Happy Halloween 2009

My Dad's Amazing Pumpkin

My Pumpkin

My friends (Chloe, Rommi, and Robin) and Me (Danielle Rose)

 

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Hope you had a fun and safe evening! What did you dress as?  

Ontario Wine Awards Winery Tour 2009

On Saturday October 17th I was lucky enough to be able to attend the 2009 Ontario Wine Awards Winery Tour.  The tour was held as a 'thank you' for all of the sponsors that helped to make this years Ontario Wine Awards so successful.  I can't imagine a better way to thank all of the people involved with the awards than to allow them to see first-hand where some of the award winning wines are produced, and what better time than harvest season!  I have been to a few Niagara winery tours in the past, but being able to see it during the exciting harvest season was a whole other experience!  You could feel the excitement being emitted from each winery as they prepared their grapes for what may be the coming years awards winning wines.

The itinerary for the day was as follows:

11:30 am Arrival at Jackson-Triggs Winery

11:30 am Sparkling Wine Welcome Reception

(in the Great Hall)

12:00 pm to 12:45 pm Private Tour of Jackson-Triggs

12:45 pm to 2:15 Lunch at Jackson-Triggs

(A fabulous 3-course meal was served in Jackson-Triggs traditional underground barrel cellar)

2:15 pm to 4:00 pm Private Tour of Chateau des Charmes

4:30 pm to 5:30 pm Closing Reception at Inniskillin

(During the reception we enjoyed a specially prepared dessert and was treated to an icewine tasting of both Inniskillin and Jackson-Triggs icewines)

5:30 pm Return to Jackson-Triggs

The Sparkling Wine Reception in Jackson-Triggs Great Hall allowed guests to get settled in while drinking a glass of 2008 award winning sparkling wine 2006 Maleta Estate Winery VIEW Old Vines Brut Sparkling Riesling.  We were then led out and into the vineyard to get a look and taste of the grapes at harvest time.  After that, we were taken through the facilities to get to see the various steps that the grapes go through in order to produce the wine.  Because it was harvest season, we were able to see the the machines pouring the freshly picked grapes to be prepped for crushing.  The tour was much more than just a way to provide everyone with extensive knowledge on Jackson-Triggs' harvesting process, it was really something special as the entire Jackson-Triggs facilities was designed with the consumer and winery tours in mind.  It was truly a gorgeous site.  

After the tour we were lead into the Jackson-Triggs traditional barrel cellar where we were treated to a delicious lunch prepared by Great Estate of Niagara Chef David Penny and Sous Chef Tim Mackiddie.

Vidal French Onion Soup

Niagara Gold Crouton

2006 Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserve Pinot Noir

Pan Seared Capon

Truffled Arugula

Quinoa, Confit Cherry Tomato

2005 Le Clos Jordanne Le Clos Jordanne Estate Vineyard Chardonnay

The atmosphere in which our lunch was served was beautiful.  The barrel cellar provided for an exquisite setting (it would make for one hell of a romantic dinner!) and it felt pretty awesome drinking such fabulous wine while surrounded by barrel upon barrel of finely aged wine.  Because he was unable to attend the award ceremony in May, winemaker for Le Clos Jordanne, Thomas Bachelder joined us for lunch to tell us about the wine being served, about the passion of winemaking, and to receive his award for the OWA 2009 Winemaker of the Year.  At the time of the awards, Bachelder had just stepped into of one of the most exciting moments in his career.  At the 2009 Judgement of Montreal, an 'outsider' wine (a wine submitted unbeknownst to the panel) was submitted into the mix, this wine was Le Clos Jordanne's 2005 Claystone Terrace Chardonnay.  Le Clos Jordanne shocked the judges when their Chardonnay beat out all of the wines from France and the United States.  To read more about this great achievement, see the press release: Canada's Le Clos Jordanne Mimics the Movie 'Bottle Shock'.  Wine writer, Order of Canada recipient, and founder of the Ontario Wine Awards, Tony Aspler presented Bachelder with the award and the traditional Winemaker of the Year gift, a beautiful watch.  

After lunch was finished, we proceeded to our bright red double decker bus, which took us to the next winery, Chateau des Charmes.  Once again, we were given a private tour of the winery, and learned all about the history of the Bosc family and their passion for wine, as well as a tasting session in one of the Chateau's tasting rooms.  Chateau des Charmes looks like a fabulous chateau, as it was one of the first wineries in Niagara (and possibly even Canada...I can't recall) to design their winery with visitors in mind.

After that, we hopped back on the bus and were taken to the newly renovated Inniskillin Winery where we enjoyed a magnificent candlelit tasting in the barrel cellar.  We tasted four different types of icewine, all served in Riedel Glassware.  Each icewine was delicious, which says a lot coming from someone who isn't a fan of icewine.  We tasted:

2007 Inniskillin Sparkling Vidal Icewine

2007 Inniskillin Riesling Icewine

2006 Jackson-Triggs Gewurztraminer Icewine

2007 Inniskillin Cabernet Franc Icewine

It was difficult for me to pick a favourite, because I enjoyed all of them so much.  But if I had to pick, I would say that the 2007 Inniskillin Sparkling Vidal Icewine was truly something special.  Our tour guide mentioned that many families have replaced champagne with this sparkling icewine to toast to at special occasions like Christmas or New Years.  I think it may have to become apart of the Rose family Christmas this year! The icewines were paired with the final course of our lunch, a light and delicious Lemon Mousse with Almond Praline and Vidal Caramel, a dessert I must try to replicate on my own.  

After a long and delightful day of wine tasting, touring, and eating, it was time to say goodbye to all the fellow guests, who might I add were all lovely, and head back on the road back to Toronto...well most people I guess.  I met up with some friends and continued my fabulous day in Niagara Falls where we hit the casino for an evening of celebration!  

To read my article on the 2009 Ontario Wine Awards, click here.

Cooking with my Oma: Ginger Ale Glazed Ham

I remember the first time I tried my Oma's Ginger Ale Glazed Ham. I must have been in about grade 5 or 6, and we were having one of our last Thanksgivings celebrated at our cottage (we sold the cottage soon after). I never liked Thanksgiving. I thought the food always looked really gross, so my sister and I would beg our parents to stop at a McDonalds or Wendy's on the way up North. Well this particular Thanksgiving I felt daring and wanted give the food a try. I made myself a little sampling of everything, just enough for a very small taste of each item, sat down with my plate, took a deep breath and tucked in. It was like I was experiencing an epiphany! So THIS is what all that Thanksgiving fuss is about! This food is incredible!! I couldn't believe that I had wasted so many years without this amazing meal!

The food item that was on the top of my list was my Oma's Ginger Ale Glazed Ham. The ham was good and fine, but that sweet ginger ale and onion sauce, wow! Now that made it! I think I had at least 4 large pieces of ham that year, each with huge heaping spoonfuls of the ginger ale and onion sauce. This is one of my all-time favourite recipes. It tastes out of this world, and is very simple to prepare. I promise you, you will love it! Thanks to my Oma for sharing her special recipe with me...and for having the guts to add 5 teaspoons of sugar!

Ingredients:

half of a "fully cooked, ready to serve" honey & maple smoked boneless ham

1/4 cup ginger ale

5 heaping tsp sugar

3 tsp mustard

1 small onion, sliced

Directions:

1. Place roasting dish (large enough to fit the ham) on the stove set to medium heat. Preheat oven to 325º.

2. Coat bottom of dish with olive oil. When oil is hot, add the onions and cook, while stirring, until onions become soft and translucent. If onions are browning too quickly, turn down heat. Add the ginger ale, sugar, and mustard and continue to cook a few minutes longer until mixture thickens slightly.

3. Add ham to roasting dish and, using a knife, poke several holes throughout the top and sides of the ham.

4. Using a baster or spoon, pour the mixture from the bottom of the dish over the ham.

5. Place in oven and bake for about 20 minutes (just to reheat the ham through).

6. Remove the ham from roasting dish and cut into slices. The onions sauce should have darkened, and be very sticky and thick like a syrup. If the mixture is not at this stage yet, scoop out the onions, leaving the sauce in the dish, and transfer them to a small saucepan. Continue cooking the onions at medium heat until they become even softer, stickier, and darker. Once they have reached this stage, continue to add the sauce remaining in the dish, a little at a time, until mixture reaches desired consistency. It's really all in the colour and texture. You're looking for extremely soft and sticky onions and a deep golden colour.

7. Spoon the onion sauce into a serving dish. Eat the ham topped with onion sauce.

Cooking with My Oma: Apricot and Mandarin Orange Kuchen

As you may know from my entry on Plum Kuchen, there is a very special history between my Oma and I with eating various types of Kuchen (or cake in English).  Because of this long and special history with Kuchen, I have come to love the cake!  The German cake is not one of those cakes that is necessarily served for celebratory purposes.  Kuchen is the type of cake that can be eaten throughout the day with a mug of coffee.  Kuchen is very easy and fast to prepare and does not require additional shopping.  This is the type of cake that can easily be whipped up at the last minute, using nothing more than the items in your pantry.  

When my Oma and I made it on Tuesday, she wanted to make an Apricot Kuchen.  We did not have any fresh apricots, so she had planned on using canned apricots.  I normally don't like using canned fruits, but for this recipe it actually works to your advantage.  Firstly, as I stated before, this is the type of cake that is meant to use items from your pantry, ie. canned goods as well.  Also, because canned fruits are kept in a syrup, they soak up a lot of that moisture, which in turn, results in a much more moist cake.  Unfortunately, we only had one can of apricots, so Oma took out a can of mandarin oranges.  I immediately cringed!  Ew mandarin oranges in an apricot cake!  I didn't see how this could taste very good.  

Oma put me in charge of mixing the dough, pressing the dough into the pan, and topping the cake with the fruit and streusel.  Although I had trouble taking my mind of the fact that I was making a mandarin orange cake, I was able to pick up on some great tips to help make the perfect Kuchen.  Firstly, Oma says you must mix everything with your clean bare hands.  No machines here!  This allows you to feel exactly when the dough is ready, and she's convinced it adds more love as well.  Secondly, the last time I made my Plum Kuchen, I thought that the dough was too thin in the large pan that I was pressing it into.  So I scraped all the dough out of the pan and transferred it to a smaller one, which resulted in a denser cake that my family wasn't too fond of.  The dough is meant to be very thin when pressed into the pan.  This allows for each bite to be filled with the sweet flavour of fruit rather than the denseness of the cake.  

Next came the part I was dreading, adding the fruit.  I happily placed each apricot halve onto the dough and then stalled, hoping that we could put it in the oven without the mandarins.  Nope, Oma caught me.  She kept telling me to put more and more mandarins until I had used up the entire can!  When it came time to serving the cake to the rest f the family after dinner, I warned them all that it may not taste good because "Oma made me put mandarin oranges."  I cut the cake and reluctantly tasted my first bite.  Mmmm, it was delicious! Perhaps I had just tasted an apricot.  I ate the whole piece and it was all delicious! Who would have thought that mandarin oranges on a cake would taste so good! I absolutely loved the cake! It was so moist and flavourful, I took home a piece to save for later!  So I guess the moral of this story is, Oma is always right...unless we are talking about my mom's childhood crushes, Elvis not Ricky Nelson! Oma you owe me 5 bucks!

Note:  You can use whatever fruit you like in this cake, fresh or canned.  Apricots, mandarin oranges, strawberries, plums, blueberries, peaches, ANYTHING!  Use what you have!

Ingredients:

Cake

3 egg yolks

1 cup butter, softened

about 2 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

2 cans fruit or about 1 1/2 cups fresh fruit, sliced (I used one 398 ml can pitted and sliced apricots, and one 284 ml can mandarine oranges.  Both cans with syrup drained)

Streusel Topping

about 1/4 cup flour

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla 

Directions:

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all cake ingredients and mix with clean hands until well combined.  The Dough should come together into a ball and feel smooth when pinched, so that you no longer feel the grains of sugar.  

2.  Grease and flour a round cake pan (about 14 inches in diameter), and press dough evenly into pan.  Top evenly with fruit.

3.  In the same bowl as used before, combine all streusel ingredients with clean hands until crumbs are formed.  If needed, add more flour.  Sprinkle evenly on top of cake.

4.  Bake in 350º oven for about 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.  

Cooking with My Oma: Potato Kugel

Potato Kugel (or Kugelis as my family calls it) is a type of firm potato pudding that is one of my Oma's signature dishes.  It is warm and comforting and can be served alongside almost any type of meat.  Kugelis is sort of like a giant potato latke, but with a smoother texture and bits of bacon, and just like potato latkes, Kugelis tastes incredible served with sour cream or my Oma's homemade apple sauce.  I have been eating Kugelis all my life, but it was only this week, when I learned how to make Kugelis with my Oma, that I truly understood why.

Kugelis is one of those dishes that makes me very thankful for my fast metabolism.  What you are about to hear may be quite shocking, but trust me, once you have tried Kugelis for yourself, you will forget all about the amount of carbs and fat you are consuming when eating the delicious side dish.  What you should also remember is that this recipe can serve a table of 10 people, plus leftovers.  So when you do the math, it really isn't as bad as it may seem at first.  And if you peeled all 6 pounds of the potatoes with an old fashioned potato peeler (as I did) you must have worked off at least half of what you gained...right?

Tip: The cream of wheat gives this dish a lighter texture without eliminating any flavour.

Note: You can easily cut all the ingredients in half to make a smaller portion.

Ingredients:

about 6 pounds potatoes, peeled

about 1 pound bacon, cut in 1 inch pieces, plus rendered fat

1 large onion, chopped

10 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp cream of wheat

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp pepper

1 dash cinnamon 

Directions:

1.  Fry bacon and onions until cooked (onions should be transparent).  Set aside along with rendered fat.

2.  Using a food processor with the fine grater or shredder disk attached, push potatoes through the feed tube, one at a time.  Once potatoes are all grated or shredded, attach steel knife into food processor and blend until the potatoes reach a pureed state.  

3.  Transfer pureed potatoes to a large bowl.  Add the reserved bacon, onions, and bacon fat to pureed potatoes, reserving some pieces (about 2 pieces of bacon, chopped) and a few tablespoons fat for later.  

4.  Add the eggs and stir until well combined.  Add the flour, cream of wheat, sugar, salt, pepper, and cinnamon and combine once again.

5.  Preheat the oven to 350º.  Grease a very large casserole or roasting dish with reserved bacon fat.  Pour the potato mixture into the dish and top with reserved pieces of bacon.  Bake for 1 hour.

6.  After 1 hour, reduce heat to 250º and bake for another 3 hours.  Serve on a serving platter with sour cream and apple sauce.