Dreaming of Spices

I hope our lucky giveaway winners enjoyed Cooking With Stella!

I have been thinking about spice a lot lately and will definitely test out butter chicken recipes quite soon - that was the #1 request from our readers. Can I honestly say that I have not eaten this more than twice? So far, I have preferred nicely done Tandoori chicken, but I may change my mind!

Some of you also asked for restaurant recommendations... When I crave juicy, tender tandoori chicken, I go to Ceylonta. Every single time, it has lived up to my expectations.

I read just yesterday some wonderful suggestions from Ottawa Food Blogger Shari of Whisk - she also writes for Metro, read her Indian Lunch suggestions!

Spices, spices, spices. I suggest that you buy the best possible... Read Rachelle Eats Food and her wonderful discovery of Epices de Cru. Philippe de Vienne and Ethnee have been to the urban element some years ago and had the most impressive selection and quality - it is worth every penny.

No ham, lamb or turkey for me this Easter - I'm trying out Indian at home!

-marysol

gnocchi dearest

i have always loved gnocchi.
making gnocchi is a labour of love, its an involved, dedicated process.
but the results are worth it! after roasting potatoes, scooping out flesh and pushing the potato through a ricer, mix together with one egg, flour & salt.shape into a ball and cut in four (as above).

roll into strips .... its up to you the size you like

...i like to cut on the diagonal into diamond shape pillows. then toss
the dumplings on a baking sheet coated with flour

boil the gnocchi in salted boiling water until each floats to the top.
remove with a slotted spoon. toss with quality olive oil and let sit until use.
in my opinion, the sauce is the most important (and delicious) part of gnocchi, so put some love into it! this gnocchi was savoured with a porcini and pork ragu, torn fresh basil and a ridiculous amount of parmesan!

-carley

Cooking with Stella ticket giveaway!!!

I recently received 10 double passes to the premiere screening of Cooking with Stella (thank you Mongrel Media!!!) and thought of sharing them with you... but there is a catch.

We would like to hear about your favourite Indian dish.
Is it something that you make at home? Do you have a recipe? Then please share it!
Do you have a favourite Indian restaurant? What are the must haves on the menu?
Maybe would you like to learn to prepare a certain dish that you have tasted? We can test it out for you and post the results!

View the Cooking with Stella trailer and get more info here.
The tickets that we have are for Thursday, March 25th at 7pm for the Coliseum Cinema.

Please reply to marysol@theurbanelement.ca

fun bite

Kerr Farm Beef & Butterfly Sky Farms Microgreens with an Herb Aïoli on Bleu Bénédictine Gougères. Num. Nummmm.

a perfect match

in this month's newsletter, we featured Chef Candice Butler's succulent beef brisket recipe from last week's Fundamentals of Beef class, so kudos to those who followed the link and found us here - you will be rewarded with a wine that will sure to become a dinner party favourite! urban element Resident Sommelier, Stacey Metulynsky, discovered this divine Malbec to pair with our delectable mid-winter dish.

we hope you enjoy this "perfect match" as much as we did.....

Groovy Grapes Wine Pairing: KAIKEN ULTRA MALBEC 2007 VINTAGES 50849 | $ 19.95 | Uco Valley, Argentina The 2007 Malbec Ultra saw 80% of the wine aged in French oak for 12 months. A saturated purple color, it offers up a perfume of cigar box, violets, mineral, and black cherry. It has a ripe core of spicy fruit, excellent concentration, succulent flavours, and a lengthy finish.

About the Grape: MALBEC
By: Stacey Metulynsky, Resident Sommelier, the urban element & groovy grapes co-founder

Malbec is like Merlot's quiet but quirky pal. Like Merlot, Malbec is a red grape from Bordeaux, France and produces medium to full bodied wines with dark fruit flavours and velvety tannins. But compared to Merlot, people are just starting to get to know Malbec, and it distinguishes itself from it's hometown friend with its dark, inky colour and distinctive anise and smoke characters.

Though Malbec hails from France (where it now plays a very minor role in Bordeaux) it really has come into its own in Argentina, where it has become the country's signature grape. Argentine Malbec is made in a softer, lusher New World style when compared to its French counterparts, and the warm climate there makes the grape stand out from the crowd. It has ripe blackberry, cherry, and licorice aromas and flavours, a touch of earthiness, and an approachable texture that is best described as velvety - there are some tannins but they're soft and pleasant, not harsh as they sometimes are in French Malbec. And it has dark, rich notes of black licorice, chocolate, and coffee.

Because of Argentina, Malbec's popularity has caused winemakers in other New World countries like Chile, Australia, and the United States to plant the grape as well, though you'll mostly only see it blended with other grapes.

Back in France, you can find intense and distinctive Malbec from Cahors, a town near Bordeaux where the wines are required by law to contain at least 70% Malbec (sometimes referred to there as "Cot"). These wines are deep and dark in colour, and tend to be harsh when they're young. If you let them mellow a few years in the bottle, however, these wines are intense and delicious, especially when paired with local cuisine such as cassoulet or duck confit.

Aromas & Flavours
. Rich fruit flavours of blackberry, plum, and cherry
. Spicy, chocolaty, and black licorice notes
. Full bodied, and can range from low to very strong tannins

Food Ideas
. Hearty red meats such as beef, lamb, and game
. Braised beef short ribs
. Burgers and other grilled meats
. Mushrooms, beans, and other earthy flavours

My recommended regions for Malbec are:
. Argentina
. Cahors, France,
(courtesy of Groovy Grapes, This Food That Wine Cookbook and Wine Pairing Guide)

Wines of Ontario

We had the great privilege of possibly sampling dozens of Ontario wines yesterday through the Winter Wine Fest.

Although we were quite familiar with a majority of them, there were some exciting discoveries! I have to admit that I am a big fan of white wine and so was my partner in crime - the reds will be for another day.

Here were some of our favourites:



The ultimate Sauvignon Blanc for the day, Southbrook Triomphe. You stole my heart.



My favourite Rosé, Serendipity, from Cattail Creek Estate. You would imagine too fruity from the color, but it was refreshing and crisp.



My sidekick's favourite Rosé, Echos from Tawse Winery. Summer, please be here.

We didn't get to picture all that we wanted, some booths were so popular...

A few things for sure : I will have Cave Spring Chardonnay Musqué in my refridgerator always. I will splurge on Cuvée Catharine Brut more often. I definitely long for a bottle of Stratus Red and a Rusty Shed Chardonnay from Flat Rock Cellars.

-marysol

Anti-bottled water movement

I just returned from a trip to New York City. In many many restaurants and all over our hotel were signs encouraging people not to purchase or drink bottled water.



They are having a major issue with trash disposal, and in an effort to limit waste, they encourage people to consume a bit more wisely. One funny example were napkins in a dispenser that said: use your sleeves and save some trees.

I was surprised at how crisp the tap water was in New York, and how even in upscale restaurants, they did not offer mineral or sparkling water. On almost every table, there were beautiful glass bottles, all shapes and sizes, with plain old tap water. Some tables had stickers stating that they proudly served NYC water.

At ue, we have stopped using bottled water about 3 years ago. We used to set them out for corporate meetings and even though we encouraged people to refill them, we saw that once emptied, they drank in glasses. (So we are using water and energy cleaning those on top of the waste of the plastic bottle that was just used...)

How long will it be for Ottawa to catch on?
Some restaurants are still selling them, some even bottle and label their own. I have to admit that I am quite skeptical about that - what is wrong with our tap water? Why are we paying to bottle and market it? Imagine all the plastic that we could save if strictly serving tap water in restaurants...

-marysol