Brazilian menu spices up fundraiser

The Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Page: E3
Section: Food
Byline: Gay Cook
Column: Taste of the Town
Source: The Ottawa Citizen
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A lively Brazilian "Carnaval" is the inspiration behind the Ottawa Humane Society's Fur Ball,a fun-filled evening taking place March 5 at Brookstreet Resort, 523 Legget Dr.

There will be Caribbean and Brazilian costumes, bossa nova music by the Paulo Ramos Group, and a seven-piece band to make it a multi-coloured evening. Guests are asked to wear black and encouraged to wear masks (available at the door for a nominal fee).

Proceeds from the event go toward the care of 11,000 animals in the Ottawa area that are sick, injured or need a good home, and the society's Companion Animal Program, which brings shelter animals to visit seniors, the infirm, group homes and homeless shelters.

At the resort, executive chef Michael Blackie has produced a Brazilian-influenced menu that includes lobster consomme flavoured with fennel, jasmine tea and vanilla oil; Salpicon AAA Black Angus beef (skirt steak) with aromatic risotto, fried hominy served with huitlachoche (corn fungus made by rain water on the corn cob) and chevre sauce. Dessert is banana and apple fritters (the recipe appears here, right) with fireweed honey ice cream.

Silent and live auctions will offer such items as designer cakes from the Girl With The Most Cakes, vintage Chateau Pichon Lalande 1989, Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1993, and dinner for 10 at the Brazilian ambassador's home with limousine service. Jubilee Fine Jewellers is donating a $10,000 Rolex watch, a $2,000 pair of diamond earrings and a $3,000 loose diamond to be raffled off at the event.

Tickets, at $150 with a charity tax receipt issued for $100, can be purchased by calling 725-3166, ext. 333, or on the website www.ottawahumane.ca .

The Brookstreet is offering special rates for those guests wishing to stay overnight.

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The Victorian Order of Nurses Ottawa-Carleton held its fundraising chocolate desserts competition Feb. 13 at the Museum of Nature, with 10 Ottawa area restaurants participating. Top prize winner selected by judges for the Chocolate Lovers Award went to the Ritz on Clarence restaurant for its Chocolate Sabayan enveloped in a band of white and dark chocolate. The People's Choice Award was won by Thyme and Again Creative Catering for its Chocolate Silk Pave (layered cake with walnut praline honey crunch).

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The third annual Wine and Food Experience for The Love of Wine and Chocolate at Eighteen Restaurant, 18 York St., will showcase more than 90 wines and products from three chocolate companies, on March 6. Wine and food pairings will be selected by chef Chris Deraiche and his culinary team. There will be a silent auction and live jazz.

Proceeds go to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute in memory of Edgar Gosselin. The event begins at 5 p.m. Tickets are $28 and may be purchased at the restaurant or reserve by calling 244-1188.

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Cafe Henry Burger, 69 Rue Laurier, Gatineau, is offering a Taste of Chile including three wine and food pairings as well as discussions with sommelier Stephanie Monnin, tonight between 5 and 8 p.m. There will be a live jazz band from 7 to 9 p.m. Chilean ambassador Jose Miguel Cruz will attend. Cost is $25 per person. To reserve, call 777-5646.

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Francesco's Coffee Company, 383 Winona Ave. in Westboro, is a micro-roastery specializing in premium and fair-trade organic coffees. It also offers an assortment of naturally flavoured teas from around the world. The store is now offering customers grilled panini light lunches with assorted Italian sweets.

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Misto Fine Food Emporium, 1387 Carling Ave. in the Hampton Park Plaza, is offering a cooking class March 3 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. There, chef Bruce Wood, a culinary instructor at Algonquin College, will prepare shrimp and lemon risotto, risotto cheese dumplings, polenta served with a ragu of wild mushrooms, dried cherries with prosciutto, sundried and fresh tomatoes with basil and bocconcini cheese. Cost is $50 per person, including wine. To reserve, call 798-9367 or fax 798-7195.

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Slow Food Ottawa Gatineau is hosting a three-course organic mushroom dinner at The Urban Pear on March 10 at 6:30 p.m. Guest speaker is Christophe Marineau of Le Coprin mushroom farm in Quebec.

The menu includes golden mushroom broth garnished with shimeji mushrooms, cilantro, and mixed oyster mushrooms served with Frog Pond Riesling. The main course is house-made duck confit served with king eringii mushroom and quinoa spring roll, fresh arugula and Quebec maple syrup vinaigrette matched with Frog Pond Cabernet Merlot. Three sausage makers in Ottawa took five top honours in the seventh National Kolbassa (sausage) Tasting Competition held Saturday in Ottawa.

First place in the Specialty Sausage category was Adam's Sausage and Meat Products at 1437 Michael St. for its Hunter sausage. Third place in the same category was Bank Street Sausage & Deli for its Hot Cajun sausage.

Second place in the Traditional Sausage category went to Adam's Sausage and Meat Products for its Krakowska Dry sausage. Third in the category was the Warsaw Polish Deli, 747 Richmond Rd., for its Podlaska.

In the Ham-Based category, Bank Street Sausage & Deli took second place with its Polish Ham Kolbassa.

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Taste and learn about Italian olive oils this Sunday at La Bottega Nicastro on George Street in the Byward Market, noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For information, call 789-7575.

Contact Gay Cook at 728-3253, fax 728-2285, or e-mail gay@gaycook.com.

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Banana and Apple Fritters

Serves 4

• - 4 tablespoons (65 mL) plus 1 teaspoon (5 mL) butter, divided
• - 2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
• - 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt
• - 1/4 cup (50 mL) water
• - 1 Gala apple, peeled, cored and cut into small cubes
• - 1/4 cup (50 mL) plus 2 tablespoons (25 mL) granulated sugar, divided
• - 1 teaspoon (5 mL) rum
• - 1 yellow, slightly green banana, peeled and cut to same size as the apple
• - 1/2 cup (125 mL) milk
• - 1/2 cup (125 mL) 35-per-cent cream
• - 2 egg yolks
• - 2 drops of vanilla extract
• - Oil, for frying
• - Juice of 1 lime
• - 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) ground cinnamon
• - 1/2 cup (125 mL) icing sugar

1. In a saucepan on medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons (65 mL) of butter; allow it to foam and turn a nut- brown colour but do not burn. Pour butter into mixing bowl and add flour and salt immediately. Mix until crumbly in texture. Stir in water and combine until dough forms a ball. Cut dough in two; freeze half for another use and cover remaining dough with plastic wrap. Leave at room temperature for 2 hours or longer.

2. Melt 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of butter in skillet on medium heat, add apple and cook 5 minutes. Gently toss with 1/4 cup (50 mL) of sugar and stir until sugar is melted, about 2 minutes and apples are golden colour. Add rum, then gently stir in banana and remove from heat.

3. To make pastry cream, combine milk and cream in saucepan and bring to a boil. In a heat-proof bowl, whisk egg yolks and 2 tablespoons (25 mL) of sugar together, then whisk in half the hot milk/cream mixture. Return while whisking to saucepan with remaining milk/cream mixture. Continue to cook, stirring, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add vanilla. Stir apple/banana mixture into the pastry cream. Set aside.

4. When ready to roll dough, cut dough in half, use a pasta dough machine or roll each half to a paper-thin rectangle 28- by 14-inches (71- by 35-cm). On one rectangle, place 12 mounds of apple/banana mixture evenly spaced apart. Place second sheet on top. Using your favourite cookie cutter, cut out 12 fritter shapes.

5. Heat oil for deep-frying to 350 degreesF (180 degreesC). Deep-fry fritters until each piece is golden brown. Drain on a rack. Transfer to a platter, squirt on lime juice. Combine cinnamon and icing sugar and sprinkle on top.
6. Serve immediately with your favourite ice cream.