Damn Fine Wine

Dan    Thoughts     awesome, drinks, wine

I don’t often venture into the territory of recommending wines, but I feel as though this particular little ‘devil’ deserves some recognition. The Velvet Devil (merlot) is a product of Charles Smith Wines, a company which was was named ‘Winemaker of the Year’ in 2009 by Food & Wine’s American Wine Awards.

First recommended by a sommelier friend of mine, The Velvet Devil has become a regular visitor to my house-hold, and, dare I say, my favourite wine. It’s appropriately fruity, earthy, and at a very reasonable $20-$25 price tag (depends where you pick it up in Calgary), I think it’s definitely worth inviting to one of your dinner parties.

If red wine isn’t really your thing you can try out their Kung Fu Girl (reisling) or the Eve (chardonnay). They also do not disappoint.

You can check out their entire wine selection here.

And, of course, Twitter: @KVintners

Broken City: Chili, Burgers, & Beers (oh my!)

Dan    Calgary & Area, Restaurants     bars, beer, burgers, calgary, pub food, vegan

On a lovely November evening, when Calgary was officially the 2nd coldest place in the world, my friends and I decided to venture out (snow suits on, of course) in search of burgers and beers. Broken City offers daily lunch specials between 11-4. Their regular menu is fairly concise with a solid selection of burgers, wraps, nachos, wings, etc…They also boast a nice selection of beers, including the (new to Calgary) Mill Street Original Organic, which is amazing.

What I like about the food menu here is that it is vegan friendly. Burgers, chili, and the poutine all have their vegan counterparts. Yes, Vegan Poutine.

We end up getting some Vegan Chili to start off with. It’s definitely hearty, with lots of chick peas and kidney beans (getting that protein to the vegans!) with a spicy chipotle kick. A baguette slice, served on the side, was topped with guacamole was a nice companion to the heat. The chili was the perfect hot retort to the icy cold outside.

I decided to go with the Steakhouse Burger with a beef patty, which came topped with bleu cheese, caramelized onions, tomatoes, and lettuce. For the side I had to try the Vegan Poutine as I was definitely curious about it. The burger was good, the home-made patty was cooked perfectly and nicely crisp on the outside. The bleu cheese balanced out nicely with the sweet onions.

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Out of the whole meal, the true stand-out for myself would be the vegan poutine! Why? Well, to start off with, the fries had a good crunch, the vegetable-based gravy was surprisingly rich, and the vegan cheese on top was very convincing. Granted, it didn’t quite melt the way real cheese can, but in context of poutine, it didn’t serves it’s purpose. I bet you could serve this to any of your friends and they wouldn’t even think it was vegan.

So, if you’re looking for a good burger and a beer, I’d definitely say head over to Broken City. They also serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Swing by for some live music too, or Punk Rock Bingo on Tuesday nights (if you want to play to win some sweet vintage items…Lite-Brite anyone?).

Tandoori Carrot & Apple Bisque

Dan    Recipes, Soups, Vegan     carrots, quick & easy, soup, squash, vegan, winter

What you’ll need…

2 yellow onions

3 garlic cloves

6 carrots

1 medium-sized zucchini

1 gala apple

3 TBSP cider vinegar

4 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock

2 TBSP masala tandoori powder

1 TSP fennel seeds

olive oil

salt & pepper

You know what they say: ‘Tandoori is the spice or life’ or maybe that’s not exactly what they say…Anyway, this may the ‘odd couple’ of soup ingredients, but the result is a slightly sweet, amazingly rich tasting soup. Not to mention, it’s a good conversational piece if you’re meeting in-laws/first time cooking for a girlfriend or boyfriend/cooking for a stranger you just let into your house, which is bad, don’t do that, etc…Awkward silence? Just say: ‘Hey! There’s apple in this soup! Crazy, right?’

First off, as always, chop the onion and mince the garlic cloves. Place them into a medium-sized pot and cook with some extra virgin olive on medium-high heat until the onions soften. While you’re waiting peel and chop the carrots into 1/2″ pieces. Once the onions soften, add the carrots to the pot along with the cider vinegar and a bit of salt & pepper. Reduce to medium heat, stir, and let cook for 5 minutes.

During that time you can chop up your zucchini and apple and add them to the pot. Give everything a good stir and let cook for another 5 minutes. Next, place all remaining ingredients in the pot, stir, and let the soup come to a simmer. Cover, turn to low heat, and let the soup bubble away for 15 minutes. Using a blender or food processor blend the contents of the pot until smooth. Place the puree back into the pot, along with 3 cups of water. Heat until the soup is simmering again. Salt & pepper to taste. If soup is still too thick add an additional cup of water, or stock if desired.

Ladle out into bowls, sit by a window, and sip while watching the snow fall!

Serves 5-6

Total cook time…30 min

Kick The KD: The Kick-Off

Dan    Start From Scratch, The Progress     awesome, calgary, cooking, Dan, exciting

Well, this has been a few months in the making, so I’m definitely excited the day has finally arrived! This is the official unveiling of my newest cooking venture Kick The KD.

Here’s the run-down…

In a nutshell, this is a pilot cooking program in association with the University of Calgary’s Students’ Union. Kick The KD is aimed at local students who are interested in expanding their culinary horizons. We understand that ‘quick and easy’ food is a perfect fit for the busy student life, but not everything that’s simple has to come out of a box or take-out container.

What we’re looking for…

• 15 students who are interested in learning more about the art of cooking, or ones who just really like food.
• Available for 1 ½ hours, 1 night a week, for 10 weeks starting February 2011.
• A sense of humour…it’s required.
• Someone who has access to a kitchen (obviously…).

What’s in it for the participants?

• 10 weeks of free cooking lessons.
• Free food! We’ll be eating as we go…this is a cooking class after all.
• Discount on groceries at participating local grocery stores.
• A good time.
• Probably some more free stuff.

Can I apply for this?

Obviously…Go to www.dansgoodside.com and click on the Kick The KD: Application link in the top right menu. 12 questions. Answer them, and we’ll go from there. Deadline to apply is 5PM on Friday, Jan. 21st, 2011. After all applications have been received, we will read through each individually (yes, there is a KTKD panel set-up), and then pick 15 students to take part in the program!

That’s the basics! Stay tuned for more KTKD updates coming very soon. Tell your friends!

Sushi Kawa: Shall we?

Dan    Calgary & Area, Restaurants     calgary, eating out, Restaurants, sushi

In any larger city-centre like Calgary you will find a plethora of sushi restaurants. This city may pale in comparison to Vancouver in this regard, but, nonetheless, we’ve got a lot of options. One of my favourite spots for sushi here in Calgary has got to be Sushi Kawa. The service is friendly (I love/hate the servers matching tuxedo-esque shirts), the food is brought out in a timely fashion, wait times are fairly minimal, and it’s not quite as expensive as other popular sushi joints in Calgary.

For starters, I always go for the Spicy Tempura Tofu. Even if you’re not a tofu fan, the spicy and tangy sauce that covers these crispy squares is, at the very least, worth a try! Standard issue tempura (shrimp, potato, etc…) is also a safe and tasty bet here.

The Spider Roll (pictured at top) is filled with tempura-style soft shell crab and veggies. Definitely my #1 choice off their Deluxe Maki menu. They also offer sushi platter combinations if you’re looking to stick to the basics.

Sushi Kawa‘s downside? The decor doesn’t really lend itself to a fine dining kind of experience, so I wouldn’t recommend it for a first date (and trust me, I’ve been on a lot of first dates). The same can be said about the multiple TV screens (which I hate in restaurants) constantly screening sumo wrestler battles (not joking). The menu itself is a bit strenuous, and turns out to be more heavy reading than you bargained for when you’re out for supper.

Bacon-wrapped Water Chestnuts

Dan    Appetizers & Co., Recipes     appetizers, bacon, bite-sized, cocktail party, holidays

What you’ll need…

8 bacon strips

2 cans water chestnuts

black pepper

Alright, so slightly unusual combination. As well, I can pretty much guarantee that this will be the simplest recipe ever posted on my site. Normally, I wouldn’t post a simple recipe like this, but these little guys are so tasty, and perfect for an appy for any party you might be throwing this holiday season, that I figured they desired some time in the limelight. So, without further adieu…

Set your oven to low broil and let it preheat while you prep the water chestnuts. Slightly stretch and lay out one slice of bacon. On top, roll a chestnut in ‘somersault’ fashion until it’s been covered by bacon. Slice with a knife, place onto a large baking sheet and repeat process until all chestnuts have been covered/you’ve run out of bacon.

Place into oven and let them cook for 15 minutes, or until the outer bacon layer is nice and crispy. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy! I bet you can’t eat just one!

Serves 5-6

Total cook time…20 min