Rites of Spring #8 - Tasting menu and wine at SIPS James Bay · Saturday April 17, 2010 by colin newell
Going to regret blogging this big time.
Wine tasting and meal… at SIPS in James Bay… once a month.
And dig this: Appetizer, entree and dessert + 7 wines.
For $25.
Not a misprint. Twenty five smackers.
I had the seafood chowder and the baked halibut on a bed of leek infused mashed potatoes. Apple crumble for dessert. Andrea had the cheese plate and the pork belly confit plus the caramel cheesecake for dessert. Friend Alan M. had green salad with smoked salmon and the pork belly with Tiramisu for dessert. Friend Steve P. had chowder, Halibut and crumble. Sharon P. had cheese plate, Halibut and Tiramisu.
The featured wines were from Hillside Estate Winery – Penticton B.C. Canada:
Ottonel – 100% Muscat Ottonel grown on their estate – Only wine of its kind produced in the Okanagan Valley. A very light and fruity white wine.
Gamay Noir Planted in 1984, Gamay Noir vines are some of the oldest in the Okanagan Valley. Barrel aged for 8 months, this wine is made in a Burgundian-style, resulting in a medium bodied, fruit forward wine. Raspberry and cedar notes highlight the aroma with a silky texture on the palate.
Un-oaked Pinot Gris Stainless fermented Pinot Gris shines with fresh fruit, white peach, citrus and melon are backed by a bright core of tree-fruit flavours – bright finish.
Oaked Pinot Gris Made from fruit sourced from the Naramata and Black Sage benches and fermented in both stainless vats and Hungarian oak barrels. Orange blossoms and vanilla mingle with tropical fruit aromas followed by a rich and supple mid-palate.
S. African Pinotage Fruit was sourced from a single family vineyard in Oliver. A deep black currant aroma dusted with sagebrush, toasted nutmeg, and mesquite is echoed on the palate along with Mission fig, racy spice and leather. Aged 9 months.
Syrah From grapes sourced from our Hidden Valley vineyard on the Naramata Bench. The wine is full-bodied, rich and fruity – tasted blackberries and dark spice.
Rosé A blend of Merlot, Syrah and Gamay sourced primarily from their Naramata Bench vineyard. Wild berries and Cherry on the palate + long finish.
We showed up at 6PM and left at 9PM – 3 hours of great conversation, food and drink at an astounding $25/person less healthy tip. It is not often we say yes to a completely different eating event on a couple of days notice but this really worked for us – made a few new friends in the process and hooked up with some fine wines and awesome eats. My buddy Alan’s partner works as a sous chef at SIPS and we were knocked out by the quality of the offerings. I would compare SIPS quite favorably to a local eatery like CAFE BRIO. Yup, that good!
Now listen up readers! I hope to do this again in a month. Seating is limited and you can put yourself down for an e-mail alert on events (and I did) – but I discourage anyone else from doing this or going to this eating/drinking event. We loved it… but we are pretty sure you won’t. :-)
Cheers!
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Rites of Spring #7 - We make shrimp and sausage Jambalaya · Monday April 5, 2010 by colin newell
I have been making double batches of Cajun Jambalaya from a “modified kit” – from Zatarain’s Jambalaya mix and adding some of my own ingredients…
However, the Zatarain’s mix has way too much salt for most normal human beings so we decided to come up with our own scratch Cajun Jambalaya – and here it is!
1 yellow onion chopped
1 cup of celery chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black cracked pepper
saute in 2 tablespoons veg or canola oil until wilted (about 5 minutes)
add 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
add 4 portuguese sausage cut into 1/4” slices
add 2 cups diced tomatoes
add 4 bay leaf
add 2 cups hand-peel shrimp meat
Saute above for 2 minutes
Add 2 cups of rice – saute for 2 minutes
Add 5 cups of chicken broth
Stir til comes to boil
cover, reduce to medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes
stir, remove bay leaf.
This is an awesome Jambalaya and it’s low in salt!
for the record, Zatarain’s has a low-sodium Jambalaya mix
Enjoy!
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Rites of Spring #5 - Love is in the air and so on · Friday March 26, 2010 by colin newell
In April 1993 I sailed the B.C. Ferry into Active Pass heading for Vancouver… possibly for the last time… for, you know, romantic reasons.
I’m visiting a girlfriend in Vancouver. I look around the busy and crisply new Spirit of British Columbia for faces in similar situations… you know, gals that are traveling to Vancouver to visit boyfriends.
And wouldn’t it be interesting to simply wave a magic wand and take us folks that are crossing a body of water to visit a significant other… and just match them up with eligible folks on the Island.
In 1993 it would have been quite a sound environmental initiative – a reduced carbon footprint long before the term was ever used.
Out on the passenger desk, I sniff the April air deeply as an older B.C. Ferry comes into the pass… ostensibly heading to Victoria… doing the same thing – reuniting family, friends… and lovers.
I actually met the woman of my dreams in 1993 on or about April of that year. In Victoria no less.
And at a time when I realized that the long distance one in Vancouver was running out of steam.
And the funny thing was, since I was 12 years old I kind of had a solid visual in my mind’s eye as to what she (my future wife) would look like. And it was as if in the intervening years we were slowly moving closer together in space and time.
By the Fall of 1993 I knew that I had met my life-long soul mate. Within a few weeks of our first serious date in the summer of 1993 we were engaged… and married in the Summer of 1994!
In the year 2010, it is as if we have only just met. We’re lucky. I know it. Few couples are this blessed.
I have a colleague, a few years younger that me… a great guy – and he is waiting for the woman of his dreams to arrive. And yes, he has been waiting longer than I ever did. Decent guy. Athletic. Full time job. Cleans up well. Never married. No kids. No baggage. And sadly alone and lonely. Especially on the weekends… in April.
I spoke to him this week… and I said:
“Have you visualized the woman of your dreams?”
And he said…“Well, yeah… of course…” His expression was one of Dude, what are you leading up to here?
I followed up with: “Do you know or do you ever think about… where she is right now?” “I mean, when you think about it… I am sure she exists… you just have not met her yet, yea?”
He said…“No, I have never thought about it like that…”
And I concluded…“Then maybe you should… and think about where she might be… because time is passing… and she is alone… and lonely… on a beautiful April day… in the year 2010.
Today… right now… is for lovers… and the lonely.
My wish is that we all get together – because it is just too beautiful out there to enjoy it alone.
So get out there. Love is in the air. She (or He…) is waiting… Watching…
For you.
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Rites of Spring #4 - Queen Kong Nyeri Kenyan AA from RocketFuelCoffee.Com · Friday March 26, 2010 by colin newell
Coffee of Kenya – noted for its cooperative system of production, processing, milling, marketing, and auctioning. For the average North American consumer, Kenya is one of the most recognized next to Colombia and Brazil – It stands out because of its flavor profile; overarching astringency – bright lemon flavors – medium body – snappy flavors with some hints of orange, citrus and, of all things, cedar wood.
About 70% of Kenyan coffee is produced by small scale share holders in this burgeoning and historic agro-dependent society.
And no self-respecting purveyor of exotic coffees would complete their inventory of great coffees without the inclusion of at least one great Kenyan.
Lisa Rotenberg of RocketFuelCoffee.com has a nose for great coffees and picked Gikanda Farmers Coop Nyeri regions signature Kenya AA as her African representative.
And she picked well – The coffee has a wonderfully appealing lemon crispness with hints of oak, spice and hints of blueberry. For me it is not the in your face pucker up in the cup that I normally associate with bold Kenyan coffees – and I like that. It is more complex than the average AA and is worth the investment.
More of an afternoon and dinner coffee, Kenyan Nyeri “Queen Kong” from RocketFuelCoffee.Com wins on balance, nuance and subtlety.
Thanks Lisa. Good work!
