:: The Zen Gourmand ::

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

During the recent Toronto Wine and Cheese Show I had the pleasure of meeting Anna Olson, famous pastry chef, author and host of the Food Network’s “Fresh with Anna Olson” along with old acquaintance Michael Fagan from the LCBO aka the “The Matchmaker” in “Food & Drink” magazine’s column of the same name. The specific occasion was the “Wine and Chocolate” seminar held Friday night of the Toronto Wine and Cheese Show.The seminar Anna and Michael presented explored the fundamentals of pairing wines with chocolate which is always a bit of a challenge as chocolate can have and comes in many forms. Pairing a wine with a simple bar of unsweetened dark chocolate is not going to require the same criteria as pairing a wine with a rich, creamy and sweet chocolate brownie.

The lineup of wines consisted of a NCT (Niagara College Teaching Winery) 2005 Late Harvest Cabernet Franc, a McGuigan Black Label Shiraz and a W&J Graham 2003 LBV Port while the chocolate delicacies consisted of one of Anna’s famous brownies, a chocolate chip cookie and a white chocolate crusted artisanal brie. While Anna demonstrated some of her chocolate based recipes we also learned a lot about various characteristics of chocolate as well as some neat chocolate recipe tricks from her. Michael guided the group through the various possible combinations of the wines and chocolate treats presented and the attending crowd ended up leaving with an elevated understanding of what works and what doesn’t.Here is a quick Zen Gourmand summary of Wine and Chocolate pairing considerations:

• - The wine should be as sweet as or sweeter than the chocolate (fundamentally applies to pairing any dessert with a wine)
• - Heavier wines with heavier chocolate based desserts
• - Dark or Bittersweet Chocolate requires a wine that echoes roasted and bitter (tannic) flavors and possibly offer a hint of chocolate on the nose and palate (Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel make good candidates)
• - For Milk Chocolate look towards a lighter bodied wine such as Pinot Noirs, light bodied Merlots, Rieslings and Muscats.
• - For White Chocolate, steer towards Sherries, Moscato d’Asti, even an Orange Muscat in order to pick up the mellow and buttery flavors and possible fruit tones.
• - Rich and creamy Chocolate Desserts and Treats call for sweeter wines such as a Port, Late Harvest Vidal or Cabernet Franc, Ice Wine, perhaps even a Tokay Azu.

Don’t forget to check out some of Anna’s books. You will find some truly amazing and easy to do recipes.

Anna and Michael Olson Cook at HomeJoin premier chefs Anna and Michael Olson as they entertain at home Anna and Michael Olson Cook at Home invites readers into the home kitchen of Ontario’s premier chefs …

SugarOn her Food Network show Sugar, pastry chef Anna Olson shows viewers how to create simple, original desserts that they can create at home…

Another Cup Of SugarSatisfy that sweet tooth — some more! You can never have too much of a good thing. Anna Olson brings you more of her favorite dessert recipes in Another Cup of Sugar…