Yum! European flavours

Not every working day is like this, believe me, and that makes me all the more appreciative when an event of this calibre comes along.

The event in question was a well-attended luncheon held at the beautiful and historic St. Lawrence Hall in downtown Toronto. The invitation read, "Prepare your taste buds for a lavish celebration of European flavour and decadence at an exclusive tasting of specialty food and wine products."

In a nutshell, that's exactly what was in store for us.

Twenty food-and-wine suppliers from four gastronomic giants -- France, Spain, Italy and Portugal -- joined together to feature their products during a tapas-style feast with wines.

Pusateri's, a gourmet grocery store and catering operation in Toronto, was a significant sponsor and its general manager, John Mastroianni, was the event host. Joining him on stage throughout the luncheon were the suppliers themselves, taking the opportunity to speak passionately about their products and to provide interesting background information.

The menu was created and the dishes flawlessly executed by Pusateri's executive chef, Shanon Shorter, and her culinary team. Our lunch began with a glorious soup, Italian Porcini Mushroom and French Black Truffle 'Cappuccino'. Served in a china coffee cup and saucer, it was wonderfully woodsy and robust, and came garnished with truffle-infused foam.

Two Spanish wines from Grupo Yllera winery were served, with the Yllera Crianza 2001 made from 100 per cent Tempranillo grapes being my favourite.

Bagna Cauda, from the Piedmont region of Italy, is a traditional dish made with olive oil, garlic and anchovies, and is served warm with vegetables for dipping. Chef Shorter offered two versions, each featuring a different extra-virgin olive oil -- one from Portugal and the other from Spain -- for comparison and to highlight the characteristics of each.

Next came Chili-Roasted Jumbo Shrimp with Spanish Green Olive and Almond Salsa with Spiced Melon Jam paired nicely with two Portuguese white wines from Herdade Do Esporao.

An Italian twist on the classic French Cassoulet had duck legs poached in olive oil instead of the traditional duck fat, while Spanish Serrano ham blended with fresh bread crumbs created a wonderfully crunchy topping very -- clever and very tasty.

Our final course incorporated a trio of cheeses: a French Emmenthal Grand Cru Ermitage melted on a fingerling potato and topped with the tiniest of gherkins; a unique and unctuous French Brie crème brûleé, and a miniature blackberry cheesecake consisting of a savoury black peppercorn shortbread cookie base for a fresh soft Portuguese cheese filling.

After lunch we were able to peruse the products set up at tables around the room. The highlights for me included tasting the absolutely heavenly melt-in-your-mouth Mortadella and Salame Cotto (cooked salami) from Baldo and distributed by Serrano Imports. The Portuguese cheeses were beautiful, as were the many extra-virgin olive oils.

Happily satiated, we walked out into the cool air of the late afternoon, grateful for the delicious lunch, fantastic wines, and for all of the information and inspiration provided.

As these products become more available across Canada, we will strive to incorporate as many as possible into our recipes as we develop them here in the Test Kitchen.