Quench By Tidings | The Food And Drink Social Network

Sweet Retreat
Re-imagine your yard as an outdoor oasis. Perfect for parties, or an intimate evening for two. A weekend trip to Buffalo, New York changed the way I view my humble backyard. Last summer I toured 30 private gardens, part of the National Garden Festival, the largest free garden walk in the United States. The festival, [READ MORE]
Grape X
It’s not always the wine that excites me, it’s the journey it takes to get in my glass — from vine, to bud, to flower, to grape, to harvest, to crusher, to fermentation, to barrel, to bottle and finally to my mouth. We take the journey lightly, letting Mother Nature, viticulturists and winemakers do all [READ MORE]
Artisan
He is a tall, strapping man, all of 27 years old, and looks more like the star quarterback than a man who tinkers with high-octane booze all day long. But that’s the path master distiller Geoff Dillon, with degrees in biochemistry and economics, has taken in the heart of Niagara wine country. Dillon is on [READ MORE]
A Liquid Career
“It’s a sad fact that Canadian whisky doesn’t get its due. I am committed to changing that, using a ‘kill-rumours-with-facts’ approach, and believe me, there are plenty of myths and misunderstandings about Canadian whisky out there.” Davin de Kergommeaux from www.canadianwhisky.org/about Thanks in large part to the accessibility of the Internet, the world is now awash [READ MORE]

On Quench TV

From The Pages Of Tidings Magazine

800 Grapes and Kraft Dinner
I’m starting to see a lot more wines at my local liquor store made with grapes I’ve never heard of before. How many grapes are there in the big wide wine world? It depends on who’s counting. The Mistress of Wine, Jancis Robinson, wrote a book about our favourite piece of fruit and, though I [READ MORE]
Going With The Tide
In June 2008 I was invited to give the keynote address at the Atlantic Canada Wine Symposium in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. In my concluding remarks I suggested that the winemakers of the Annapolis and Gaspereau Valleys should have T-shirts made, emblazoned with the legend, “Embrace Acidity.” No other wine region of Canada has a more [READ MORE]
Smell the Cork … Or Not!
When I open a bottle of wine, or am served one at a restaurant, should I smell the cork? What should I do if it has a screw cap? Hear that? It’s the sound of me biting my tongue. I’m giving you a bit of a break on this question because at its core, it [READ MORE]

Jamaican Banana
Blend all ingredients (except sliced banana) in an electric blender at a low speed for a short length of time. Pour into a large brandy snifter and add sliced banana. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg, top with a whole strawberry, and serve.
Farmer Giles
In a mixing glass half-filled with ice cubes, combine the gin, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, and bitters. Stir well. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with the lemon twist.

Shop, Stock, Cook
I maintain a well-stocked kitchen during the winter months, making my trips to the supermarket few and far between. I don’t mind stopping at the store for a small bag of fresh items like fruit, salad and vegetables. I just don’t enjoy schlepping tons of groceries from the store to my car to my home [READ MORE]
Get your juice on!
It started with a glass of lemonade. Not just any lemonade, mind you, but the homemade kind, with a fat, fresh lemon squeezed right into the glass. Sugar to taste, cold water and a handful of ice cubes. Perfection. This simple glass of lemonade launched my culinary quest for the summer. If I had placed [READ MORE]
Sultry Summer Eats
Nancy Johnson is the Food Editor at Tidings Magazine, and rightly so. The recipes that she creates are beautiful to look at – colourful and mouthwatering – and scrumptious to eat. The wonderfully warm weather I’ve been enjoying here in Ontario makes me crave bright and tasty summer dishes. If the weather where you are [READ MORE]
Grilled Filet Mignon
Whenever I need pampering I make filet mignon, using an inexpensive cast iron grill pan to sauté the steaks. To infuse grill marks, give the steak a good sear on both sides over high heat, giving it a half turn to create a crosshatch. The sauce is a ‘cheater’s Bernaise’ and much easier to make [READ MORE]