Last weekend was the Ottawa Wine and Food Show. A three day event where foodies can go to sample wines from around the world, beers, some spirits, local restaurants come to play by offering little bites to amuse and delight, cooking demos, tutored tastings. This year was the 30th annual show, and I was raring to go!
I usually take Friday afternoon off work to go. Not as crowded. More opportunity to chat with the various vendors and find out more about the various products. But for those who like things more lively, the evenings tend to be packed with people dressed to the nines wanting to see and be seen. Saturday and Sunday are also usually very busy. I arrive shortly after the noon opening, get my glass, get my tickets, and head to the tasting floor.
This year was the 30th annual event. So walking into the tasting floor, I was.... surprised. And initially concerned. There were considerably fewer vendors than in recent memory, and I was concerned there wasn't going to be enough to occupy me for the afternoon. Gamely, I headed to the nearest wine vendor to get a nice crisp Riesling to sip on as I wander the floor, getting the lay of the land.
The first food I chose to sample was a sturgeon trio from Acadian Sturgeon. Smoked sturgeon, sturgeon rillette, and a little spoon of caviar. It was fantastic. I have never had caviar from the Caspian Sea (Russian/Iranian), but reviews I have since read suggest that this compares quite well at a fraction of the cost. And it is sustainable. And smoked sturgeon! I need more smoked sturgeon in my life. Nice smokey flavour, not overly fishy, with a nicer texture than cold smoked (or hot smoked) salmon or trout. Good news is that this company works with Costco online and ships all over Canada.
Another delightful bite was a Caribou oyster with smoked maple syrup drizzled on it. The smokey sweet of the syrup with the salty brine of the oyster was amazing. Sorry, no pic of that one.
For me, a highlight of this year's show were the demos. Usually free, it is a good opportunity to pick up some new tricks and sample some stuff without laying down the precious tickets. It seemed to me there were more of demos this year, and they interested me more. First up was a demo by the sister chefs that were on Masterchef Canada - Marida and Narida. They made a spicy curried shrimp dish that Marida had impressed the judges with on the show. At the demo, there was a bite sized portion for everyone, but I liked it enough that I went to their booth for a larger sampling. The shrimp was fiery and cooked properly (meaning not overcooked and rubbery). The mango salsa added some sweetness and the cucumber cooled.
This was part of the overall spotlight for the year: Trinidad and Tobago. Every year, a particular country is featured, and since I like the Caribbean flavours, I was a happy girl. I also sampled a coconut bread with maraschino cherries - sounds odd, I know, but it was quite good; and codfish fritters that were delightful. There were also cocktails. I had a hibiscus tea with rum that did not disappoint.
Next demo was my favourite: entertaining with beer. In general, food and drink aficionados are overly focused on wine + food, but beer can be a very effective pairing with food - in some cases, even superior. Though this is blasphemy to many, there is an emerging school of thought that beer may be superior to wine for pairing with cheese. Something about the natural carbonation of the beer working with the fat in the cheese. But I digress... My second beer demo was all about the cheese. The first paired Beau's All Natural Brewery products with foods. Full disclosure: I have not been a big fan of Beau's beers. They're usually a little too assertive for me; not pleasant to just sit and sip. But I am now a believer.
Camembert cheese with a spicy, fruit chutney, more delightful smoked sturgeon, and a bratwurst in pastry. What struck me is how much better each and every beer was with the food. We sipped the beer first, and then sampled the beer and pairing together. It was jaw dropping. I have experienced that symbiosis a couple of times with food and wine, but not like this. In particular, the Camembert paired with the Lug Tread Ale was a revelation (giving credence to the beer is better with cheese than wine argument). With the smoked sturgeon, we had a Nordic-style pale ale. Awash with India Pale Ale, I was not expecting to like it. I am not a fan of IPAs. First, the beer itself I preferred to IPAs; second, again, it played so well with the food. The third pairing was a Marzen with the brat in a blanket. Again, awesome. So much so that I am going to have to host a little dinner with some friends where each course is paired with beer. So, lesson learned. Beer is not just for wings, pizza and nachos.
Other winners were:
Porchetta slider: everything that is good in the world on a bun with a bit of slaw. All the best parts of the pork - the belly, the skin, the meat, stuffed with spices and rolled and slooooooow roasted.
A bourbon sweet tea cocktail, from Hooch's Bourbon House.
All in all, I did not mind that the event was smaller this year. The essentials were there. Some of the chaff that had crept in over the years was not. I always prefer quality over quantity. I went from being concerned about there not being enough there to interest me to staying longer than I ever have in the past. I highly recommend this event. Next year, I may even take it on the road. I have heard there is an epic event in Montreal every fall.
Every year, I sample all I want and then return to my best bite to have my closing taste. This year, it was the caviar. I got a nice sparkly cava (sparkling wine being very traditional to pair with caviar), and got three decadent spoons of caviar to finish off my tickets. So, I leave you with my final bite.
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