Catherine Campbell

Mussels for Lunch

We had a conversation with Kirk a few weeks back as to why mussels and oysters and lobster were not on the menu specials. Well, it was a very good answer. “We order it and the member demand just isn’t there. These products have no shelf life so they get thrown away – costly.” Agreed but what if we make a reservation and order them. “Absolutely.” Done deal – we ordered mussels for lunch and booked a date.

Awesome.

Chanel prepared our PEI mussels with a broth of sambal (southeast Asian hot sauce), garlic, white wine, red onions, parsley and salt and pepper. Accompanied by garlic toasts.

We chose the Franschoek Chenin Blanc off the wine list to complement the dish. Nick Attard suggested that a Pinot Grigio would also have been a good pairing and apparently also a sauvignon blanc would have been an option.

So, remember, with a little notice the RiverBend culinary staff can add some variety to your menu options.

CHEF & SOMMELIER SERIES on July 25, 2017 – Destination Canada

The Creators

Hosts

Andrew Ross and Nicolas Attard

Chefs

Kirk Weiss, Chanel Gulych, Edgar Vela, Matt Vick and Mark McCormick

Service

Natalie Blain

Cocktail Hour

Nick Attard hosting the pre-dinner wine tastings.

“Orange” wine Southbrook Vidal

Gamay Noir Malivoire, VQA Beamsville Bench

Cabernet Franc Featherstone, VQA Niagara Peninsula

Dinner and Dessert

Lobster Bib Salad (Kirk)

Bib lettuce with lobster (poached in citrus and chardonnay with buttermilk dressing, garnished with salmon roe and dill)

Rosé – Featherstone, VQA Niagara Peninsula (Cabernet Franc grape – red peppers on the nose – very dry)

Classic Tourtiere (Mark)

Ground pork, rich pastry, cherry compote.

Pinot Noir – Oak Bay, VQA Okanagan Valley

Blackened Arctic Char (Matt)

Char blackened with spice blend, served with barley risotto (shaved thistle) and finished with a fish reduction flavoured with caraway.

Chardonnay – Closson Chasse, VQA Prince Edward County

Chardonnay – Southbrook Poetica, VQA Four Mile Bench

Seared Bison (Edgar)

Alberta bison tenderloin served with sautéed wild rice and squash, flavoured with oregano, basil and caramelized onion.

Syrah – Burrowing Owl, VQA Okanagan Valley

Cuvee Red – Malivoire, VQA Niagara Peninsula

Butter seared Crab (Chanel)

Vermicelli noodles fried, soft shell crab, kelp beurre blanc, chili oil drizzled on the plate

Chenin Blanc – Quail’s Gate, VQA Okanagan Valley

Mac & Blue Pancakes (Kirk)

Pancakes with blueberries, maple syrup and cream (Galliano liquor), Strathroy apples

Chardonnay Fortified – Southbrook Whimsy, VQA Niagara (2002 grapes, fortified with “neutral” grain spirit – natural aging – bottled in 2013 and 2 years in bottle before release)

CHEF & SOMMELIER SERIES Theme – South America June 13, 2017

The Creators

Chefs

Kirk Weiss, Edgar Vela & Matt Vick

Cocktail Engineer

Nick Attard

Service Team

Samantha Kilbourne & Kirsten MacLennan

Host

Andrew Ross

Cocktail Hour

Nick Attard hosting the cocktail tastings.

White wine

Crios Torrontes, Argentina – available at LCBO

Aperitif

Aguardiente, Columbia – sugar cane, then infused with lime, herbs & spices

Red wine

Carelli 34 Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina, Terrapura Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile

Dinner Pairings

Zuccardi Torrontes, Argentina

Empanada Pino (“open” empanados) – golden raisins, poached egg, diced potato, green olives topped with cream fraiche.

Septima Malbec, Argentina

Anticucho – beef heart, marinated, on a skewer with chipotle parsley butter & frisee for garnish.

Ben Marco Malbec, Argentina and Emiliana Coyam, Chile

Beef steak and Chorizo with a rosemary mint reduction on a bed of Vivian Potato (ham & pineapple scallop potato).

Maycas Limari Chardonnay, Chile

Braised trout with duo-cilantro butter and Veracruz Rice (cabbage, peas & smoked bacon)

Garzon Tannat, Uruguay

Pork belly with apple & shallot marmalade fried casaba/yucca.

Digestive (digestif) & Dessert

Fuego Naranja

Nick Attard demonstrating the making of the digestive (digestif).

Aguardiente mixed with orange juice, lime juice, orange bitters & egg whites

Dessert

Maria Luisa, plum dough flan with plum, guava & stone fruit and an Algarve Meringue.

A hugely enjoyable evening!

Chambord – Nick Attard

In the ever-vast world of liqueurs there has always been one bottle that stood out to me like a crown resting on a pillow; Chambord. The first time I saw this bottle was in my mixology classes in Toronto. Before I even knew what was in the bottle, I wanted to have a taste. The round plum shaped bottle, deep ruby to an almost royal purple in colour, and with gold encased lettering drew the attention of my eyes like no other bottle had before. Then when I heard it was a raspberry liqueur my mouth began to salivate, as raspberries have been my favourite of the berries since I was a child. Once I finally got to try this delicate French liqueur, the taste lived up to what the bottle was inviting me in to try. It was luxurious, simple, and yet all the while very complex.

Before this liqueur makes it onto your tongue, your nose will pick up aromas of a blackberry and raspberry jam, slight hints of vanilla, currants, and even chocolate. The fruit aromas are of cooked down, sweetened fruit which matches the taste on the palate. Its sweetness, acidity, and alcohol all balance harmoniously to come together for a velvet feeling on the tongue with a long finish that has you wanting more.

After doing some research into the liqueur, it is of no surprise why this liqueur is so delicate and interesting. Crafted in the French province of Chambord in the Loire Valley, it is said to be based on a raspberry liqueur that was made in the region in the late 1600’s. Rumor has it, that it was served to Louis XIV during one of his visits to the Chateau de Chambord. It truly is a liqueur worthy of royalty. But, as it says on the Chambord website, it is not the royal’s taste buds that matters, it is yours. The website also breaks down the production of the liqueur into three simplified steps. I’m sure there is more detail to each step, but the simplicity of the whole production is quite elegant.

First, the freshest raspberries and blackberries are chosen to be picked, squeezed, and soaked in a mixture of French spirits and let to sit for one month. After the month has passed, more French spirits are added, and after another two weeks the infusion is complete. Then they press the fruit, capture the natural juices and sugars, and voila! A completed velvety base to the liqueur.

The second step is blending the velvety base with extracts of black raspberry, blackcurrants, French Cognac, sweet Madagascan vanilla, Moroccan citrus peel, honey, and a mixture of herbs and spices. This is left to sit again, and this is where the bottle begins to develop all of its aromas and palate flavours. Lastly, a master blender balances the liqueur using a 300-year-old tradition to make sure the bottle is perfect.

Go to my page for the entire picture including a couple of cocktail recipes: Nick’s Concoctions Chambord