Old school cocktails really are all the rage…”back in the day” the people who expertly served behind the bar mixing our drinks were called bartenders or even more recently, mixologists…now, they are actually referred to as “liquid chef’s”. Apparently, taking the same level of experimentation, creativity, expertise & finesse out of the kitchen and transferring it behind the bar. Now with the complete line of Fees Bitters & Cordials available in Canada you can have almost as much fun practicing your “liquid cheffing” skills at home as the do in the fancy bars downtown.

One of our faves is the Fee Brothers Orange Bitters; Orange bitters are called for in old fashioned cocktail recipes and depending on the brand can range from aromatic to fruity. Fee Brothers was founded in New York 1864 and since then, the taste of Fee Brothers Orange Bitters has come principally from the skins of oranges grown in the West Indies. The original purpose of bitters was medicinal and prior to 1900 a cocktail couldn’t actually be called a cocktail without the use of bitters. This old cocktail ingredient went virtually unnoticed for years, until recently. A new interest in classic cocktails has brought it out of retirement.

There are many recipes that call for Orange Bitters, but the most popular is the “Classic” Martini. Try a dash in your next Martini and you will never want one without Orange Bitters again.

Visit www.feebrothers.com for a ton of inspired cocktail recipes and visit Well Seasoned www.wellseasoned.ca to purchase the full line of Fee Brothers Products.

Cheers!

London Cocktail
Ingredients:
2 Dashes Maraschino Liqueur
2 Dashes Fee’s Orange Bitters
1 ½ oz Gin
Directions: Stir with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass

Blood Orange Basil Mojito

5 large fresh mint leaves
5 large fresh basil leaves
½ oz. Basil infused simple syrup
5 oz. Fresh squeezed blood orange juice
1 oz. White Rum
Club soda

In a tall glass, gently muddle the fresh mint and basil with the simple syrup. Add the blood orange juice and the rum. Fill with ice and top with club soda.

Basil Infused Simple Syrup

1 c. sugar
½ c. Water
½ c. fresh basil leaves washed & packed into the measuring cup

Place the sugar and the water in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the syrup from the heat, and add the basil leaves. Allow the syrup to sit for at least 1 hour before straining through a mesh sieve. Discard the basil and store the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. Syrup will last for several weeks in the refrigerator.

Napoleon’s Everyday Gourmet Burgers

The book looks great – there is something in there for everyone along with some very inspirational cocktail recipes. Seating for this event is limited – we would love to see you there.
All of the details are at www.wellseasoned.ca or you can call the store for more info 604.530.1518

Ted’s quest for creating “real food for real people” has seen this high-profile culinary barbecue guru demonstrate his flair for grilling in all venues from swanky ball rooms to the Pacific Ocean to a downtown Toronto parking lot. Today, he owns more than 100 barbecues, grills and smokers in all shapes and sizes and never goes anywhere without one in the back of his truck – he is definitely our kind of guy! Known for his pyrotechnic charm and fearless culinary spirit, it’s no surprise that GQ magazine labeled him the “crazy Canuck barbecue kingpin”. The dude just loves to cook!
One of the mainstays of summer—the humble hamburger—leaps off the grill with the help of Ted Reader’s truly unique interpretations of how hamburgers can be prepared and presented. With more than 100 different burger recipes, created using the finest grills in the world, readers will learn how to make more than just plain, old hamburgers. Exciting recipes take readers on a journey to hamburger heaven with every recipe accompanied by a full-colour photo of the final product.
Tips and tricks–such as cooking on an uncovered grill and using the right meat binders, to seasoning and chilling ground meat properly prior to shaping—on how to make the most delicious of hamburgers are explained in detail, as readers transform a variety of ingredients into a fiesta of flavour. Whether cooking over gas or charcoal, Ted provides directions for making the perfect burger every time.
Whether grinding your own meat or buying from the grocery store, creating professional quality burgers without all the fuss is guaranteed. Home cooks will learn how to grill burgers that are moist and juicy every time. Ground chuck will never be the same again!

Simmer Mat is $24.99 and available at Well Seasoned www.wellseasoned.ca and other specialty kitchen shops. Ask for it by name.

H’appy Hour Dessert…

Using a SimmerMat allows you to melt chocolate perfectly without using a double boiler. Simply add 2 cups of best quality dark chocolate into a small sauce pan. Place the pan onto the SimmerMat over a burner on medium low temperature. To the chocolate add ¼ cup of heavy cream. Slowly stir the cream into the chocolate allowing it to melt together. Once it has melted and the cream is incorporated, transfer the chocolate sauce into individual ramekins, place the ramekin on a small plate and serve with fresh berries, apple slices, biscotti, orange segments, pretzels etc. as an individual dessert fondue. Your guests can double dip to their hearts content in their very own fondue. A fun way to serve dessert without any fuss !

Every day (or two) I open my pantry to look for something to add to a meal or turn into a meal. Every day that darn can of pumpkin puree stares me straight in the eye…silently challenging me to do something with it.

My pantry right now finds itself in desperate need of an over-haul and not being one to throw things out, I finally take the bait – crack open that can of pumpkin and start cooking!

Once the can was open, I needed to taste it. Bonus, it was plain old pureed pumpkin, so salt, no sugar and thankfully no pumpkin pie spice, making it the perfect vehicle for tons of recipe ideas. It was kind of rainy and cool, as it tends to be often these days so my first instinct was soup. Yes, I could taste it in my mind…spicy, smooth, rich and satisfying. Oh, but what about pumpkin loaf or a pumpkin cheesecake – those would be good for dessert. Nah, I need another dessert like I need a hole in the head. Pumpkin risotto and pumpkin stuffed pasta, pumpkin chili….the mind reels and I suddenly started to wonder if one can of pumpkin would be enough…

Determined to show this can who was boss, I sautéed an onion in a little butter & threw in some chopped garlic, we were off to a great start. Next up; ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, a little brown sugar and of course some salt & black pepper. Back to the pantry for some peanut butter…yes, you heard me peanut butter we are a crunch house. Into the spicy onion mixture goes the peanut butter and finally the can of pumpkin puree. All of those ingredients made friends pretty quickly, it smelled great. In goes some chicken stock from the freezer and now all it needs is time…time to simmer, to allow all of those flavours to meld. 1 hour later we have a very large very happy pot of spicy peanut pumpkin soup. I smugly ladled the hot soup into serving bowls, tossed on some toasted some pumpkin seeds, a few chopped roasted peanuts and some freshly torn cilantro to garnish. A quick self high-five to celebrate my culinary fortitude and off to the dinner table where the soup satisfied even the toughest critic in the house.

That can of pumpkin puree now sits pathetically empty in the recycle bin, staring back at me; clearly sorry it was so arrogant, knowing it has lost its comfy place in the pantry for good. Until next time canned pumpkin; it was fun while it lasted.

Spicy Peanut Pumpkin Soup

3 tbsp unsalted butter
4 cups canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 medium sized cooking onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 cup peanut butter (crunch would be great but whatever you have will work)
8 cups best quality chicken stock
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ – 1 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like it)
freshly ground black pepper & salt to taste
Fresh cilantro, roasted peanuts and toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)

In a soup pot over medium high heat melt the butter, add the onion and the garlic – sauté until translucent but not brown. Add the spices (except the salt & pepper) and the brown sugar – stir those into the butter, allowing them to coat the onions and garlic. Add the peanut butter and melt it into the spiced onion mixture – stir in the pumpkin puree and gently whisk to incorporate. Add the chicken stock and season with salt & pepper. Cook the soup over medium heat for 30-60 minutes allowing the flavours to meld and mellow. Right before serving taste and re-season with salt & pepper if necessary. Ladle the hot soup into individual bowls, garnish with chopped peanuts, roasted pumpkin seeds and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately.

Note: If it’s too spicy for someone in your house, stir in a little sour cream to reduce the heat. You can also add some leftover chicken into the bottom of the bowl or use a veggie stock if you want a vegetarian version of this soup.

One of our favourite condiments all year long in Sister’s Secret Fragrant Chili. Fragrant Chili is a condiment with real personality. It’s a little smoky, it’s spicy, it’s sweet, it’s sassy and it’s sexy. All in one jar. WOW!

Use Fragrant Chili as a condiment to jazz up everything on your plate from meat to fish, potatoes and veggies. Do you like hot sauce on your eggs? Wait until you try them with a little fragrant chilli, breakfast will never be the same!

Use it as a finishing sauce too. Let’s say you’ve just grilled up some salmon. Spoon on the Fragrant Chili and watch as it coats the fish with a spicy glaze that tastes as great as it looks. Tired of baked chicken? Transform it into something exceptional with a little Fragrant Chili ! Once you realize how good Fragrant Chili is you will be using it in recipes for chili, beans, vegetable casseroles, rice and soups. Mix it with mayonnaise for a sandwich spread or add it to vinaigrettes for a new twist on salad dressings.

Fragrant Chili puts an end to condiment clutter, you can clear out lots of those other bottles clogging up the fridge everything you need is in one little jar!

At Well Seasoned, we love it and use it alot…we are hard core Fragrant Chili Addicts! As an added bonus, Sisters Secret, the company that created Fragrant Chili and the rest of their great product line is a Langley based company. Marsha Simons has developed a real winner here, we really can’t get enough.

Fragrant Chili comes in Mild and Original (Spicy) $7.99 available at Well Seasoned and other specialty food stores.

For more information about Fragrant chili and some great recipe ideas visit the Sisters Secret website.

I arrived a few minutes before my friend, giving me an opportunity to spend a few minutes catching up with the Chef.  Chef Carl used to work in Langley at a very well established winery, known for its classic French cuisine.  Carl left there a couple of years ago and took over the kitchen at CCBC.  A big departure for sure but clearly he has found his niche in amongst the giant stainless steel drums of the craft brewery.  His beer centric menu is friendly and delicious.  He has taken familiar food and completely raised the bar.  It was so much more than I had expected walking through the door – I was thoroughly impressed! Those that know me, know I often lament about the availability of good food in Surrey – the options are pretty limited but I can tell you, I will be a regular at CCBC.

Chef Carl was excited to have an opportunity to show off his menu and talk to us about how he used their craft beer in the food – we were excited to learn about the food and the beer and the share in his enthusiasm for his product.  This guy clearly works very hard – he has developed some incredible dishes that in a kitchen full of fairly inexperienced cooks and a lack of sophisticated equipment can be hard to execute.  First dish out of the gate was the Fried Cheese….well hello, fried cheese my old friend.  Okay so I have been known more than once to flippantly say “fried cheese can never be a bad thing” but in reality it can… this one was perfect.  Crispy stout soaked cheddar served piping hot with a blueberry, basil & beer dipping sauce – some salad greens and warm house made crostini.  You could taste the beer in the sauce and it worked perfectly with the berries and the basil – it was the perfect accompaniment to the fried cheese.  What a most excellent way to start.  Next, Chef told us all about his house made bacon…well hello CCBC house made bacon – it’s so nice to finally meet you!  Bacon is where you separate the men from the boys – Carl brines his bacon in the CCBC beer, cures it and smokes it…the whole process takes 9 days – he’s really proud of the finished product and absolutely should be, it is bloody fantastic.  Now – as you know, I am a self professed bacon lover …I don’t take the subject lightly, if it wasn’t GREAT, I wouldn’t event mention it here but this stuff is great, really great – possibly worth the trip to the CCBC alone.  Now Chef showcases this bacon in several of his signature recipes but the one he sent us to try was Salt Spring Island Mussels with beer cured bacon, blue cheese and red racer pale ale sauce…the mussels were fantastic and they came with more chunks of the excellent homemade bread to soak up the sauce.  The mussels were perfectly cooked and came out of the shell with chunks of bacon and the salty fragrant richness of the blue cheese.  Okay – so we have tasted the great beer, eaten fried cheese and shared the mussels C& I a getting full but the dishes just keep coming….(some days it’s pretty great to be me)

Next up Carls Fried Chicken..OMG – fried Chicken, fried cheese and home cured bacon on the same night…Carl, I think I love you!  Chef takes a ½ chicken – bones it out, stuffs it with cheese, caramelized onions and herbs.  He coats it in his signature spice rub and sends it in for a little sous vide treatment…in the steam kettle no less! After a little time in the hot tub the chicken is fried so it’s crispy and delicious – to say it was perfectly cooked is an understatement, I have never had Fried Chicken prepared this way- it was so moist and the skin was so tender, almost paper thin…I am pretty sure, I could hear the chorus of angels singing over the big screen TV’s.  This dish of course comes with baked mac n’ cheese and coleslaw.  Pure chickeny-macaroni goodness !

Okay – so when Carl and his crew aren’t making bacon,  using beer to marinate cheese or McGyvering an immersion circulator they are making fresh pasta – tons of it and they are doing it really well.  On the menu you will find Black Pepper Linguine, Goat Cheese Stuffed Ravioli, Sunflower Shaped Ravioli filled with LOCAL Kabocha Squash and freshly stuffed Cannelloni $14.  We had the carbonara – house made bacon, black pepper linguini and parmesan cheese – perfect pasta simplicity.  It was stellar.  The pasta was perfectly cooked and the sauce was the ideal conduit for the all important bacon.

In a way I am glad Chef just sent these dishes before we even got a chance to look at the menu…I truly would have had a hard time choosing what to order.  The menu is excellent with quite literally something for everyone.  From Fried Cheese $11 to Fresh Mussels steamed 6 different ways $15, 6 beautiful salads $8-13, fresh House Made Gnocchi $15, HOMEMADE burgers  $11 and 11 pasta dishes $12-$15.  The menu is user friendly and as I said, quite sophisticated.  I LOVE IT !

What can I say – it’s a nice room – big but not loud, there were a few TV’s on but I was still able to have a quite conversation with C.  The service was awesome, at one point after I asked the server about the parking restrictions in the lot across the street she even went outside (in a torrential downpour) to check to make sure she hadn’t given me bad information!  We were obviously spoiled by the Chef that night but it was a Tuesday and the place was reasonably  full, clearly the place has build a great reputation for high quality food and great beer.  To think…I have been missing out on this for so long !  Oh well, the important thing is that I have discovered it now and in fact, I am going back tonight with a different friend.  Oh…hello CCBC bacon, I have missed you!

Hopefully soon, Chef Carl will be teaching classes at Well Seasoned.  Sharing secrets from his kitchen and introducing us to the delicious food and beer combinations he has obviously worked very hard to perfect.  Stay tuned !

Thank you Chef for a great evening, I am a huge fan.

Here it is…

2 lbs. of fresh mussels
1 small yellow onion finely chopped
2 shallots, minced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. of fresh parsley, minced
1 cup of Guinness
½ cup of half-and-half
4 tbsp. of unsalted butter
Chunks of fresh French bread (for serving)

Wash the mussels thoroughly, discarding any with broken or open shells. In a large stockpot over high heat sauté the onion and garlic in the butter. Add the Guinness and the cream – bring to a boil – cook for aprox. 5 minutes allowing the liquid to reduce slightly. Add the cleaned mussels and cook them until they open – approximately 8 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels. Transfer mussels to warm bowls and spoon juices over them. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with plenty of French bread for sopping up the sauce.

Makes appetizer portions for 4 or dinner for 2

Turkey & Guinness Sweet Potato Shepherds’ Pie

Sweet Potato Top
6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into chunks
Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
¼ cup half and half
2 tablespoon butter
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste

Turkey Filling

1 tablespoon olive oil 2 pounds ground turkey thighs
2 small onions, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, finely diced 2 carrots, finely diced
2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme 1 tbsp herbs de provence
½ cup frozen peas 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch ground cloves (optional) ½ cup rich chicken stock
½ cup Guinness beer 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

For the Sweet Potato Topping

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil – add a good pinch of salt and the potatoes – boil until fork tender.
2. Mash the sweet potatoes and add butter, cream, nutmeg, and salt & pepper. Stir with wooden spoon until blended. Adjust seasoning as necessary.

For the Meat Filling

1. Put oil into a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened. Add garlic and continue to sauté for 3 minutes.
2. Add the turkey, breaking it apart and stirring until it’s browned.
3. Add the celery, carrots, thyme, herbs de provence, oregano & season with salt and pepper.
4. Continue to cook over high heat until carrots begin to soften.
5. Add the beer and stock into pan and then add the Worcestershire and Dijon. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low.
6. Stir in the peas and season the mixture with salt and pepper – simmer covered, until meat is tender and moisture is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
7. Put meat mixture into a baking dish. Spread the mashed sweet potatoes over top and bake until top is golden and meat filling is bubbling, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve Immediately.

Our shop is a real foodie’s paradise – we carry the finest in gourmet foods with a specialty in hard to find ingredients, spices, sauces, condiments and cookware. Gourmet essentials for the serious home cook include 25 varieties of salt, more than 50 imported oils & vinegars, fresh vanilla beans, chocolate, cocoa and a fantastic selection of locally produced gourmet foods. We are passionate about good food!

The Well Seasoned cooking school is designed to bring chefs and wine experts to the Fraser Valley to teach us about new ingredients, new techniques & new flavors.

And with the success of our website, we are taking our web presence to a new level. Join us on the Well Seasoned blog to find out more about what’s happening in-store, Angie’s food adventures and back-stage pass to some of our great events.