Bench Player

If you like the idea of a crisp, juicy, tart green apple in a wine glass may I suggest Top Bench White 2009 from Peninsula Ridge Winery ($13.95 LCBO 226803).  This wine is a great value and an excellent party wine or aperitif.  You could also enjoy this wine with shell fish, grilled pork or chicken with mango salsa. It is well balanced, fruity with a nice acidity that I like.  Top Bench wines are a blended brand from Peninsula available in red and white.  The white is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer and won gold at the 2011 Ontario Wine Awards.

I Like Mine With Hockey

As we enter the cold long days of mid-winter, nothing warms you up quite like a good Canadian Whisky.  Whiskies have been distilled in Canada for at least 200 years and many of the richest families in Canada got that way by distilling whisky and smuggling it to the Americans during prohibition.  The Walkers, the Seagrams, the Gibsons and the Bronfmans, just to name a few, all made scads of money in their distilleries.  Hence, whisky has had a prominent place in Canadian culture and nothing goes better on a Saturday night than Hockey Night in Canada, Euchre and a glass of Rye and Coke; score bonus points if all this is enjoyed at a local branch of the Canadian Legion.

Over the years, Canadian or Rye Whisky has become as distinct and important a product as any of the best whiskies in the world and no self respecting bar would be caught without some on hand.  To be considered a Canadian whisky, products must be mashed, distilled and aged in Canada using some kind of grain but not necessarily rye.  The grains can be straight or malted.  The distilled product must be aged at least 3 years in charred oak barrels no larger than 700 litres.  Just as with Scotch, caramel can be used to enhance colour and flavour and whiskies can be blended or single malted.  Canadian whisky is smoother and lighter than Scotch and Irish whiskies.  The most popular brands of Canadian Whisky outside Canada are Crown Royal, Seagrams V.O. and Canadian Club.

Now, all of this brings us to one of the youngest new whiskies in Canada:  Collingwood Hand-Crafted Artisanal Canadian Whisky was released just under a year ago.  This whisky has a number of cool traits that make it truly unique and Canadian, even if it comes from the American owned Canadian Mist Distillery.  The product is a collaborative effort of the Town of Collingwood, Ontario Government and The Ontario Grain Growers.  The whisky is triple distilled from locally grown corn and pure spring water from Georgian Bay.  It is aged for 3 years in white oak barrels and then rested with toasted maplewood to mellow the finish.

But, how does it taste?  The whisky has great caramel and woody flavours and lives up to the promise of a mellow finish.  This whisky opens up nicely on the rocks as the ice melts and improves the nose and the palate.  This would be a great whisky for use in whisky based cocktails, especially in a Manhattan.  This whisky is not of the same complexity of Crown Royal, but is a wonderful and unique and distinctly Canadian Whisky.  Try it with your next game of euchre or hockey on a cold winter night.

Available at LCBO for $29.95 for 750ml.  Product code 244186

Restaurant Review: Chatterpaul's Whitby

Nestled into a nondescript plaza in a nondescript neighbourhood of the equally nondescript town of Whiteby (sic), one will find, from the outside at least, a nondescript and unpretentious restaurant by the name of Chatterpaul's.  The restaurant opened in 2008 and is run by Chef James Thomas-Chatterpaul and partner Penny Johansen.  The interior is a clean and contemporary modern bistro with dark wood, brushed metals and frosted glass.  The lighting is modern and elegant and subdued, which can not be said about the crowd.

The restaurant was busy and noisy when we arrived, my usual 15 minutes early.  We were offered a seat at the crowded bar while our table was being prepared.  The hostess checked on us and updated us accordingly, but no effort was made to offer us drinks.  The table was made ready within ten minutes and we were seated prior to our actual reservation time.  Taya commented that the hostess was very pleasant and smiled a lot; I agreed.

Our waitress was just as pleasant, even if she struggled to hide the effects of stress from a busy night.  We were offered drinks: I ordered a beer and Taya a Shirley Temple both of which arrived promptly with our menus.  Chatterpaul's provides two menus, a main menu and a dinner feature's menu which I assume is revised from time to time as it comes as a separate piece of paper.  However, there is no indication that it is modified or how often.  Appetizers on the main menu average $13-14 with the highest being $17-18.  The mains average $25-28 with the highest priced items in the $30-40 range.  The dinner features menu is similarly priced.

By way of comparison, when looking for a restaurant to take Taya, Biff's Bistro was also mentioned.  Biff's menu runs about the same average as does the wine and cocktail list.  Biff's also offers a three course prix-fixe menu for $33 per person, so Chatterpaul's has priced themselves in the upper level of Toronto's upscale bistro eating.

Taya decided to order from the main menu so I chose to order from the features menu.  Taya's appetizer was a flash fried calamari ($13) and I order the crab and shrimp egg roll ($15).   The calamari was  not what the impression of a "flash fried" would suggest, I was expecting something delicate and lightly battered but what came was a typical battered and fried calamari which lacked any of the herbs and spices (at least evidence of any) promised on the menu.  The chipotle ketchup aioli was a nice accompaniment.  The features menu promised a shrimp and crab stuffed egg roll with wasabi, ginger, lemon aioli and rice wine infused slaw.  What I received were two small mushy, cylindrical shaped crab cakes wrapped in pastry which was made soggy by a puddle of brownish-red liquid at the bottom of my bowl.  I failed to detect any of the wasabi or ginger.

For a main dish Taya received the Seafood Pasta Medley ($35) while I went with the Curried Lamb and Shrimp ($25).  Once again the promises of the menus did not match the reality on the plates.  I was promised flavours of ginger, coconut and cilantro but what I was served was a roti style, earthy flavoured curry over linguine which was supposed to be cilantro infused but tasted more confused than infused.  The lamb was cooked very well and and was tender and flavourful, the pasta was perfectly al dente and the portions huge.  The three shrimp on top were a meal in themselves and the curry was well spiced, something I admire in curry.  But the dish just seemed to lack a brightness and the pasta failed as partner to the curry, perhaps a lime infused rice would have been better.   Some evidence of some vegetables would also have been nice, this was a protein and carb heavy dish in need of some brightness to cut the heaviness.

Taya's promise was "mussels, shrimp, clams, salmon and squid in a delicate angel hair pasta with morsels of fresh vegetables in a white wine, spinach, garlic, olive oil sauce."  I would have described it more as a seafood stir fry on angel hair pasta.  Again the food was cooked properly, arrived hot, and was a large portion (Taya only ate about a third).  But the promised flavours seemed to be lacking.  The pasta was less sauced than wetted by a thin flavourless moistness.  To me the description of "morsels of vegetables" would suggest bite sized pieces of vegetable, not a few snow peas thrown in.  Taya is not a fan of salmon and perhaps she will read a dish's description more closely in the future, but I love salmon and I too felt that it was an interloper in this dish.  The pasta was perfectly cooked, the shrimp were huge and the molluscs were cooked perfectly tender and delicate, as was the salmon. It just seems that the dish was left wanting of something more, or maybe less.

I wanted something more, also.  I wanted to fall in love with Chatterpaul's and when I walked through the door I wanted to fall in love even more.  My sister and brother-in-law raved about the food and the service and the extras.  A friend at work confirmed the description and yet my experience left me wondering if I had gone to the wrong nondescript plaza or if I was in the wrong nondescript town.  The service was prompt, courteous, friendly and professional but, I failed to experience any of the "extras" that others had experienced.  I was told that the food was vibrant and eclectic and modern and exotic, only to experience a kind of trying-too-hard.  The kitchen did demonstrate some skill in terms of preparation, but I think they would do well to narrow their focus and perhaps rethink the fusion of some of their dishes.  Now, you might argue that I should have ordered something that is considered a signature dish, but since I was a first timer I wouldn't know what that would be and none of the staff went to the trouble of enlightening me.

Chatterpaul's is priced at or above Biff's Bistro, and I assume they want to be a bistro judging by the napkin wrapped cutlery and casual atmosphere.  But, at Biff's I could have fresh oysters for $1 each, any Canadian wine and some imports by the glass, and a three course meal for $33 all served with the typical Oliver and Bonacini quality one expects.  If Chatterpaul's wants to compete in that market they need to step up their game, narrow their focus and concentrate on matching the food on the plate with the promises on the menu.  In the end Taya gave them a generous rating of 4 out of 5 I, however would rate them a 3-3.5.

Decor and Atmosphere:  4.5
Service:  4
Wine List:  3.5

Food
Flavour:   3.5
Presentation:  3
Portion Size:  4
Price:              $$$$

Overall:  3-3.5

Ratings are out of 5.  Price ratings are out of $$$$$ with $ being McDonalds and $$$$$ being Auberge de Pommier

Chatterpaul's is located at 3500 Brock St. N. Whitby (North of Rossland South of Taunton) 905-665-7575 for reservations.

Table for Two

There is, in my life, a person whose company I never tire of; whose very presence makes me happy; someone I think about every single day; who I have never had an argument with or exchanged a cross word with in the entire time I have known her: my goddaughter, Taya.  And, today she turns 15.  I can not believe that my little sweetheart is one year away from learning to drive and only three years from finishing high school.  I have been a part of Taya's life since the day she was born and can not imagine what life would have been like without her.  She stole my heart the first time I held her and has greeted me with a smile and a hug every time I have seen her since.

A few weeks ago while Christmas shopping, Taya and I stopped for lunch at one of those national chain family restaurants.  We began talking about the service and the food and Taya mentioned that she had been thinking about culinary arts as a potential field of study after high school.  This, of course, was met with much excitement by me and we discussed many of the career paths in the industry and also discussed how to critique food and food service.  We both decided that the restaurant we were in rated about 2.5 out of 5.

Today, as I stated, is Taya's birthday and tomorrow I will be taking her for dinner to her first real fine dining restaurant.  My hope is to expose her to some finer dining than what she is used to and let her see what it might be like in the industry (hopefully the restaurant will be busy).  I was given the name of a restaurant in Whitby that my sister and brother-in-law raved about and has had many good reviews and I hope this will provide the experience I am looking for.  Part of the deal is that Taya will be evaluating the food and the service and will rate them against her previous experiences.  Maybe I will be able to convince her to put her thoughts down on paper and publish them here.

Now,  Taya is not wholly without some fine dining experience; two and a half years ago we travelled to British Columbia and enjoyed afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel.  Best $50 cup of tea I have ever had and the experience of watching a little girl try so hard to act like a young lady was worth every penny.  The waiter was brilliant and after pouring the tea asked Taya if she would like sugar with hers to which she responded "yes, just one please."  This seemed to impress him but more so when he turned and asked me and I asked for two.  He made a face and gestured toward Taya and the two rolled their eyes in mutual deprecation.  I responded that he was lucky I wasn't asking for coffee.  After tasting the tea I had to admit that one sugar would  have been plenty and I thought that this was the first time I had ever really had a good cup of tea.  For Taya and myself, this experience is how we judge all restaurants in terms of service and food preparation and the Empress, for us, is now the standard.  It will be interesting to see how this little restaurant in north Whitby compares.

Happy Whatevs!

It is the last day of the year and here is my last post of 2011.  Big deal!  The idea of marking time as a cycle has never really appealed to me.  It seems silly to have one day that marks a new beginning for everyone when most of us don't share that day as a birthday.  Is it a new year for me, who was born in May?  I don't think so.  And I get the idea of a new beginning, setting new goals, etc.  I just don't buy that you have to do it on a specific day of the year decided by others.

I don't make New Year's resolutions.  I think that people who do are just setting themselves up for failure. Setting goals should be done in the context of a single objective.  For instance: if my objective is to find a new job I should be setting realistic and accessible goals (i.e. update my resume by a certain date, upgrade my skills by another date, increase my professional network, etc) and I should be re-evaluating these goals and my progress continually throughout the year.  Just stating I will have a new job in 2012 does nothing towards preparing me for new employment and makes me feel like a failure when the year passes without reaching my objective.  The same goes for dieting, smoking cessation, etc.

In addition, all calendars fail to be an accurate reflection of the time it takes for a year to be complete.  The current Gregorian calendar we use has been violated and abused by so many people over the years that its standing as an authoritative reference is dubious at best.  Calendars were developed to help us predict the best times for sowing and reaping our crops by tracking the solstices and equinoxes.  Religions utilized them to mark specific holy days at the same point every year.  None of those events can be claimed as the starting point of any given year without some debate and yet all would be a better date then January 01.

But every year society, and especially the entertainment industries, make a huge deal of this one night when everyone should tune in to Dick Clark, review their past year, declare a resolution to better themselves, quaff enormous amounts of alcohol, and ring in the year with an expensive glass of fermented grape juice.  But, I say enough is enough.  Oh, don't get me wrong, I will still be going out and will do my best to enjoy the evening.  But, I will be damned if I am going to break the bank on expensive Champagne.

There are plenty of great sparkling wines that are just as good as the more expensive Champagnes.  The French have decided that the term Champagne can only be applied to sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region using grapes from the same area.  OK, fine.  I can still enjoy a sparkling wine from any region;  Prosecco from Italy, Cava from Spain, or, of course, variations from all over the planet.  Including a Sparkling Vouvray from France for under $20 cad.  So here are my choices for the best sparkling alternatives to Champagne, because, be honest, none of you are going to be raising an expensive glass of Dom Perignon either.

Chateau Monconteur Vouvray Brut  $15.95 France
Astoria Prosecco La Robinia  12.95 Italy
13th Street  Cuveé Sparkling Rosé  24.95 (a little higher than $20, but worth it for a VQA)
Jansz Premium Cuveé  16.95  Australia

The Future of Music?

Nothing goes better with food and drink like good friends and equally good music. And, no one knows good music like the people at NPR (Public Radio in the US).  Here is their year end list of artists to watch in 2012.  There is a little something for everyone in the list, so give them and a listen and you might find the next American Idol the old fashioned way: by earning it!

Comparing Appellations to Oranges

There was big news out of China this past week trumpeting their expertise in wine making and claiming to have taken down the powerful Bordeaux in blind tastings.  The Chinese, of course, have a long history in winemaking as they do with nearly all things given their standing as one of the oldest human cultures.  In fact, the Chinese have been making wine longer than much of Europe, let alone the rest of the planet.  The original grapes of China were not of the quality for wine that Europe's native grapes were and so rice wine became the popular drink of choice and grape wines were reserved for the rich and powerful.  Actually, not much has changed.

Now, don't expect any kind of  "cri de coeur" from the French any time soon.  We have seen this type of gimmick used before to draw attention to an aspiring wine nation.  But, unlike the 1976 competition, this one seems even more contrived and stacked in the challenger's favour.  And I am not the only one who thinks so.  There are several problems with the methods used in this tasting but, the most glaring is the difference in quality control in both regions.  Bordeaux winemakers are very carefully controlled by the Bordeaux AOC and must use grapes that only come from the appellations listed in their guides.  The AOC First Growth and Superiore have even tighter controls for grapes from just their estates.  Even within an estate their are different levels of quality.

Controls on the French are not limited to just where the grapes came from.  They are limited to where the vines are from and how and when to plant them.  Even the amount of time fermenting and aging in oak and bottles is regulated for the various levels of wine.  This is what makes the best Bordeaux very expensive.  The cheaper a Bordeaux is, the less quality control is applied to it and the bottle's label will reflect this.  Wine anywhere from Bordeaux may be called Bordeaux but only a few can be designated Grand Cru, Superiore or First Growth.  

The Chinese wine, on the other hand, is free of any kind of AOC control.  Chinese wines can, and do, use grapes, juice and even fermented wines sourced from other regions, and even other nations, in their wine making.  There is nothing wrong with this, but you are not getting a real sense of the region when comparing wine blends and for the French terroir is everything in wine.  As with all Chinese industry, the wine industry is not just subsidized but it is owned and operated by the state and has a domestic monopoly  on all aspects of labour costs, pricing, marketing and distribution.  The only reason a wine made in China would sell for 30-70 Euros is because the government said so not because of production costs and profit margins and market forces.  This trumps the French system of subsidies for producers of unsold product.

There is a reason everyone likes to compare their best wines to the wines of France: it's because French wines have a deserved reputation as the very best in the market.  But what we see, typically, is any given country pitting their best wine against some of France's good or very good but never best wines.  There are dedicated fans of every region of wine making in France, some prefer Burgundy over Bordeaux, or Loire over Alsace, but France continues to have a little something for everyone despite any of its recent problems.  This is something that other countries can only hope to achieve and even if the French should slip from their position as the best, the world will always owe them a great debt for showing us how it should be done.

As I said, the Chinese have a long history of fermenting fruit and grains for consumption, and have never had to take a back seat to any nation in culture.  This competition will get people talking about Chinese wines, which of course was the purpose of all this, and many will even search them out and try them.  And one thing is certain, the Chinese are making great gains in the quality of their wine products and the future looks good for them.  I think any new addition to the wine world is a positive thing but, I hope the Chinese will avoid trying to be like anyone else and concentrate on the methods and techniques that would demonstrate the best reflection of viticulture from China.  Because, quite frankly, the last thing the world needs is another Bordeaux.

If It Wasn't for Pot Luck I Would Have No Luck

There is a funny article at the New York Times entitled ‘Store Bought’ Spoils the Potluck Spirit which echoes my own feelings on the issue of the Pot Luck.  The article focuses mainly on bake sales and the insidious practice of purchasing goods for resale rather than home baking.  The writer points out this practice is also creeping into the Pot Luck Dinner as well.

I can understand the many reasons people have for thinking it easier and cheaper to just purchase a pizza or some wings and heat them up for a pot luck.  But, if you are going to just purchase food, why not pool the funds of everyone, pick different take-out joints and let everyone try something from everywhere and make a contest out of the whole affair by picking the best restaurant.  I have nothing against fast food, or even supermarket prepared food but, the idea of a pot luck dinner, to me, is a culinary role of the dice.  As was pointed out in the article, the practice started by just trying your luck at a host's home and whatever they were serving.

I love pot luck dinners and usually try anything that is home made and have had some of the best food I have ever eaten at many a pot luck dinner.  Sometimes the food doesn't come out the way the cook intended, and I am sure this is another reason that people choose to buy rather than try.  Many people think they have to compete with that one person at each pot luck who seems to bring the perfect dish every time and plates it spectacularly to boot.  But, I never compare one dish against any other at a pot luck; for me it is about the plate of food as a whole and the feeling of community and sharing.

Many times I have been invited to a pot luck and was told before hand to bring a specific dish or specific type of dish - vegetable side, starter, meat dish, etc.  This I am not a fan of.  To me a pot luck should have an emphasis on the "luck".  Just like Bits 'n' Bites, every pot luck should be a new experience and, if it happens that everyone brings the same dish, well, so be it; find the humour in it and go with it.  Again, it is all about luck.  And, after all, the idea is to get together with friends and have a little something to eat.  If we are less focused on the food and its presentation and more focused on the people and the conversation the evening will be memorable for more than just the fact that everyone brought Swedish meat balls.

So, here are the rules I think should govern the Pot Luck Dinner:

1) You must bring the food in the pot, pan or casserole that it was made in: no fancy plating.
2) No store or restaurant bought food.
3) No micro managing the food.  Everyone brings what they want without instructions.
4) If there are guests who can not cook they must bring a bottle of wine that may or may not go with the food, but they can not be told what is being made.  Pure roll of the dice here as well.
5) Host/Hostess supply hors d'ouvres and dessert but no other dish.
6) Everyone helps with the set up and clean up.

On Giving Wine as a Gift

Image via WikipediaRecently, I was asked to recommend a wine for about $50 dollars that was to be given as a gift.  This request caught me off guard for two reasons: 1) I don't typically spend that much on wine and 2) I try a lot of different wines and don't have many go to bottles.  I did make a couple of suggestions based on wine I have tried and then gave some general guidelines for gifting that I would like to share here.

First let me say, I have three favourite regions for wine because these are the regions I have been exposed to the most.  I like the grapes, styles and characters of these regions and have not had a wine I didn't appreciate at some level.  If you are looking for a wine to give and you have a price range in mind talk to your local liquor store expert and ask for a Burgundy (if giving red, and Chablis are great for Chardonnay lovers) or Loire (if giving white) and Beamsville Bench (if you are giving something from Ontario).  I truly believe you can not go wrong with any of the wines from these regions and each has a wide price range from $10 to $100.

Burgundy and Loire speak for themselves and I would doubt too many people would take me to task on those.  But, you may not be too familiar with Beamsville Bench sub-appellation of the Niagara wine region.  I think this will change and you will soon be hearing a lot about this hidden gem.  With wineries like 30 Bench, Organized Crime and Fielding Estates, this area is poised to take off and become the "bench" mark (hehe get it?) for Ontario wines.  Just my opinion.

I Can Guess That WIne in Three Notes of Vanilla, Cassis and Pepper

Image via WikipediaIf you have ever checked out the YouTube channel "WineAlign" and their series of videos "So You Think You Know Wine" then you have probably been impressed with the ability of wine experts to accurately determine the origins, grape varietals, vintages and even price of various wines; and equally alarmed at how often they get them wrong.  So what is going on?  Are they just guessing, or do they really know wine that well?  I think the answer to the last question is yes.

Do you have a favourite band? Can you tell the difference between their earlier works and their later works?  More than likely you can because you have immersed yourself in their body of work and know what albums came first and what individual songs were on each album. Could you tell what period in their history a previously unknown work was first written if you came across one? Maybe.  Do you like music from a certain period of time, say the 70's?  Can you tell it from music made in the 50's or 80's?  Again, I think probably.   The same can be said for literature, its different genres and eras can also be distinguished and categorized if you study enough.  I believe the same holds true for the fine arts, as well.  To recognize them requires a familiarity with their characteristics, the regions they were created in, the intent of the artist and the experiences of the culture.

So why would wine be any different?  The very best experts have tasted a lot of wine and have to think long and hard about what they drink.  Most have a favourite style, region and even vintage.  I think that what we see when someone like John Szabo - who is extremely accurate in many of the videos - tastes wine, is a mind full of experiences trying to recall each of those experiences and then giving his best recollection of that experience.  There is a little bit of guessing going on, but there is in any of the aforementioned disciplines as well and we have no problem allowing those experts to pass judgement on the legitimacy of our favourite works.  And, the less familiar we are with any given work of music, literature or art, the less accurate we would tend to be.  When an expert gives an educated guess on a wine, they are looking for characteristics that their experiences have taught them to expect: what is the best region to grow a grape, what are the results of techniques used by regional wineries, how does acid and tannin balance change from region to region.

So what is happening when they are so far off?  One of two things, I believe: either they have not experienced a particular grape or region enough or they have experienced too much of that region and grape.  Information overload can be as much a block of recollection as lack of information.  Wine is made in almost every country of the world.  The are new wineries and new wines starting up every day and it would be impossible to have a database of knowledge within one mind to be able to distinguish between so many.  Even when these experts get the wine wrong I am amazed how often they mention the correct region before dismissing it, or how close to a region they can get while still choosing a neighbouring one;  there is quite a bit of similarity between northern Italian wines and southern French wines, as well as Ontario and German, BC and New Zealand, Australian and South African and the list goes on.  A Cabernet grape is a Cabernet grape, but the minerals it grows in are far reaching and picking out those mineral tendencies can be tricky.  Can anyone in Ontario tell the difference between Ontario strawberries and those from out of province.  I bet they can when they are in season.  Can you tell the similarities between your favourite band and bands from within the same genre, country or era?

I do believe that the experts can have enough experience to tell the difference between wines, this is their business and their passion, after all.  But, where I believe the experts try to exert too much sway is when they express an opinion on which is a better wine.  Despite their many experiences with wine, despite their encyclopedic knowledge of past vintages, they are still just one set of taste buds and olfactory systems experiencing the wine.  Their tastes and preferences have been influenced, throughout their lives, by their place of birth, their genetic makeup and their exposure to tastes and flavours at an earlier age.  We have all had our own experiences that affect our tastes and preferences, just as they have influenced our taste in music they will affect our taste in wine.  This is why I like to encourage people to try different wines, especially for different occasions, and explore the whole world of wine, and the best place to start is right in your own backyard.  For me that is Ontario.

If the argument is that some wines are better than others than it would hold that one is the best.  If that is so, why are there so many varieties from so many regions made in so many different styles?  Wine is a food product and like all food products people enjoy it in its many different styles and combinations.  As part of human culture, like all art, it is subjective and requires a receptive audience open minded enough to appreciate the experience.  I am not saying there is no such thing as bad wine; I just don't think it is anyone's place to tell you what you like is bad.  But, just as with music, literature or painting, I would hope you would try to appreciate a wider variety and remain open to new experiences.  There is a wine for everyone and some have more depth and complexity and, just as we expect to move from Dr. Seuss to Dr. Zhivago in our reading are appreciation for wine will grow and we might move from Mateus to Bordeaux.  This does not mean we can't appreciate a little Green Eggs and Ham occasionally, maybe with a little Champagne and orange juice.

The True North Not So Strong

Image via WikipediaI have previously written about the plight of Somalians and the lack of real concern by the west to find long term solutions to the standards of living in Africa.  Today I am writing about the plight of Canada's northern most Native Tribes and the lack of political spine of our politicians to deal fairly, honestly and respectfully with our partners in Canadian society.

I am sure most of you are aware of the plight of the most recent reservation to have control of their administration taken over by the federal government.  A lot has been made of the $90 million that was "given" to the band.  What gets lost in the governments statements is the fact that this is money was given out over 6 years amounting to $15 million/year, which still seems like a lot of money at face value.  Now, determining the exact population of Attawapiskat  is a little difficult due to apathy and incompetence of the federal government.  Statistics Canada even admits that the most recent census data from 2001 (really?!) is nothing more than a guesstimate.  It seems it is just too difficult to go there and spend one day counting less than 2000 people.  But, the registered number of band members claiming Attawapiskat as home is 1929 and that is the number I will use.  This gives us a net disbursement of funds of $7776.05 per resident per year.  The federal government, over the same period gave an average of $13,180,666,666 to 12,160,282 persons living in Ontario  for an average of $1083/person in just health, education and social assistance  payments (other provinces are worse Manitoba $2599, Newfoundland $2632, PEI and New Brunswick over $3000 each) and does not include infrastructure payments and revenue from the harmonized sales tax nor the province's own revenues from taxation, a luxury the reservations lack.  The discrepancy of over $6000 does look alarming until you consider that the band has no stable source of revenue with unemployment levels at nearly 50% of the population, no ability to charge income taxes, no revenue from natural resources, and responsibility for all infrastructure of the community.

Here are the areas that Attawapiskat band must administer: education, fire, police, EMS, emergency medical clinic, airport and air transport for goods, ice road in winter, electrical generation, environmental maintenance, road maintenance and emergency social assistance where federal assistance is inadequate.  The logistics of simply bringing in the basics of life that those of us who live in large urban areas take for granted are enormous.  Food, clothing, household supplies must all be flown in for 7 months of the year until an ice road can be built in January.  Maintaining these two links is the responsibility of the band.  Electrical generation alone accounts for an estimated $1 million dollars a year and fuel costs, on average, are $4500 per household from November 01 to April 30 each year for an estimated 260 households.  That, alone amounts to an additional $1 million plus per year.

Little has been said about the education of the residents but, I am sure it is not band members who are holding the teaching jobs.  Those teachers coming from the south are not doing it for free and their pay must come from band revenues as does medical, police and fire services payroll. ( Read my friend Amanda's blog for some idea of the education standards and life on a reservation). The cost of building adequate housing for those employees is estimated at $250, 000 per house and must be built by federal government contractors, meaning more money leaving the community.

They build the homes at a rate of about 2 a year.  Some have suggested that they could house everyone in a single large apartment complex for far less but, this simply shows a lack of understanding of the challenges associated with building housing that far north.  Buildings are lower because foundations can not be dug into the frozen rock which makes up the area.  Additionally, what would be a walkout apartment at ground level in summer would be a basement apartment the rest of the year, as would the second floor some years.  Allowances have to made for wood burning heating methods as the cost of fuel (diesel is the only fossil fuel available) is prohibitive to say the least.

Food costs in Attawapiskat might possibly be the single biggest cause of poverty in the community.  Because of the need to fly in basic supplies, the average cost of food is 86% higher than any other part of the province.  It is estimated that a typical family of four in Southern Ontario would spend, on an ideal diet, $1174 per month.  That same family would pay $2183 per month in Attawapiskat.  A typical assistance cheque might be in the area of $1500 per month and needs to go to more than just food, so imagine the diets of most.  Traditionally they would have supplemented with food they hunted or fished for, but these resources are becoming scarcer due to several issues, global warming and international bans on seal pelts  come to mind.   And these costs are just for food, not cleaning supplies, clothing, personal grooming etc.

So, with the everyday running of the reservation the responsibility of the band, we can see that it may not take long to blow through a few million dollars.  But, in 1979 the largest diesel spill in Northern Ontario occurred around the Attawapiskat lands.  The federal government, and subsequent governments, have never even acknowledged the issue and have refused to assist in the clean up, maintaining it is the band council's responsibility.  This spill resulted in the only school building being shut down in 2000 and portables erected to replace it and the cost absorbed by the band.  Add to this, the cost of the backing up of the reservation's sewage system resulting in the evacuation of many of the residents and the band's need to pay for and clean up the damage.  These two incidents were paid for through loans which only added to the operational costs of the reservation.

The government would like us all to believe that they have been charitably donating money to a corrupt band council for 6 years but, what they refuse to tell you is, this band has been co-managed for the last decade and their own appointed manager has been signing off on all spending since then.  They also have not explained real well that in the last 10 years 43% of reservations in Canada are in some form of intervention and there are now a total of 11 reservations in Third Party Management.  They also have not explained very well that their own audits show little or no benefit from being in TPM or intervention of any kind.

I will be awaiting, impatiently, the final report of the audit that is being conducted on where the $90 million was spent.  But, I'm sure it will take months, if not years, in hopes that some other crisis or distraction might come along to make everyone forget the plight of these people, as has happened so often in the past (hey, with any luck the Leafs will win the Stanley Cup and all of Harper's problems will disappear over night).  I have a feeling that the audit will show what the Auditor General has reported several times in the past: that Canadian governments of all stripes have plenty of shame to share.

If you have studied Canadian history you might recall that Canada might have been a whole lot different if not for the valiant efforts of the Native tribes and the French Canadians who seemed a whole lot more concerned with fighting the Americans in 1812 than did the British.  We, as a nation, owe both those peoples.  When the first Europeans set foot on this land they made a claim on in it in the name of their Sovereigns with no legal right to do so and no consideration for the people that were already making use of it.  The fact that most natives were migratory is irrelevant; it would be the equivalent of me going to your unused cottage in winter and laying claim to it because you were not there at the time.  I understand that we can't simply go back in history and change things, but we can make up for the legacy of our ancestors and ALL Canadians, regardless of origin or length of ancestry here, owe it to the first nations to do so.

Canada is a signatory to human rights treaties (something it brags about when telling other nations how to treat people) which guarantee the right to minimum standards of housing, food and medicine (art. 25).  It is time we lived up to the standards of these treaties and provided opportunities for our First Nations to manage their own lives and we could start by allowing them an equal share in this countries many natural resources, the right to free movement around the country, protection of their customs and languages and the right to all the things the people of Ontario receive: health care, education and clean living conditions. Simply enforcing the letter of a treaty as it stood 160 years ago is not good enough.  The First Nations taught our ancestors how to survive off the land, what foods to eat, where the best hunting was, the best fishing, where we could find gold, what plants were poisonous and in return we gave them small pox, alcoholism and the right to be confined to small parcels of land in the middle of nowhere. Of course, some Natives have qualified for closer monitoring.

Further reading:  http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/magazine/dec10/attawapiskat4.asp

Lieutenant Governor Award Winners

My New Best Friend (Image via Wikipedia)Well, it has been an exciting week here at Liver Rounds head office after our review of the Joe Beef cook book was shared with their twitter followers and then the followers of Anthony Bourdain.  This caused a huge spike in traffic to the site along with a slight swelling of my ego.  I am sure nothing I write this week will draw as much attention but, I must soldier on for my legions of dedicated fans.

Have you been looking for a list of Ontario wines to try?  Of course you have, who hasn't?  Well, here is a list of the 1st Annual Lieutenant Governor Award for Excellence in Ontario Wines.

• Huff Estates Winery, PEC Cuvée Peter F. Huff Sparkling 2008
• Ziraldo Estate Winery, Riesling Icewine 2007
• Southbrook Vineyards, Triomphe Chardonnay 2009
• Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery, Sibling Rivalry Pink 2010
• Malivoire Wine Company, Pinot Noir 2009
• Charles Baker, Charles Baker Riesling 2009
• Mountain Road Wine Company, Mountain Road Vidal Icewine 1999
• Magnotta Winery, Enotrium Gran Riserva 2008
• Stoney Ridge Cellars, Excellence Chardonnay 2009
• Malivoire Wine Company, Courtney Gamay 2009
• Mike Weir Wine, Riesling 2008
• Thirty Bench Wine Makers, Riesling 2010

The awards ceremony will be on the 7th of December and I'm sure my invitation is held up in the mail and should arrive anytime soon.  If it doesn't get here by then I will just show up,  I can't see any problem with that.  Maybe I should just mention my close relationship with Anthony Bourdain, David McMillan and Frédéric Morin.  Yeah, that's what I'll do.  

Anyway, use this list as a resource and try and find a bottle or two and give them a try.  Most are available directly from the wineries and some might even be available in LCBO stores. I have not heard of any promotions at the LCBO, however.


If you are looking for some excellent BC wines to try, the Lieutenant Governor of BC has been at this a lot longer and you can find a list here.

I Got No Beef With Joe Beef!

I know very few bad asses in my life.  The ones I do know are pretty bad, and are the standard by which all bad asses are measured, by me.  I know of no bad ass cooks or chefs despite the current trend of macho bad ass wannabes in the culinary world.  If yelling at staff, throwing tantrums and eating stuff that makes others queasy makes you bad, well then, ok, you're bad in a kind of pathetic sort of way.

So when I first became aware of David McMillan and Frédéric Morin I saw what, at first blush, appeared to be a couple of guys trying to cash in on this tough cook trend.  The stories of throwing bus boys into dumpsters and dropping the odd "f bomb" in interviews did not impress me much and I wondered what it could be about this duo's restaurant and cooking that receives so many accolades.  I ordered the book, fully intending to find evidence of hypocrisy and double standards.  Yes, I would research and study them and I would find reason to dislike them. Yes, yes I would.

And sure enough, in the opening forward, the first of said evidence of a large blow-hard of a man attempting to intimidate a restauranteur who just wanted to see what all the fuss was about.  Wow, cussing. How tough.  And there was further evidence like, they're from Montreal.  Need I say more?  They have a contempt for the refined, haute cuisine of modern fine dining establishments.  They revel in the culture of the the old time taverns and casse-croute of Old Montreal and are driven by the muse of an old tavern owner in a seedier part of town: one known as Joe Beef.  They wear blue jeans and wool Mack Jackets and skater shoes.  They dress the part of the antithesis of haute cuisine.  They close for 2 weeks every July and 10 days at Christmas.  They write their menu on a blackboard and won't take your order if you can't read it.  They admire the customer who orders a plate of oysters and Molson Ex.  You know... they actually sound like my kind of people.

David McMillan is a history buff: score one point.  Frédéric Morin is a railroad enthusiast: score another point.  Both feel uncomfortable in the presence of the rich and famous and prefer the company of working classes: another point.  They turned down a request to cater a Tourisme Montreal event for high end clients because they "hate doing it" and because "we would only disappoint you with our bad attitudes and lethargic ways." OK! Cut it out! I'm supposed to be disliking you bastards!

I am not sure, exactly, at which page I first became aware that I was falling in love with Joe Beef.  Maybe it was the books lay out, the impeccable writing, the brilliant photography.  No. It was the people.  Despite the gruff appearance these are people I could like.  Loyal to their staff and the investors who supported them.  Proudly Montrealers, Quebecers and Canadians (in that order).  Supportive of their local suppliers.  Committed to their philosophy.  And, humble enough to admit when they made mistakes.  They believe in themselves and the people that supply the products they sell and it shows in the book, the recipes and the enormous following their businesses have enjoyed.  Chefs love these guys.  Farmers, fishers and butchers love these guys.  And, I love these guys.

Oh, sure, there is still some image and brand management behind what they do and how they act, and it is always a fine balancing act to embrace the food of the masses and charge the prices they do, but that balance is summarized nicely by McMillan when he talks about Champagne:

Champagne is not a festive beverage.  Champagne is a wine that should be drunk every day for no apparent reason.  Life is short, hard, and can often suck.

The prices they charge are an attempt to keep the food as accessible as possible while maintaining a high quality of locally sourced produce.  This is a tough thing to do without going broke and they have managed it nicely.  Their experience is shared with their readers in a section near the back of the book titled "The Joe Beef Address Book" where everything from B&B's to shops and restaurants are listed; and throughout the book they list the names and locations of their suppliers.  The book is a resource for restauranteurs and chefs as much as home cooks and foodies.

The book is also a reference for a way of living and a philosophy on life.  Every chapter, in fact every recipe, begins with a story of how they came to a particular philosophy or approach to food and dining (and travel for that matter).   In the chapter "Tall Tales, Taste, And A Few Theories" Morin discusses the few theories that guide the approach of his kitchen and restaurant.  None sum up what these guys are about better than Theory #8:

Perks: It's always seemed funny to us that a restaurant will go out of its way to offer special treatment to people with millions in the bank, yet the couple who saved for months to eat at the same place on a special occasion is somehow lucky to be there.  If we notice a passionate student-type or a couple on a first date eating in one of our restaurants, we will give them the world.  They will have the entire menu for thirty bucks.  Its our pleasure to give them a complimentary bottle of good wine.  Of course, this is not a habit, but we do it once in awhile.

This attitude is re-enforced in Chapter 7 A Word On Wine when McMillan discusses the importance of wine with dinner:

If you bring your partner into the restaurant and spend all of your time talking to your waiter about wine (which I see all the time) instead of focusing on the conversation, you're a jerk.  A restaurant meal is a precursor for the acts of business, friendship, and lovemaking.  Leave your wine OCD at home.  Once you choose the wine and taste it ( this should only take three minutes, not twenty), there is no more talking about wine.  Then it's time to talk about how pretty your date's dress is or how nice your date smells, how well you're doing this quarter, or how many widgets you've sold. 

These are words to live by.  And live they do.  The intent of Joe Beef was to have a restaurant that they could run the way they wanted and to open and close according to their schedule.  They take time away from the business and travel by rail every chance they get.  This has given them a perspective on the country that most of us miss out on, and makes a mockery of the rest of the country's impression of Montrealers.  These guys love Canada and are not shy about saying so.  There is no hint of flattery when they say Winnipeg, PEI and even (gasp!) Toronto are among their favourite places to visit.   They have taken the time to experience their suppliers' lives and work to better understand their own food.  What a great thought:  a better understanding of me by understanding the community of people that have shaped me.

Forget for a minute all the philosophy.  If you pick this book up for nothing but the recipes it would still be an amazing addition to any collection.  The recipes are presented in descriptive, easy to follow steps that describe the techniques and methods utilized so that nothing is left out of the preparation.  Great detail appears to have been taken to get the recipes right and they are easy to follow.  I have personally made some of the easier sides and condiments and they are excellent.

I have spent nearly a month with this book and it has felt like a great friend.  The attitudes and philosophies espoused by Morin and McMillan mesh with my own and I think would mesh with every Canadian.  If you have a stake in the Canadian food industry (and who doesn't) this is a must read and Joe Beef is a must visit.  I myself would love to eat there but I hate travelling and I can't afford it, but I feel confident that I can replicate many of the dishes, if not by the letter than certainly by the spirit of the recipes.  What can't be replicated is the atmosphere.  Or maybe that isn't right, since I did get a genuine feel for the atmosphere without ever having set foot in Joe Beef.  It is, after all, just an attitude.

F@*& the Food Network

Image via WikipediaIf you want an education in food, I mean a real education not just food porn, I always recommend any show on PBS Saturday mornings.  The only frustrating part is the constant interruption to the schedule for fund raising but, become a member and maybe they wouldn't have to interrupt programming.  PBS is the best place to find the best cooking shows featuring the best chefs.  You know all those celebrity chefs on Food Network?  Well, they wait in line to get into the restaurants of the chefs on PBS.  Even the shows that do not feature great chefs, provide technique and ingredient information that is as good as any cooking school.  In fact, one show that was featured on PBS was actually shot at the Culinary Institute of America.

But, "hey," you say, "Food Network has a web site to enhance my viewing pleasure." And to that I say, it's nice you have a place to learn how to heat peas.  And, I also say, PBS has an even better site to enhance your viewing pleasure and help you get through those weeks when programming is interrupted to bring us some new age guru and his sappy credulity, like this week.  The site has tips, recipes, videos, and well written blogs as well as books and DVD's that will help you put an exciting meal on the table the next time it's your turn to host a dinner.  Or, even just something to keep the kids from tossing food at each other during family meals.  So, go and see what food can really be.  Go on.

C'est La Vie

In 1739 just over 24 000 residents of Quebec imported more than 3/4 of a million bottles of wine from France.  No one in Canada enjoys wine like the Quebecois.  Yet, the domestic wine industry in Quebec is a fledgling industry at best.  When wine experts talk about Canadian wines they talk about Ontario and British Columbia, despite the fact that wine, of some type, is grown in almost every province in the country.  Even the locally obsessed owners of Joe Beef in Montreal carry no locally made wines, though they have tried their hands at making their own with self proclaimed less than stellar results.

The weather is the biggest obstacle to making wine in Quebec.  The winters are just too cold, even the St. Lawrence is unable to temper the extreme cold to allow vineyards to survive.  There have been some developments in techniques including artificially heating the ground to support the vines.  Producers have turned to the many varieties of grape that thrive in cold weather and a mix of hardier old world and even hardier new world varieties are showing some promise.

Another obstacle to overcome in Quebec is, despite their love of and pride in local produce, Quebecois do not consume products that are, in their opinion, of a lesser quality or value.  David McMillan, in his book, The Art of Living According to Joe Beef, discusses his and his province's love of old world French wines:

The air in Quebec is sweet and old, however, and we've been drinking French wine with French food here for more than three hundred years... Classically, Montreal has always preferred French wine.  There is a core Quebec crowd that has, for many historical reasons, cemented this province with a vin francais toujours policy.  I have many customers who won't even acknowledge any wine other than French wine.  Italian wine is exotic, and Spanish wine, well, they just shrug and look bewildered.

So wine production in Quebec will have a long hard battle against climate, history and Quebec tastes.  But, there is an aspect of Quebec wine production that is producing superior quality products. Fruit wines.  Yes, I said fruit wines.  The fermentation of grapes is not the only way to produce an enjoyable alcoholic beverage with complexity and depth of flavour.  Don't believe me?  Try a bottle of  Domaine Pinnacle 2008 Sparkling Ice Cider.  This wonderful product takes advantage of its environment and embraces the harsh Quebec weather to culminate in, what some call, apple pie in a bottle.  It pairs extremely well with foie gras and hard cheeses and makes an excellent end to a dinner party.  Try it instead of an Ontario ice wine.

 

Screw It!

An interesting article about paper bottles for wine at Wired.com.  This is an interesting concept and one that would be better for the environment, however, two things come to mind.  First, consumers are already hesitant to move to screw caps which are better for keeping and storing wine, and are even hesitant to move to plastic corks which also have an advantage over natural cork.  Secondly, during a recent tasting some spoilage was noted in tetrapak style boxes which is similar to how the paper bottle is made.  

 

If consumers could get past their prejudices when it comes to buying wine, and if the packaging side of the industry could find a sustainable method of packaging that preserved both wine and environment I could get excited about the possibility of guilt free imbibing.  Till then, I will stick with trusty glass, and screw tops where available. 

It's Not Delivery, It's Dennisio

I am enjoying home made, from scrath pizza. It's amazing. Simple engredients, patience and plenty of kneading.

I Prefer the Term Frugal Wines Pt.II

In the interest of fairness, here is an article responding to the Slate piece that I blogged about concerning cheap wine.  I think the article is lacking in any logic.  The writer starts by summarizing the arguments of the original article and then goes about ignoring those arguments all together.  It is filled with straw men and logical fallacies including an appeal to popularity, appeal to authority and the ever popular appeal to tradition.  But, it completely side steps the facts: 1) that experts, let alone non-experts, can't tell expensive from cheap wine 2) that most people drink wine without lingering over its complexity 3) that if you find a wine you didn't like then you are not out much money and 4) if you like cheaper wine what business is it of anyone else.

The writer suggests that there is a human cost to cheap wine by linking to a story about a worker who died in the vineyards of a notoriously cheap vintner.  Well, if you can use Google you could probably find an example of a high end winery that has experienced a death or even a a mid level winery, for that matter..  What does that prove? Nothing.  As for the argument that Wonder Bread and Kraft slices aren't as good as artisanal breads and cheese that is just silly; give kids a choice and they will probably pick Wonder and Kraft every time and, to use their own logic, Wonder and Kraft sell more so doesn't that make it better?  And if you want to make a good grilled cheese you are better off with the cheap stuff (but that's a post for another day).

There is a somewhat better post here although note that this writer makes the same silly argument of the difference between a Big Mac and a Lobel's Steak.  Well, I will go on record as saying most people can't tell the difference between a Big Mac patty and a Lobel's patty of similar size, shape and preparation.  And, it holds true that most people can't tell the difference between a cheap bottle of French Pinot Noir and a more expensive French Pinot Noir. One should stick to comparing apples to apples.  Price has no bearing on the taste of the wine any more than price has any bearing on the taste of beer, whiskey, chocolate, peanut butter, onions, tomatoes, etc.  Also, price has less and less to do with quality in all those examples (but again, there is another post for another day in that statement).  As for the idea of wine as culture, while this is true there is no law that culture need be expensive - the foods of the peasants are inexpensive, until enjoyed by the snobs, and they are culture.

But, read the articles and make up your own mind.  As always, it is your palate, your stomach, eat and drink what you like and can afford.

Happy Beaujolais Nouveau Day

Image by Sergey Melkonov via FlickrIt is the third Thursday in November which can only mean one thing: Le Beaujolais Nouveau est Arrivé!



This tradition is either highly anticipated or roundly condemned with supporters praising it as a window into the years potential and critics deriding it as a marketing ploy to rid themselves of cheap wine.  Well, I don't know anyone cheaper than me so let the fun begin.

Image via Wikipedia

The Nouveaus offer plenty to be excited about, fruity, young, easy-drinking wine at affordable prices.  What more do you want in a wine?  Some critics have suggested that Beaujolais Nouveau is like eating cookie dough.  Well, to them I say: I like cookie dough, and deep fried Mars bars and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and hot dogs.  What of it?  Not everything enjoyable in life has to come with a hefty price tag and a gilded box.  I think the tradition is fun and the wines are decent so why not?

As for this year's wines, they have received a lot of attention and many high praises.  I have picked up 3 bottles from  varying price ranges and will report in a future post about the taste.  But let's look a little at the tradition.



The Beaujolais region has always had an end of harvest vin de l'année that was only for local consumption.  After 1937 the newly established AOC pegged the release date at December 15th, the wine was still mainly a locally consumed product.  All this changed after 1951 when some of the local wine distributors came up with the idea of a race to get their bottles to Paris on the 15th of November and the race was expanded and the eventual date of the third Thursday of November settle upon in 1985.  Wine enthusiasts the world over have looked forward to the annual event ever since.

Beaujolais Nouveau are made from Gamay grapes which must be picked by hand and come from the Beaujolais AOC excluding the Cru appellations.  The wine is usually ready within 6-8 weeks of the harvest.  These light, fruity wines would be a good match with most foods including roast chicken, pork and, for those of you in the USA, thanksgiving turkey. The wine would also be a decent match with strong cheese.

The Secret To My Longevity is Longevity

A woman in Newfoundland has defied the experts and lived to the ripe old age of 106 years while maintaining an "unhealthy" lifestyle.  Her love of sweets, salt beef, pizza and fries should have killed her off years ago according to the likes of Dr Oz.  Yet, here she is living la vida loca on the Rock.  The god stuff doesn't impress me but, I think she is spot on when suggesting that having fun will keep you around a little longer.  That is the mantra of this blog, anyway.  So, live it up folks and hope you have the right combination of genes to keep at it for awhile yet.  Just, maybe tone it down a little once in awhile.