December 7 2016

La Boule Patisserie opens in Old Strathcona

Pastry lovers need wait no longer—La Boule Patisserie and Bakery (8020 101 Street, http://laboulebakery.ca/) opened yesterday. Standouts so far: the petit pain au chocolate possesses a delicious ratio of semi-sweet chocolate to crisp and buttery laminated dough; the three-bite-sized, silky-textured passion fruit éclair with its balanced flavours; the exquisite lemon tart. They say there is cake and there will be an entire room devoted to chocolate making which they expect to be up and running by Valentine’s Day. No bread yet. “We are still learning our ovens,” says owner and exec pastry chef Jennifer Stang. Jennifer’s partner in the biz is her mother (accountant and chief dishwasher) Roseanne Stang-Tarrabain and her partner Serge Belair is helping out until he takes over as exec chef at the Edmonton Convention Centre in January.

Jennifer, Roseanne and Serge
photo by Boccabella Photography

do it yourself butter

Zocalo (10826 95 Street, 780-428-0754, http://www.zocalo.ca/) has lots of cool new things in store for the holiday, like the Kilner Butter Churn. It looks a bit like a MacGyvered mason jar with a paddle inside. Check out the YouTube video for the how-to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH6YreTK5Xs. Once you have churned your heavy cream, add truffle salt to taste and don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back. Made in England, $60.

churn

who doesn’t love the edible gift?

The Cavern (10169 104 Street, 780-455-1336, http://thecavern.ca/) suggests a gift box filled with artisan crackers, jams and other delectables. For cheese lovers think Cavern Cheese Club, available in three-, six- or 12-month subscriptions. Yum.

cavern-gift-boxes

drink Austrian, drink well

The Austrian wines from Christina Masciangelo, Salivate Wine Consulting http://www.salivatewines.com/ are starting to show up in wine shops this week. Why Austrian wines? They are high-quality, small-production, cool-climate wines with moderate alcohol and attractive mouthwatering acidity — just the thing to have with the rich foods of the holidays. Start your exploration here: Huber Muskateller fragrant, tasting of warm spice and musky melon, with beautiful acidity; Gruber Röschitz Grüner Veltliner, from the Virtell region in lower Austria, super fresh, with a herbaceous almost minty character, and one red wine, the Reinisch St. Laurent, dry, fruity and delish with a lovely taut finish. Find at Bin 104, Color de Vino, Devine’s and Hicks Fine Wines, not all wines in each shop.

grgruner