"B" is for Bread, The Aboriginal Kind

I am Canada's only aboriginal wine writer. So, it may come as no surprise that I have a soft spot for Nk'Mip Cellars (pronounced 'in-ka-meep'), Canada’s only aboriginal owned and operated winery. (http://www.nkmipcellars.com/).

This winery also happens to produce a list of outstanding and award winning wines. I've visited the winery on several occassions and am impressed with both the value and consistency of quality from year to year of both their whites and reds.

While I was touring this stunning place, located on the Osoyoos Reservation in the Okanogan Valley, B.C., I experienced an interesting, Native crispy bread made by the aboriginal in-house chef. (Most of the staff are native Canadians.) The bread was served with a chickpea dip. This wasn't pannock, the doughy pancake I grew up on, but rather a style of bread similar to India's poori. It is a thin, crispy unleavened, fried flatbread.

I sat on the patio over looking the steep vineyard dipping into the blues of Osoyoos Lake and crunched on my bread, all the while sipping Nk'Mip's Pinot Blanc. (I’ve included the bread recipe below. )

This bread can be served with a variety of dips, such as hummus, tzatziki, artichoke and white bean. An ideal starter for barbecue dining, this bread and dip combination can also be successfully partnered with a refreshing, chilled sauvignon blanc, pinot blanc, pinot gris or pinot grigio. These wines possess crisp acidity that naturally complements the crisp texture of the bread. The bread also has a hint of spice from the black pepper and cayenne, just enough to lift the tangy flavours in these wines.

Homemade dips always taste better. To make homemade hummus, use one can of garbanzo beans, a handful of chopped parsley, two or three green onions, two cloves of garlic, two tablespoons of tahini, two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender, and with the motor running, add a steady stream of olive oil until the mixture is pureed until smooth.

To make tzatziki place a half-cup of plain homemade yogurt in a coffee filter over a bowl to drain over night in the refrigerator. Place thickened yogurt, two to three cloves of garlic, two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste into a food processor or blender. With the motor running, add a steady stream of olive oil until the mixture is pureed until smooth. Fold in half of a peeled, chopped cucumber and a teaspoon of fresh dill.

This artichokes dip is wonderfully tasty. Place a can of artichoke hearts in a blender or food processor with a handful of fresh cilantro, two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, two cloves of garlic and salt and pepper to taste. With the motor running, add a steady stream of olive oil to puree the mixture until smooth.

The white bean dip is just as easy to prepare. Place a can of white beans in a food processor or blender, along with a half teaspoon of ground cumin, black pepper, two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. With the motor running, add a steady stream of olive oil to puree the mixture until smooth.

The dips all offer tanginess from the lemon, thus harmonizing with the list of crisp, dry white wines above. The dips can also be made in less than 15 minutes, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated, along with the wine, until your guests arrive. This bread can be prepared in advance, as well.

Osoyoos Crisp Bread
Four cups of all purpose flour (sifted)
Quarter cup shortening (lard)
One tablespoon salt
One tablespoon garlic powder
One tablespoon paprika
One teaspoon cayenne pepper
One teaspoon ground black pepper
Two tablespoons baking powder
One cup cold water

Sift all dry ingredients together. Cut the lard into the flour mixture. Slowly add the cold water until a dough ball comes together. Kneed the dough for at least five minutes. Portion dough into four parts and roll into balls. Wrap dough balls in plastic wrap and let rest for ten minutes. Roll out each ball as thin as possible. (This will take some work. Use little flour when rolling out the dough). Cut abour four ½ inch slits in the dough and place on two baking sheets sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. (The purpose of slits is to keep the dough from rising and therefore flat and crispy. Bake at 400 degrees F. for fifteen to twenty minutes or until bread is golden brown and crispy.

"A" is for Acidity

Some wine lovers have difficulty distinguishing and understanding the difference between acidity and tannin in wine. These are technical wine terms. Acidity is experienced on the palate as sourness, tanginess or zestiness. Tannin and astringency are experienced as bitterness and dryness.

If you bite into a lemon (acidity) and then chew a walnut (tannin), you will understand the difference between these two taste sensations. Both sensations are important to the taste, quality and longevity of wine.

Wine has three primary acids -- tartaric, malic and lactic. Acidity provides the refreshing bite we experience when we wip, supports the fruit flavours and adds to the after taste in the wine. Acidity also helps wine retain its colour and preserves its lifespan. A wine with good acidity will last for a longer time in the wine cellar. A wine with too much acidity can taste sour. This sourness is often misinterpreted as bitterness. A wine with too low acidity will taste flat. Tartaric acid accounts for more than half the total acidity in wines produced in warm climates. Some precipitates as an acid salt called potassium bitartrate or cream of tarter during the winemaking process. At home when the wine is chilled, the cold forces more potassium bitartrate to fall to the bottom of the bottle and form crystals. The crystals tell us that the wine was produced from ripe grapes that had sufficient acidity and minerals. The crystals, often referred to as wine diamonds or wine stones, are tasteless and colourless. Wine possessing crystals should be decanted.

Malic acid is the most sour of acids. It gives wine that distinct green-apple taste and is more readily found in wines produced in cooler climates. During the winemaking process, the winemaker will reduce this acidity by putting the wine through a malo-lactic fermentation. This secondary fermentation transforms some of the malic acid to lactic acid, thereby giving the wine a softer taste and creamy mouth feel.

Tannin comes from the stems, seeds and skin of the grapes during fermentation and from the oak barrels used to ferment and/or age wine. The level of tannin and astringency in the wine is determined by the grape variety used, the length of time the juice remains in contact with the skin/stems during fermentation and the time the wine spends in oak barrels. Some red grape varieties like pinot noir are thin skinned and so do not impart much depth of colour to a wine. As a result pinot noir is mostly light red with soft tannin and refreshing acidity. Cabernet sauvignon has thicker skin. As a result the wines are concentrated in colour and have a good dose of tannin. The use of oak barrels for fermenting and aging contribute to the level of tannin in white and red wine, as well. French oak barrels impart more tannin to wine than American and Eastern European barrels. Like acidity, tannin and astringency is also a preservative contributing to a wine's longevity.

Try the lemon and walnut test, then sip from a glass of cabernet sauvignon. You should be able to detect both the acidity and tannin in the wine.

"Z" is for Zucchini

Zucchini is about 7000 BC years old – its origins date back to Mexico.

While considered a summer squash, this vegetable is available at supermarkets year round. It appears, at first glance, to be one of those useless things with little taste. But zucchini is actually high in Vitamin C, and has useful amounts of folate, potassium, and Vitamin A.

While it comes in many sizes, choose zucchini that are 4 to 6 inches long. Larger than this and your squash will have a too thick skin and slightly bulbus texture. Look for ones with blemish free skin, as well. They can be yellow to light and dark green to black. Dark green to black versions also possess a good source of beta-carotene.

Zucchini is a fabulous ingredient to add to a variety of dishes as it contributes colour, texture and nutrition. Zucchini bread is a classic. Other dishes celebrating this vegetable are zucchini fritters and fries, lasagna, stuffed, pan-fried and an ingredient in soups.

When pairing a zucchini dish to wine, consider the more predominant flavours.

Try zucchini latkas. Use shredded zucchini rather than potato. Choose a topping of choice and pair the wine to the topping. If you decide to top the latkas with a dollop of sour cream, pair the dish with a crisp dry white offering tanginess to match. A pinot grigio would be ideal. Zucchini and goat cheese tarts can be paired with this same wine because the cheese is tangy, too.

If, on the other hand, you choose to add a spoonful of applesauce, consider an off dry Riesling. Applesauce has natural sweetness than cannot be ignored. So, choose a white wine offering some sweetness. An off dry Gewurztraminer would also harmonize.

A zucchini, bacon and gruyere quiche has lots of fattiness. Consider a big, fat white wine, such as a warm climate Chardonnay with decent alcohol (13.5 to 14%). An Australian or South African Chardonnay would be fabulous at brunch with this quiche.

Fettuccini with toasted walnuts, zucchini ribbons and Pecorino cheese has bitterness from the walnuts and saltiness from the cheese. A big red wine, such as Zinfandel would work well. This bitterness and saltiness harmonizes with the wine’s decent, but not over the top, tannin.

This squash has been known to team up with chocolate, too. How about dark chocolate and zucchini cupcakes, cookies, muffins, and cake? Pair these sweet items with an ounce of tawny port. Just make sure the wine is sweeter than the dessert.

Here’s a fun Zucchini and Parmigiano-Reggiano Flatbread Recipe
Serves 4 to 6

Nonstick cooking spray
10 ounces of fresh pizza dough
3/4 cup cream cheese
1 (7 to 8-inch) green zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick rounds, divided

3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
1 small red onion, peeled
Olive oil as needed

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper; spray with nonstick spray. Unroll dough onto parchment. Spread half of cream cheese over 1 long half of dough, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Sprinkle with half of Parmesan and 2 tablespoons parsley. Using parchment as aid, fold plain half of dough over filled half (do not seal edges). Spread remaining cream cheese over top; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Cut onion into 1/8-inch-thick rings. Arrange 1 row of zucchini down 1 long side of dough. Arrange onion rings in row alongside zucchini. Arrange 1 more row of zucchini alongside onion. Brush vegetables with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake the flat bread until puffy and golden, about 25 minutes.

Wine Suggestion: Pair with Sauvignon Blanc

The tanginess of the cream cheese and saltiness of Parmesan will complement the tanginess of this wine, while nicely offsetting the saltiness.

"Y" is for Yogurt, The Homemade Kind

Yogurt has been a staple in the human diet for 4500 years. Today it's a staple in many cultural cuisines. It's certainly a staple in my diet.

Plain yogurt is also a fabulous ingredient to add to a variety of dishes that can be paired to wine.

Its predominant taste sensation is tanginess. This makes it a great match for wines possessing this same taste sensation.

Dishes highlighting yogurt like Tzatziki, a Greek and Turkish appetizer, partner extremely well with crisp, dry white wines, such as Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, dry Riesling, Viura (Spain), Cortese di Gavi (Italy), Orvieto (Italy), Gruner Veltliner (Austria), and more. Tzatziki is traditionally made from sheep or goat's milk (along with cucumbers, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic), which has this predominant zesty, tangy taste.

So, if yogurt is the featured ingredient in your dish, consider a crisp, dry white wine as its accompaniment.

I am addicted to homemade yogurt. I make it every day. It took me about 3 months to finally learn how to make themophilic homemade yogurt. This is the process of making yogurt in a warm environment. I have yet to master the mesophilic process, that is using a room temperature environment.

Store bought yogurts are generally thermophilic. However, homemade room temperature versions are apparently easy to do and offer different texture and flavour.

Yogurt has many cultural names. Piimä is a homemade Scandinavian version with a runny texture and almost cheesy flavor. My girlfriend Dina’s mother makes Lebenah, a fresh Middle Eastern cheese made from homemade yogurt. Fresh yogurt is placed in a strainer lined with cheesecloth (I use paper towel), set on top of a bowl. The whey (water soluable liquid) drains from the curds (fat soluble part) of the yogurt, leaving the thick fresh cheese. The cheese is seasoned with salt and pepper, coated in olive oil, covered and refrigerated. Yogurt cheese can be used in a whole plethora of recipes and is a healthy substitute for other cheeses like cottage and ricotta.

What all yogurts have in common is that they are made from fermented milk. Yogurt can be made from cow, sheep or goat's milk. You can use skim to whole milks. Soy and rice milks need a specialized culture.

I purchased a Styrofoam yogurt maker to make mesophilic (room temperature) yogurt from my local health food store. The process failed. I am still unsure as to what I did wrong.

I tried making yogurt in a jar, placed in the oven with the heat on. This process failed. I tried making the yogurt in the oven with the heat off and the light on. Another failure.

I finally stumbled on an electric yogurt maker at my local Value Village. It cost me $8.00. I highly suggest you invest in an electric model if you’re interested in making yogurt at home for the first time.

Homemade yogurt is a probiotic food containing live beneficial bacteria that colonize the stomach with microbiota. Microbiota are essential to the proper functioning of your immune system and digestion and supports your body’s ability to digest critical nutrients.

In winemaking yeast comes into contact with sugar and starts the fermentation, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide evaporates, leaving wine. Yogurt works in much the same way. The beneficial bacteria come into contact with the sugar in milk called lactose. This starts the fermentation.

Yogurt is lower in carbohydrates than milk and is high in protein, calcium, riboflavin, B 6 and 12 vitamins, and folic acid. It also contains strains of L. acidophilus (friendly bacteria), a probiotic. Probiotic means ‘pro life.’. Yogurt is believed to support the health of the digestive system, reduces constipation, eliviates vaginal yeast infections, and boosts the immune system. Homemade yogurt is also believed to be the best food to ingest after a bought of antibiotics.

Scientific studies suggest that the l’acidophilus in pill form contains dead bacteria, therefore useless in producing any healthful benefits. Many sources also reveal that cold, store bought yogurt in tubs is low in L. acidophilus, as well. Especially the versions containing sugar and fruit.

So, homemade yogurt is an important food to add to your diet. The key is to find a store bought version that you like. You can use a ¼ cup of this one as your starter culture. This way you’ll be able to make homemade yogurt with a taste profile that you enjoy.

Every morning I eat a bowl of homemade yogurt topped with a combination of cereals and grains. The combination sets my digestive track up for the day, boosts my immune system, and cleans my colon. A well flushed colon allows one's body to digest food, thus utilizing the nutrition in the ingredients more efficiently. A great aid during weight loss.

I also use my plain homemade yogurt in salad dressings, dips, and sauces. How about a citrus salad with ginger yogurt dressing? Or grilled salmon with a citrus yogurt sauce? The internet is a great source for finding a whole bunch of yogurt recipes.

Tonight I’m making lemon garlic pork chops with yogurt sauce. A delicious vegetarian course is curried couscous with roasted vegetables and cilantro yogurt.

If you love frozen homemade yogurt, invest in an electric ice cream maker.

Here’s my recipe for homemade yogurt:

Homemade Yogurt
Makes 1 quart

1 quart whole milk
1 tbsp plain gelatin (from bulk food store or supermarket)*
¼ cup favourite plain yogurt from supermarket

*You’ll only need to use the gelatin for you first and maybe second batch of homemade yogurt. (Always keep a ¼ cup remaining of fresh yogurt to be use as the starter culture for your next batch.) By the time you get to making your third batch of homemade yogurt, using ¼ cup of the culture from the batch before, you won’t need the gelatin.

Turn on your electric yogurt maker. Pour milk into a large pot on the stove. Heat on high until milk starts to steam. Reduce heat to low. Do not let the milk boil. Leave milk to simmer on low for 30 minutes. Skim of the milk skin from the milk. Pour milk into your yogurt maker container and let cool to room temperature. Remove about ½ cup of milk from the container. Add geletin to this ½ cup of milk and whisk until smooth. Whisk this ½ cup of geletized milk back into the larger container of milk. Now whisk your ¼ cup of your favourite store-bought plain yogurt into the container, as well.

Place the lid on the container and set inside the yogurt maker. Let the milk ferment for 8 to 12 hours. The longer the milk ferments, the higher the acidity level in the resulting yogurt. If you like tangy yogurt, leave the mixture to ferment for 12 hours. Once fermented, transfer the container of fermented milk to the refrigerator. The cold stops the fermentation process. Let the yogurt set for 6 to 8 hours.

"X" is for eXtra Virgin Olive Oil

About a month ago and for my cooking club, I hosted a class on olive oil with one of the world's best Italian producers of Italian olive oil named Olearia San Giorgio Olive Oils.

Sarafino Inc. is a small importing and distribution company that handles only quality artisanal products true to their origins. They have a committment to educating their retailers and customers about their products and how they are made. Sarafino specializes in Internationally renowned Virgin and Extra Virgin Olive Oils and their newest child, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, all produced on the family estate.

Olearia San Giorgio olive oils have won several International awards for their products and are regarded as one of the best by olive oil producers in the world. The company is owned by 5 brothers (they inherited the family company.) Angelo, the son of one of the brothers, distributes the oils. Many gourmet shops throughout the GTA and in Peterborough (Firehouse Gourmet, Strano's Mediterranean Market) carry these products.

The workshop was outstanding, and I learned a great deal about this healthy oil.

First of all, there's more Italian olive oil distributed throughout the world than there are Italian olives growing! How is this possible? Well, according to Angelo, this industry has many manipulations and falsehoods. Said another way, the public is purposefully mislead about oil authenticity and quality.

Many olive oils are not pure. Many are blended with other oils, such as canola. People (like me) use these inferior blends, thinking they're doing good things for their body.

How do you find pure olive oil?

Look for the family's name on the bottle. Also, the product should be "made in Italy" NOT imported from or bottled in Italy. The address of the estate should be present on the bottle, as well. And most importantly, there MUST have a Lot #. Every pure bottle that leaves Italy (sealed) is given a lot #.

Since this workshop I've been using olive oil as a face and body moisturizer. "Pure extra virgin olive oil" is the best thing for one's skin and for preventing skin cancer, Angelo told us. You use it right on your skin. This protects the skin from all the bad ultra violet rays that cause skin cancer. The best sun screen.

It you rub olive oil on your skin and it sits on top and is greasy, it's not pure. It is no doubt blended with other bi-products. PURE virgin olive oil absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving it soft.

Pure olive oil also reduces wrinkles if you mix some with a little lemon juice and use it on your face at night.

For your hair, after shampooing, mix some olive oil, lemon juice and an egg yolk, and a little bit of beer together. Save your wine for sipping in the tub! Rub this mixture into your hair and leav it on for 5 minutes. Rinse.

The olive oil experts (who must train as diligently as wine growers) say that you should not put ANYTHING on your skin that you would not put into your mouth. Everything that goes onto the skin is absorbed into the brain within 10 seconds, Angelo said.

So, olive oil is the most effective and safest product for the skin, for aging, for sun protection, and for aiding in the prevention of skin cancer.

"Pure virgin olive oil" also does the following ...

reduces LDL cholesterol
reduces arterial occlusion
reduces angina and myocardial infarction
reduces blood glucose and triglyceride levels
increases bile secretion for improved digestion and aids in liver detoxification
increases vitamin A, D and E absorption
heals sores
reduces gallstones
improves membrane development, cell formation and cell differentiation

When it comes to pairing dishes with olive oil to wine, consider the idea of viscosity. Viscosity is a term used to describe the thickness of a substance, such as a dish or wine. Even light extra virgin olive oils have decent viscosity. The more oily the dish, the greater the alcohol content you'll want in the matching wine. High alcohol contributes to a wine's viscosity. Pesto, for example, works with Chardonnays ranging in alcohol content from 13.5 to 15%. (Sugar and glycerine also contribute to viscosity. That's why Icewine can be so thick, even if its alcohol content is only 12.5%.)