Re-inventing leftovers

I arrived at my aunt's house the other night just as my cuz was getting home from Rugby. Being the awesome big cuz that I am, I offered to make him a snack.

I used left-overs. I love leftovers! I love taking bits and pieces and re-inventing them into something entirely different. Not to mention the challenge that they provide to make something that actually tastes good!

The leftovers in question were pork chops, so I turned on the broiler and got to work making a BBQ pork pizza. I sauteed the pork with thin slices of onion and mushrooms, then tossed them in BBQ sauce. On a whole wheat pita, I smeared ranch dressing and thick-cut slices of tomato and layered the pork mixture on top. To finish it off, I grated some cheddar cheese and a sprinkling of hot chilis flakes on top.

Under the broiler for 5 minutes, this was a tasty meal of filling pork, fresh tomato and spicy sauce. Not a bad transformation for a hum-drum, leftover chop!

Pairing Nova Scotian wine and seafood

Pairing Nova Scotia’s seafood with the province’s award-winning wines: A lesson in balance with winemaker Gina Haverstock.

Gasperau vineyards in the Annapolis Valley have produced some award-wining wines. From their terrific red and white wines, to their delicate ice wines and crisp sparkling wine, Crescendo, Gasperau delivers some of the province’s finest.

This weekend, at the CATCH Festival, Gaspereau’s winemaker, Gina Haverstock gave a demo about pairing wine and food. Obviously a wine enthusiast, this winemaker’s passion also extends to what is on her plate, and had a variety of tips to share in order to make both your food and wine’s flavours shine.

“Pairing wine with food is really just a matter of taste,” she says. “If something tastes good to you, go with it!” Haverstock recommends deciding on the food you want to eat first, and then pair the wine to compliment it.

There are a couple things to consider when pairing food and wine, “Always look for balance,” Haverstock says, “pair food and wine with similar intensities, so that one doesn’t overpower the other.” She adds that sweetness and acidity are the two most important factors in the balancing equation, and that to have a good pairing, these two components must compliment, not compete with each other.

Food preparation also plays a role in the pairing process. When you’re preparing food, consider the cooking method as this plays a role in which wine will pair the best. Barbequing adds a touch of smokiness to a meal, while steaming helps to maintain a fresh quality; a heavy cream sauce, or spicy rub also changes the intensity of flavour, and the wine selection should reflect these factors.

When cooking with wine, such as steaming Nova Scotian mussels, or adding L’Acadie Blanc to a cream sauce, make sure to serve that same wine with your food. By using the same wine, you emphasize its flavour and characteristics, making it a sure thing for a great pairing.

Haverstock adds a few words of wisdom when cooking with Nova Scotian or any wine for that matter: “Don’t cook with wine you wouldn’t drink.” she says. “Drink and serve the wine that you’re cooking with.” Haverstock adds with a smile, “Serve the chef wine and the food will taste better!”

When asked for some recommendations for pairing Nova Scotian seafood with the province’s wonderful wines, Gina was full of suggestions. Some of her favorite food and wine pairings, and preparation methods include:

• Sparkling wine with Nova Scotian oysters;
• Crisp L’Acadie Blanc with salty fish & chips;
• Cedar planked salmon on the BBQ with a sweet, yet dry rose or Gaspereau Vineyard’s

own Maple Ice Wine;
• Pepper crusted tuna with a rose, pinot noir, or Nova Scotian Marechal Foche;
• Floral Muscat with rich mussels, crab cakes or lobster.

FID Resto

In the midst of the Savour food & wine Festival, I had the opportunity to dine with our wonderful guests, three food writers who were visiting for the Savour food & wine Show. As you probably can imagine, as a food writer myself, I was thrilled to make the connection with these women, dine with them and pick their brains about fantastic gastronomic experiences all over the world.

Come to think of it - this was the best dining experience of my life. The way some dinner conversation might range from politics, war, economics, pop culture and natural disasters, this conversation covered incredible wines from South Africa, amazing Latin food in Brooklyn, NY and lessons in butter with Quebec chef Martin Pickard. If there was ever a situation where I was 'in my element', it was this one. I've dined with many-a-foodie before, and the topic of our favorite restaurants, recipes and products always come up, but this was an occasion where food was the star.

For a first course, I chose a dish that I've had my eye on for quite some time. The warm mushroom tart with aged cheddar consisted of lovely, flaky pastry cradling a mountain of tender, earthy mushrooms. This was the perfect dish to begin the evening; warm and rich, it was the catalyst to the salivating that ensued.

Warm local Wild Mushroom Tart with Foxhill Aged Cheddar

Just as us food writers began dissecting our dishes and sampling each other's, a "snack" arrived in the form of Dennis' house smoked salmon. The sweet fish was paired with a crisp, clean cucumber, and Christmas seaweed salad. Alongside, Dennis served a seafood soup, delicately flavoured with a touch of orange.

Snack of hot smoked salmon w/ pickled cucumber, Christmas Seaweed

& seafood soup shooter with a touch of orange

Following our 'snack', the entrees arrived. I, along with many of our company, had chosen the halibut. The fish was wonderfully tender, and meaty in a way that emphasises the fish's 'steak of the sea' nickname. I'm not usually one for potato in a dish - unless it's french fries, or chef Craig Flinn of Chives' Gouda mashed potatoes - I generally leave the spuds on the plate. For this reason, I was thrilled that Dennis opted for a starch of carrots and parsnips. Ah, the parsnip! I always forget how much I love this root vegetable. Roasted, so as to concentrate the sugar, each bite was like a piece of candy. A sweet tomato sauce added a subtle richness to the already decadent, yet clean dish.

Halibut w/ Roasted Root Veg, Pickled Cabbage & Tomato

And in the vein of "the best dining experience of my life", instead of ordering individual desserts, we simply ordered the entire dessert menu and shared them around so as to get a taste of each!

Tarte tatin with fresh vanilla ice cream and Parmesan

Moelleux au chocolat

Banana crème brulee

Fid trifle

And so, our dining experience at Fid ended in a sugar coma. With one or two bites from each desserts, I'm able to say that Fid Resto's dessert selection really does have something to suit every taste. From the indulgent molleux au chocolat, to the comforting tarte tatin, the exotic banana creme brulee to the creamy trifle, Dennis makes it hard to pass on dessert.

By the time we left, we were more than full, and just as much satisfied. Fid resto provides diners the opportunity to have a small, simple meal or a feast for the palate at a price point that won't hurt your wallet.

Sustainable Seafood Series #2: SeaChoice; healthy choices, healthy oceans

SeaChoice is a national program that helps Canadian consumers and businesses make the most ocean-friendly seafood choices to support the long-term health of marine ecosystems and coastal communities. Working with five Canadian conservation organizations—Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, the David Suzuki Foundation, Ecology Action Center, Living Ocean Society and Sierra Club British Columbia - SeaChoice acts as Canada'sone-stop resource for scientific information, business guidance, and consumer resources on seafood sustainability.

This organization accesses the sustainability of domestic and imported seafood products, works to increase awareness about the role of seafood in achieving healthy oceans and help identify sources of sustainable seafood. Sustainability criteria, based on biological, ecological and management factors are used to rank seafood into their "Best Choice" list.

But what does sustainable seafood mean? Sustainable seafood is fish or shellfish caught or farmed in a manner that can be sustained over the long-term without compromising the health of marine ecosystems

Environmentally sustainable wild fisheries are those that minimize habitat damage, have low levels of by-catch or discards of non-target species, are well managed and target healthy populations. Environmentally sustainable aquaculture (or farmed seafood) minimizes the use of marine resources for feed, poses low risks to wild stocks , escapes or disease and parasite transfer, is well managed and creates little pollution or habitat impact. Rob Johnson, Atlantic Coordinator with SeaChoice counsels that, "Seafood sustainability is more than just eco-labels." SeaChoice works to bring information to the consumer about sustainable seafood options of both wild and farmed seafood.

Here are some things to think about when purchasing wild seafood:

• Vulnerability of species due to fishing pressure - long living fish with low numbers of offspring are vulnerable to fishing pressure as they take longer than other species to replenish their population.
  
• Abundance of the population - making sure removal rates are not higher than the population is capable of replacing. If so, the species is being overfished.
  
• Bycatch - when birds, sharks, turtles and other marine life that are not intended to be harvested, are caught and discarded.
  
• Habitat Impact - how much damage is the fishing gear causing to the ocean environment and if the fishing method is causing harm to other marine life in the area.
  
• Effective management - means long-term health takes precedence over short term economic benefits.

Here are some things to think about when purchasing farmed seafood:

• Marine resources used in feed - farming certain species of fish and shellfish requires that other species are used in their feed. In some cases, more wild fish is used in feed than what is produces. Seafood raised on plant- based diets are better choices.
  
• Risk of escapes - when farmed fish escape, they can inter-breed with wild stocks or compete or food, spawning habitat and other resources.
  
• Disease and parasite transfer - aquaculture systems that discharge untreated waste may release disease and parasites to wild stocks.
  
• Risk of pollution - aquaculture systems can pollute the surrounding ecosystem, harming marine and freshwater habitats. Situating operations away from ecologically sensitive habitats is important.
  
• Effective management - ensuring the regulations and management structures necessary to effetely control risks to ecosystems.

Purchasing from operators that favour sustainable seafood help ensure there will be healthy, delicious seafood for years to come. SeaChoice is committed to developing working partnerships with companies to broaden their sustainable seafood offerings through the implementation of six steps of the Common Vision for Environmentally Responsible Seafood. When determining which seafood to purchase - either at the grocery store or at a restaurant, you can refer to Canada's Guide to Sustainable Seafood to make the right, responsible choice as a consumer.

Choosing sustainable seafood is a simple and effective action that you can take every time you eat at a restaurant or buy seafood at the grocery store. According to Rob Johnson, consumers should ask these three basic questions at the grocer, market, or restaurant: WHAT type of seafood is it? WHERE is it from? HOW was it caught or farmed? For a list of restaurants, producers and grocers who offer sustainable seafood in Halifax, check out The Coast's Guide to Sustainable Seafood in Halifax.

For further reading, check out The Coast's article on making sustainable seafood a local option in Local catch key to fisheries. Also of interest is Your Choice Halifax. Created by a group of Dal Marine Biology students, YCH uses SeaChoice as the baseline for sustainability, and helps identify where to find sustainable seafood in HRM.

From the Ocean, to your plate; Cookbook authors gather at CATCH Seafood Festival to showcase their recipes, featuring Nova Scotia's jewels of the sea

One of Nova Scotia’s signature gifts is its seafood. Whether it’s lobster fresh off the boat, succulent scallops from the Halifax Farmer’s Market or tender smoked salmon out of one of the province’s premiere smoke houses, Nova Scotia has seafood in abundance.

The CATCH Seafood Festival, taking place at the Cunard Centre in Halifax, June 19-20, will showcase seafood in a variety of settings; from culinary demos to touch tanks; an oyster shucking contest, and the Great CATCH Culinary Competition, there is something to please everyone. This year’s festival will feature a new event to tempt your taste buds. Appealing to a variety of audiences; little chefs in the making to seasoned pros, culinary enthusiasts to novice eaters, CATCH has invited cookbook authors from Nova Scotia, and welcomes guests from away as they feature their literary talents in a cookbook signing.

When it comes to seafood, what better way to showcase this fine fare than in a cookbook? On June 19^th and 20^th, the CATCH Seafood Festival has invited these talented individuals to join in the fun, showcasing and signing their cookbooks in a booksigning at the Nova Scotia Tourism booth from 12:00-3:00 PM.

On Saturday afternoon, join former Saltscapes founding food editor and Chronicle Herald food writer, Marie Nightingale, as she signs her cookbook; Out of Old Nova Scotian Kitchens, Nova Scotia’s most popular cookbook ever produced. In its 40^th year of publication, this literary work is still one of Nimbus Publishing’s best sellers, and its 40^th year anniversary edition will be released this October, 2010. Marie’s collection of traditional Nova Scotian recipes and corresponding notes about the people who cooked them, provides recipes for the body and soul.

Also on Saturday, join West Pubnico’s Donald Doucette as he signs his book, Surette's Island, West Pubnico and Georges Bank ... My Memoirs, which describes life at Surette's Island, a small French Acadian community in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia.

Donald’s book is a reflection about life on a small island community in the 40's and 50’s, and details the start of the offshore scallop fishery in Nova Scotia. It also descries describes the different vessels involved in the scallop fishery and their history from the boatshop to their final resting place.

An experienced seaman, Donald has worked as a crewmember, Mate and Captain on offshore scallop draggers for 19 years, as well as holding the Captain’s position of a groundfish dragger. Donald’s other experiences on the sea lends to his credit, as he has also worked with Environment Canada Fisheries and spent 20 years as a Life Insurance Underwriter. When not on the water, Donald has held such positions as Executive Dir. of Offshore Scallop Fishermen's Assoc., and as a Board member of N. S. Fisheries & Aquaculture Loan Board.

On Sunday afternoon, CATCH welcomes local chef and author, Michael Howell, owner of Tempest Restaurant in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, as he signs his cookbook, Atlantic Seafood. After 20 years of cooking and travelling around the world, Michael came back home to settle in Nova Scotia. An honours graduate of the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, Michael has honed his skill in kitchens across the globe, working in such places as New York, Michigan and Toronto, as well as the exotic Bahamas.

While Atlantic Seafood has been called, “A must-have for any seafood enthusiast”, Michael’s recipes are organized in an effort to simplify cooking, and enables readers to find recipes based on ingredients that are available in their area. With recipes featuring a plethora of seafood types, this book also addresses the growing concern of using sustainable seafood and assists readers in making responsible choices when purchasing Atlantic fish and shellfish.

Nova Scotia’s CATCH Seafood Festival will also welcome cookbook author Judy Eberspeacher to the province on Sunday afternoon as she showcases Totally Scallops, the first and only single-subject cookbook featuring scallops.

Over the past 26 years, Judy has collected, created, tasted and organized almost 90 scallop recipes for this book. Featuring recipes from every continent, Judy’s Totally Scallops presents dishes from some of the finest chefs and establishments worldwide, and is filled with little-known facts about scallops. An accomplished travel and nature photographer, Judy lives in Canada but spends much of her time travelling with her husband Alex, a wine and travel writer, in her search for the perfect dish.

As the former restaurant critic for Halifax’s famed newsweekly, the Coast, Liz Feltham will bring her newly released and much anticipated South Shore Tastes to the table. Specializing in culinary writing, Liz is a certified journeyperson chef and has worked in kitchens from Whitehorse to St. John's. Liz is also a contributor to a number of magazines, and South Shore Tastes adds to her collection of authored cookbooks which include Fabulous Fishcakes and Summer Drinks.

In South Shore Tastes, Liz has collected recipes from twenty-four restaurants spanning the South Shore region. From the tourist favorite Sou’wester in Peggy’s Cove to Lane’s Privateer Inn in Liverpool to Chez Bruno’s Bistro in Yarmouth, her cookbook showcases a diverse array of dishes that feature local ingredients and tastes. Liz sweetens the pot by including a map and restaurant guide to help readers find their favourite eatery.

Sustainable Seafood Series #1: Today is World Oceans Day!

Today, June 8th marks World Oceans Day across the planet! This post will be the first in a series of posts throughout the summer on sustainable seafood. The Sustainable Seafood Series will feature info and interviews from environmental organizations such as the Ecology Action Center, seafood suppliers, and restaurants whose menus include sustainable seafood options!

As I mentioned in my previous post on World Oceans Day, The concept for a 'World Oceans Day' was first proposed in 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janero, and it had been unofficially celebrated every year since then. In 2002, The Ocean Project and World Ocean Network have helped to promote and coordinate World Oceans Day events worldwide. As a result of the United Nations General Assembly resolution passed in December 2008, World Oceans Day is now officially recognized by the UN on June 8th, every year!

This Oceans Day and every day, please look for

sustainably sourced seafood and help rebuild our Oceans!

I was fortunate to be able to speak with Stacey McCarthy, Communications Specialist with the WWF's Atlantic Canada Region. Fresh from of the World Oceans Day event that took place at the Halifax Harbourfront, Stacey chatted with me about the initiatives that the WWF focuses on in order to raise awareness about fishing and shopping for sustainable seafood. McCarthy says that, "Seafood demand is growing rapidly. To protect our marine resources, we must quickly adopt sustainable fishing practices."

According to the WWF, two-thirds of the world’s marine stocks are either fully exploited, over-exploited, depleted or recovering at a slow rate. (According to the FAO, 75 percent of the world's marine stocks are either fully exploited or over exploited). McCarthy states that, "Our (the WWF) goal is that all seafood comes from certified sources and well managed eco-systems."

"Sustainable seafood comes from a well-managed source," McCarthy says. "That means the fishermen follow practices that allow the fish population to grow and thrive rather than be depleted." It should also allow ecosystems to flourish. We are working toward the day that all seafood comes from well-managed sources. The WWF suggests that. "Consumers can look for products that are independently certified by a third party."

Here in Atlantic Canada, the WWF has worked closely with grocery magnate, Loblaw in their formidable effort to offer only sustainable seafood to their consumers. "The WWF-Canada partners with companies who are committed to making substantial, positive environmental change." McCarthy notes that, "Retailers, like Loblaw, are one link in a chain from fisherman to processing plant to retail store to the consumer’s plate. All parties share the challenge of managing their part of the consumption chain as sustainably as possible.Since retailers are a key link in the supply chain, they need to be – and some want to be – part of the solution."

In 2009, Loblaw made a commitment entitled the Loblaw Sustainable Seafood Policy Initiative to source all seafood sold in its retail locations from sustainable sources by the end of 2013. This commitment will cover all varieties of seafood, whether they are canned, frozen, fresh, wild or farmed seafood products. View the full article here.

There are plenty of ways for consumers to support sustainable seafood. The WWF suggests following the guidelines as set by the Marine Stewardship Council. In order for fish products to obtain the MSC label, they must meet three overarching principles:

• The stocks must be sustainable. Any certified fishery must operate so that fishing can be expected to continue indefinitely and not over exploit the resource.


• The fishery must minimize environmental impacts and maintain the ecosystem on which the fishery depends.
  
• Fish must come from well-managed fisheries that meet local, national and international laws.
  

So when you're shopping for seafood, or going out to enjoy a tasty meal from the sea in one of the province's seafood restaurants, be responsible; ask your fish monger, server or grocery store clerk where your seafood came from. If they can't tell you, move on to some other option, as chances are, it wasn't fished or harvested sustainably. Check out the MSC's website for a list of seafood options that are currently 'Fish to eat'!

Look for this logo when shopping, as it means that your seafood option has wone the MSC's stamp of approval!

Darrell's Peanut Butter Burger

Back in March, when we were having some seriously good (global warming-induced) weather, I worked up an appetite running an arm's length of errands on Spring Garden Rd. I met up with a friend later on in the day, and since I felt as though I could consume my weight's worth in food, we decided to go to Darrell's for some tasty grub that left me weak in the knees. I decided on the famous Peanut Butter Burger. I mean c'mon; burger - good, peanut butter - good. As simple as that and I was sold. I also got a side of Darrell's seasoned potato wedges on the side.

The burger was pretty messy, and I used up a load of napkins, but it was worth it. The sweet, creamy PB mixing with the juicy meat was incredible. The seasoned fries had a touch of heat, and were crispy on the outside and soft within- just the way I like 'em! Paired up with a cold beer, this was the perfect meal to sate my appetite!

Next time though, I'm trying one of Darrel's famous milkshakes. My friend's chicken burger looked pretty damn good too!

Just look at that meat...and bacon...and melted cheese!

Now, look at that PB!!