Eating My Way Through...Calgary Stampede 2014

It's the most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas. Every year this week many Calgarians dust off their cowboy hats, break out their Wrangler jeans and turn Calgary into a western party called the Stampede. The Calgary Stampede features the largest kick-off parade in North America, Grandstand rodeo events like Chuckwagon Races and Bullriding, a large carnival with midway rides, nightly concerts and various exhibits, and other special events throughout the city including concerts and free pancake breakfasts.

Usually, I am what people consider a "Stampede Scrooge". Don't get me wrong, it's an excellent source of exposure and income for the city with many tourists flocking here and spending lots of money on the grounds. It was also a great way to bring the community together during our massive flood last year, and many amazing stories of humanity came out of ensuring the Stampede would go on, "Come Hell or High Water". There are many reasons why the Stampede is an awesome week-long event; too many to list here. But for someone who despises large crowds, boorishly drunk people (when I'm not drinking-ha!) and lineups over 30 minutes long, Stampede isn't really my thing. With all of this said, there is one midway feature that gets me excited enough to brave the crowds, drunks and lineups, throw on my cowboy hat and denim and scream out "Yee-haw!"

The Food.

Each year, the Stampede releases a list of the new, unique and sometimes weird new foods on the midway. Here is the link to this year's list. After salivating over the majority of the foods, my friends and I decided to find as many of these featured items as possible without bursting, and eat our way through the midway.

1. Red Velvet Mini Donuts
Of all the featured food items this year, the most talked-about sweet treat seems to be the Red Velvet Mini Donuts. My summer student insisted that I cover this one, and it was one of the first stops of the day. Warm, moist red velvet donuts with a light glaze of cream cheese icing served on a stick for convenience while walking around. They were wonderfully soft and not overly sticky, but I personally prefer "Those Little Donuts" that are deep-fried in front of you and served with cinnamon sugar on top.

2. Crocodile, Python and Kangaroo Sliders
I'm always looking for something new to try, and different meats is always on that list. I was able to sample 3 more with the sliders package at the Gourmet Burger vendor close to the Indian Village. For $12, you get 3 sliders with your choice of the meats listed above and Ostrich served with a tomato slice and a handful of chips. My personal favourite was python. It has a mild, unique flavour that is sort of like pork. The crocodile slider tasted like chicken and the kangaroo slider resembled venison as it was a little gamey.
Want something more mainstream? Gourmet Burger also offers up a full menu of burgers with both regular and unusual toppings such as the Monkey Burger, which comes with Peanut Butter, Bacon and Banana!

 

3. Creole Cajun Chicken Po'Boy
The word "Po'Boy" alone gets me excited; how can you go wrong with a sandwich full of delicious meat and creamy sauce served in a baguette-like bun? Unfortunately, the vendors found a way for this sandwich to fall flat. It wasn't anything more than a glorified chicken sandwich on a run-of-the-mill hamburger bun. Yahoo to the flavourful coleslaw and the spiciness of the breaded chicken.
Rope in Instead: The Turkey Dinner Poutine from the same vendor. It's a mishmash of both worlds, and it's also a great base if you plan to hit the beer gardens for awhile.

We also ate some food that wasn't on the featured list this year but have become tried-and-true favourites:

4. Deep-Fried Cheesecake and Deep-Fried Snickers Bar
This is everything it promises: a snickers bar breaded, deep-fried and served on a stick. They are both gooey, melty delicious treats, albeit a bit messy to eat. Perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth! The picture below is of the cheesecake.

5. The Quebec Poutine, La Poutinerie

La Poutinerie takes this Canadian treasure to the next level by adding different items into the mix. I chose the Quebec Poutine which includes maple syrup with the traditional ingredients. It added a wonderful dimension to the savoury and salty flavours and the portion size was enough to leave you full without feeling too full.

We were also pleased to find out that some of the beer gardens allow minors until 8pm! It was a great chance for parents to imbibe with a beer or 2, and my daughter enjoyed a fruit smoothie while watching her daddy ride the mechanical bull! Win-win!

Although Stampede is almost over this year, there's still a chance to get down to the grounds and try some of the weird and wonderful foods on the midway. Maybe this year I'm not such a "Stampede Scrooge" after all. Happy eating and happy Stampeding!

The World Cup...of Wine Too?

Starting tomorrow, the majority of the world will shift their eyes to Brazil, intensely fixated on the matches of their chosen football teams, fiercely focused on the scoreboards and standings for the next month. I'm usually not part of this vast majority-that is, until this year.

It's interesting to note that there are many winemaking countries that qualified for the World Cup this year: Chile, Spain, Italy, France, Australia, USA, Greece, the list goes on. You'll find a winemaking country in the majority of the Group Stage matches. Since I have no real affinity for any specific team, I'm going to follow along-and drink along!-to the winemaking countries by uncorking a bottle to celebrate team wins by Chile, Australia, Italy, France and the USA (let's face it, if I drank a bottle in honour of every winemaking country that wins a game in the tournament, you might as well throw me into rehab!). Those are my top 5 choices. However, if Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Germany or Greece make it to the Quarter-finals, I will cheer them on at that point too. In order to pace myself, I've scheduled out the games I will celebrate-drinking multiple bottles mid-week really isn't responsible when you're a parent and work full-time. So here's my celebratory schedule for the Group Stage:

Fri June 13: Chile vs Australia, 4pm MST

Sat June 14: England vs Italy, 4pm MST

*due to a French-themed dinner party I am hosting that night, I will drink the Italian bottle on Sunday the 15th if Italy wins

Sun June 15: France vs Honduras, 1pm MST

Mon June 16: Ghana vs USA, 4pm MST

*Liver break for 3 days. I'm getting old!*

Fri June 20: France better win so I can celebrate hard at a French wine festival I already have tickets to that night!

*If Italy wins their game vs Costa Rica, I will drink on Sat June 21

Sun June 22: USA vs Portugal, 4pm MST

*If Portugal wins, I'm drinking port! 

*2 day liver and probably wallet break*

Wed June 25: Ecuador vs France, 2pm MST

Thurs June 26: USA vs Germany, 10am

*If Germany wins, I'll toast them instead 

All bottles opened for a win will be tweeted. I'll revisit the rules for the 2nd stage when the standings are finalized. 

Best of luck to my top 5 picks, my liver and my wallet, although this will definitely make football more fun! Cheers! 

Playing with Pairings: Okanagan Merlot and BBQ Meats

Spring "officially" began on March 20th, and although the winter season has dragged on into May, we've also seen a few short bursts of Spring-like weather. This has given my husband and I the chance to light up the barbecue and pair our grilled meats with some of the 2011 Merlots and Merlot blends from British Columbia.

The 2011 growing season is said to be one of the coolest on record in the Okanagan. Cool and wet conditions kicked off Spring and continued into the early summer. A late August heat wave allowed more hang time for the grapes to achieve physiological ripeness, and the time frame for harvest lasted a few weeks. According to the BC Wine Institute, Okanagan Merlots typically show a flavour profile that includes raspberries, plums, black cherries, licorice, oranges, coffee, toffee, chocolate, even fruit cake! They are also known to be medium to full-bodied, with moderate to assertive intensity. Here are a few of the standout wines we tasted:

Intrigue Wines is a relatively new winery in the Okanagan, but they are making their name known through their 2011 Merlot, which is consistently sold out on their website. Mellow and smooth, with soft tannins well integrated into the palate of ripe cherries, plum and smoke. Light in body and easy to drink, it will pair well with pizza, grilled chicken and ribs. The wine was also an excellent counterbalance to a Cuban cigar after dinner due to it's smoky finish, according to my husband!

Tinhorn Creek released a Merlot that is also fruit-forward with notes of ripe strawberries, raspberries and cherries. Bright and juicy, with refreshing acidity and a long, vibrant finish. This wine was great on it's own while watching the sun set on the deck, but would also play nicely with grilled chicken salads.

Nk'Mip's 2011 Winemaker's Series Merlot starts with a pronounced nose of plums and cloves, leading into a polished palate of raspberries, cherries and more spice. Well structured and rich with a sultry, smoky finish. This wine is an excellent accompaniment to steak and prime rib. Perhaps the best Canadian Merlot I have ever tasted, and has me back on the proverbial Merlot bandwagon!

Merlot has always been a great sidekick to Cabernet Sauvignon, softening it's bold tannins and adding fruitiness to the palate. This is no exception for Cab-Merlot blends in the Okanagan, and the two varietals continue to compliment eachother - both in bottle and with food.

Sumac Ridge's 2011 Cabernet Merlot has the approachable charm of a Merlot combined with the body and structure of a cool climate Cabernet Sauvignon. Notes of plum, blackberry and green bell pepper linger on the palate through the long, smooth finish. Excellent on it's own or paired with grilled pork and vegetable kebabs. A fun wine to share with good company over animated conversation.

The Mission Hill Five Vineyards 2011 Cabernet Merlot contains notes of fresh strawberries, blackcurrant leaves and green beans, intertwined with mouthwatering acidity and grippy tannins. This lively, intense wine would be great with everything from grilled bison burgers to venison. Excellent value for money at a price of $20 CDN.

It was interesting to note that most of the Merlot wines we tasted had a smokiness on the palate, which added a beautiful complexity to the wines. They were also very expressive of the varietal, showing the traditional notes of plum and fresh berries. Despite the early season growing challenges, the wines were well structured and married nicely with all the grilled meats we paired with them. If you love Merlot, why not include a bottle, or 2, or 3 from the Okanagan? It will be sure to impress both you and your guests alike. 

Cheers!