kitchen rap

• site sights!
• Cuisinart food processors
• new to the kitchen
• Kathleen Sloan's of wine & cheese
• from Kathleen's recipe box… endive with walnuts, pancetta & parmesan
• from Kathleen's recipe box… pizza bianca with three cheeses
• from Kathleen's recipe box… orzo with black olives, sun-dried tomatoes & feta
• publishing and subscription information

Spring is sprung! And with it comes Toronto's annual taste of spring, the Toronto Wine and Cheese Show, March 23 - 25. And once again, Golda's Kitchen will be there.

Truly a festival for all the senses, the show offers the opportunity to sample and compare the world's finest award-winning wines, beers, spirits and specialty foods, including a wide variety of gourmet cuisines from Toronto's leading restaurants. While indulging their palates, visitors can watch top chefs work their culinary magic in the demonstration kitchen, enjoy a series of tutored tastings, take in an interesting seminar, or be the first to try the "best of the best" in the show's fine wine preview.

Golda's Kitchen will be exhibiting in booth #560, right in front of the demonstration kitchen. Stop by and see our selection of quality cookware and kitchen tools, or pick up a new wine accessory or gift for friends. You can preview our selection of wine and barware here.

On Saturday, 24 March, Golda's Kitchen will be featuring two cooking demonstrations in the demonstration kitchen:

The Toronto Wine and Cheese Show takes place at the International Centre and is open Friday from noon until 10:00 p.m., Saturday from noon until 9:00 p.m., and Sunday from noon until 6:00 p.m. Admission is $15.00 and is restricted to persons 19 years or older. There is a reduced admission of $8.00 for seniors on Friday from noon to 5:00 p.m. A $3.00 discount coupon is also available for Friday and Sunday only; go to www.towineandcheese.com/coupon.htm to obtain the coupon.

Throughout the years, the food processor has become the most popular cooking appliance among gourmets everywhere. The name Cuisinart is synonymous with superior quality and innovation that gourmets have come to expect from their favourite kitchen tool.

This month, Cuisinart has introduced revolutionary new models -- the 14 cup PowerPrep Plus™ and the 11 cup Prep 11 Plus™ food processors. These completely redesigned food processors are the ultimate food preparation tools. They provide the superior performance that Cuisinart is known for, plus they have innovative and high-powered features that make it more convenient than ever to prepare everything from chopped onions to delicate pastry dough to artisan style breads.

The two-speed motor is smart enough to detect the load on the motor when specifically incorporating flour and water, and then kneads the dough perfectly to produce the finest flavor and texture for artisan style breads, rolls, and pizzas. A sleek new housing is designed for easy cleaning and handling, and new safety features have been incorporated into the work bowl and cover. The wide mouth feed tube is two and a half times the size of any other food processor on the market today and is constructed of a single piece and is located at the front of the machine for added convenience. And the PowerPrep Plus™ and the Prep 11 Plus™ food processors are backed by a ten-year warranty, the longest in the industry.

The new Mini-Prep® Plus is the perfect little helper for small food preparation, from finely chopping herbs or bread crumbs to finely grinding hard cheese. Its versatility lies in the special auto reversing blade, which makes it easier to process both soft and hard foods. Designed in Italy with the same look as the new food processors, the Mini-Prep Plus' sleek touch pad controls afford easy cleaning and an elegant look. And despite its space-saving size, it's more powerful than other choppers. So now you can prepare small quantities of food faster and more efficiently than ever before.

Along with the new design, the Prep 11 Plus™ and Mini-Prep® Plus processors are now available in a range of colours: white, black, blue, and brushed chrome.

Some other recent additions to our product line:

VillaWare UNO wafflers and toasters
The UNO professional quality wafflers feature a highly polished die-cast housing construction, superior non-stick grid coating, and advanced features including on/off and ready-to-bake lights, a tone which sounds when waffles are done, and a 7-setting browning control. The UNO toasters have a new and improved heating element, extra-wide toasting slots to accommodate most any bread or bagel thickness, and a glistening stainless steel exterior.

Kaiser La Forme non-stick bakeware
Commercial-weight steel bakeware with a two-layer non-stick interior and exterior coating. Many of the La Forme pans feature a magnum coating, which allows for cutting in the pan without damaging the surface. The travel springform pan shown here is the ideal way to bake a cheesecake and take it to friends for dinner. The stainless steel base serves as the base of the springform pan and as the serving tray for the finished cake; the clear acrylic cover and handle make it easy to safely transport.

Benjamin & Medwin cast iron pans
Heavy, natural cast iron skillets and grill pans which may be used on the stovetop, in the oven, or over a campfire, and which are appreciated for their ability to conduct heat.

SilverStone utensils
The foundation of a well-equipped kitchen, SilverStone kitchen tools are made from 18/10 stainless steel with specially designed handles which have been sculpted to fit the shape of your hand and which feature a bead blasted finish that feels great to hold. The tool heads are sealed with SilverStone non-stick coating that not only keeps food from sticking, it's also easier to clean. And, they are safe to use in all types of cookware, including those with non-stick interiors.

Patience, I couldn't agree more. As great as good wine can be when it accompanies a rare steak, succulent lamb or a robustly sauced plate of pasta, it really struts its stuff when paired with the right cheese. There is something about the marriage of a great wine with a similarly great, well-chosen cheese that makes me want to repeat the experience over and over again with any number of combinations. The good old cheese fondue is hip again as are classic cheese courses at the close of a fine meal and I think it's partly because of how undeniably good these two foods are together.

Like any good union, the reason this coupling works so well is that each brings out the best in the other. Perhaps more than any other food, cheese is wine's finest bedfellow. Because of its natural fat content, it coats the tongue slightly which helps to soften the impact of tannins present in many young reds. And that coatability also works to mellow the acidity that is a component in many popular white wines.

But for this coupling to really work, you have to exercise a little care (and that includes ensuring that the cheese is served at room temperature, not ice cold from the refrigerator). There is nothing worse than the subtleties of a fine wine masked or destroyed by an overpoweringly strong-flavoured cheese.

When matching wine and cheese, you'll either want to put them together because of similarities, contrasts or complementary characteristics. Certainly wine and cheese chosen from the same region have something positive to say to each other -- try authentic Italian Fontina with a glass of Nebbiola d'Alba and see what I mean.

What sort of style is the cheese? Buttery, salty, creamy, nutty, old or young? Do you want to complement or contrast the flavours? An example of a complementary match would be the above Fontina example or a wedge of Italy's gift to the world -- Parmigiano-Reggiano with a full-bodied red such as Barbaresco or Barbera. A contrasting wine and cheese duo would be a robust Roquefort cheese with a sweet Late Harvest Riesling.

So, in honour of the upcoming Toronto Wine & Cheese Show, I thought I would put together a group of my favourite international wine and cheese partnerships. Remember, though, that your individual taste and preference should be the strongest determining factor -- if it works for you, indulge!

I have no end of favourites from France - natch -- among them chaource, the soft young cow's milk cheese with Champagne rose or Sancerre. The fabulous epoisses de Bourgogne (said to have been Napoleon's favourite), the strong-smelling, fine-textured whole cow's milk cheese that melts in the mouth, served with Pouilly-Fuisse. The artisanal cheese called galette des Monts du Lyonnais, a soft, gentle, ultra-runny cheese best eaten with a spoon (seriously) and a glass of Coteaux du Lyonnais.

In Italy, I adore the above mentioned cheese and wine pairings and also, the beautiful blue dolcelatte with a fruity, young red or a Riesling.

From Spain, the classic manchego, a cured sheep's milk cheese with northern Spanish reds, which also go so well with the creamy, piquant, farm cheese made from cow's milk called Tetilla. Closer to home, there is hardly a finer match to be had than very old, very good Canadian cheddar and a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Cabernet Franc from Ontario.

Oh, I have so many more but I should save some space for the following recipes each of which showcase cheese in their own particular way.

Until next month, cook and eat with love --

Kathleen Sloan

Kathleen Sloan is a Toronto-born food writer whose work has appeared in major Canadian newspapers and magazines. Author of four cookbooks -- Rustic Italian Cooking, The Global Grill, The Sticks & Stones Cookbook (with Ted Reader) and The Wine Lover Cooks (with Tony Aspler) -- she lives with her beau and their black lab and assorted children who come and go, in Niagara wine country.

endive with walnuts, pancetta & parmesan

Buy the freshest walnuts for this dish -- preferably in the shell. Toast briefly in the oven on a baking sheet to boost the flavour further, then chop by hand with a good sharp chef's knife. You can also make this using halved Brussels sprouts, cabbage leaves, or radicchio.

Wine of choice -- Pinot Grigio or Valpolicella

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add pancetta and garlic; cook for 3 minutes. Do not let garlic brown.
2. Add endives; cook for 3 minutes, turning once or twice with tongs.
3. Arrange endives, cut-side down. Pour in wine; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 10 minutes or until endives are tender. Preheat broiler.
4. Transfer cooked endives and skillet contents to a 6 cup/1.5 litre gratin dish. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and broil for 2 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Serve immediately to accompany simple grilled meats or following a pasta course.

Serves 4 - 6

pizza bianca with three cheeses

This makes a lovely appetizer for four or a meal for two with a mixed green salad. Buy real Italian prosciutto and real Italian fontina to make it the best pizza you've ever had.

Wine of choice -- Zinfandel or Syrah

1. Preheat oven to 500°F (260C).
2. Rub the pizza dough with the garlic. Add the chile pepper to the oil and brush it over the surface of the dough.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the mozzarella and fontina cheeses. Toss them together to blend well. Sprinkle all but 1 cup (250 mL) of the cheese over the pizza dough. Add red peppers, basil, prosciutto and red onion. Sprinkle the goat cheese over all and end with remaining grated cheeses.
4. Bake on a pizza stone in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbling. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

orzo with black olives, sun-dried tomatoes & feta

A nice first course served warm or at room temperature. The pasta orzo is named by the Italians for its barley-like shape but I think it more resembles over-sized rice. Look for it in the pasta section of your supermarket or at any store that specializes in Greek foodstuffs. Use good-quality sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil.

Wine of choice -- Sauvignon blanc or Chenin blanc

1. In a deep saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add orzo and stir to coat well with the oil. Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until just tender.
2. Remove from heat and add sun-dried tomatoes, olives and parsley. Combine well. Serve in pasta bowls with feta cheese sprinkled on top.

Serves 4