:: The Zen Gourmand ::

I’m attending the “Flavours of Italy” trade tasting in Calgary today.
My tasting theme will be “The Underdogs of Italy” since the event promises to showcase a number of wines made from the lesser known native or indigenous (autoctone) varietals.
It promises to be fun and since Calgary got hit with cold weather and snow, what better place to be :)
The event is held at the Hotel Arts and as coincidence would have it, this is where I’m staying.
Look for some tasting notes in my next post.

The cheese, actually. But…

“Le Riopelle de l’Isle” is a triple cream cheese from Quebec. More specifically, from l’Isle-aux-Grues, which is part of an archipelago of islands in the middle of the St. Lawrence river east of Quebec somewhere between the l’Île d’Orléans and l’Île-aux-Coudre.
It is an artisinal cheese made by the dairy cooperative “La fromagerie de l’île-aux-Grues”.

The Riopelle de l’Isle is a “blooming rind” cheese with a thin downy white mould rind. The “melt-in-your-mouth” center is creamy and smooth, reminiscent of rustic triple cream cheeses, with a salty and slightly acidic taste. It delivers delicious flavour and seductive texture, tasting of fresh milk and cream, a hint of soft butter and faint notes of mushroom. This cheese is positively “Zen Gourmand Approved”.

This cheese does borrow its name from the famous Canadian abstract impressionist painter Jean-Paul Riopelle (1923 – 2002) who was also the island’s most famous resident.
Just months before his death, the artist agreed to lend his name to the cheese and to allow the use of one of his masterpieces on its label stipulating that one dollar from every wheel sold is donated to an education fund for the island’s youth.

January 23, 2010 marks the beginning of a new year of monthly wine tastings for the Zen Gourmand’s Wine Club. The season promises to be exciting with a lineup of themes to appeal to every palate, budget and interest.

The coming season also brings a few changes to this informal wine club.

• Regular monthly tastings, allowing you to plan and schedule well ahead of time.
• Membership. It saves you money, brings privileges and you help support a local charity.
• More variety. Not just wine tastings any more but also fortifieds and spirits once in a while as well as evenings of food pairings.
• Special seminars letting you gain indepth knowledge into the world of wine.

Schedule:

• Saturday, January 23: Cozy Winter Wine Tasting REGISTER HERE
• Saturday, February 20: TBD
• Saturday, March 20: TBD

Membership:

• $98/annum, a $200 value
• $5 of every membership goes towards the support of Durham Region’s St. Vincent’s Kitchen. Oshawa.
• Tastings and events at cost
• Includes a $25 Gift Certificate at Julie Moore Spa, Whitby.
• Includes a monthly Club News Letter
• Includes a monthly personalized food and wine paring consultation.
• Additional special privileges as they become available.

Non Members:

• $15 + Cost of tasting/event

Location:

• South Whitby. Specific venue depends on the event and the number of people attending. Announced two weeks prior to event

CLICK FOR CLUB MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION FORM

CLICK TO REGISTER FOR ANY OTHER EVENT

My entire production of Biscotti for the coming Chrismas season has sold out. You can still get your hands on some of them. All you have to do is follow this easy recipe and make them yourself ;-).
This recipe can be made into a traditional, hard biscotti or if served with a sparkling wine, as a soft biscotti.
Champagne is used as the main wet ingredient and with its fine aromas and effervescence produced a dough of subtle delicacy.

What you need:

4 cups (1L) all-purpouse flour
2 tsp (10ml) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2ml) salt
Grated zest of 1 orange
1 cup (250ml) of slivered almonds, lightly toasted (optional)
3 large eggs (4 if not using champagne)
1 1/3 cups (275ml) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil (1/2 if not using champagne)
1/2 cup (125ml)of champagne
2 tbsp (30ml) orange juice
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract (almond)
1 cup (250ml) dried cranberries

Method:

• Preheat oven to 325F (160C)
• Line large baking sheet with parchment paper
• In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, orange zest and almonds (if using).
• In a medium bowl beat eggs until fluffy and light in colour
  Beat in the sugar, oil, orange juice and vanilla.
  Stir in champagne.
• Add to flour mixture and stir until nearly absorbed
• Add cranberries and stir until all is well combined
• With moist hands, divide dough in half and form into two loafes about 15 in (38cm) long, about 4 in (10 cm) wide and about 3/4 in (2cm) high, keeping the loafs 2 in (5cm) apart.
  Keep moistening your hands as needed. Smooth the
  loafs into desired shape.
• Bake the loafs for about 35 minutes or until cracks start to appear and the top of the loafes take on a golden colour.
• Remove the loafes and slide the onto a cutting board.
• Cut the loafes diagonally into 1/2 in (1.25cm) thick slices, keeping the knife clean with a damp cloth as it becomes sticky.

For soft biscotti:

• Place the slices on their sides on a cookie sheet and toast lightly on both sides under the broiler.
• Cool on the baking sheet placed on a rack.

For hard biscotti:

• Stand the slices upright on a baking sheet 1/4 – 1/2 in (1cm) appart.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300F (150C) and bake for an sdditional 30 to 35 minutes or until the biscotti are dry.
• Cool on the baking sheet placed on a rack.

So you think you know about food?
Today marks the day FoodologyGames.com officially launches it’s new site and challenges you with it’s FREE on-line food trivia games.
Conceived by Toronto’s Evelyn Chau, author of “Have Some Dim Sum” and skillfully programmed and implemented by Bruno Cantieni, web application guru, Wine Expert and aka “The Zen Gourmand”, the “games” consist of a series of simple multiple choice quizzes testing your knowledge of all things food ranging from history to international food, health, terms, equipment and just plain fun-stuff questions.
Join Celebrity Chef “Pepe” in the game and see if you can make it to “Celebrity Chef” yourself!

Go get cookin’ at FoodologyGames.com

The Auxiliary to RVAP Health Centre is having a wine tasting fundraiser Sunday, October 25, 2009 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Ajax Seniors Friendship Club. 46 Exeter Road, Ajax, Ontario.

Join me as I lead this fun afternoon of tasting a selection of 6 delicious wines including a Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Cabarnet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz.

There will be refreshments of Coffee, Tea, Cheese, Crackers, Breads and Fruits.

The event also includes draws for Gift Baskets and Door Prize.

General Admission is $20.00

Proceeds go to support new Woman’s Imaging Center, part of the redevelopment of the RVHC Ajax site.

Tickets must be purchased in advance.

CLICK HERE for complete information and Ticket Contacts.

I’m launching a new feature called “Zen Gourmand Approved”.

This is where I review food related products, condiments, beverages, kitchen utensils and gadgets, cook books, services etc. etc.

If my review of the item or service in question results in getting me exited and exclaim a unequivocal “WOW!!!”, the item or service will receive the “Zen Gourmand Approved” stamp of approval.

What does that mean to you?
Depends.
If you know me, you also know that I’m ruthless when it comes to things of taste, quality, usability, style and function. Getting labeled “Not another piece of crap from [company|country|supplier|store|]…!!!” is a lot more likely than receiving a “Zen Gourmand Approved”.

So there.
Keep watching.
And if you’ve got something that you think might get “Zen Gourmand Approved”, send it over and I’ll check it out.

Anyone who knows me also knows I love cheese. Soft ones, hard ones, mouldy ones, stinky ones, blue veined ones… I love them all.
We don’t have any really great cheese shops where I live so it usually means a treck to Downtown Toronto where we have several excellent shops.
The one I frequent most, simply as a matter of convenience, not as an endorsement, is located in the St. Lawrence Market.
Extensive selection, reasonable prices and good service.
Now, I’m not a guru on cheese and will admit I often have to look up a cheese I’m not familiar with. This means I have to reach for the "World Encyclopedia of Cheese", prominently featured on of my bookshelfs.
This is a fantastic book and has a ton of information on pretty much any cheese ever made anywhere in the world. It’s beatifully illustrated and even has some decent recipes along with some essential chapters on general cheese making, cheese types and how they are made, wine and cheese pairing considerations and how to assemble the perfect cheeseboard.
This is definitely a "Zen Gourmand Approved" book any cheeselover should have on the bookshelf.

	The World Encyclopedia of Cheese An indispensible, fully ilustrated reference to cheeses of the world, combined with a fabulous collection of over 100 recipes.

Going through one of my bookshelf the other day I came across a book I meant to mention here for some time.

The book is calle “Have Some Dim Sum” and was written by a good friend of mine, Evelyn Chau.

If you enjoy Dim Sum and always wanted to know more about it or even how to prepare some of these dishes yourself, this book is for you.

Or perhaps you are always a bit intimidated at a Dim Sum restaurant wondering what it is you are looking at?

After alll, there could be as many as 60 or 70 different items to choose from!

In Have Some Dim Sum, Evelyn Chau takes the mystery out of dim sum dining.

Not only does Chau explore the evolution of Dim Sum but also has some 20 clearly written recipes and the book is generously illustrated with gorgeous photographs by well known Toronto food photographer Vince Noguchi.

After reading the book you’ll know that when you are ordering Ha Guen you are getting those delicious shrimp balls you love so much  and that Chinese Tapioca Pudding is made with tapioca pearls and lotus paste.

Yum!

Check it out: Have Some Dim Sum

This was one tasting I did not want to miss. It’s a fabulous opportunity to taste a vast array (some 42 producers) of Burgundy all under one roof. The event was held on St. Patrick’s Day at the St. Andrew’s Club.

With limited time at my disposal, I still ended up tastin a good 25 wines, mostly reds but about 8 whites as well. I’ll be posting tasting notes as time permits on BrunoCantieni.com as that is my wine specific blog.