Attention all carnivores, this weekend's grand opening of Seed to Sausage in Sharbot Lake is once celebration you don't want to miss.  Not only does the Saturday opening of their new retail store mark a success point for Mike McKenzie, who began making salumi as a hobby and soon could not keep up with the demand of wholesale requests, they're throwing quite a party!

Lamb, pork & oysters, OH MY.

Oyster shucking compliments of the experts at The Whalesbone Oyster House, while Kyle Christofferson, chef de cuisine at Brook Street will be in command of the "Good to Go" food truck and Derek MacGregor chef at Chien Noir will be roasting a pig or two, and becasue this is a gig built on meat, Stev George chef of Olivea will have lamb on the spit as well.  McAuslan Brewery are bringing the St. Ambroise Beer, Sandbanks Estate Winery are handleing the wine and Brett Arden of Strata Pizza is bringing, the wood fired pizza. (Cost $5 – $10 per plate ($2/oyster)

This sounds like the best potluck ever organised, all in celebration of some very fine product produced with what can only be described as "passion".

The food industry is populated by those of questionable sanity but unmistakable passion.  When we gather there is excited chatter over the most banal of topics like... pork or heirloom tomatoes.  Let's be honest you have to be about five flavours of crazy to turn to your loved ones one day and declare that your passion is baking cookies or, in Mike's case, curing meat.  Sane people don't do that, they work in nice, secure jobs with steady paycheques and a pension fund.  Perhaps that's why we in the industry band together so effectively and champion each other, we recognize a kindred spirit when we meet one.

I had the chance to chat with Mike briefly the other day as I watched him set up a display board after board of stunning salumi at the media launch for the Great Canadain Cheeese Festival (June 1 - 3 in Picton, ON) and as promised I am sharing some of may favorite images of that event featuring Seed to Sausage product.  A bit of deli porn to get you in the mood for the Saturday's big event.

This is honest food.  Its clean sourced, cured in an old world style without the use of chemicals and artificial preservative wherever possible.  The flavour of smoke comes from real wood.  They feature cured, lovingly handled noble cuts for their chorizo, sopressata, saucisson, lomo, bresaola, pancetta, and guanciale.  Hand crafted, house butchered, tied and cased with natural materials, this is art, made out of meat.

Now available to the the public en mass, who appear hungry for their wears; Seed to Sausage invites you to see, smell and taste fine charcuterie this weekend or... well anytime during regular operating hours after their grand opening.  If you're further afield, here's a link to the current locations that carry Seed to Sausage on their shelves, you will not be disappointed.  I'm amazed by the quality, taste & texture.  It's rare to find this kind of curing technique in North America, so take advantage if  you live close and for industry pros on my feed elsewhere in Canada, call Mike for his wholesale list, he likes to keep busy.

While y'all are feasting on lamb, pork, oysters and Seed to Sausage snacks, I will be packing to move.  Again.  *sigh*  Have a beer for me.  Good Luck Seed to Sausage, Mike & family.  There is no substitute for food made with passion, served with a hint of crazy, that's just the way I like it.

Seed to Sausage
Phone: 613-279-2455
www.seedtosausage.ca

Location:  12821 Highway 38, Sharbot Lake, ON
Directions: 10 km south of Highway 7, 60 km north of Kingston, 130 km west of Ottawa and 100 km east of Belleville.
Date/Time: Saturday, May 19, 2012, 11A - 4P

There's cheese, and then there's great cheese, and then there's great Canadian cheese, band a bunch of artisanal Canuck cheese makers together and you have The Great Canadian Cheese Festival (#TGCCF)  June 1 - 3, 2012 in Picton, Ontario.  The single largest exhibition of Canadian artisan, farmstead and specialty cheese from coast to coast.

Georgs Kolesnikovs, Head Cheese (above), and self confessed cheese fanatic (www.cheeselover.ca) plays host to over 50 vendors that encompass the wonderful world of curd, plus things that taste good with cheese, like wine, craft beer and locally produced condiments (to name a few).

Figaro & Citrus Ginger Marmalade from Seed to Sausage, loved this combination.

It's the second such festival held in Piton's historic Crystal Palace in Picton, Ontario. Kolesnikovs, founded the festival in celebration of our fine Canadian cheese makers, now rivaling some of the best in the world.  From the fair, soft young cheeses, barely in bloom to the big, briny rounds of stinky, smelly blue, Canadian cheese is ripe and ready.

On the 'must do' list for cheese lovers: Tutored Cheese Tastings and the popular Cooks & Curds Cheese Gala.

Get yourself some cheese schooling at the cheese tasting seminars check out The Best of the West with Janice Beaton, Artisan Cheese Tasting 101 with Julia Rogers, Cheddars Coast to Coast by Andy Shay, Pairing Cheese with Wine presented by David Lawrason, Breakfast of Champions with Georgs Kolesnikovs and Taste of Québec, presented by Vanessa Simmons, Ottawa’s own cheese "sommelier" of Savvy Company fame.

The tutored tastings last about 90 minutes and are ticketed events ($50 class), running in tandem with the festival.  Here's a handy link for more info and tickets.

Enchanteuse from La Fromagerie des Folies Bergères

Saturday, June 2nd, The Cooks & Curds Gala features eight noted Canadian chefs, preparing tasting dishes with cheese and paired with Canadian wine, craft beer and cider, and what a line up of chef's they have!   From Toronto Jamie Kennedy, Whistler's Jimmy Stewart, Domenic Serio of Prince Edward Island, Katie Hayes from Newfoundland, Talia Syrie  of Winnipeg, Marc Cohen & Francois Gagnon from Montreal and representing Ottawa, Michael Blackie.

The strolling dinner on Saturday evening concludes with an after-dinner cheese board presented by Dairy Farmers of Canada, sweets, sparkling wine, ice wine, port, coffee and tea.  Tickets are $100 in advance or $125 at the door --- that is if there's any left, the first seating is already sold out.

Chef Blackie gave us a  taste of his cheesy plate for the gala: Highland Blue cubic melt, chorizo crispy bits, kumquat compote, mustard lettuce and acidulated shimeji mushrooms, made with Back Forty Artisan Cheese (which you can find locally at the Carp market all summer long).  It was a busy plate, with each bite hitting a new note; pungent, earthy, savory, citrus, tangy and so aesthetically enticing.  Even if you don;t like blue, you'll love it once Michael Blackie's done with it.

Chef Blackie's Highland Blue Cubic Melt

So much cheesiness to tell you about... The Fesitaval's Food Court featuring Cheesewerks, Primitive Cuisine & Buddha Dog and on-the-spot milkshakes served up by the local 4H Club.   Big believer in food education that I am, the festival is a great place for kids to learn all about the world of dairy; in the Festival Dairy Barn.  Meet goats, sheep, cows and one big beautiful water buffalo (named Yvette) face-to-face and bring the camera because that right there is a show & tell moment.

• Advance ticket prices $35 for adults, $15 for youth and $5 for children, avalible on line right now.  

The more I learn about the festival the more I want to go.  Still new to the area and discovering all that it has to give, this Gypsy was privileged to a enjoy a sneak preview of what's in store for you at Prince Edward County's Great Canadian Cheese Festival at the festival launch in Ottawa at the Mill Street Brew Pub.

There's something to be said for cheese made by hand and all the cheeses you see here were crafted by Canadian artisans, varieties made with sheep, goat, or cow's milk, it was a little slice of cheese heaven.

My favorite of the selection on hand was the creamy, gooey, runny "Enchanteuse"  pictured above.  A 100% goat's milk, soft, surface ripened cheese, it's the handy work of Maggie Paradis and Christian Girard at La Fromagerie des Folies Bergères in Sainte-Sixte, Québec.  So fragrant and fresh, it improved with each sample, I'm still amazed I could stop eating it.  I would have gladly licked it off the lining of my handbag if I'd been stealthy enough to snatch it.

On the way out, Grace & Paul Mussel of Clarmell on the Rideau Farms gave us all a little bag of goodies that included a wonderfully bright goat feta and one of THE best samples of quark, I have had, anywhere... ever.  I plan to make a cheesecake of it, I am going to need way more cheese for that (stay tuned).

The Celtic Blue (below), from Glengarry Fine Cheese is one of the most surprisingly light blues I've ever enjoyed, Vanessa Simmons calls it her "starter blue" for those who say they don't care for blue cheese.  Smooth and rich with such a rustic feel and a layer of thick cream around the blue veins, it was so striking I shot it twice.

Celtic Blue, Glengarry Fine Cheese

The thing about many of the cheeses that you'll find at the festival, is that they are made in such limited production they're not often carried in traditional retail.  Specialty cheese, gourmet & locavore shops and farmers markets often feature some of the best, and you will my find them on the menu at restaurants, but by and large consumers must go direct to the producer.  Which is why the Great Canadian Cheese Festival was born, this way you can sample from among the best Canada has to offer, then when you fall in love (and you will) these boutique producers can hook you up, and (hopefully) direct you to a retailer close to home for your cheese fix.

Just checked the fesitaval's ticket availability prior to publishing, and Friday's ticketed events; Cook with Artisan Cheese and Take a Cheese Tour are also sold out, so don't dilly dally if something here strikes your fancy, get your tickets, pack up the kids and go!

It's great, it's Canadian and... it's all about the cheese.

Georgs Kolesnikovs, Cheese Lover productions Inc.
Phone: 905-837-0102
www.cheesefestival.ca

*Gypsy Note: charcuterie products seen here are supplied by Micheal Mackenzie of Seed to Sausage,  who's opening a new retail shop in Sharbot Lake, Ontario, this Saturday, May 19th.  More shots to drool over and a few particulars later this week on Food Gypsy.

Celtic Blue from Glengarry & cured meats from Seed to Sausage

In an urban environment it's easy to detach from the where our food comes from.  Many of us have never had to milk a cow, catch a squealing piglet or yank a clucky hen from her nest to gather eggs.  Which is why farms like Mariposa Farm, who welcome the public Friday, Saturday and Sunday are so necessarily,  and so very much fun.

Being new to the neighborhood, each new encounter comes with a sense of discovery and newness - even in the most familiar of places.  Mariposa Farm, just 45 minutes outside Ottawa, and hour and 15 minutes from Montreal, is as familiar as the family farm.

Farming is an honest living, and an essential part of  our food chain, but it's not an easy life.  I spent much of my youth mucking out barns, chasing cows and picking rocks. Perhaps it is this intimate knowledge of our food supply and how much effort goes into the simplest of ingredients, that fostered my deep respect for all things edible.   Facts I was witness to from a very young age; milk does not come from a carton, eggs do not just appear in the supermarket and that slab of bacon was once a cute, pink pig.

The little person in our life is fortunate to have a community of raving food fanatics in the family, but outside educational programming and our efforts to reinforce, she has no concept of how our food goes from farm to table.   There really is no substitute for tactile learning.  The sights, sounds, textures, tastes and ummm... smells... of a farm make learning interesting, fun and real.

Chef B and Miss C. and a friendly horse who thinks we should have snacks!

Mariposa is a working farm.  Proprietors Ian Walker & Suzanne Lavoie supply quality duck, goose, pork and chicken, as well as greens from their hothouse to many local restaurants and as supply allows the visiting public.  They also feed you lunch, once a week in their farm restaurant Sundays from 11AM - 1PM.   Last weekend we loaded up our favorite three year old and headed out to Mariposa for a little family food education.

Ian watering in the greenhouse, two levels of produce.

Spring has arrived dispite inclement weather, that never stops Mother Nature.  Nowhere is spring more in evidence than in the country; the green haze over the bare fields, the sprouting of early crops in the garden and the tiny critters that bring new life, activity and joy to the cycle of life on the farm.

Mariposa Farm is positively crawling with new babies, tiny scrambling pigs in a far off pen with the sows band together and stampede in a small herd.  It's hard to count them, because they move so fast but Suzanne estimates they have between 35 and 40 piglets at the moment.  In the barn you'll see chicks, goslings and ducklings as well as the new pig named "Leo" soon to be introduced the  herd.

Leo, will takeover his role as stud pig as soon as he's big enough to face his adoring sows, but for the moment he's loose in the barn making friends with the roaming geese, ducks and occasional escaped chicken.

You will likely find Suzanne & Ian busy with chores and farm maintenance.  If you overstay your welcome you may find yourself at the end of a rake, paintbrush or hose.   The greenhouse is busting with produce and there is always something to be done, fixed, repaired, watered, fed, corralled or fattened up.

We arrived in time to gather the eggs, a big thrill for the kiddo in her pink rubber boots.  She watched entranced as Ian picked through the straw to find the eggs, one-by-one, in varying shades of brown and beige placing them gently into the waiting bucket.  Both Ian & Suzanne are warm and kind, good with children and generous with their knowledge and experience.  Just honest, hardworking folks, who make it easy to feel at home.

We wandered though gardens, snooped in the greenhouse, poked through the straw in search of eggs and when we were all filled up on fresh air and sunshine, we strolled over the the store/restaurant to peruse items on shelves, in fridges and freezers.  After all, this is a producing farm.

From hand raised, confited duck legs, foie gras, magret, home smoked bacon, fresh eggs, preserves and a small line of boutique product from other quality local producers, you're sure to find something that appeals.

In the restaurant we found Chef Mark Currier prepareing for the Sunday feast, rinsing greens, prepping meats, seasoning sauces.  Back for another season in the kitchen at Mariposa Farm, Chef  Currier's Sunday lunch menu changes weekly.

Sunday's Table d'hôte offers a choice of three entrees, three mains, two desserts and a cheese plate for $38/person and $20 for children under 12 (plus tax)  There's always a selection of Mariposa grown goose, duck & foie gras on offer, truly farm to fork cooking, with a view of the farm from every table.  I look forward to coming back for lunch, the reputation of the kitchen is stellar and Chef B swears by Mariposa duck.

It's worth noting that Mariposa Farm accepts cash and credit cards only, and if you always wanted your very own pet duck to take on long walks and swim in the bathtub (or fatten to have your own foie gras) ducklings are available for a short time.

Pick a weekend and get out of the city, take the kids, keep your distance from the protective mamma pigs and say hello to your friendly, neighborhood farmer.

After our visit, I asked our little farmer if she would like eggs for breakfast "YA!" was her surprise response (she's the fussiest eater in the world). "How would you like them, scrambled?" "No, in a bucket!" OK, so we're part way there.

Mariposa Farm
Ian Walker & Suzanne Lavoie
6468 ch. comté / County Road 17
Plantagenet (Ontario) K0B 1L0 - CANADA
Telephone - (613) 673-5881
www.mariposa-duck.on.ca

Learning the lost art of goose herding and keeping a respectful distance from animals, no matter how fascinating.

Wino Wednesday, a monthly feature on Food Gypsy where we choose a bottle from the recycling bin and tell you how much we enjoyed drinking it.  April's pick: 2002 Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Rose, Champagne a bit of bubbling happiness.  

April seemed a jovial month, things were looking up when, WHAM, the last week knocked us right back to square one.  The why and how doesn't matter much; when crisis strikes it's how you deal with it that counts, and how we dealt with it was to crack a bottle of bubbly and celebrate.

The 2002 Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Rose, Champagne ($72) has been chilling for several months.  A gift from a good friend, it was to be a cork popped for some unknown amazingly-fantastic occasion in the future.  But life has taught me that the end of one thing is simply the beginning of another, so why not say goodbye to the old and welcome the new with a touch of style.

Tinted pink by the pigment of the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier two of the blend of grapes that ferment to give us this swanky bottle of sparkling rosé.  It's full pink/salmon colour and fruity falvour lends hints of ripe berry after it's first breath.  The smoothness of the mousse really got me, creamy with a hint of spice.

2002 Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Rose is a crisp, clean champagne with a long finish.  I might like to cellar the next bottle that comes my way for a decade or so and see how it compares.  Excellent in a crisis.  Bubbles go with anything: salty snacks, barbecued meats, even tears, which quickly turned to laughter.  It's hard to be blue drinking something so perfectly pink.  How bad can it be if there's champagene?!

Gypsy Scorecard: 90/100 ---  a fine bottle on a not so fine day.

A strong honey with a slightly bitter aftertaste and hints of leather and spice, Chestnut Honey is a new addition in the Gypsy Pantry.

With it's herbal aroma and a pungent bite, it resists crystallization due to it's high fructose levels, yet is not an overly sweet honey.  Chestnut Honey offers a unique taste experience, with a lingering persistent flavour, if you appreciate deep, heavy honey this is a honey to watch for.  It's high in mineral salts and pollen content, and thanks to the levels of tannin in the blossoms of the Sweet Chestnut tree, offers a distinct smokey nose.

I would classify this as a savory honey, and as I understand it, each jar has it's own characteristics.

The sweet chestnut tree (Castanea sativa) is common in Europe, and was once the prime source of nutrition in much for the rocky Mediterranean where grain is hard to grow.  Bees feeding on it's nectar produce a distinct honey, with a dark, rich colour ranging from golden brown to nearly black and many rich shades of amber in between.

This jar hails from the hills of Italy, so I've been pairing it with ingredients one might find in that region; a sharp Parmigiano-Reggiano, a lean smoked prosciutto, adding a deep spicy,  flavour and aroma.  It would pair equally well with a creamy blue cheese and a nice, nutty old world bread loaded with sweet butter.  Try it with pears, over a chestnut flour crepe filled with ricotta, or in your favorite black tea.  I'm looking forward to baking with it, or even better, making a chestnut honeyed ice cream.    At the moment my favorite use is with a good Greek or Turkish style yogurt and some toasted flax seed, for a simple breakfast with a complex layering of flavours.

This is a honey also prized for it's health benefits, because it's high in trace minerals, iron and vitamins B and C. Chestnut Honey is said to relieve fatigue, strengthen muscles, aid blood circulation and strengthen the immune system. It's high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.   That's a lot of goodness in one little jar.

Where to find it:  I often find health food stores to be an excellent source of honey varieties, this being imported and on the more expensive side ($15 for a 250 g/8.8 oz jar) I might recommend your favorite gourmet store.  I found this gem in the deli section of my local Loblaw's Supermarket - you just never know where you might find a new taste adventure.

Chestnut honey has recently become a favorite hostess gift, something a little different to offer the food enthusiast.  Here's to curiosity.  Try something new, and wonderful.

Wino Wednesday, a monthly feature on Food Gypsy where we select our favourite bottle from a month of liberal boozing.  March roared in and kicked up a  winter fuss then brought the temperature way up for some premature patio weather, and finished with a bit of rain, like a proper spring, all of which said to me 'valpolicella'.  

Corte Majoli Amarone Della Valpolicella 2007 ($33.95) prized for it's ripe fruity falvour, rich cherry undertones and plum-toffee finish, it's a beautifully balenced wine and a solid value.  Can't believe I resisted it for a whole 10 days as it sat, 'aging' in my wine rack, it got dusty.

This is my favorite pick of the year thus far, the Corte Majoli Amarone Della Valpolicella is my kind of wine; a little candlelight,  a light pasta, a strong cheese,  a big, bold meaty something --- it can take it.  Among the more moderately priced bottles in the Amarone category, and at 15.5% alcohol it packs a punch.  By gum, I was tipsy after a couple of glasses.  Good thing I didn't crack this baby until after dinner was on the table.

This is not a wine with legs, this is a wine with thunder thighs!

We here at Food Gypsy are not paid to sample and slurp, we do not receive cases of wine via courier so that the waiting public might be blessed with our verdict.  Just like you, we go the the isles of our local wine & spirits purveyor and spend our hard earned cash (or gratefully accept donations to the rack from friends), and on occasion we pass a splendid find on to you.  The Corte Majoli Amarone Della Valpolicella 2007 is one of them.  Gypsy Scorecard: 92/100

Should said wine makers insist on sending a case of the above noted vintage... I accept your challenge.

Temperatures climb, from just above zero to mid-twenties in a week, so much for spring we'll just skip that pesky summer warm-up period and move straight into patio season.

One of my best girls ditched her study session to fall in with the wrong crowd (namely me) and indulge as we scoured local hangouts for some clever restaurateur that was ready to rock the bricks and make us girly drinks while we talked about boys.   The Naughty Girl Handbook states: When your girlfriend orders a fru-fru drink, you have to have one too.  Her Cosmopolitan, easy on the cranberry, was matched by my Pink Lady, straight up.  It just doesn't get any more chick-flicky than that.

The Pink Lady is a cocktail for the femme fatal in you, complete with kitten heels and pearls.  Perfect for patio sipping and girls night, very Jane Mansfield in a sweater-set.

It was a 20 minute wait before those drinks arrived, with perhaps twenty patrons in the establishment in question and two servers on the floor.  In that time our waiter left the premises in his vehicle and returned.  We were curious to see if some ingredient required for our order was in his hand, but no he carried nothing, adding to the unfolding mystery.  At the bar there was much shaking, before, during and after his little trip.

When our drinks (finally) arrived he informed us what a difficult task our order was "Pink Ladies are a very difficult cocktail to make!"  What was that?!  It's three ingredients: gin, grenadine & cream.  There's no layering or suspension of ingredients involved, it's just pour, shake, strain, garnish & serve.   My companion used to whip them up as a teenager (OK, maybe she's the bad influence).

The Pink Lady is classic cocktail dating back to the early 1900's made popular in the 30's, a by product of bathtub gin, and originally made with an egg white, not cream.  The cream version is attributed to the New Orleans' Southern Yacht Club where it was called the "Pink Shimmy".  The use of raw egg whites has since fallen out of fashion (salmonella and all that), still a dashing little number, served frothy, it clears as it settles.

Consumed by housewives of the 50's in great quantities, and contrary to what you may have been told, the Pink Lady is a sinch to make - blind drunk, one handed, while burning dinner - still looking elegant and composed.

Pink Lady Cocktail

1 1/2 ounces of gin
1/2 ounce grenadine
1 1/2 ounces of cream

Pour ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker, shake vigorously, strain into chilled cocktail glass, garnish with maraschino cherry and serve.

Take that genius.  Cheers.

Ashford Castle, located on Ireland's west coast has a history that stretches as far back as 1228. Once owned by the Guinness family, it's now one of Ireland's leading Five Star Hotels.  Years ago, in the lobby of a hotel in Rome, flipping through a glossy magazine, a saw a photos of Ashford Castle, its thick grey walls and long, green lawns, and ripped the page right out. The article was in Italian, but the photo was in a language I understand well: decadence.

Voted Best Resort Hotel in Europe by readers of Conde Nast Traveller in 2010, this magnificent Castle on that ripped page has been in a file I have cleverly marked 'Wicked Cool Places To Go'.  That file has been the source of many trips and discoveries over the years, but this ancient jewel, one of Ireland's great gourmet destinations, has eluded me.

The grandeur of the castle from above. Photo: Ashford Castle

This year, as I pondered a post to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, I took a chance and sent a request to this grand castle, and asked if their Head Chef might consider sharing a recipe with you my readers, along with his thoughts on Irish Cuisine in  the 21 Century. Imagine my delight when they said "yes".

At the helm of Ashford Castle's kitchens is Head Chef Stefan Matz: widely considered one of Ireland's top chefs, Chef Matz has received countless accolades for his culinary expertise, including Best Chef in Ireland and a Michelin Star.  Under him a dedicated group of culinary professionals executes an impressive choice of unique dining experiences, each with its own style and ambiance, from fine dining to informal pub-style food.

Fine dining at Ashford Castle and the exquisite cuisine of Chef Stefan Matz. Photo: Ashford Castel

This week, Chef Matz found time in his busy schedule to share his unique insights on a topic that is clearly his great passion, then proceeded to debunk every cliché myth about Irish food --- not bad for a foreigner.  Chef Matz moved from his native Germany in 1990, when his family purchased a small country hotel in Ballyconneely, Co.Galway, where they use to spend their summer vacations.

His soft, German accent is now effected with a hint of the Irish lilt, his manner is professional and completely self-effacing, and he modestly attributes his success to "good luck and timing", and gives credit for the Michelin Star on his curriculum vitae to the constant pursuit of perfection encouraged by his older brother.

"When I started off  [in the late 80's, early 90's] there was no, or very little, good food around Ireland.  So it was great to be here when everything was evolving and developing.  My brother, who was the front of house, was tough on me and he pushed me all the way. In your younger years it's good to have someone push you, until you accept, and agree, and take things on yourself" Chef Matz confided.  There is something to be said for those who push us in the kitchen. Often they see something in us that we don't see in ourselves. "Yes, but I also think my older brother was pushing me just because he enjoyed doing that!"   Hooray for siblings!

Flash forward 20 years to today's Irish Cuisine and we see a great deal of change.  In North America we have a preconceived notion of Irish food: take anything and put Guinness or whiskey in it and call it Irish. But what does traditional Irish food really entail?  I've long been suspicious of corned beef. Is it Irish, or is corned beef to Irish cuisine what deep dish pizza is to Italian cuisine?

"No, corned beef isn't something [the Irish] would have eaten.  The nearest you would come to would be a braised spiced beef at Christmas.  There's very little traditional Irish cooking really.  Originally the cooking would have been templates from England, and most people being very, very poor, they would have just cooked stew type dishes because that's all they had.  They had a pot over the fire and that was their tradition."  ~  Chef Stefan Matz

Light bulb moment; this put into context my sweet little Irish grandmother's cooking.  God help me, but that woman could not cook!  I vividly recall lumpy gravy, and watery stew.  I had never considered that this because her family, who immigrated to Canada during the potato famine, were used to stretching food as far as they could.  "Not just during the potato famine, but up until twenty or thirty years ago in Ireland, many people lived under very poor conditions; without electricity, without running water, without any heating except for a single stove" said Matz.

Amazing the difference a few years can make.  A better economy, the end of a long, drawn out war, better infrastructure and a boom in artisan agriculture, and you have all the ingredients for a bustling culinary scene.

"What is now happening is contemporary cooking [influenced] from around Europe and America, because many of the chefs who had left Ireland at some point, came back after a couple of years, and brought back that international experience with them.  Irish cooking is about the local ingredients more than anything else" says Chef Matz.

"We do have some dishes with Guinness; we feature a Guinness Cheesecake and we serve a little shot glass of fresh, draft Guinness on the side, but those dishes are featured because it might appear interesting to tourists."

In Ireland, the Guinness is for drinking, not for cooking.

Casual Fare at Ashford Castle's Cullen's on the Cottage, and a pint of Guinness. Photo: Ashford Caste

"I think we, in Ireland, are spoiled by good quality raw ingredients such as lamb and beef of superb quality, fish, seafood, shellfish, which are superb when available (if the weather's good enough); that is without a doubt second to none!  

For as small a country as Ireland really is we have some very good, very passionate suppliers.  Artisan producers who make something really special out of those great ingredients.  We have some really stunning cheeses, as equally good as French cheeses." ~ Chef Stefan Matz

This was the part of our conversation where my stomach started to growl and I began longing for Irish cheese and slow cooked lamb, deep water prawns and barley, Chef Matz' current favourite Irish ingredients.

"I really like at the moment the rump of lamb; the quality of lamb here is fantastic.  The rump of lamb, really slowly cooked, below 70*C (158*F), well trimmed has all the flavours; it has all the tenderness.  On the fish side, it would be porcupine prawns, caught on a bank, about 24 hours out by boat, off the west coast; it's a very good quality prawn.  On starches, barley has been a favourite of mine for a while and I still like cooking with it.  There's always some flavours of the month, flavours of the season."

Chef Matz shares with us one of his informal offerings from Cullen's at the Cottage, a small thatch roofed cottage on the Castle grounds with a lean towards hearty, Irish comfort food, with a contemporary flair.  His Char Grilled Scallops with Bacon, Sweet Potato Lemon Thyme Champ recipe is our choice for this season on Food Gypsy, as we celebrate St. Patrick's Day.  A stunning example of Ireland's renaissance cuisine, and not a drop of whiskey to be seen.

Char Grilled Scallops, Bacon & Sweet Potato Lemon Thyme Champ, Chef Matz' recipe in the Gypsy Kitchen.

Despite being among the top hotels in Europe, Ashford Castle offers packages that make it surprisingly affordable; three night B&B packages start at 130 Euros/night and include a full, Irish breakfast.  For those who seek a glimpse into the life of past landed gentry, there are few destinations that are this Castle's equal.

I fancy myself spending mornings on horseback exploring the Castle's 350 acre estate, popping into lunch at Cullen's on the Cottage and trying my hand (or rather, arm) at falconry.  We would, of course, dress for dinner in the George V Dining Room where the man in my life would describe (in great detail) his round of golf, over some of Ireland's finest ingredients... and a great deal of cheese.

Clearly I've been influenced by one too many a Victorian novelist.

 

Top photo credit: Andrew Downs

A very special thanks to Ashford's Chef Matz & Paula Carroll for this rare glimpse into Irish Cuisine.  It has been a pleasure.  

Ashford Castle
Cong, Co Mayo, Ireland
Tel:             +353 94 9546003
http://www.ashford.ie/index.html

 

Voted place I'd be most likely to be found after a day of shooting, the Prince of Whales Bar. I shall immediately start swimming for Ireland. Photo: 501places.com

Wino Wednesday, a monthly feature on Food Gypsy where we feature one of our favourite wine(s) from the past month.  And what a month February was.  Valentine's day and a visit from a good friend mid-month; I felt the need to dry out for for a week or so.  

God bless my hearty liver.

Apothic Red, 2008 Wine Makers Blend ($16.95) found its way to our table because I, like many other women, often shop by label.  Now, before you turn your nose up at my wine-by-art selections, I would like to tell you why I shop this way.

Wine begins in the vineyard, it matures in the cellar, then comes of age when it is bottled, capped and ready to be sold.  Afterwards it is the job of a graphic artist (who likely has never put his or her lips on this vintage) to encapsulate the hopes and dreams of a vintage into one, 2 x 3 inch space with enough information to convince you, the wine consumer, to spend your hard earned dollars.

Most graphic artists I know are hardworking artists; frequently under appreciated and often under paid. Chances are they have finished canvases in the basement and kids in college.  Every time I see something that appeals to me on a visual level, I buy it for the art and the artist.  I then harvest these tiny wine art and paste them lovingly in my wine journal. (A task that has become increasingly difficult since the industry switched to vinyl labels, thank you very much.)

I have found over many years of helter-skelter-throw-caution-to-the-winds purchases that, often, appealing labels match the content of the bottle.  However, there have also been a few instances when I have been less enthusiastic about my purchases.  "PHOOWIE!"  *cough* "That's HORRID... into the stew it goes."

So while the chef in my life strains for hours, reading reviews and quizzing sommeliers, I gleefully dance through the aisles, petting bottles, purring "Ooooooh, pretty" and plunking my favourites in the cart.  (OK, so I read books and stuff... sometimes.)  Our success rate is pretty much equal; this often stuns him.  I bought the Apolthic Red for the swirlies, I'm a big fan of swirlies.   It made me want to go goth and quote Anne Rice. Instead I wore yoga pants and served it with braised pork belly; which is like kind of like vampire poetry for bacon lovers.

Apothic Red is a swirly little blend of syrah, zinfandel and merlot.  A new world wine made in the old world style and for a 'table wine' it finishes beautifully.  A smooth, plush mouth and creamy, fruity flavour; a touch of plum a hint of cherry, a splash of vanilla and the bite of moca.  It's simple but intense.   

It even has a cork.  Gypsy Scorecard: 90/100

Dry, medium bodied, the Apolthic Red is a very easy to please red and perfect for parties because it pairs so easily, and it's under $20.  (Do I know how to pick 'em or what?!)

The recently expanded Red Apron, is among my favourite food outlets in Ottawa's downtown core.  Selling their own brand of sophisticated comfort food for pick-up or delivery, Jo-Ann Laverty (pictured above) and business partner Jennifer Heagle have created a business model that is at once simple and sophisticated.  Good food, reasonably priced and ready to serve.

As the business grew so did their need for space and the new space, directly across from their last location on Gladstone Avenue is a bright and welcoming, with hints of rustic character and a distinctly feminine touch.  There is now the option to enjoy lunch in-store; a selection of sandwiches, soups, baked goods and coffees.  Their larger retail space offers a broader selection of in-house prepared food,  frozen and ready to go, as well a variety of condiments, jams, jellies and preserves from local suppliers.

This is the third move for the Red Apron, who started out as a small business in a small space.  "Start small, that's my advice whenever anyone asks" said co-owner and chef Jo-Ann Laverty in conversation with Food Gypsy about the store, and the Red Apron success story.

I often find, in business, that women and men have very different approach; women are often content to keep things small.  Dispite demand and all the telltale signs of a business with growth potential, by and large businesses run by women often remain small and manageable, rather than take a risk at expansion.

"That was a big discussion when we began to outgrow our first location, we had a ten staff in a tiny kitchen and the debate was 'do we cap it or do we move?'" confides Laverty.   There is wisdom in both camps, and no wrong or right way to do it, but fans of the Red Apron can thank their lucky stars that there are two savvy business women at the helm, their success means they can feed more of us.

Holding true to their mandate, delivering good, wholesome food that is "either local or organic" the new Red Apron Basics line now offers customers dried goods too.

The Red Apron Basics Popcorn is both local AND organic.

I became a fan of the Red Apron when I first moved to Ottawa in the fall of 2010.  Only a few minutes away, there were many a night when the Red Apron was my personal chef, while I was a busy culinary student.  Fresh, seasonal ingredients, artfully presented and prepared with care.  Dinners can be ordered by the day or by the week with a rotating menu; prefect for busy families and time crunched singles.

I was never that organized, so opted instead for items out of their freezer, which were waiting for me when I got home.  I've never eaten anything I didn't like from the menu and have a deep love for the Organic Chocolate Chip Cookies because a) they're huge and b) they're easier to justify than other cookies.  ("What?!  It's O-R-G-A-N-I-C.")  

This week's menu includes: Roast Ontario Pork Loin with Grainy Mustard, Herb Gremolata & Honeycrisp Compote.  Organic Rice & Lentil Pilaf with Caramelized Onions & Fennel, Roasted Carrots, Cauliflower & Broccoli.  A 'True Loaf' Baguette and Decadent Maple Apple Coffee Cake.  That's Thursday's selection (there's more) and you can call anytime and opt in or get more information.

"People are realizing more and more that time has value."

"That is so true," I agree " so many people don't even have time to cook anymore.  They have 2o minutes to get food on the table so they wind up eating out of a box.  Sometimes I run recipes on Food Gypsy and I look at the cooking time and think 'three hours?! who has time for that?', maybe on a weekend."

"That's where we come in, we can braise that piece of meat for three hours and our customers can enjoy a great meal with their family" said Laverty, and she's right.

Being busy moms, Jo-Anne & Jennifer know what their customers are up against; "part of our mission is to get families back to the table" she says smiling.  Business is good, that means more families are eating together and that... can only be a good thing.

The Red Apron
564 Gladstone Ave.
Ottawa, Ontario K1R 5P3
613-695-0417
www.redapron.ca