I wanted wine recommendations for our Passover menus this month so I called up Anne Martin, our new wine writer, to ask her the dreaded question – know any good Kosher wines? Turns out, that’s not the loaded question it once was. Not only did she come up with three decent picks but it turns out Canada has three certified Kosher wineries Rodrigues in Newfoundland, Rush Creek in Ontario, Munro Meadery also in Ontario (who really make mead which is wine made from honey and is classified as a fruit wine. (more…)
Friday night was the first Brewers Plate event in Toronto celebrating local eating and local craft breweries. Arriving a bit late, we found ourselves celebrating more brewing then eating so in fairness I feel compelled to stick to the beer aspect of the event rather than the food. But not to worry - there is plenty to share on the beer front. Thank goodness I ran into Troy Burtch from Great Canadian Pubs and Beer who pointed me right away in the direction of the gems to be had on tap. (more…)
Melitta recently hosted a coffee pairing seminar with Canadian foodie personality Trish Magwood preparing dishes with coffee and paring foods with coffee. Trish whipped up Spiced Nuts infused with coffee that were delicious, a rub for a steak that included coffee and and lots of yummy desserts including Chocolate Pots that were quick and easy to make. Everything was paired with coffee - a bit of a problem after three cups when you are shaking and jittery, I do not recommend this as an evening event! (more…)
Quelque Chose is the name of the Unibroue’s unique ale brewed with macerated cherries over several months. I had the opportunity to try it at the outdoor winter bar in Old Montreal during the Montreal Highlights Festival. The bottle suggests serving on ice as an aperitif or heated; yes, that’s right - I said hot beer. The instructions on the bottle say to “heat the opened beer in a double boiler a 70 degrees Celsius” until a light foam forms and the aroma intensifies. It was served in a small cylindrical vessel just big enough to wrap
Friday night was the Women and Wine party at the Fifth in Toronto. Our wine writer Anne Martin participated on the panel of foodie and wine-os competing in a culinary and wine know-it-all contest. Local food celebrities Lucy Waverman, Trish Magwood and Donna Doher among others also participated. Here are shots from a successful night of fundraising for lupus.
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Colleen and I had so much fun reading your replies I thought I should post the highlights.
OVERALL BEST HANGOVER BETS:
WATER comes out on top. It seems all agree before during and after, water is the best way to keep the headache at bay, although many have warned of the impending full bladder that will wake you from the all important second best solution…
Ice Cider is a hot trend for 2008 and just as apples are available across Canada so are the Ice Ciders with many delicious varieties to choose from. As we discovered in an informal test kitchen tasting, picking up just any bottle does not mean you are guaranteed a great quaff. What worked best were the wines that were well balanced with a nice hit of acidity.
Canadian Living featured Ice Cider’s in the November 2007 issue and once again, (more…)
Sitting at the Interlaken Hotel bar in the Berkshire’s foothills, the couple next to me buys a drink. A middle-aged couple (their words not mine) having a weekend away from kids - the first in a long time. He announces his age is forty-two and he thinks he is too old to be out. He asks the bartender, for a recommendation for other local bars where they can head out to and find some fun. The bartender tells him of a place close by, but he’s feeling like he will look like all of the kids’ dad and so lingers as an excuse to not venture forth. (more…)
If you want to drink Champagne all night long but don’t have the budget for it, look for a cremant instead. It sparkling wine from France – made exactly the same way as Champagne but made from the grapes of the region where it is produced. The one pictured here is Chateau De Montgueret, Cremant de Loire that we tasted in the test kitchen for an upcoming story. It’s great and only $19.95. I have been drinking it throughout the holidays with just about everything. (more…)
A visit to Creemore Springs Brewery on Thursday incorporated a tour of the brewery, and a lovely beer inspired lunch in the boardroom catered by Eigensinn’s Farms and featuring farm raised suckling pig.
Brew master, Gordon Fuller, is proud of the beer they are producing and it is evident that Molson’s influence has been an enhancement to the operation and not a detractor to the product it was feared to be by Creemore fans. The beer remains unpasturized with no additives or preservatives; just barley, malt, yeast and water, as it was intended to be. (more…)
