Daniel Costa

From Corso 32 spring menu

An ideal canapé with a glass of prosecco.

• 2 rustic loaves (Tree Stone Bakery) or 1 baguette, sliced
• 1 c fresh green peas
• 1 c fresh fava beans, removed from pod and shelled
• 5 T grated pecorino
• 5T extra virgin olive oil
• 2T freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 c pine nuts
• 1 clove garlic

In preparation, roast the pine nuts in a 375°F oven until golden, about 8 minutes, toss every few minutes to avoid burning. Watch closely. Blanch peas in salted boiling water for 1 minute and place in ice water to stop the cooking process, drain well.

Using a mortar and pestle (or food processor), place peas, fava beans, mint, olive oil and a pinch of salt in your mortar. Crush the ingredients until coarse. Add the pecorino cheese, another pinch of salt and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and lemon juice.

Toast sliced bread until golden, remove from oven. Cut piece of garlic in half and  rub the inside of garlic on the bread. Spoon your desired amount of green pea mix on the toasted bread, top with the pine nuts. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over along with a crack of black pepper.

We’re huge fans of Rosie Schapp who writes about drinks and drinking in the NY Times magazine.

This drink tastes like spring.

2 ounces gin (whatever you like, but nothing too floral)

2 ounces grapefruit juice (fresh-squeezed is best)

1/2 ounce St. Germain elderflower liqueur

1 small squeeze of lime juice.

Shake all ingredients vigorously over ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass (it doesn’t hurt to run the lime wedge over the rim of the glass first). Garnish with a big fuzzy sage leaf, if you have one handy. This is also very refreshing over ice in a tall glass, topped with seltzer (soda water)

• One cooked ham, bone in
• 1 T flour
• 1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 T cornstarch
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 T white wine
• pinch ground cinnamon
• fresh cracked pepper
• 1 can pineapple rings

Lightly score surface of ham. And place on a roasting pan. Combine all other ingredients in a saucepan and cook until the cornstarch dissolves. Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Pour sauce over ham. Tent ham with foil and bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, basting occasionally.

About ten minutes before serving, place the pineapple rings around the ham to warm and caramelize slightly.

To serve: carve several slices from the ham and arrange attractively, with the pineapple slices on a large platter with the bone-in ham. Garnish with parsley and maraschino cherries for the full 50′s effect.

Turkey

Turkey’s mild, slightly gamy flavour is super wine friendly — it’s the sides (cranberry sauce, brown sugar squash, almond green beans) that will make or break the match. If all the sides are sweet, the wine must have some sweetness as well. Look for Riesling, Gewurz and Malbec.

Turkey with red

Pinot Noir is a classic choice with light meats such as turkey. Think new world: Okanagan Valley, California and Oregon for the fuller body, softer tannins and sweet fruit that characterizes warmer climate Pinot. (If you’re dying to crack the Richebourg, do so. Just call first, please!)

Tannin should be on the friendly side as well — French Côte du Rhône or Aussie GSM rather than the formidable wines of the northern Rhone. The soft mellow notes of Spanish Tempranillo are ideal with turkey; try Baron de Ley or Torres Celeste.

Turkey with white wines

This is the time to pull out luscious, full-bodied oak-aged California chardonnay; the bigger the better. Or, try something a little different such as Marotti Campi Luzano Verdicchio, or the whites of north-east Italy, Ribolla Giallo or Friulano.

Ham

Ham’s rich, salty/sweet, sometimes smoky flavour is heaven with the right wine and hell with the wrong choice. If the ham is ultra smoky look for a red that has been aged in American oak. Slightly sweeter whites work with the smoke as well.

Ham with Red

Leave the full-bodied and tannic monster zinfandels and syrah in the cellar. The salt in the ham reacting with the tannin will make the wine taste terrible and your ham taste sour and stringy.

Ham is best with wines with at least moderate acidity (fat loves acid) such as Beaujolais. Some of the 2009’s on the market have fairly robust tannin — look for a softer style.

Do try juicy reds with lower tannins, such as Argentine Malbec, Canadian Gamay, mid-priced Barossa Shiraz. The big fruit is a nice match with the saltiness of the ham.

Ham with White

Salt loves a bit of sweet — try German Riesling, Riesling or Gewurztraminer from the Alsace, or Joie Farm Noble Blend.

Rosé can be a good choice with ham, especially an off-dry fruity wine such as Marques de Caceres Rosado, Rioja DOCa. At under $15 it’s a good choice if you’re having a crowd.

Our cheap and cheerful choice for the entire weekend? Sibling Rivalry by Henry of Pelham. We found at Liquid Harvest in the Enjoy Centre for around 10 bucks.

Features

Cooking School in Piemonte

How to clean a truffle and other lessons in the Kitchen | Mary Bailey

Q & A with Jean Pare

Jean Pare reflects on a life in food | Judy Schultz

On the Road Again

Southern Alberta | Mary Bailey

Cooking for Easter and Passover

Recipes for family and friends

The Revenge of Bud the Spud

Eat your carbs | Karen Virag

The Breadstick

The story of Torinese grissini

Blair’s Stage

Blair Lebsack

Departments

Dish

Gastronomic happenings around town

Feeding People

The self-check blues | Jan Hostyn

Beer Guy

Desert Island Beers | Peter Bailey

Kitchen Sink

What’s new and notable

Gadgets

New for Spring

According to Judy

Down to the sea in ships (or not) | Judy Schultz

Susan Forsey, Wayne Jones.

Check out the brand new Cask & Barrel 10041 104 Street, 780-498-1224 just opened by Susan Forsey and Wayne Jones. The more spots downtown to chill in, the better we say. Chris Smith of Hot House Design created the clever prairie parlour goes downtown look. We especially liked the vintage ice buckets liberated from the Sutton Place Hotel and used as light fixtures. Simple menu, smallish beer and whiskey list so far.

Join Michael Dinn of the Okanagan’s JoieFarm at Wildflower Restaurant on Wednesday May 2 for a winemaker dinner pairing JoieFarm’s elegant wines with Wildflower chef Nathin Bye’s focused cooking. Tickets, 780-488-7973 or info@vinomaniawines.com.

Taste over 150 wines from Argentina at Taste of Argentina, Thursday, May 3, 7-9:30pm. Tickets, $65, available from Tix On The Square, 780-420-1757, or visit edmontonjazz.com. Wine and jazz lovers come together for a night of vibrant wines, hors d’oeuvres, live music, and a silent auction to benefit the Edmonton Jazz Festival Society.

Learn about Exceptional Beers from Unexpected Places, Saturday, May 5, 7pm, at Fine Wines by Liquor Select (8924 149th Street, 481 6868). Buy your $10 ticket in advance and receive $5 off purchases made that evening.

The intensive and delicious NAIT culinary and pastry boot camps begin in July. Visit nait.ca/ConEd for dates, details and requirements.

Cibo (11244 104 Avenue, 780-757-2426) has a new menu featuring the fresh tastes of spring; mint and fennel; young beets and peas. Contorni, which is Italian menu speak for vegetable sides, range from roasted beets with mint; rapini with lemon and spicy red pepper; stufato, roasted tomato with white bean accented with pancetta; along with arancini (rice balls) with sweet pea, mint, and lemon mascarpone. If you’re jonesing for Cibo’s toothsome beef cheeks, or their flavourful tomato veal ragu, rest assured it’s still on the menu.

Check out the utterly charming newsletter called the newsleek at culinafamily.com. Chef Christine Sandford’s new menu at Culina Millcreek features more seasonal food and incorporates their unique whole animal program. At Culina Muttart, chef Heather Dosman is preparing dinner every Thursday, with a new menu each week, along with lunch and weekend brunch. Here’s a terrific Thursday night special: $35 gets you a three-course meal and 20 per cent off admission to the pyramids.

Wine and jazz lovers come together for a night of vibrant wines, light hors d’oeuvres, live music, and a silent auction to benefit the Edmonton Jazz Festival Society. Taste over 150 wines from Argentina at a Taste of Argentina, Thursday, May 3, 
7-9:30pm
. Tickets, $65, available from 
Tix On The Square, 
780-420-1757
, or visit edmontonjazz.com.

Cally’s Teas (10151 Whyte Avenue, just east of the new Roots on Whyte) is now open and well-merchandised. New is the café, “we’re going to focus on full-fat and decadent. We’ll start with a simple menu — scones, a home-made bread, savoury tarts and salad at lunch, and in the afternoon, cream tea,” says Cally Slater-Dowson.

Drink of the week – a cocktail for Jess

We’re huge fans of Rosie Schapp who writes about drinks and drinking in the NY Times magazine. This drink tastes like spring.

Three Boars (8424 109 Street, 780-757-2600) rocks! Love the man cave/cabin in the woods vibe, the house party-friendly bar, the drinks list. Just seeing the holy trinity of Victoria gin, Campari and red vermouth (Negroni mixins’) standing next to each other on the back bar was a thrill. Serviceable wine list: Three Boars is more about beers and cocktails including (yes!) beer cocktails such as a banana weiss. The food so far? Delish! Marsala lamb neck with roast potato, kale, nocellara olive and lemon; oxtail poutine. It is a meat & taters kind of menu at present — as one of our favourite Edmonton food people, Michelle Baldock said after dinner: “I think we ate a five pound bag of baby potatoes.” Well, nothing wrong with that.

Slow Food Farm Tour, Thursday May 3. A farm tour not to be missed — enjoy good eats and special guests on the bus, a delicious home-made ranch lunch, along with the opportunity to meet and chat with some of northern Alberta’s leaders in sustainability. We’ll visit greenhouse operations, a popular u pick, ranches, and we’ll end at the riverlands — prime agricultural land threatened by urban encroachment. The tour is part of the Slow Food National Conference but is open to all who enjoy a day in the fresh air and are curious about farms and farming. Visit the website for details and to book.

Join dee Hobsbawn-Smith at the launch of Foodshed: An Edible Alberta Alphabet, Thursday, April 26, 7:00 PM, Culina Muttart Café (Muttart Conservatory, 9626-96A Street) hosted by Judy Schultz with special guest Jennifer Cockrall-King. Read more in March/April’s Dish.

Last Scotch tasting of the season at Aligra Wine & Spirits (West Edmonton Mall, Entrance 58, 780-483-1083) is Tuesday, April 24, 7pm to sip ten different whiskies and enjoy snacks paired with the drams.

Wine and jazz lovers come together for a night of vibrant wines, light hors d’oeuvres, live music, and a silent auction to benefit the Edmonton Jazz Festival Society. Taste over 150 wines from Argentina at a Taste of Argentina, Thursday, May 3, 
7-9:30pm
. Tickets, $65, available from 
Tix On The Square, 
780-420-1757
, or visit edmontonjazz.com.

Fine Wines by Liquor Select (8924 149th Street, 780-481-6868) presents Exceptional Beers from Unexpected Places, Saturday May 5, 7pm, Buy your $10. ticket in advance and receive $5 off purchases that evening.

Cally’s Teas (10151 Whyte Avenue, just east of the new Roots on Whyte) is now open and well-merchandised. New is the café, “we’re going to focus on full-fat and decadent. We’ll start with a simple menu — scones, a home-made bread, savoury tarts and salad at lunch, and in the afternoon, cream tea,” says Cally Slater-Dowson.

It’s spring and that means new menus! At the Marc (9940 106 Street 780-429-2828), Café de Ville (10137 124 Street, 780-488-9188), Cibo 11244 104 Avenue, 780-757-2426.

We continue to be blown away by ever increasing quality of the breads at Prairie Baker (main floor, Enjoy Centre). But don’t take our word for it — get over there and pick up a loaf of carrot bread, or their whole grain made with a spelt starter or a European pretzel— it’s all good.

Julia Kundera, a women in the kitchen, featured in the M/A issue of The Tomato, is now at Holt’s Café, creating beautiful new dishes using vegetables and meats from local farmers. Check it out!

Kitchen by Brad Smoliak is looking good. The handsome rooms at 10130 105 Street (the former Butler Did It space) are in dark woods, oiled bronze and stainless steel, with 12 seats around an induction cooktop, plus seating for another dozen or so at a long wood table. Brad will offer cooking lessons, wine tastings, private dinners, and farm to table events.

Who will be top of the podium for 2012? Edmonton 2012 Gold Medal Plates chefs will be announced shortly. They will compete October 18 for the opportunity to represent Edmonton at the Canadian Culinary Championships in Kelowna next February. Jan Trittenbach of Pack Rat Louie was top of the podium in 2011. Andrew Fung, Blackhawk Golf Club in 2010.

If your taste for ice cream is far beyond vanilla make sure you visit Humphry Slocombe next time you’re in San Fransisco. Or, make your own Secret Breakfast (bourbon and cornflakes) ice cream with the Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream Book coming soon from Chronicle. Flavours like Red Hot Banana, Strawberry Olive, and Salt and Pepper beg to be tasted while the names owners Jake Godby and Sean Vahey come up with are good for a giggle. Elvis (The Fat Years), or Here’s Your Damn Strawberry Ice Cream anyone? (Apologies as well to the legions of people I have told to ‘check out Harvey’s Locum’ when in SF.) Here’s the trailer.

Recipe of the week:

Decidedly Retro Pineapple Glazed Ham.

Drink of the week

Easter wines for turkey and ham.

Spend more time hunting for eggs: Enjoy Sunterra’s four-course, fully-prepared Easter dinner: carrot and ginger soup, birchwood-smoked spiral ham, herb-crusted roast salmon, with lemon pepper yams, finishing with carrot cake. Order ahead: $21.99/ person.

The Blue Pear is open over the Easter weekend for dinner, and features jazz musician Don Berner on Sunday, April 8.

Zofia Trebaczkiewicz of the Prairie Baker in the Enjoy Centre has been hard at work developing a new line of breads with baker Gabor Dobos including a toothsome slow-rise whole wheat baguette made with a spelt starter. “The Prairie loaf uses only sour dough as a leavening agent; half of the weight of the bread is a rye starter. Our amazing traditional double fermented rye is flying off the shelves, as well as the carrot loaf,” says Zofia. Look for traditional braided bread this weekend. Curtis Jones, formerly of Kerstin’s Chocolates, creates colourful, sweetly delicious macaron, cake, tarts and stunning truffles. Next up is a wheat free, sugar-free vegan line of bakery items using the gluten free flour mix made in-house.

Tam Anderson’s Prairie Greenhouses and Gardens presents Hop! Easter Fest over Easter Weekend, Good Friday to Monday. Expect Easter egg hunts, magic Shows, indoor snowball games, planting programs, spring scavenger finds, chicks and baby lambs— a full day of family good times.

Sustainable Food Edmonton’s Annual Community Garden Potluck Brunch is Saturday April 14, 11:00am at St. Andrew’s Centre, 12710 111 Avenue, We invite community gardeners to network; learn from gardening experts; Kids can participate in crafts and activities. To register visit sustainablefoodedmonton.org.

Slow Food Canada (SFC) is looking for an intern to liaison between Slow Food International (SFI) and SFC to prepare for Terra Madre and Salone Del Gusto. Requirements include ability to speak both French and English.. Deadline for applications is April 11 Apply to: http://www.slowfoodedmonton.ca/2012/04/05/slow-food-canada-intern-opportunity-immediately/

Let’s get together for a little California Dreamin’! Start spring off right with a tasting of California wines at the Royal Glenora Club, Friday, April 13, 6:30 – 9:30 pm. Tickets are $65, eventbrite.com from Visit sherbrookeliquor.com for more information.

Aligra Wine & Spirits is planning a delightful wine and walking tour of Burgundy in September. Contact Alison at Aligra Wine & Spirits for a sneak peek of the itinerary alison@aligrawineandspirits.com.

Don’t miss Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival: Banff edition. Get all the info at rockymountainwine.com/banff.html.

New menu coming soon at Café Select. The Pack Rat Louie ownership group bought the venerable downtown eatery earlier in the year.

Paddy’s Cheese (12509 102 Avenue, 780-413-0367) is also stocking Three Farmers Camelina Oil. It sounds like a wonderful addition to the pantry— cold-pressed, non-GMO oil with a high smoke point (475 F). It’s also high in Omega-3 and Omega-6 as well as vitamin E, with a shelf life is 12-15 months, $19.99/500ml. Looking for some different crackers to enjoy with cheese? Paddy’s stocks the gluten free Denby and Co. Polenta Crisps in three flavours; onion, pepper, garlic, $7.99/120gm box

Recipe of the week:

Roast Lamb with Rosemary Roasted Garlic and Pan Sauce.

Cocktail of the week: The Manhattan.

We toast the return of Mad Men with the classic cocktail made with Don Draper’s whiskey of choice, Canadian Club.

Want to know your merlots from your cabs and your chards from your rieslings? Wine Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level One Foundation begins Monday April 2 until May 7. Visit winecollege.ca for information and registration.

Francophiles rejoice! French Wine School night classes begin Tuesday April 3 to May 29. The course is designed for those seeking in-depth understanding of France’s amazing oenological diversity. We’ll taste our way through France region by region. Visit winecollege.ca for information and registration.

Join Nelson Gomez of Vino Fino Wines at a tasting of Baron De Ley. The highly regarded Rioja house, established in 1985, is known for its elegantly modern red wines based on the Tempranillo grape. Thursday April 3, 7 pm at Fine Wines by Liquor Select (8924-149 Street, 780 481-6868).

Enjoy learning about all the other great wines from Argentina at the Argentina Minus Malbec Still Equals Great Wine! tasting Thursday, April 5, 7:00 pm $26.25/ person at Sublime Wines (104-160 Broadway Blvd, Sherwood Park, 780-467-9463)

Let’s get together for a little California Dreamin’! Start spring off right with a tasting of California wines at the Royal Glenora Club, Friday, April 13, 6:30 – 9:30 pm. Tickets are $65, use this link to book.

Zaca Mesa Winery and Vineyards pioneered Rhone varietals in the Santa Barbara area of California. Enjoy the wines and meet Brook Williams of the winery at the Zaca Mesa dinner at Zinc (Art Gallery of Alberta, 2 Winston Churchill Square, 780 392-2501) Monday, April 16, 6:00 pm reception, $90 plus tax and gratuity.

Wine and jazz lovers come together for a night of vibrant wines, light hors d’oeuvres, live music, and a silent auction to benefit the Edmonton Jazz Festival Society. Taste over 150 wines from Argentina at a Taste of Argentina, Thursday, May 3, 
7-9:30pm
. Tickets, $65, available from 
Tix On The Square, 
780-420-1757
, or visit edmontonjazz.com.

Colin McFall, a veteran of the Union Bank Inn kitchen, is the new exec chef of Madison’s. He’s working on fresh new menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the attractive downtown dining room. It’s not too early to be thinking reservations for Mother’s Day Sunday May 13— two seatings, 10:30am and 12:30pm, three courses, $42/ person, 780-401-2222.

Teresa Spinelli and Massimo Capra in Spinelli’s caffe.

Cookbook author, restaurant owner, and NAIT’s 2012 Hokanson chef in residence Massimo Capra spent a few hours at the Italian Centre last Friday talking food and groceries. Chef Capra also answered the Proust culinary questionnaire while he was here. Look for it in the May/June TOMATO.

Spend more time hunting for eggs: Enjoy Sunterra’s four-course, fully-prepared Easter dinner: carrot and ginger soup, birchwood-smoked spiral ham, herb-crusted roast salmon, with lemon pepper yams, finishing with carrot cake. Order ahead: $21.99/ person.

Slow Food Edmonton’s Indulgence, a Canadian epic of food and wine, Monday June 11, 6:30-9:00 p.m. at the Delta Edmonton South. It’s a magic night: farmers and producers from the region collaborate with our best chefs to create delicious local dishes paired with Canadian estate wines. Funds raised support the Junior League’s food and children endeavours. Tickets go on sale May 1, $60/person, through the Junior League of Edmonton, jledmonton.org. Visit indulgenceedmonton.ca or slowfoodedmonton.ca for the latest details

Mark the date

April 17: Brazilian Wines Dinner at PAMPA.

June 9: Al Fresco – 4th Street Promenade’s Fourth-Annual Block Party

July 9-July 27: NAIT Culinary Boot Camps. Intensive week-long culinary experiences working alongside NAIT’s professional instructors.

• July 9-13 Pastry Boot Camp
• July 10-13 Culinary Boot Camp
• July 23-27 Culinary Boot Camp II

Recipe of the week:

Brad Smoliak’s Duck and Mushroom Pyrohy. Chef Brad Smoliak knows his way around a dumpling. Make these toothsome duck and mushroom dumplings for your next cocktail party.

Cocktail of the week: Aperol Spritz

Enjoy Chef Massimo Capra’s favourite cocktail, the Aperol Spritz. Refreshing!

Combine in a rocks glass over ice

2 parts Aperol

3 parts Prosecco (Ruggeri)

1 splash of soda water

Garnish with a fresh slice of orange.

The Marc (9940-106 Street, main floor Sterling Place, 780-429-2828) makes a delicious Aperol spritz, as does Corso 32 (10345 Jasper Avenue, 780 421-4622).

Join ice greats Craig Simpson and Jamie Sale for a four course dinner designed by Chef Tony Le paired with wine at LUX Steakhouse+bar, Wednesday, March 21. Tickets, $99, call 780-424-0400, or email lsievewright@centuryhospitality.com

Sublime Wines (104-160 Broadway Blvd, Sherwood Park, 780 467-9463) presents the Christopher Stewart Portfolio Tasting, Spanish Wines, Thursday, March 22, 7:00pm, $25 per person (plus gst).

Love lobster? Enjoy the Thursday Lobster Dinner weekly at Billingsgate (7331 104 Street, 780 432-7851). Lobster plus sides and one Alexander Keith’s, only $24.95. Call 780-432-7851 for reservations.

Enjoy an evening of coffee and chocolate education featuring Kerstin’s Chocolates and artisan coffee at Transcend Coffee & Chocolate tasting Saturday, March 24 at the downtown location, 10349 Jasper Avenue. Tickets, $50, transcendcoffee.com.

Sunterra’s Catch of the Day Cooking Class, Tuesday, March 27, 6:30pm, $49.99 plus GST/person. Learn how to cook with crustaceans, from shucking oysters to lobster mac ‘n’ cheese. Classes are held at Sunterra Market in Commerce Place (201 – 10150 Jasper Avenue). Call 780-426-3791 to book.

Want to know your merlots from your cabs and your chards from your rieslings? Wine Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level One Foundation begins Monday April 2 until May 7. Visit winecollege.ca for information and registration.

Francophiles rejoice! French Wine School night classes begin Tuesday April 3 to May 29. The course is designed for those seeking in-depth understanding of France’s amazing oenological diversity. We’ll taste our way through France region by region. Visit winecollege.ca for information and registration.

Let’s get together for a little California Dreamin’! Start spring off right with a tasting of California wines at the Royal Glenora Club, Friday, April 13, 6:30 – 9:30 pm. Tickets are $65, eventbrite.com. Visit www.sherbrookeliquor.com for more information.

Spend more time hunting for eggs: Enjoy Sunterra’s four-course, fully-prepared Easter dinner: carrot and ginger soup, birchwood-smoked spiral ham, herb-crusted roast salmon, with lemon pepper yams, finishing with carrot cake. Order ahead: $21.99/ person.

More Sherbrooke news. Along with the crazy high-alcohol Sink the Bismarck ($112.50/ 375ml) and several other beer oddities in their lineup of over 900 beers, Sherbrook now stocks Mamma Mia Pizza Beer ($6.25 /473ml), brewed with oregano, basil, tomato and garlic, which according to manager Tara Smith, is surprisingly good. “Nothing about this beer made me want to try it, but I was pleasantly surprised when I did. Not overly hoppy or malty, the mouthwatering smell of tomato comes right out of the bottle when you first open it. The flavour of tomato and oregano dominates, followed by a pleasant, subtle finish of what I swear was pepperoni. Which is odd, as it’s a vegan beer.” For those jonesing for the flavours of Mexico, Tecate Lager ($9.99/4x473ml.) is now in stock.

Paddy’s Cheese (12509 102 Avenue, 780-413-0367) is also stocking Three Farmers Camelina Oil. It sounds like a wonderful addition to the pantry— cold-pressed, non-GMO oil with a high smoke point (475 F). It’s also high in Omega-3 and Omega-6 as well as vitamin E, with a shelf life is 12-15 months, $19.99/500ml. Looking for some different crackers to enjoy with cheese? Paddy’s stocks the gluten free Denby and Co. Polenta Crisps in three flavours; onion, pepper, garlic, $7.99/120gm box.

Wine and jazz lovers come together for a night of vibrant wines, light hors d’oeuvres, live music, and a silent auction to benefit the Edmonton Jazz Festival Society. Taste over 150 wines from Argentina at a Taste of Argentina, Thursday, May 3, 
7-9:30pm
. Tickets, $65, available from 
Tix On The Square, 
780-420-1757
, or visit edmontonjazz.com.

Blush Lane Organics is now open in Roots on Whyte (8135 102 Street, 780 988-5655). Expect a full range of organic produce, a bakery, packaged goods and the full range of Sunworks Organic meats, chicken, pork and beef.

Mark the date

April 17: Brazilian Wines Dinner at PAMPA.

June 9: Al Fresco – 4th Street Promenade’s Fourth-Annual Block Party

July 9-July 27: NAIT Culinary Boot Camps. Intensive week-long culinary experiences working alongside NAIT’s professional instructors.

• July 9-13 Pastry Boot Camp
• July 10-13 Culinary Boot Camp
• July 23-27 Culinary Boot Camp II

We toast the return of Mad Men with the classic cocktail made with Don Draper’s whiskey of choice, Canadian Club.

• 2 measures Canadian Club
• ½ measure sweet vermouth
• 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters

Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice cubes.

Stir well.

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with the cherry.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Roast the garlic while you preheat the oven. Score the lamb all over and season. Place most of the cut-up rosemary in the score marks. Pour the oil in a bowl with the roasted garlic and mash. Add the rest of the rosemary and the chopped thyme. Cover the lamb with the garlic/oil/herb mixture and place on a roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes — surround by new potatoes if desired. Reduce oven to 350°F.

Occasionally brush the lamb with the remaining herbed oil. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 155°F. The meat will continue to cook while it rests. Let stand covered for 10 minutes to allow the meat to rest. While the meat is resting, remove the fat from the pan. Add the wine and stock to pan and scrape up any brown bits. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until reduced by about half. Swirl in butter. Keep warm.

To serve: Carve long thin slices with a very sharp knife. Serve with pan sauce, with any assortment of roasted vegetables such as potatoes, fennel and carrots.

Serves 6-8 with leftovers.

From the March/April 2011 edition of The Tomato.

Chef Brad Smoliak knows his way around a dumpling. Make these toothsome duck and mushroom dumplings for your next cocktail party.

Filling

2 duck leg confit*, shredded

1 c mushrooms, mixed (fine chopped) oyster, shitake, cremini, (portabella can turn the filing gray)

½ c fine-chopped onion

2 T butter

1 t crushed garlic

¼ c fine chopped, dried cranberries

¼ c demi glace/gravy

1 t fresh thyme, chopped

In a heavy sauté pan heat the butter until the foam subsides, then add the onions and cook until soft, then add the mushrooms, and cook until all the moisture has come out and the mushrooms have begun to caramelize. Add the duck and the remaining ingredients and cook until the filling sticks together. Chill for 30 minutes.

* You can buy duck confit at specialty grocery stores, and if you can’t find it, or can’t make your own, you can always use roasted chicken legs (flavor won’t be as rich). The dark meat is more flavorful and will stay moister. Same for the demi glace, if you can’t find it, you can use gravy; just something to moisten and hold the filling together.

Dough

3 c sour cream

3-4 c flour

This is the easiest dough recipe, but it is not an exact measurement, it will depend on the moisture content of the sour cream that you are using.

Using a dough hook, mix the ingredients together until a soft dough forms, the dough should not be sticky, and should come away from the bowl cleanly. I also use this dough for crackers, pizza, etc. Roll the dough out to about ¼” thick.  Cut in circles approximately 3 inches wide. Place 1 tablespoon of filling inside, pinch closed. Repeat until all filling and dough is done, there may be extra of one or the other.

Cook pyrohy in gently boiling water, until they float to the surface.

Drain and pan fry in butter with a few fresh sage leaves. Serve with pan sauce and a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Adapted from Irish Traditional Cooking by Darina Allen.

• smallish brisket* point or flat end (the flat end is better for sandwiches next day).
• 3 large carrots, cut into large chunky slices
• 6 to 8 small onions
• 1 t dry English mustard
• large sprig fresh thyme
• handful parsley
• 1 cabbage
• kosher salt and fresh-cracked pepper

Season the brisket and put into a large pot with the carrots, onions, mustard and herbs. Cover with cold water, and bring gently to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 2 hours. Discard the outer leaves of the cabbage, cut in quarters and add to the pot. Cook another 1-2 hours, until the meat and vegetables are soft and tender.

Slice the beef and plate, surrounded by the vegetables and cooking liquid. Serve with pan juices, fresh parsley, floury potatoes, pickles and tangy mustard.

Serves 4 with leftovers or 6-8 as a meal.

*Variation: prepare with corned (brined and pickled brisket) beef.