C-ONE TASTING ROOM: WINE SERIES

This is going to be good. We're so happy with how the renovations turned out, and we can't wait to get in there and start our gastronomical explorations. (Ok, that also sounds a bit like invasive surgery - but you know what we mean.) The first thing we've got lined up is a wine tasting series led by Ernest Sargent of Fiasco Wines. Ernest is Certified ISG Sommelier and Spanish Wine Educator who has been involved with wine for over 30 years. He's previously conducted seminars at Everything Wine. Many of you will remember how small our original space was - it may be completely renovated, but it's still intimate, meaning these will be very personal and interactive classes. The wine tastings will kick off in March with sparkling wine from around the world. Here's the schedule:

March 11 - Sparkling Wines
April 8 - France (Rhone Valley)
May 27 - Wine you should have tried by now (exciting varietals)
June 10 - World Cup Fever (wines from South Africa)


Tickets are $40 and include house-made snacks and, of course, cheese. Come in and see us for more details! (Especially if your wine-talk is anything like this Toothpaste for Dinner cartoon below. You need to come see us.)

GOURMET BY SALLY RAE

We have a new cookbook in our shop that we're pretty excited about. Denman Island chef Sally Rae Dycke is the author of the popular "Gourmet by Sally Rae" food column that's published monthly in the local island newspaper. Attentive to both the local seasons and ingredients, her writing and recipes are personal, down-to-earth and inspiring, and she's now collected 66 of her articles in a wonderful book that takes you month-to-month trough a very tasty year of food. We really think you'll enjoy it. Reviews and the table of contents are on her site.

GOODS FROM STAGE RESTAURANT

Fernwood's Stage is a true foodie's restaurant and we're really pleased to be able to offer you a couple of their delectable creations. We're now carrying their preserved lemons, and their duck confit. A tradional Moroccan ingredient, preserved lemons are pickled in salt and their own juice, and are perfect for tagines and lovely in couscous. They're great to have on hand no matter what type of food you're preparing, though. Even if you're just quickly cooking up some chicken breasts, they're an easy way to add a whole lot of beautiful citrus flavour. There's a really interesting post and some delicious looking recipes here. And as far as the confit, here's some background information from Wikipedia: "Duck confit is a French dish made with the leg of the duck. While it is made across France, it is seen as a speciality of Gascony. The confit is prepared in a centuries-old process of preservation that consists of salt curing a piece of meat (generally goose, duck, or pork) and then poaching it in its own fat." All we have to say about it is "Yes, please."

RECIPE: CONFIT OF DUCK SALAD WITH WALNUTS AND MANDARINS

Now that you've got a steady source of delicious duck confit right at your fingertips, you can get creative about serving it. The richness of the duck meat is a lovely compliment to fresh greens and juicy mandarins, while the walnuts offer texture and earthy undertones.

A) 4 Confit of Duck Legs

B) 60g Whole or pieces, Walnut, lightly toasted
2-3 Mandarins, peeled, segmented
1. Shallot halved and sliced

C) 160g Mixed Greens, Washed, Crisped *

D) 30ml Babe's Balsamic Honey Vinegar
10ml Red Wine Vinegar
10ml Dijon or Dutch Mustard
30ml Good Quality Olive Oil
5ml Walnut Oil (optional)
5ml Fresh Thyme Leaves
salt and peppermill

METHOD:

1. Brown Confit of Duck, skin side down in a large sauter pan, medium heat, until crispy.
2. Transfer to a baking sheet, place into a 375`F oven for about 10-12 minutes.
3. Remove and cool slightly.
4. Combine B & C and toss.
5. Combine D in a bowl, taste for seasoning, add to salad & toss.
6. Transfer to 4 plates.
7. Separate thigh and drumstick; remove bone from thigh and cut into julienne strips.
8. Place thigh meat onto each salad.
9. Place drumstick up on plate, leaning against salad.

* Belgium endive, radicchio, escarole or curly endives are ideal, as they will support the weight of the duck. Some organic mixed greens may be added.

CAKES ETC.

Though a special occasion certainly isn't requisite for ordering a cheese platter, more often than not we send them off to be part of peoples' celebrations. And the second most popular way to mark an event of significance tends to be a cake. So after chatting with a number of slightly stressed customers dashing between our shop and the cake shop trying to get everything coordinated, it occurred to us we could make their life easier. We work with the fabulous people at Cakes Etc. so you can place your cake order with us, and then pick up cake and platter in one stop. They can provide any size needed, whether you're hosting an intimate evening or a bash for the whole neighbourhood, and the varieties and presentation are fantastic. You can check their site for details and let us know exactly what you want!

DRUNKEN GOAT

In honour of our first tasting series, we thought we'd draw your attention to our Drunken Goat. Sounds hard to miss, right? You can just picture him staggering around Charelli's - the only thing worse than a bull in a china shop is a drunken goat in a cheese shop. No need to call the SPCA, though, this tasty wheel owes its name to the fact that it's soaked in red wine for 72 hours. The wine-bath gives it a thin, red rind and imparts a mellow, sweet, fruity flavour to the fresh, tangy cheese. Many of our regulars are very familiar with it - it's a popular choice as it's distinctive but very easy on the palate and not particularly goat-y. It's also a fun 'conversation piece' for gatherings...

NEW AND RECOMMENDED

Here's a quick list of a few of our new and favourite products.

Vicotto Vinegar: Would you like some vinegar on that ice cream? With vincotto, a sweet, oak-barrel-aged concoction your answer, surprisingly, will be an emphatic 'yes'.

Fleur de Sel: We've got a new selection of beautiful salts - olive, roses and peppers, Madagascar - zest of lime, Salish - smoked from the pacific ocean, and California chardonnay sea salt

Spanish Fig Bread: It's perfect for slathering with cheese.

Nielsen-Massey Organic Vanilla Extract: Take your baking to the next level - a good vanilla makes a surprising difference. And this is a very good vanilla.

Hank's Gourmet Beverages: We a love a good cult soda. Hank has met our standards. Congratulations, Hank.

Charelli's
2851 Foul Bay Road, Victoria, BC V8R 5G5 (View map)
Phone: (250) 598-4794

Shop Hours
Tuesday - Saturday: 10am - 5:30pm  |  Sunday: 11am - 3pm  |  Monday & Holidays: closed