Executive Chef David Wong - Fairmont Pacific Rim ORU

Endive is widely grown and eaten in Europe as the average person there eats 10 whole endives a year. On June 22nd I attended the Endive Gala held at ORU in the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, here I learned a whole lot about Endive. In Canada there is only one farm that grows Endive for all of Western Canada and Canadians only consume 6 Endive leaves per year.

Kobe Beef Sliders with Endive

There was a variety of Endive inspired food that was created by Chef David Wong and drink served during the gala tasting, I tasted almost all the appetizers and came away with these favourites: Endive Salad, Kobe Beef Sliders with Endive, Diver Down Cocktail Endive inspired martini and the Endive Tartarin for dessert.

Endive Salad

Diver Down Cocktail

I expect Endive awarness to increase over the coming year as everyone learns more and more about this vegetable, more info can be had at www.endive.ca

By: Richard Wolak

16^th Annual Kids Culinary Camps Get Underway for Summer

For the 16^th year, Blue Ribbon Cooking and Culinary center is offering their popular kid’s culinary camps.  Always overflowing with eager chef-wannabes, “campers” ages 7 to 18 not only learn basic culinary skills and from-scratch recipes, but also such basics as kitchen knife skills.  Blue Ribbon is located on the shore of Lake Union at 2501 Fairview Ave. E., Seattle, Washington  98102.  This year’s camp schedule is:

CLASSIC CULINARY CAMP (4 Days, 9:00 am to 3:30 pm, Monday thru Thursday)

This camp takes a brief sojourn into ethnic foods, and then focuses on practical meals and homemade favorites – dishes which are particularly good for young people needing to keep costs down. Each young chef will rub elbows with several professional chefs all week long, becoming competent and proficient in the kitchen by actually practicing hands-on culinary skills with them for five hours a day.

Junior:  Ages 7 – 13     Camp Dates: June 28 – July 1; July 19 – 22; August 16 – 19

Senior: Ages 14 – 18    Camp Dates: June 21 – 24; August 2 – 5

For All Ages:                 Camp Date:   August 23 – 26

$400 Camp Fee

$250 Supply Fee* includes:

 personalized chef’s jacket

 professional-quality chef’s knife

 Blue Ribbon electronic cookbook

 diploma

 daily lunch

 a student’s ticket for Thursday Nights Graduation Dinner

Thursday Night Graduation Dinner 6:30 pm

BAKING AND PASTRY CAMP (4 Days, 9:00 am to 3:30 pm, Monday thru Thursday)

Learn how to bake from scratch (and not just pies and cakes).  Each aspiring chef will grab a rolling pin and put on an apron as they sift, whisk, knead, mix and measure, creating savory and sweet creations from scratch. Skills learned will include everything from the basics of proper measuring and correct utensil use to cake creations, flaky pie crusts, the basics of working with yeasted dough and much more.

For All Ages:                 Camp Dates:  July 12 – 15; July 26 – 29; August 9 – 12

$400 Camp Fee

$250 Supply Fee* includes:

 personalized chef’s jacket

 baking utensil collection

 a professional baking cookbook

 diploma

 daily lunch

 daily culinary ingredients

 a student’s ticket for Thursday Nights Graduation Dinner

Thursday Night Graduation Dinner 6:30 pm

MOM AND ME (3 Days 10:00 am to 1:00 pm Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday)

Young chefs: bring a parent, grandparent, or caregiver and learn together how to make fun and healthy meals that the whole family will love. Adults, bring your child and help them to gain some self-sufficiency in the kitchen while you simultaneously gain some independence. Each session ends with a delicious lunchtime feast of all the dishes created in class.

For All Ages:               Camp Dates:  June 28 – 30; July 19 – 21; August 2 – 4

Camp Fee:

$275 per each pair of adult and child

$125 for each additional family member

$50 supply fee* per person (child and adult)

Includes daily lunch and recipe packets

ADVANCED FRENCH CULINARY WORKSHOP (4 Days  9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Monday – Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Thursday)

Students that have attended a Blue Ribbon summer camp, or the equivalent, qualify for this advanced course on classic French cooking. Traditional French techniques are considered to be one of the world’s most refined and elegant culinary styles. Additionally, French cooking has been a major influence on virtually all Western cuisines. Learning objectives for this camp:

1. Students will be able to execute most traditional French culinary techniques, learn exceptional knife skills and be able to make the five classic (mother) sauces.

2. Students will learn good menu design and be able to create a cohesive menu from unlimited recipe resources.

3. Students will be able to make shopping lists from those recipes, coordinate the execution and timing of those recipes, and plate and garnish their creations.

4.  As a graduation project students will work in small groups to completely design, cook and serve a seven course meal (including starter, salad, pasta, homemade sorbet, entrée, dessert, and cheese course) to their family and friends at the Graduation Dinner

For All Ages:               July 26 – 29

$500 Camp Fee

$300 Supply Fee* includes:

 an advanced cookbook

 knife case

 knife sharpener

 diploma

 daily gourmet lunch

 daily culinary ingredients

7 Course Thursday Night Graduation Dinner 6:00 pm

ADVANCED COOKING WITHOUT RECIPES (4 Days  9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Monday – Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Thursday)

Previous attendees of a Blue Ribbon summer camp, or the equivalent, qualify for an advanced course.Cooking Without Recipes will make it possible for each student to venture into the kitchen and create a delectable meal without recipes. Class starts with an outline of basic ingredients – items that are recommended to always be stocked in a home pantry. Each “chef” will learn the elements of traditional, contemporary and classic ethnic flavor combinations, and through brainstorming exercises, learn to be creative with them. By the end of the session, all participants will gain the confidence needed to create interesting and innovative food so they can bring new flavors and dishes to share at the family dinner table. This camp culminates with a 7-course Graduation Dinner on Thursday night that will be conceived throughout the week.

For All Ages:               Camp Date:  August 16 – 19

$500 Camp Fee

$300 Supply Fee* includes:

 a cooking without recipes text book

 knife case

 knife sharpener

 diploma

 daily gourmet lunch

 daily culinary ingredients

7-Course Thursday Night Graduation Dinner 6:00 pm

Any 2 siblings registered for any camp, receive 15% discount off of each.  Only one discount is applicable per child.  For information, sample curriculums or to register online, go to www.blueribboncooking.com, call (206) 328-2442 or e-mail info@blueribboncooking.com

For one weekend out of the year, the hard work and creativity of restaurant owners and their chefs become center stage at the Comcast Bite of Seattle™. The Bite’s dedication to the culinary arts is displayed not only by the 50+ Seattle area restaurants and 30+ food product companies that participate in the event, but through other attractions that are created specifically in support of the hospitality industry. Examples include The Alley hosted by Tom Douglas, Beer & Wine Gardens, Just a Bite, Bite Wine Tasting and The Bite Cooks!,which features Seattle-area celebrity chefs performing cooking demonstrations.

Celebrity farmers, chefs, and artists come together for stimulating

program series.

Foxglove Farm on Salt Spring Island and the Centre For Arts, Ecology, and Agriculture has launched its 2010 summer program series.

Building on last year’s success, the centre has expanded its offerings with a focus on the culinary and agricultural arts.

Join Eliot Coleman, author of the New Organic Grower, Andrea Carlson of Bishop’s Restaurant, ecologist and author Briony Penn, farmer and author Michael Ableman, plant breeder John Navazio, chef, author, and mushroom expert Bill Jones and other  world class instructors for a thought provoking, informative, and delicious program series.

Executive Chef Andrea Carlson - Bishops

The workshops are held at the 120 acre historic Foxglove Farm – one of Salt Spring Island’s original homesteads, bordering Maxwell Lake and surrounded by hundreds of acres of protected forest and agricultural fields. The farm now produces 50 different organic fruits and vegetables, orchard crops, and 10 acres of grain.

This year’s workshops include a three-part ‘Field to Plate’ cooking series, The Art of Wild Crafting, Four Season Harvest, Seeds For Change, a ‘Farm, Arts and Culinary Camp for Kids’, Small Scale Grain Production, Foraging for Fungi, Farmstead Cheesemaking, The Artisan Baker, Growing For Market, Growing For Family, Backyard Poultry, Growing Tree Crops, and Preserving the Harvest.  There is also the annual Foxglove Festival – with live music, tours, fresh food and home-made ice cream.

2010 Workshop Schedule:

July 20-23: Seeds for Change – Organic Seed Production and Crop Variety Improvement

July 25: Foxglove Festival (free event)

July 26-30: Farm, Arts & Culinary Camp for Kids

August 8: Field to Plate

August 15: Farmstead Cheesemaking

August 22: The Artisan Baker

August 24-27: Small-Scale Grain Production

August 29: Preserving the Harvest

August 31- Sept. 3: Growing Tree Crops for Home & Market

September 12: Backyard Poultry

September 23-25: Growing for Family

September 27 – October 1: Growing for Market

October 2: Field to Plate

October 24: Foraging for Fungi

Online registration and information on 2010 classes can be found at www.foxglovefarmbc.ca.  For information about Michael Ableman visit www.fieldsofplenty.com.

Wine Maker | Tinhorn Creek in British Columbia

How long have you been a wine maker?

I have made wine since Tinhorn Creek’s first vintage in 1994. Prior to that I was only making experimental wine at UC Davis’ Enology Department and working in the lab at Rodney Strong Vineyards.

Was making wine always your passion growing up?

I did not grow up with wine in my family.  My father was an auto mechanic in San Francisco and neither he nor my mother drink wine (one is Italian and one is Irish so go figure).  I discovered wine after I acquired my first degree in International Business merely by chance.  I answered an ad in the paper to work in the tasting room at Rodney Strong in Healdsburg, CA.  At the time I was selling dresses at Macy’s (!).  I didn’t even like wine at the time.  Over the next month I grew to like it very quickly and by the next year I was luckily asked to fill a position in the quality control lab at Rodney Strong.  After that wine was my passion.  I found myself showing up to work early and leaving late and loving it.  Something told me I had to pursue this as a career.

What is your favorite savoury food paired with your 2 Bench White wine?

Sautéed sea scallops in butter, garlic and lemon.  Get the outside of them seared and a bit caramelized.  Keep adding butter—that’s the key.  The acidity of that wine, which is quite high, cuts through the fat and the added lemon matches well with the 2Bench White as well.  It’s easy to do at home and great for an appetizer.

What is your favorite food paired with your Oldfield Syrah wine?

Chicken breasts marinated in a balsamic vinegar and Herb d’ Provence, grilled and toped with a reduction of some of the Syrah and some bleu cheese.  Sounds light with a heavy wine but it’s pretty savory and with the Syrah being spicy it matches really well.

What is the developmental process for creating a new wine at Tinhorn?

It takes forever!  Because we are 100% estate grapes, it always starts in the vineyard.  For example, with the 2Bench White I had an idea for the varieties and percentages I’d like to see in a dry white blend and then we went out to our 130 acres on both sides of the valley and choose what varietal would go best where.  That’s year one. The next year the vines arrive and we plant.  That’s year two.  Then in 2-3 more years we get a crop off of them.  That’s around year 5.  Then we make the wine and sell in year 6.  With a red wine you can add an additional 2 years to that timeline if it is to include new varieties because we age reds for 2 more years.  For example, our new 2Bench Red 2007, which will be released in October of this year, has been in the making since 2003.  7 years later we will sell our first vintage of just 355 cases.

How long have you been involved in the wine industry?

In BC, since our first vintage in 1994.  Prior to that in California since 1990 at Rodney Strong, Piper Sonoma and my Master’s thesis work at UC Davis which was done at the Robert Mondavi Winery.  20 years and I started when I was 24.  I’ve aged a hell of a lot since then—lots of gray hairs.  Outlasted most of the winemakers who were here in the Valley when I first arrived as well so although I was a whipper snapper when I arrived I am now seen as a fixture.  Not sure I like that, but it is what it is.

What do you most love about the wine industry?

I like the people (most of them!) and I love the diversity of the work I do.  I definitely do my share of deskwork (ughhh) but since I am not only winemaker at Tinhorn Creek but also Head of Operations I oversee the vineyards and hospitality and grounds as well.  My day can deal with winemaking, pouring our wines to the consumer in BC and Alberta, going to dinners, walking the rows of our vineyard blocks, tasting barrels, working our budgets, dealing with suppliers etc etc etc.  The list goes on forever and although I don’t like all the work I do, I do like the variety of work I do.  Yesterday for an example I started putting together the 2008 Syrah in our lab prior to bottling and I finished calculating our carbon footprint for 2009 that will now be sent for an audit by Offsetters.  That’s pretty varied.

I also really love the seasonal aspect of the industry.  Most people never get to turn a page on a new year in a real way if they don’t work in farming.  Sure there is New Year’s Eve, but it’s not a lot different from the day before or after.  Living in our vineyards I get to turn a new page every year that pruning begins.  The cyclical nature of the business is really rewarding and relaxing and naturally renewing.

Who are some of your mentors? What have you learned from them?

Sharon Dougherty (now retired lab director from Matanzas Creek) was my first boss in the lab at Rodney Strong and she pushed me to apply to UC Davis even though I knew I would never get in.  She kept pushing me to do much more than I ever thought I was capable.  Chemistry?  Physics? Calculus?  Now way I am cut out for those subjects—but she told me to persevere and finally I was one of only 15 people accepted into the Master’s program in the year I applied.  She is one of my dear friends to this day, 20 years later.

Some of the professors at UC Davis are just gems.  Roger Boulton, who has conducted wine research at UCD for decades was and is inspirational to me and he always has time to answer silly winemaking questions I might have.  He really cares about all students who have gone through the program.  He doesn’t just forget about them when they graduate.  He has taught me that relationships are what you make of them, they don’t have to be surface deep.  Every relationship can be deeper if you listen and give of your time.

Lastly, Professor Ann Noble also at UCD taught me as a woman not to take crap from anyone in this industry. The inventory of the Wine Aroma Wheel, I did part of my thesis work in her lab and she is the strongest woman I have ever met.  Men call her harsh but I found her to be very fair and determined.  She opened so many doors for me and I can pick up the phone today and talk to her like we’ve been talking daily ever since I left. Truly inspirational.

Where do like to go for wine travel?  Why?

If I am on vacation I may find myself in a wine region but I have a strict rule not to tour any vineyards or wineries.  I know it sounds silly. I have been in the heart of Burgundy, Spain, Italy, Germany, but I will not tour wineries.  My personal life is more diverse than wine and a tour would always turn into work. A stack of barrels in Europe is not much different than the ones we stack here in the Okanagan.  I use the analogy that accountants traveling through France would probably not take a tour of an accounting office so why would I do the same when I’m on vacation?  When on vacation I love DRINKING local wines throughout a region I am touring, but that is it.  You get to know the industry best anyway if you drink the wines.

When I am on a working tour elsewhere it has generally been in the Pacific Northwest.  I love Walla Walla and still love my original home of the Russian River in Sonoma County.  I also love touring wineries in my backyard.  On twitter I have started tweeting other local Oliver wines I am drinking.  In past years I didn’t take the time to become familiar with the wines in my own backyard.  I love being a cheerleader for other wineries around me because I find our corner of the South Okanagan to be so unique world-wide that I want to explore it even more and I want others to come enjoy it as well.

What is your philosophy on food and wine?

My philosophy on wine is: If you can say whether you like a wine or don’t like a wine then you are an expert.  That is really all you need to know to be an expert. You don’t need a wine education or a certain income to know if you like a steak or not so why do wine people make others feel that if you can’t describe a wine you are not able to enjoy it?

As for food and wine pairings, if the food makes the wine taste worse than it was on its own then it is a bad pairing.  In this case, eat the food then drink the wine.  All is well.  Just don’t do it together.  If a food makes a wine taste better than it did on its own then it’s a good pairing.  In this case you are required by law to purchase a full case of that wine for future meals!

What is the future for your winery?

Well, we’re starting to build a restaurant for opening in Spring 2011.  That is one change that is most visible right now.  From a vineyard standpoint, we have brought into our team a new vineyard manager, Andrew Moon, from Australia a year ago and he is really shaking things up.  He is on board with making us as sustainable as we can be and crafting the flavours we want in our wines in the vineyard with as little manipulation as possible.  When the biggest change in your winery starts in the vineyard then it means that everything will change for the better downstream—winemaking, sales, touring etc.

Other than that we are boring in that we source our fruit from the same vineyards year after year, we strive for unique characteristics with vintages but we don’t radically change our styles from year to year.  We have no plans of expanding.  We have seen wineries take some radical growth paths and their quality has inevitably suffered with the increased production.  I love exploring what the same plot of dirt will give me with the same vines on it year after year.  It’s like weather in the glass—that’s the differences we see from one vintage of wines to the next.

What are the top wines we would find in your cellar?

In my home cellar?  Well I have a few magnums of Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa and a few old bottles of Heitz Martha’s Vineyard.  I even have my research wine from Mondavi that is from their To-kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.  But…my favourite old bottle is an 1845 bottle of Madiera.  My husband and I have a little sniggly (tiny taste) from it every year on our anniversary.  Only about 3 inches left in it sad to say.

Tell us about some creative events that you or Tinhorn have been involved with lately.

Our Social Media event in Vancouver is pretty unique in that we are trying to reach out to people who are just getting into wine and trying to make it less intimidating to them.  They are used to twittering and facebook, as we are, and are not wanting a formal experience.  Music, wine, food, friends—use it as a step off point for a longer evening out etc.  Don’t charge too much for it and keep it fun.

We are also doing a series of component tastings with our Crush Club members in Kelowna, Vancouver and Edmonton where we pour the individual components of our still-in-barrel 2008 2Bench red, then we pour the expected blend then we pour the finished and well-aged 2007 of the same wine.  It’s nice because people get to be led through a component tasting and get to hear some of what is in my head when I am putting a blend together.

One last thing I have been doing but I am not sure you’d call it an “event” is I am following the life of one vine and its clusters every week on Twitter.  It is called #ChardyTuesday and I think as the season continues people who follow Row 1, Vine 3 will see a pretty remarkable transformation of a vine from no leaves to a ripe crop for harvesting.  I see it every year and take it for granted but it really is a pretty nice process to share with others.

By: Richard Wolak

Mission Hill Family Estate is pleased to announce the start of a new series of culinary, fine wine and artistic activities.  The season commenced with the opening of the internationally acclaimed Terrace Restaurant this past weekend with live jazz accompanying diners under the open air piazza.  The season’s cultural highlight, is the exciting introduction of the Mission Hill Family Estate Reserve Concert Series, which will feature noted jazz artists and highly acclaimed Canadian operatic and symphony performers.

The concerts afford a unique opportunity to enjoy a live performance in an unrivalled natural setting.  The outdoor amphitheatre provides a stunning view of the Monashee Mountains and Lake Okanagan, sure to enchant audiences on a fine summer evening.  Opening the series on July 17 is the Midsummer Magic Okanagan Symphony Gala celebrating the OSO’s 50^th anniversary.  Guests will enjoy dining alfresco with musical interludes throughout the evening showcasing OSO musicians and special guest artists. On August 7, musician Wil Campa will perform his unique blend of Afro-Cuban jazz music.  On Labour Day Weekend, Friday September 3, Juno award winning jazz guitarist Jesse Cook will look to repeat his previous 2008 sold out show at the winery. The finale to the season is a benefit concert on September 18 by the Canadian Tenors with their eclectic mix of classical and contemporary pop, in support of Voices for Bulembu, a Vancouver-based charity doing transformational work in Africa.

Special pre-concert dinner packages to celebrate the cultural festivities will be offered at the Terrace Restaurant, which offers guests breathtaking vistas of the vineyards and lake.  Gourmet fare and Mission Hill’s award winning wines will also be available for sale in the Wine Shop.  Save the date and more information for the concerts are on the winery website.  Members of the Mission Hill Wine Club will receive pre-release access for securing concert reservations and will enjoy a private pre-concert reception.  For other exclusive membership benefits and to join, visit www.missionhillwineclub.com.  General ticket sales will be available through Ticketmaster later in June.  Additional performances and culinary offerings will be added throughout the summer and listed on www.missionhillwinery.com.

As part of the summer celebration, beginning in June, Mission Hill is introducing a late afternoon “Tastes of the Estate” small plate shared experience menu.  Complementing this will be a new Affinities Tour, with guided tours of the winery grounds, Estate Varietal Kitchen Garden, underground barrel cellar, and sampling a Tastes of the Estate dish along with wine pairing. The Terrace Restaurant’s innovative cuisine is prepared by up-and-coming young Chef Riley Bennett under the direction of Executive Winery Chef Matthew Batey.  Riley was a finalist in the recent Bocuse d’Or culinary competition in Toronto.  Riley continues Mission Hill’s Cuisine du Terroir philosophy, a seasonal and regional approach to dining that is meticulously crafted around the wines and local artisanal ingredients.

Also scheduled for this season is the winery’s popular Sommelier Saturdays classes, led by our Sommelier team of Jesse Harnden, Mike Lee and Brent Belanger, these are fun and informative tastings that help hone taste buds and refine palates with a comparative tasting of Mission Hill wines alongside international counterparts of various regions and styles.

“Wine is about life and bringing people together.  It is meant to be shared with friends and family with meals and inspired conversation,” said Anthony von Mandl, Founder and Proprietor of Mission Hill Family Estate.  “Here we are passionate about food, wine and the arts and want guests to enjoy the incredible bounty and beauty that the Okanagan has to offer whether it’s dining alfresco on our Terrace, touring our estate vineyards with our sommeliers, or watching a world-class performance under the stars.  We are privileged to share our love of this region and its wines with them.”

Opening the series on July 17 is the Midsummer Magic Okanagan Symphony Gala celebrating the OSO’s 50^th anniversary.  Guests will enjoy dining alfresco with musical interludes throughout the evening showcasing OSO musicians and special guest artists.

http://www.missionhillwinery.com/of_significance/events.html

Celebrate and experience a truly authentic taste of the West Coast. The festivities begin with a gourmet nine-course extravaganza…and continue at Comox Marina Park, on the Sunday.

Let’s start with the Gourmet Dinner, June 09 — Nine of BC’s top chefs will gather in historic Filberg Lodge to prepare this sumptuous feast, for 200 guests, served along the banks of Comox Harbour. Beaufort Winery and Surgenor Breweries will provide the wines and ale for the evening. And music by Chilean guitar virtuoso Rodrigo Figueroa.

Reception starts at 5 p.m. Dinner at 7pm. $120. For more information, and the list of A-List Chefs, click here. Then call 250-890-7561 to make your reservation.

Then, Sunday, June 20 — Festival Day — as things really get shucking down at Comox Marina Park! With tasting booths featuring shellfish delicacies and dessert treats, information kiosks and a beer garden. 11am – 5pm.

Celebrated home grown musician Des Larson will be lighting up the stage with his repertoire of Island influenced music. And the always thrilling Pacific Kiss Oyster Shucking Competition will take place at 2 p.m. If you’re interested in putting your skills to the test you could walk away $500 richer!