIntyre @ 858-4673
e-mail: [email protected]
www.bethanyshope.org
Sponsored by
FOOD NETWORK is a trademark of Television Food Network G.P.: used with permission
Relaxed and Elegant
Fine Dining
Well known to Londoners, Tony
and Irene Demas have been
well-respected restaurateurs for
more than 30 years. They opened
Wilberforce Inn in 2000. Tony
invites you to visit the wine cellar
as part of your dining experience.
His eclectic list boasts over 150
different wines in a 500-bottle
cellar, providing just the right
pairings with Irene’s culinary creations. Her commitment to sourcing the freshest and most interesting
ingredients means the menu changes regularly, with
mainstays remaining due to customer demand.
The Wilberforce Inn offers a warm and comfortable
setting ideal for special occasions. Large groups are
expertly accommodated and receive the same
gracious personal service that helps make this small
town venue an unexpected oasis.
Classic French and Mediterranean
cuisine, candlelight, fine linens and
soft jazz standards
The Inn, once home to the village
post office, was built in 1906 in
historic Lucan
Lunch and Dinner
Tuesday to Saturday
11:30 am to (Last Seating) 8:30 pm
Wilberforce Inn
161 Main Street, Lucan
Only 20 minutes North of London, straight out Richmond St.
519-227-0491
www.wilberforceinn.com
WEB1
BOOKS
More from Baking Illustrated
Recipes selected by Jennifer Gagel
Recipes courtesy of Baking Illustrated: The
Practical Kitchen Companion for the Home
Baker (America’s Test Kitchen).
Pumpkin Pie
The key to this recipe is timing. Start preparing the filling when you put the pie shell in
the oven. The filling should be ready when
the pie shell has partially baked. The pie may
be served slightly warmed, chilled, or at room
temperature, which is our favourite.
Pie Dough
1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus
more for rolling out the dough
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp vegetable shortening, chilled
4 Tbsp (½ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut
into ¼-inch pieces
4-5 Tbsp ice water
1
2
3
Process the flour, salt and sugar in a food
processor until combined. Add the
shortening and process until the mixture
has the texture of coarse sand, about 10
seconds. Scatter the better pieces over
the flour mixture; cut the butter into the
flour until the mixture is pale yellow and
resembles coarse crumb, with butter bits
no larger than small peas, about 1-second pulses. Turn the mixture into a
medium bowl.
Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the ice water
over the mixture. With a rubber spatula,
use a folding motion to mix. Press down
on the dough with the broad side of the
spatula until the dough sticks together,
adding up to 1 tablespoon more ice
water if the dough will not come
together. Flatten the dough into a 4-inch
disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at
least 1 hour, or up to 2 days, before
rolling.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator
(if refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let
4
stand at room temperature until malleable). Roll the dough [illustrations are
included in the book] on a lightly floured
work surface or between 2 sheets of
parchment paper or plastic wrap to a 12inch circle. Transfer the dough to a 9inch pie plate by rolling the dough
around the rolling pin and unrolling over
the pan. Working round the circumference of the pie plate, ease the dough
into the pan corners by gently lifting the
edge of the dough with one hand while
gently pressing into the pan bottom
with the other hand. Trim the dough
edges to extend about ½-inch beyond
the rim of the pan. Fold the overhang
under itself; flute the dough or press the
tines of a fork against the dough to flatten it against the rim of the pie plate.
Refrigerate the dough-lined pie plate
until firm, about 40 minutes, then freeze
until very cold, about 20 minutes.
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle
position and heat the oven to 375˚F.
Remove the dough-lined pie plate from
the freezer, press a doubled 12-inch
piece of heavy-duty foil inside the pie
shell, and fold the edges of the foil to
shield the fluted edge; distribute 2 cups
ceramic or metal pie weights over the
foil. Bake, leaving the foil and weights in
place until the dough looks dry and is
light in colour, 25 to 30 minutes. Carefully
remove the foil and weights by gathering the corners of the foil and pulling up
and out. For a partially baked crust, continue baking until light golden brown, 5
to 6 minutes; for a fully baked crust, continue baking until deep golden brown,
about 12 minutes more. Transfer to a wire
rack.
Pumpkin Filling
2 cups (16 ounces) plain canned pumpkin
puree
1 cup packed (7 ounces) dark brown sugar
WEB2
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt
2/3cup heavy cream
2/3cup milk
4 large eggs
Brandied Whipped Cream
1½ cups heavy cream, chilled
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp brandy
1
2
3
4
5
brandy. Beat to stiff peaks. Accompany
each wedge of pie with a dollop of the
whipped cream.
Banana Bread
For best results, be sure to use a loaf pan that
measures 9 inches long, 5 inches across and 3
inches deep. Makes one loaf.
2 cups (10 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour,
plus more for dusting the pan
1¼ cups walnuts, chopped coarse
¾ cup (5¼ oz) sugar
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
3 very ripe, soft, darkly speckled large
bananas, mashed well (about 1½ cups)
¼ cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
6 Tbsp (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted and
cooled
For the pie shell: Follow the directions
for partially baking the crust until light
golden brown.
For the filling: Meanwhile, process the
pumpkin puree, brown sugar, spices and
salt in a food processor for 1 minute,
until combined. Transfer the pumpkin
mixture to a 3-quart heavy-bottomed
saucepan; bring it to a sputtering dimmer over medium-high heat. Cook the
1
pumpkin, stirring constantly, until think
and shiny, about 5 minutes.
As soon as the pie shell comes out of the
oven, adjust an oven rack to the lowest
position and increase the oven tempera2
ture to 400˚F. Whisk the heavy cream
and milk into the pumpkin and bring to
a bare simmer. Process the eggs in a
3
food processor until the whites and
yolks are combined, about 5 seconds.
With the motor running, slowly pour
4
about half of the hot pumpkin mixture
through the feed tube. Stop the machine
and add the remaining pumpkin mixture. Process 30 seconds longer.
Immediately pour the warm filling into
the hot pie shell. (Ladle any extra filling
into the pie after it has baked for 5 minutes or so—by this time the filling will
5
have settled.) Bake the pie until the filling is puffed, dry-looking, and lightly
cracked around edges, and the centre
wiggles like gelatin when the pie is gently shaken, about 25 minutes. Cool on a
wire rack for at least 1 hour.
For the whipped cream: When ready to
serve the pie, beat the cream and sugar
in the chilled bowl of an electric mixer at
medium speed to soft peaks; add the
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle
position and heat the oven to 350˚F.
Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 by 5inch loaf pan; dust with flour, tapping
out the excess.
Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet
and toast until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes.
Set aside to cool.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt
and walnuts together in a large bowl; set
aside.
Mix the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs,
butter and vanilla with a wooden spoon
in a medium bowl. Lightly fold the
banana mixture into the dry ingredients
with a rubber spatula until just combined and the batter looks thick and
chunky. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake until the loaf is golden brown and a
toothpick inserted in the centre comes
out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in the
pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire
rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. (The bread can be wrapped with
plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
WEB3