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Winemaking and Winterlude

Ottawa is becoming more wine educated every day! On Friday night (February 12th) I attended a Winterlude event at the Lord Elgin Hotel called, “Be a Winemaker for a Night” that was hosted by Savvy Grapes founder Debbie Trenholm (www.savvycompany.ca) and Yummy Mummy Club founder Erica Ehm (www.yummymummyclub.ca). This was an amazing opportunity for people to find out a little about what goes into blending a wine and have a really fun time doing it.

Most people don’t realize the science that goes into winemaking. There is the harvesting of the grapes at a specific sweetness level (called Brix), the crushing, the fermenting of the grapes (which includes the use of specific yeast types, temperature of the juice, contact time with the skins for blush and red wines etc.), depending on the wine there is aging in oak barrels (differnt sizes of barrels, different barrels also have been burnt inside to create different levels of flavours) and finally, the blending of different grape varietals to create your wine (as they do in Bordeaux, Chateauneuf-de-Pape etc.). That doesn’t even begin to cover everything else the wine maker must do.

That having been said, on Friday night we not only blended our unique wines (everybody had 3 wines at their table which included Merlot, Cab Franc and Cab Sauv), but created our own wineries, label, history, price and then presented our creations to a panel of judges!

This allowed for a great many differing blends and what would probably be years of study for psychologists.

My table was table #1 and we all got to know each other at the beginning of the evening sharing wine, snacks and stories about our kids. It wasn’t too long after that we got down to business and created our wine. Our winery was called “Fra-geel-eh Estates” and our wine was called “Fetish, the Sassy Bordeaux”. We then decided on a blend of 50% Merlot, 40% Cab Sauv and 10% Cab Franc. There was a great deal of measuring, blending and not to mention tasting. Once we had all agreed that the blend was good, we then got to make our own label to put on the bottle and created a “pitch” for the panel of judges. While we didn’t win, we had a great deal of fun nonetheless.

Our pitch was:

Fra-geel-eh Estates presents Fetish, We Like to Mix it Up. Whether you like your wine from a ladies stiletto heel or from a Riedel glass, Fetish will give you a satisfying experience. If “fruity” is your thing, you’ll enjoy Fetish’s juicy, ripe and red fruit with soft, supple tannins, with an underlying spiciness to stimulate your senses. The next time your plan your menage-a-trois, remember your Fetish. Your friends will love it for its long, satisfying finish. Fetish is THE sassy Bordeaux. Fetish is the offical wine of the AVN Awards. To order Fetish, call 1-900-69FETISH.

The winning wines (there was a tie) were 3 O’clock Winery (Watched Clock wine), and Le Pacas Mcbnaly (Lord Burgundy wine). I have to say that I really liked the pitch from 3 O’clock Wines, because it’s always 3 o’clock somewhere. The full list of wines created that night were:

3 O’clock Winery: Watched Clock Wine
Fra-geel-eh Estates: Fetish
Panty Decapant
Cow Bay Winery: Yummy Smart Savvy
Le Pacas Mcbnaly: Lord Burgundy
Chateau Vanier: Meet Dirty Girl

The night didn’t end there as my husband Mike and I went across the street to wonder through the Winterlude ice sculptures. While the ice sculptures are
beautiful no matter what, they are particularly amazing at night. Each sculpture is lit with an array of changing colours that highlight different sections of each one. While it was a cold night, there was little wind and the people there were having a great time, especially given that they had a DJ spinning tunes and snacks like Beaver Tails and taffy on snow which was quite delicious I must say. It was a particularly nice way to finish our evening out.

I really have to thank Erica Ehm and Debbie Trenholm for putting on such a wonderful evening and allowing some tired parents a fun night on the town!

Mike and I put together a short highlight video of the night…enjoy!

[photo credit 96dpi on Flickr]

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Wine Ratings 101

Wine ratings can be very confusing given there are so many different ways that reviewers rate wines. There is what is considered the “classic” 100 point system, the 25 point system, 5 stars and so on. What it all breaks down to is one question: Does the wine show all of its attributes perfectly and thus receive a perfect score?

Since most wine is not perfect, we then must decide how close to perfection it is. The higher the score, the closer to perfection the wine is and the lower the score the worse the wine is. We all get these basic ideas, but, where the trouble comes is in just how these rating scales are used. The classic 100 point scale is really more of a 25 point scale in that anything rated below 75 is considered undrinkable. This is where many sommeliers clash as some think this rating system is excellent and others think it just doesn’t work.

I believe that the rating system doesn’t really matter so much as an accurate description of the wine. It’s all fine and dandy to say that a wine is rated above 90, but, if it doesn’t fit the description of what I like, then it could be rated 100, and I still wouldn’t like it. That having been said, the ratings can lead me in a different direction and inspire me to try something new. The idea is that a wine rated 90+ is close to perfection and we always want to achieve perfection, or at the very least, taste it.

This brings me to essence of this article, the LCBO’s Vintages release for this Saturday, the 6th of February, is featuring affordable 90+ wines. It’s an exciting opportunity to taste wine that is close to perfection, without spending an arm and a leg to do it. There are at least 33 wines being made available that range in rating from 90 to 97 and priced from as low as $12.95 and as high as
$244.95. The average price is in the $20 to $50 range. I’m going to list my top 10 picks that I would go out of my way to purchase. Remember that these are MY picks and not neccessarily yours, but as you try these wines and compare your notes to mine, you’ll get a better idea of how close your opinions are to mine. I will also give some suggestions for Valentine’s Day. I have picked out some very delicious and romantic wines.

So, here are the wines that I plan to go out and buy, and a few that I wish I could buy!

1. Antinori Solaia 2006, this is a classic Super Tuscan, not only in varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangionvese and Cabernet Franc, but also in price $244.95. This wine was rated 97 by James Suckling from Wine Spectator and should be best drunk after 2014. LCBO #987586
2. Concha Y Toro Trio Reserva Chardonnay/Pinot Grigio/Pinot Blanc 2008, Chile: This wine was rated 90 and is an excellent example of a good wine at an inexpensive price, $12.95. LCBO #433938
3. Concha Y Toro Trio Reserva Merlot/Carmenere/Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Chile: This red Trio also received a rating of 90 and is also a great price $14.95 LCBO #433920
4. Wynns Coonawarra Estate Vintage Release Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Australia: This Ausie Cab is rated high at 95 points and should be good to drink for the next 4 years. $24.95 LCBO #084996
5. Small Gully Wines The Formula Robert’s Shiraz 2005, Australia: This 90 point shiraz should pair well with steak and can be enjoyed until 2015. $16.95 LCBO #142935
6. Delas Freres Saint-Esprit Cotes Du Rhone 2007, France: This Syrah and Grenache blend received a rating of 90 points and is a very economical $14.95 LCBO #729962
7. Reinhold Haart Riesling Kabinett 2007, Germany: This riesling is medium in sweetness and scored 91 points. It will pair wonderfully with sushi and spicy foods. $19.95 LCBO #727461
8. Renato Ratti Marcenasco Barolo 2005, Italy: This rich barolo comes highly recommended at 96 points and is also very affordable at $49.95. This is also an excellent wine if you are wanting to start a wine cellar and will show best after 2013. LCBO #713479
9. Chocalan Gran Reserva Malbec 2006, Chile: This malbec rated 91 points and while it is great to drink now, should do nicely with a little cellaring for the next 10 years or so. $24.95 LCBO #144394
10. Alta Vista Atemporal Assemblage 2007, Argentina: This wine received a rating of 90 points and is a delicious blend of malbec, cab sauv, syrah and petit verdot. $19.95 LCBO #144352

Here are a few suggestions for sparkling and dessert wines to share with the one you love on Valentine’s day. Keep in mind that while true French Champagnes are good, they are also expensive and very dry.

I also want to include my favourite wine and food pairing rule here, anything you would eat with beer, you can eat with champagne/sparkling wine! While I would not pair potato chips or hotdogs with a $200 Dom Perignon, both would taste great with an inexspensive Italian Proseco or Spanish Cava.

1. Piemonte Cantina San Pancrazio Brachetto 2008, Italy: At $16.95 this medium sweet red sparkler is perfect for Valentine’s Day to be paired with any dessert, but most especially strawberries. LCBO #159566
2. Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava Sparkling, Spain: This full bodied sparkler has a sugar code of 1 and should go great with anything you have planned for Valentine’s Day or any other day. $14.95 LCBO #158493
3. Chateau Des Charmes Brut Methode Traditionelle, VQA Ontario Canada: This general list sparkling Ontario wine is a little more pricey than the other sparkling wines at $22.95, but considering it is made using the traditional champagne method it is an increadible value to make any event special. LCBO #145409
4. Sherry, Alvear’s Amontillado, Spain: This off-dry sherry pair wonderfully with fruit desserts and nuts. $10.95 LCBO #112789
5. Taylor Fladgate 10-Year-Old Tawny Port/20-Year-Old Tawny Port, Portugal: I have listed both the 10 and 20 year old ports here with the major difference between them being that the 20 year old port has deeper and richer flavours. This is a time when you can let either your wallet or your pallet do the talking. Either way, both of these ports will pair perfectly with nuts and rich, dark, chocolate. $35.95 LCBO #121749, $67.95 LCBO #149047

Photo by Bob.Fornal on Flickr

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An Evening with Ron Eade and the Chicken Farmers

On January 25, 2010 Ryan Anderson (@ryananderson), web strategist, public relations professional, and founder of Fat Canary Communications, contacted me with a url to an event at Ottawa’s Urban Element. Sponsored by the Chicken Farmers of Canada, its guest speaker would be the Ottawa Citizen’s (a local newspaper) Food Editor, Ron Eade.

Billed as an “Ottawa Food Blogger Meet-up”, I was intrigued, so I signed up. According to its event details, Eade would deliver a keynote about sodium and food writing and there would be a chicken pate cooking demo. All good points.

In the proceeding week, I tweeted the event to local food bloggers on twitter, encouraging everyone to attend. As the date of the event approached, bloggers registered in greater numbers, some I have not come across before. Many I became very excited to finally get the opportunity to meet in person. Others, I had already met and wanted to catch up with. Two of my favourite Ottawa food bloggers confirmed: Rachelle of Rachelle Eats Food and Shari of Whisk Food Blog. Two local chefs who blog confirmed: Chef Tracey Black of Best Tools for Schools: Lunchtime Solutions and Chef Jason Laurin of Sticky Fingers.

Too my astonishment, professional writer (sometimes food writer) and legendary parenting blogger, Andrea Tomkins signed up. Hers is the blog many Ottawa bloggers (food or otherwise) measure themselves against, myself included.

Why was this such a big deal? Ottawa’s food blogging community, as Anderson and I discussed during the latter part of the event, is large for such a small city. I have enumerated 52 blogs alone. Many of us know of one another. We read each others’ work. We comment on each others’ blogs. We debate points of contention on the Ottawa Foodies forum. But, we have few get togethers. By contrast, Toronto’s foodie community, with its much larger complement of food bloggers, is more organized and has almost weekly get togethers.

As for the event itself, with Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s Chicken Run on the Canadian Food Network and Food Inc. having had its run in theaters, I expected the Chicken Farmers of Canada event to outline the checks and balances employed by the 2800 farmers the organization represents to produce “quality” chicken, humanely and safely. If you visit either the Chicken Farmers of Canada website or blog, you will find the organization has dual mandates, being responsible to farmers and being responsible to consumers. On the one hand, Chicken Farmers of Canada produces policies its industry follows. On the other, the organization lobbies government to ensure the interests of farmers are represented in agricultural policy and trade decisions. The Chicken Farmers of Canada blog’s tag-line is to explain how Canadian chicken goes from farm to plate. The event’s tag-line was to get “more Canadians back into the kitchen and pass(ing) on healthy cooking skills to the next generation.” Attach to that, Eade’s intention to talk about salt in food and food writing and we should have had a pair of very passionate talks and some lively discussion.

Instead, we glimpsed at a chicken farmer, whom I wanted to hear much more from. Eade gave an informative talk about food blogging, raising some thoughtful points about the state of food. We watched Urban Element’s resident chef, Candace Butler, make a chicken liver pate and fellow bloggers got to meet each other. It made for a somewhat confusing, but very enjoyable experience.

Resident Chef, Candice Butler

Sous Chef, Line Leblanc

Regarding the chicken liver pate, Chefs Butler and Leblanc prepared several batches beforehand for sampling after Eade’s keynote.

Three Flavours of Pate

Sherry Chicken Liver Pate with Pic Bois Maple Vinegar, Bourbon and Rosemary Chicken Liver Pate with “a bit of duck”, and Brandy Chicken Liver Pate with Hall’s apple and Thyme.

When we arrived, trays of appetizers, made by Sous Chef Leblanc were served, only two of which included chicken.

Sundried tomato strata with C'est Bon Goat Cheese

Caramelized onion and pear tarts with Bleu Benedictine

Mini chicken pot pies

An individual mini chicken pot pie

In-house pork rillete with Rochon farm zucchini relish

Chicken dumpling with peanut sauce

Cod cake

Pulled pork with smoked tomato jam

Afterward, Anderson called the event to order, explaining the Chicken Farmers of Canada organized the event to essentially build familiarity with people. In our case, people who are passionate and openly write about food in Ottawa. Apparently, their entire web strategy is being revisited from rebuilding the website from scratch to using social media for richer outreach. Then Eade was introduced.

Food Editor Ron Eade

Here are takeaways from Eade’s talk on food blogging:

• Time is the most valuable resource in our hectic lives.
• With distractions like the World Wide Web (referred to as the “Internet”), Specialty Channels like the Food Network, Newspapers, and Magazines, blog readership is precious and must be nurtured.
• Those who read our blogs are choosing our content over others.
• While newspapers try to be everything to everyone, blogs are more focused, a medium unlike traditional media.

Here are Eade’s suggestions for cultivating a lasting audience:

• Keep your blog fresh by updating it regularly, preferably every second day
• Do not let your blog go silent
• Add a personal spin so your reader can identify with you, the blogger
• Keep your content entertaining
• Don’t bury content, making it difficult to access (Eade dislikes “more” or “read more” links)
• Add value such as photos, videos, and links

Here are takeaways from Eade’s talk on food, besides the fact that processed foods harbour an unnecessary amount of salt.

• Traditional print media is guilty of “dumbing down” recipes, simplifying them to a very granular state, effectively suppressing any ability to develop culinary skills (something we have taken issue with at foodiePrints)
• With people dependent on granular recipes, they have lost the ability to be flexible in the kitchen.
• We have become a “nation of non-cooks”, making it a strange dichotomy that cook books and fancy kitchen equipment sell surprisingly well in a poor economy.
• It maybe a deliberate effort by food producers to disconnect people from food sources, encouraging waste and objectifying animals as cuts of meat

Eade concluded his talk by encouraging food bloggers to espouse how simple it is to make ready-made foods be they frozen or canned from scratch. One suggestion from another blogger is to start dinner parties earlier with guests in the kitchen, participating in finishing dishes.

So, good company from local food bloggers, good hors-d’oeuvres (complementary of the Chicken Farmers of Canada), and food for thought. I think it an evening well spent.

Links to blog entries on the event from fellow food bloggers:

• Rachelle Eats Food blog (always a pleasure Rachelle)
• Eaten Up and Humanyms (great to meet you Pearl)

Particulars:
Urban Element
424 Parkdale Avenue
(613)722-0885

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Taste of Winterlude

PRESS RELEASE: Taste of Winterlude:
UNIQUE Fine dining experiences in Canada’s capital region

Canada’s Capital Region ¾ The National Capital Commission (NCC) and American Express would like to invite residents and visitors to experience Taste of Winterlude and discover the many flavours of Canada’s Capital Region.

From January 28 to February 21, 2010 some of the best local restaurants will be offering exclusive prix-fixe menus, fine dining experiences, wine pairings and other culinary delights.

As of Saturday, December 5, 2009, food and wine enthusiasts will be able to register for Taste of Winterlude’s fine dining experiences – a great holiday gift idea for foodies and wine lovers. Restaurants create unique dining events that feature chefs, sommeliers or winemakers. These multi-course dinner concepts featuring wine pairings with each course and many culinary delights are the perfect opportunity to warm up to Winterlude, to gather up some first-rate company and savour the long winter nights. Please consult the enclosed listing which provides the details for all of the very different experiences on the menu.

Taste of Winterlude is presented by American Express in collaboration with the National Capital Commission. This program showcases, for the fifth year, some of the region’s top restaurants while providing great value to consumers, and aims to entice residents and visitors to dine out during January and February, and enjoy Winterlude activities.

Members of the public who would like to register or offer a fine dining experience as the perfect Christmas gift, may call 613-715-9399 or email events@groovygrapes.com. American Express Cardmembers can go to the Front Of The Line to book early reservations for the fine dining experience, from November 30 to December 4, 2009. For more information on these special events, please visit the NCC’s website at Winterlude.gc.ca/taste.

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Wine and Food Pairing

As a sommelier, I have to say that the one question I am asked more than anything else is, “What wine goes with…?” It’s an interesting question and one that I just love being asked. To me, what wine to serve is the missing piece of the puzzle for dinner and finding the right wine means joining all the ingredients together and creating a complete and memorable meal. Too often we look at wine as simply a drink and not an ingredient to the meal. The first rule that MUST be obeyed is NEVER cook with a wine that you would not drink. This means never using “cooking wine” to cook with as these wines are inferior and contain high levels of sodium.

To put it plainly, even the cheapest of wines at the LCBO taste better and save you money in the long run as you have only one wine to buy…one to cook with and the same one to drink.

That all having been said, it still does not give a clear answer to what wine to serve with what meal. The first rule of pairing food and wine is white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat. While this is a good start, it is just that…a start. If you look at wine as an ingredient it will make cooking and pairing much easier. In one of my previous blogs (Grape Varieties 101) I outlined the flavour profiles for the 6 most popular white and red grape varieties. These descriptions should help you to choose what wine to pair with what food. This is just the beginning though. We have to remember to consider all aspects of the meal, the primary flavours, aromas, and the texture as well, not just the meat. The main reason why red wines are suggested to be paired with red meat has to do with texture. The thick tannins in a rich red wine help to cut through the protien and fat of red meat thus complementing the
richness of something like a medium rare prime rib roast while the fat and protein will ease the strength of the tannins making a big bold red smoother and not so stringent.

We finally come back to my favourite saying, “Go out of your comfort zone.”

Wine and food pairing is an ideal time to experiment with wine. While I would generally recommend serving a white wine with chicken, there are times when a red wine works much better. A perfect example of serving red wine with chicken is when making Coq au Vin stew. This is a very hearty and rustic dish with many earthy flavours that lends itself beautifully to red wine. To pair a wine with this dish I always keep in mind the fact that the main flavours are earthy
and include mushrooms, bacon and thyme. I have found that French Cotes du Rhone reds pair perfectly with this and I always include the wine in the broth of my stew. By using the same wine to cook with and to drink with makes pairing a lot easier. Another example of an unusual pairing would be seafood with Pinot Noir.

The first time I ever had this pairing was at Beckta`s a number of years ago when I had just begun studying wine. They had a lobster risotto appetiser and I was feverishly trying to decide if I wanted to go with a Chardonnay or my favourite Riesling when the waiter suggested the Pinot Noir. I was very surprised and questioned him on his reasoning for this pairing and he informed me that the dish included mushroom and truffle oil and the earthyness of this dish would pair best with the pinot. I decided I would follow his suggestion and much to my delight discovered that discovered that it was a perfect pairing. It was the first time I had ever gone out of my fomfort zone with wine and it was fantastic!

So here are a few suggestions that fall into the standard and out of your comfort zones:

• Pepperoni Pizza – Chianti or any red Italian wine
• Hawaiian Pizza – Riesling – the pineapple and ham pair better with riesling and the sweetness
  of the wine balances a slightly spicy sauce
• Pasta with meat sauce – any red – don’t just stick with Italian reds here, this is a perfect
  opportunity to try something new!
• Chicken in a butter sauce – an oaked chardonnay
• Nuts - port, port’s earthiness pairs nicely with nuts and dried fruit – great not only
  with your dessert, but try macerating (marinating) dried fruit in port and pairing, yum!
• Light fish (sole, tilapia etc) – Sauvignon Blanc
• Thai – off dry Riesling – the residual sugar and acidity of riesling cuts through spice wonderfully
• Steak – Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Bourdeaux, Merlot…pick something with strong tannins

I would love to hear about your successess and failures with wine and food pairing. You can contact me by email at: sommeliers@rogers.com or tweet me @nancyztaste. Until then, drink well and drink responsibly!

Wine Notes:
F. Martini, $8.90, LCBO #00390187
Trentacinquesimo Parallelo 2008
Italy – Sicilia
Nero D’Avola/Shiraz
Appearance – cherry red
Aromas – red/sweet cherries, red berries/fruit and some spice
Palate – cherries and spice
Body – medium bodied
Finish - medium finish (approx 30 seconds on the palate) with lots of spice

This is a wonderful, economical wine that went well with the pizza we had for dinner. Pair it
with spaghetti, pizza, or any red meat dish.

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MediaStyle Premiere of Caroline & Dave: Realities of the Journey to Zen Kitchen

Wednesday evening, Ian Capstick (@iancapstick) of MediaStyle organized a premiere party to celebrate the first airing of a new television show, produced by Mountain Road Productions, on the W Network. Done in a reality television style, but with more narration, the show recounts the “adventures” of first time restaurateurs, newly minted chef (Caroline Ishii) and newly trained sommelier (David Loan), as they opened Zen Kitchen, Ottawa’s first fine dining vegan restaurant. The show is aptly named “The Restaurant Adventures of Caroline & Dave.”

Like event organizers at Ottawa’s National Arts Center, Ian invited both traditional and new media to the premiere party at the Zen Kitchen restaurant, it now 6 months old. He gathered not only the food editor of a local newspaper (the Ottawa Citizen), a reporter with camera crew from CBC Television, and Michael Bhardwaj of CBC Radio 1 Ottawa (host of In Town and Out), but he also invited local food bloggers. Some great ones attended: Jessica (@nooschi) of Nooschi, Rachelle of Rachelle Eats Food, and “J” of It Ain’t Meat, Babe. It was quite the pleasure to meet them, each of us already familiar with each others work.

Later that night, W would air back-to-back episodes, starting at 9:00 pm. We were treated to one of the two. As someone who had completely given up on network television, mostly because of reality shows, I never ordered cable or satellite when Jenn and I moved into our condo. The Restaurant Adventures of Caroline & Dave may change that. I instantly became a fan.

If I can’t find a legitimate way of watching the episodes, I may reacquaint myself with a cable subscription for the duration of the show. There are two reasons. First, the footage filmed documents the work that went into what I think is a great restaurant concept and a restaurant that has won acclaim in Ottawa for its food. More on that later. Secondly, the show is very genuine. I figure the producers and editors must have had quite the time cutting together the episodes. Chef Ishii and Sommelier David Loan have vibrant personalities that reflect significant life experience. She, a former communications and marketing professional with an MBA. He, a former political strategist. Both, a lovely couple on screen and off. At the premiere party, they immediately took a room of journalists and bloggers in their sway and held it, engaging us with natural comic timing. Suffice it to say, the event was a lot of fun.

Best of all Chef Ishii and Loan took the time to speak with each and everyone, including the winners of the Apartment 613 blog’s draw for invitations to the event. Towards the end, I watched Loan greet them warmly and even brought his wife’s line cook, Raphael Secours, into the effortless conversation as he wandered by. Within minutes they all sounded like old friends. I can only imagine what eating at Zen Kitchen would be like with Chef Ishii running the back of house and Loan, with his complement of friendly hostesses, in front. Alas, terribly guilt-ridden, I have never been. Though, after sampling their appetizers, I will after the restaurant re-opens January 19, 2009.

Before I start with the appetizers served, Ian ushered me into the restaurant kitchen shortly after I arrived, he seeing me without foodiePrints’ editor, but unpacking the camera Jenn normally carries. He remarked, as he introduced me to Chef Ishii, Zen Kitchen’s kitchen may be a professional one, but it is somewhat of a departure. Like the kitchen at Atelier, Ottawa’s avant-garde restaurant, it is not imbued with the characteristic smell of seared and roasted meats or high smoke point oil brought to intense heat. Unlike Atelier’s kitchen, Zen Kitchen’s is very spacious. Such was even more apparent with all the prep done and the chef and her cooks only finishing appetizers for service. Pictures from the back of house follow after the jump.

Service-wise, two very hard working hostesses masterfully navigated the crowded restaurant with trays of appetizers. Food-wise, here is what they served:

Edamame hummus on in-house made corn tortillas

Bruschetta on caramelized artesanal bread

Nori flavoured agar agar caviar on new potato

Cauliflower cream soup

Mushroom and caramelized onion dumpling with truffle oil

Pecan topped Brownie

Lemon Pie with Biscuit Crust

What is impressive about these appetizers and the dishes others described to me is the fact that there are no compromises. Everything tastes as it should. Flavours are not muted. They are intact. Textures vary. They are not uniformly mushy.

The hummus was nutty and coarsely ground. The bruschetta tasted of caramel and fresh sweetness with crunch. The cauliflower cream was rich, warm, and oh so smooth, topped with togarashi for heat. The dumpling, an absolute amazement of fungal savouriness with tinges of onion. The brownie, deeply chocolate, but slightly dry. I prefer my brownies slightly fudgy. The lemon pie filling tasted like it were custard-based, which is impossible. Its biscuit crust was buttery.

In short, Zen Kitchen’s dishes sate appetites and please palettes. They just happen to be vegan. From my conversations, I actually heard more praise for Zen Kitchen’s dishes from non-vegetarian and non-vegan event attendees, many encouraging me to try the seitan scallopine on the regular menu when next I visit. Apparently, it is another impossible dish.

Speaking of attendees, not realizing it at first, I happened to sit with Secours’ girlfriend and the designer of the restaurant, Heidi Helm of Urbanomic Interiors. Both vied for appetizers with the rest of the food bloggers, each of us practicing our quick-draw camera skills when new trays arrived. Eventually, we all got together and chatted about restaurant interiors, marveling at Zen Kitchen’s innovative uses of salmon reds, mustard yellows, stained wood finishes and accentuated black framed art. Everything made the restaurant warm and inviting.

Best of all, the restaurant’s design absorbed sound. Unlike another cavernous restaurant I recently visited, Zen Kitchen is hearing impaired friendly. There is no constant unintelligible drone of other conversations reflected back at you, forcing you to raise your voice to speak. That “other” restaurant, I am told, causes people with hearing aids physical pain, a design shortcoming Helm is aware of and knows how to prevent.

To Ian, thank-you for organizing a great evening of culinary fun and inviting us to join in on it! To Chef Ishii and Somellier Loan, I wish you good luck and success, even though I expect Zen Kitchen to have quite the waiting list for reservations as Caroline & Dave gathers fans.

For more information on Zen Kitchen and Caroline & Dave, visit the following resources.

• The Restaurant Adventures of Caroline & Dave from the Ottawa Citizen by Ron Eade
• Life in a TV fishbowl: Our Q & A on behind-the-scene trials at ZenKitchen (Interview) from the Ottawa Citizen by Ron Eade
• Zen Kitchen (Must Read Review) by Anne DesBrisay of the Ottawa Citizen
• Zen Kitchen, Ottawa (Review) by Nooschi
• Spotted – Zen Kitchen, Ottawa (Interview) by Nooschi
• The Restaurant Adventures of Caroline and Dave by Apartment 613
• Welcome to Zen Kitchen (Review) by Apartment 613

Of course, watch the show! Besides it being very entertaining, if you are an Ottawa resident, you will get a kick out of seeing your city on national television.

Particulars:
Zen Kitchen
634 Somerset Street W.
(613)233-6404

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A New Year

Christmas has come and gone and now we are entering a whole new year. I probably don’t
need to remind you all, but it never hurts being repeated, if you are hosting a party,
make sure you have driving arrangements made for your guests…Don’t Drink and Drive!

This is the time when we are all making resolutions; be it to quit smoking, go on a
diet or improve our health, we look to the new year as a new start and a new opportunity
to try new things and this year is no different! So, here are my resolutions for this
new year and years to come.

1. Drink more wine. I know this sounds a little silly coming from a sommelier, but I
really don’t drink that much wine. So this resolution includes attending more wine
tastings in the Ottawa area and doing more tastings here at home.

2. Get out of my comfort zone. If there is one thing that I will constantly harp on
is getting people to move out of their comfort zones with wine and alcohol in general.
This entails buying more wine from regions other than Australia, Argentina and Chile as
well as buying different varietals that I’m normally not particularly fond of.

3. Write tasting notes! I know this sounds silly too, but I tend to get a little lax
in this department, especially when it’s a wine I’ve had before. If I’m asking you
to take notes, then I should take notes. ‘Nuff said.

4. Include a wine review with each of my articles. While I do recommend a great deal
of wine, ones I have tried and ones I would like to try, by including my tasting notes
each week it will help me and you to take better tasting notes.

5. Try more white wines. It used to be all I drank was white wine and no red and things
have definitely changed. In this vein I will also endeavor to include more chardonnay
in my wine cellar. I have, in the past, been a member of the ABC club, “Anything But
Chardonnay”. That having been said, this really comes down to moving out of my
comfort zone, but, because it is such a big part of it, I am giving it a place of
it’s own.

So, to finish this article, the last of 2009 and the first of 2010, let me tell you
the 5 wines I plan to buy from Vintages at the LCBO in their next release on
Saturday, January 9th, 2010.

1. Cabeco da Pedra 2007 This red from Portugal is a blend of Castelao and Tinto Roriz
(Tempranillo) is an inexpensive $11.95 and is recommended to go with pizza and spicy
foods.

2. D’Arenberg The Stump Jump Lightly Wooded Chardonnay 2008 Australia Again this is
another inexpensive wine and at just $14.95 I don’t mind taking this one for a spin.

3. La Fee Violine Malbec Cahors 2005 The Malbec grape originated in the Cahors region
of France and this should be an excellent example of how well the French treat this grape.
At just $12.95, here’s another reason not to pass on Vintages wines.

4. L.A. Cetto Petite Sirah 2007 Anytime that Vintages gets this wine in I always grab a
bottle or two! This $11.95 Mexican wine not only goes well with Mexican cuisine, but
also goes well with a nice rare steak.

5. Stoney Ridgte Dim Vineyard Riesling 2008 Canada This medium dry Riesling is only
$14.00 and while I tend to prefer a slightly sweeter Riesling, I suspect that this one
should be crisp and delicious.

Well, there you have it…good bye to 2009 and hello to 2010. May all your resolutions
be easy and all your wines perfect!

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My Twelve Wines of Christmas

First, I must appologize for not having written for such a long time. Unfortunately, my Father passed away on December 11th and prior to that he was receiving palliative care at home and my mind has been elsewhere. That having been said, my family and I are now getting ready for Christmas with great anticipation. Part of this is making sure that I have the right wines to go with any meal that I will prepare as well as wine to go with any meal I may be invited to. In line with that, I would like to share with you the wines I would like to have on hand this Christmas. Please keep in mind that some I will have and some I will, unfortunately, not be able to have.

1. Chateauneuf-du-Pape Delicious wines, but don’t mistake me, you pay for it.

2. Penfold’s Grange

3. Anything Malbec from Argentina. My latest favourite is the Fuzion Alta Malbec Reserva…
under $10 at the LCBO. Expensive taste on a tight budget.

4. For that matter, anything from Argentina or Chile. I can pretty well guarantee you that
you will love at least 90% of the wines from these regions, if not 100%!

5. Long Flat Shiraz…big flavour for little money.

6. German Riesling My favourite is Spatlese which is medium to medium sweet. This is NOT
a dessert wine, but a great wine to pair with anything spicy…especially sushi.

7. Icewine A dessert favourite and my personal choice isn’t Vidal, but, rather Riesling.
I prefer the level of acidity that Riesling brings to the game. You may also want to try
a Cab Franc Icewine; I have tried it and love it!

8. Cotes du Rhone wines to pair with Coq au Vin. This is one of my favourite dishes to
make at home and it always turns out the best when I use French Cotes du Rhone wines.

9. Goats do Roam This is a South African version of the French Cotes du Rhone and can
be found at the LCBO for under $13.

10. Port I really enjoy a nice glass of Port with dark chocolate and nuts.

11. Champagne ‘nuf said

12. Last, but not least, a Super Tuscan. Super Tuscans are wines from Tuscany that have
as their base grape, Sangiovese, and are blended with other grapes such as
Cabernet Sauvignon.

I know that there are many wines that I have left off the list. I would love to hear
from all of you and create a top 10 wines that I didn’t include.

Last, but not least, let me wish you all a Happy, Non-demoninational, Winter-Solstice
Celebration! (And Merry Christmas too!)

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A taste of the Azores in Ottawa

Ottawa is home to a few Portuguese restaurants where you can sample a few fish items most famously on any Portuguese menu is the Baccalau (Salt Dry Cod). Portuguese cuisine is slightly different from that of Spain, especially in its heavy reliance of puree red peppers in many of the meals.

There are regional differences in cuisine of course and especially highlighted when one sample dishes from the Azores islands, which are part of Portugal even thought they are quite distant from the Continental main land.

The Azores menu is less refined, the islands in general had been poor and relied on the sea as well as good home made food and pork often grown in the back year. Two of the Islands that make up the Azores are more popular from culinary point of view. St George is know for its production and variety of cheeses. For the cheese fanatic in you, a slice of St George is a must, and small pieces can be purchased in Ottawa at Mario’s Portuguese Store on McArthur Road. The other island is St Migule, the largest and more diverse. While its largest city Ponta Del Gada provides you with excellent restaurant choices, its the flavors that are present on the streets and homes of the little towns that are more memorable.

To get a hint of what that is like, you must visit, Casa do Churrasco, 190 Dalhousie Street, the restaurant used to be home to a KFC many years ago.

When you get to the restaurant stick the basics and you will be happy.

Soup: Start with a bowl of Caldo Verde, the traditional Azorian collard and sausage soup

Appetizer: A MUST is the chorizo bombaira, where the sausage is cocked on top of a clay pig table side, the smell and flavors are divine. If you are brave try your hand at a marcella, the Azorian equivalent of a blood sausage (not for the faint at heart)

Dinner. Stick to one of two choices, don’t be fancy, either go for the BBQ chicken or the BBQ Sardines, either is a fine choices.

The restaurant is very well priced all in you should be at about $20 per person. More importantly you get a true taste of the Azores and a great home style treat.

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Dining in Newfoundland Tradition: Newfie Night at Petit Bill’s Bistro

We at foodiePrints have been following developments at the Petit Bill’s Bistro since it opened. We were one of its very first guests, eating there shortly before the restaurant opened. We re-visited on its first birthday. Though, after that less than successful anniversary dinner, we have observed some very odd dishes on Petit Bill’s menu.

Asparagus and Ham Puree Soup

Halibut Stuffed with Smoked Salmon

We chose not to return until there was some turnover in Petit Bill’s kitchen.

Recently, we discovered that Petit Bill’s opened a Twitter account, @littlebills. Its first couple tweets mentioned the restaurant employed a new head chef named “Skip.”

Since, my better half and I met Sean Fitzpatrick at this year’s United Way Schmoozefest. He is one of three brothers who operate Petit Bill’s, Terry Fitzpatrick being the most recognizable. Terry’s is the friendly face everyone meets when they arrive at the door, Petit Bill’s Maître d’. Sean ensured us their back of house had changed.

With that, Jenn and I have been looking for an opportunity to try Petit Bill’s anew. Its third annual Newfie Night, an evening of traditional Newfoundland dishes, provided that opportunity.

Newfie Night

After all, Petit Bill’s advertises itself as a “French Bistro with a Newfie Accent.”

Back of Petit Bill’s Business Card

This was the menu for that evening:

Newfie Night Menu

For appetizers, we forgoed the peas soup with dough boys (dumplings) ($6) for the cod tongues ($11) and pickerel cheeks ($11).

Pickerel Cheeks

Cod Tongues

When Terry wandered by, he mentioned everyone was following suit, ordering at least two different appetizers to try. He highly recommended the cod tongues, telling us they were more chewy and gelatinous than the cheeks. Further, the reason the cheeks were pickerel and not cod was because he was unable to source cod cheeks.

Growing up with Asian cuisine, Jenn and I are familiar with fish cheeks. Easily the most flavourful and tender portion of any fish, we frequently ate them steamed. When we visited Atelier, we had halibut cheeks sous vide. At Petit Bill’s, they were pan fried. Slightly over floured, we found them dry and overdone.

The cod tongues were also pan fried, but they handled the heat better. They were indeed chewy, imparting a cod flavour and went very well with the peppery greens and the fatty and vinegary house-made tartar sauce. Adding a squeeze of lemon juice produced the perfect bite.

For my main, I chose the Jiggs Dinner ($19), something I was forewarned by a fellow Ottawa foodie, @biff_da_bear, was good, but packed easily a week’s serving of sodium.

Jiggs Dinner – Front

Jigg’s Dinner – Back

According to the menu, the Jigg’s Dinner comes with stuffing. I found none plated, but what I was served was easily one of the best Thanksgiving dinners I have ever been served. With a dollop of thick yellow pea “peas puddin’” and numerous boiled potatoes, the stuffing wasn’t missed. At the center of the dish was gravy dressed carvings of more dark than light meat turkey. Accompanying it, salt beef and boiled carrots, parsnips, and turnip. It was a very hearty meal, everything cooked according to tradition, but everything well cooked. The protein was juicy and tender. The vegetables, fork tender. I found nothing over-seasoned and paired portions of my serving of salt beef with potato, carrots, parsnips, and turnip. In fact, this Christmas, I plan on borrowing from the Newfoundland tradition and serve a salted meat and peas pudding with turkey in lieu of mashed potatoes.

Jenn chose “A Traditional Newfoundland” Rabbit Stew ($19).

Rabbit Stew

She found the serving surprisingly filling and satisfying, savoury but not at all heavy. The meat was tender. The vegetables, carrots and celery, were cooked fork tender, including the potatoes which a lot of stews cook into a loosely held together paste. From the bite I had, I found the flavour profile reminiscent of an Acadian chicken fricot, a dish a colleague who hailed from New Brunwsick introduced me to. Actually, when Terry wandered by to seat another table, he told us that, if you close your eyes, the rabbit could easily be mistaken for chicken.

For dessert, I ordered the trio of traditional Newfoundland desserts ($6): Figgy Duff, Lassy Mogs, and Jam Jams.

Trio of Newfoundland Treats

Served with as sweetened whipped cream, I was too full to eat my dessert, but tried each. Starting from left to right, the figgy duff was a molasses-based pudding. It featured dark sugar flavours and had a traditional English boiled pudding texture. Next, I took a bite of a lassy mog. The cinnamon cookie was not memorable. The jam jam was a let down.

Jam jam? Crisp Cookie Jam Sandwich

As a fan of Canadian cuisine, I have long wanted to try an authentic Jam Jam, a cookie sandwich that is aged to allow the jam to soften the cookies, producing a texture reminiscent of both cookie and cake. What I was served did not meet these characteristics. The cookies were freshly baked and crisp. The jam was tart and runny. Individually, they were very enjoyable. Together, I was expecting a different texture.

Jenn ordered the “Newfie Pound Cake.”

Newfie Pound Cake

By the time Jenn’s dessert arrived, she too was stuffed. Like me, she tried her best to take an experience and offered me a bite. The pound cake was dense and tasted of vanilla. Its darker edges tasted strongly of rum. The plate was drizzled with a caramel sauce.

For those of you Top Chef fans who watched the “Masters” series, the final challenge for Chefs Rick Bayless, Michael Chiarello, and Hubert Keller was to make four course meals based on their careers. The first, featuring a “first food memory.” The finalist chefs each put together dishes they either grew up making or eating. Each, made ordinarily rustic dishes with skills they honed from years spent in professional kitchens.

This is what the Newfoundland Dinner at Petit Bill’s felt like. While the dishes themselves were not entirely complex, they were made with very skilled hands. Such was apparent in the carefully prepared ingredients, carefully seasoned sauces and broths, and well plated presentations.

The opportunity to try traditional Newfoundland dishes filled the dining room at Petit Bill’s, making the evening feel like a busy Friday night. We figure that Sunday evening saw at least one turnover, dinner service starting at 6:00 pm. Even CTVOttawa News Anchor Max Keeping dropped in for a hearty plate. No one seated at the tables around us ordered the “mainland” non-traditional Newfoundland alternative main, prime rib, served with Yorkshire pudding and seasonal vegetables.

Despite slight issues with our appetizer and desserts, we are eager to visit Petit Bill’s for a regular dinner with friends. My only regret that evening, not trying the fish and brewis, which consists of salt cod and Purity hard tack.

Total: $83.34 (including a pop, after taxes, before tip)

Petit Bill’s Bistro’s Business Card

Front of Petit Bill’s Business Card

Particulars:
Petit Bill’s Bistro
1293 Wellington Street W.
(613)729-2500

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