Last night Paul and I went to a cooking class with two of our friends. The class was offered by the LCBO. For those of you who aren't from Ontario, this is our government run liquor monopoly. It is the largest purchaser of wine and spirits in the world and at the same time it pumps billions of dollars into the government coffers and provides Ontarians with an excellent supply of wine and liquor. Over the past few years they have really focused on the education side of wine and liquor . . . cooking and the appropriate wine pairings is a natural extension.
The LCBO store near our house is equipped with a large room where they hold tastings and cooking demonstrations three or four times a week. The cooking class was to be two hours long and we were to enjoy four courses and sample a wine with each course.
While I much prefer a full participation class, this was an excellent class. The chef was from a well known restaurant in Niagara On the Twenty. It is in the same building as the Cave Spring Winery that we visited on Sunday, it was no surprise that many of the wines used in the cooking were from Cave Springs.
The chef seemed quite young but he had been cooking for 15 years. This was his first class for the LCBO and I know form the response that it will not be his last!
Before we started the class the product consultant, recognizing that with today having been the hottest day of the year to date, we would need a nice summer drink to cool ourselves down so she offered a wonderful cocktail made with mango rum, a tropical juice blend, and banana liqueur. WOW Paul relented on the 'no more buying booze until February rule' and suggested that I stock up on the necessary ingredients to make this wonderful drink. I as always, was happy to comply.
The menu consisted of four courses:
Uovo e Raviolo (fresh churned ricotta, baby leek and organic egg ravioli with grilled asparagus, chorizo, and a sage butter sauce)
This was paired with a Cave Spring Riesling Off Dry. This was one of the wines that Dave tried to get us to try on Sunday but we were only drinking reds, having tasted it this evening I'll admit that we made a mistake. It had lovely apple. apricot, floral, citrus, and mineral aromas on the nose which made it a perfect pair with this dish.
Garlic and chili seared shrimp with steamed clams, served with sweet pea and summer truffle risotto
With this we had the same wine as with the first course. Again it was a fine match.
Grilled beef tenderloin with sauteed ramps and morels
This was a truly amazing dish - in fact after one bite Paul looked at me and said 'you have to make this one' . . . and I think I'll comply on Sunday.
This was paired with a full-bodied red from Italy - Zenato Valpolicella Superiore Ripassa. It was a complex and multi-layered wine with aromas of blackberry and rich chocolate.
Strawberries with Ice Wine Sabayon
This was a wonderful surprise - simple, elegant, and so flavourful.
Dessert was paired with a sparkling red wine from Italy. Banfi Rosa Regale - it was a sweet red sparkling wine with delicate fruity character and flavours of raspberries and rose petals. This is a rare wine to get in Canada - in fact the store only received 1 case of 12 bottles and when it was gone, it was gone. Well, so many people in the course liked it that I think the store is now sold out!
We had such a good time that we signe dup for two more classes over the summer - a pitcher drink class:
LET’S TAKE IT OUTSIDE, PITCHER STYLE
The Piña Colada was invented in Puerto Rico, and this evening we showcase other hot destination cocktails. Tropical bursts of flavour sure to excite the taste buds. Give your summer thirst a refreshing chill using blender recipes to entertain with style and ease. A recipe package is included with this class
and a cooking class:
SUMMER FEAST FROM NIAGARA
What could be more uplifting than a delicious meal cooked with fresh Ontario produce? Meet Featured Chef Bruce Worden, for a full-meal menu that’s delicious, fresh, and creative. Be prepared to experience a burst of flavour as you taste Peach gazpacho with Thai basil and lemon ice, Pea shoot salad with pecan and raspberry, Iron-seared veal with whipped Yukon potatoes and summer mushroom fondue, and a grand finale of Wild blueberries with shortbread and crème Anglaise.
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