Exquisite Taste co-owner Angeline Patenaude is excited to be the first business to bring a loose leaf tea and coffee boutique to Transcona

Like its River Heights brethren Cornelia Bean or Osborne Village based The Canister, owners Geoff Nault and Angeline Patenaude are bringing the loose leaf tea boutique idea to Winnipeg’s northeast.

Inside this new retail development at the intersection of Plessis and Grassie you’ll find an elegantly decorated and welcoming lounge perfect for kicking back and relaxing with one of the dozens of delicious teas or coffees they sell. Can’t decide, don’t worry.

Patenaude is happy to make a suggestion (she’s sampled them all and hasn’t missed the mark on a single brew she’s encouraged me to try). Better yet, give each a whiff at the tea bar, a thoughtfully provided nosing station.

Aroma is the better part of tasting and the aroma bar gives you a chance to explore what's in store for you with Exquisite Taste's nearly 40 unique tea flavours

Along with advice, they also sell all the steeping accessories you could ever hope for, from the tried tested and true ball infusers to the latest innovations like the BREWT.

“Tea is packed with health benefits,” says Patenaude. “Not only is it full of antioxidants, there’s a lifestyle shift. Taking a break to steep a tea, smelling its unique bouquet, sipping and savouring every drop…it forces you to change pace and relax. Take a break from you hectic routine.”

Furthering the view of tea as part of a holistic approach to health and well-being,  Nault has been working to bring regular wellness activities like yoga, pilates or mediation workshops to a unique, private studio space at the back of the business.

Aside from tea, the shelves are stocked with exclusive blends of Clandeboye based Green Bean Coffee roasted in small batches and delivered weekly to guarantee freshness and a smattering of local products like preserves and John Russell honey.

Exquisite Taste quietly launched the business in 2010, but things soon picked up for Christmas delaying the official grand opening event until the new year.

In fact, it’s right around the corner, taking place this Saturday,  January 28, 2012 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Everything in the store will be 15% off and festivities will include:

• Tea and coffee samples
• Door prizes
• Live entertainment
• Free dainties
• FREE Yoga session courtesy of Laurah-Lee of LL Yoga from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm.
• FREE Pilates information session courtesy of Annabel Scott of Pilates Manitoba from 11:30AM-12:00PM

Call  222-5030 to register for the sessions as space is limited.

Exquisite Taste

1-2089 Plessis Road
Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Ph: (204) 222-5030 | Fx: (204) 777-1622
www.ExquisiteTaste.ca

Organic Food Council of Manitoba Producer Calendar

Take a visual tour through twelve of Manitoba’s most beautiful, sustainably managed and organic farms in this beautifully produced 2012 calendar.

Meet local farmers who are leading the way in sustainable and organic practices and find ways to connect with their goods both on and off the farm. Learn about the families, their farms, and how they nurture the animals and produce that makes its way from their farms to your family’s dinner table.

$15 @ Tall Grass Prairie Bread Co., Vita Health (Fresh Stores), EatIt, Nature’s Pasta, Organic Planet, Humboldt’s Legacy, Prairie Sky Books, McNally Robinson, Stella’s (Sherbrook), Sage Garden Herbs, Fresh Option Organic Delivery.

Cast Iron Cookware

Once relegated to campfire cooking, cast iron is back in the kitchen. It’s durable, non-stick (you can get them pre-seasoned or enameled) and an amazing heat conductor. Blogger Elaina S. and food writer/explorer Shel Z. say they can’t live without it, from fry pans to the indispensable dutch oven. Prices vary by piece and location.

Cakettes

A boutique bakery in the heart of Winnipeg’s Exchange District, Cake-ology has quickly carved out a niche for itself by making some of the city’s most wow-factor cakes. You don’t have to wait for a special occasion. Enjoy cakettes, super miniature versions of the big boys, any time by grabbing an attractively wrapped 3, 15 or 30 piece box.

$5, $25 or $45 respectively.
Cake-ology
85 Arthur Street

Holiday Cookies by Chocolatier Constance Popp

Whether it’s Christmas Eve snacking or a sweet little stocking stuffer, these winter themed cookies are as delicious as they are adorable.  This is the gift that gives back, because inside this inauspicious store on Portage Avenue, you’ll discover a treasure trove of chocolate treats, from bon bons and barks to amazingly themed moulds.

Chocolatier Constance Popp
1853 Portage Avenue
(204) 897-0689

Ice Cream Maker

I’m probably going to get into trouble for this, but mom was wrong–it’s okay to play with your food. These super-cute ice cream makers turn churning into learning…it’s like magic making delicious recipes for frozen treats. Just put ice, salt and water in the bottom of the character, then add yogurt, orange juice or chocolate milk to metal canister. Shake for 2 to 3 minutes, open up and spoon out the frozen treat. $ 19.99 at Toad Hall Toys.
54 Arthur Street
(204) 956-2195

Mandoline Slicer

Invented by the Italians, popularized by the French, this is a next level kind of kitchen gadget.

“I thought it would be a ‘niche’ kitchen gadget when I got it, but I use it all the time,” says Savour reader Matt.

This surprisingly affordable Benriner model from The Happy Cooker comes with an all important hand guard, and three blades for julienne cuts.

$49.99
The Happy Cooker
464 Stradbrook Ave

Gift Baskets from Exquisite Taste

Winnipeg’s newest boutique store is brewing up some amazing business in Winnipeg’s north east. Not only do they carry delicious, small batch roasted Green Bean Coffee, but some of the most amazing tea blends I’ve ever tasted! You’ll also find an assortment of brewing and steeping apparatus, and other local products including John Russel honey. To save you time, they’ve compiled an assortment into these very attractively wrapped gift baskets.

$49.99
Exquisite Taste
2089 Plessis Road
(204) 222-5030

Civet Coffee

More exclusive (and expensive)  even than the most prized Jamaican Blue Mountain or Kona Coffees, is this Thai import. Civet Coffee is named for the cat-like creatures that scour the coffee plants and greedily gobble the best, and most ripe beans. The magic happens post digestion. Gross as it sounds, connoisseurs contend that the digestive enzymes of the animal transform the flavour of the coffee. It’s thoroughly cleaned and roasted of course. $60 for 2oz at The Canister.
121 Osborne Street
(204) 47400407

The Gift of Knowledge

From Wine appreciation to cooking techniques, there’s always something to sink your teeth into in Winnipeg. Check out these education evenings at DeLucas, MLCC,  and The Food Studio to name a few. Visit Savour’s calendar of food these and more events for details and booking information.

Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer

Jennifer D. sang the praises of her stand mixer and we couldn’t agree more. The Swiss Army knife of the kitchen, the super-stylish yet somehow retro Artisan can do it all, from batter to dough. And the wide range of attachments, like grinder, sausage stuffer and pasta dough roller  gives you a gift you can build on for celebrations to come. Prices vary widely by style and location, so keep your eye out for some of those amazing sales.

A Soup Subcription

That’s not a typo. A social enterprise that hires under-employed people in the downtown area, every Friday Soup Bee delivers delicious, hand made soups right to your downtown office or doorstep. Subscribe to weekly, monthly and everything in between soup service and they’ll  deliver chilled soup in re-usable, microwavable, freezable containers. A different recipe is featured each week and they’ll send you an email ahead of time in case you don’t want that week’s feature. Pay only for what you want.

$10 vegetarian
$11 with meat
The Soup Bee
608 Broadway
(204) 218-768 (soup) or 774-7201

It’s a great time to score some great Christmas bargains for the foodie on your list.

Like this 11 piece commercial grade cookware set reduced by $500!

Stock up on Paderno bakeware including their new line of ECO friendly muffin pans, cookie sheets, cake pans.

Ceramic Fry Pans in three sizes 8″, 10″ & 12″ are almost 70% off regular retail prices.

And theres also deals to be had on knife sets, measuring cups & spoons, water bottles, silicone pastry mats, wooden chopping boards, kettles, teapots, steak knives, salad spinners, roasters, woks, stock pots, utensil sets, flatware and individual cookware pieces.

I’m a bit of a farmers’ market junkie, bagging more product that I can possibly use.  The selection and freshness is intoxicating and I can’t believe how many markets there are to choose from.

The more I learn is out there, the more it astounds me that anyone goes to the supermarket at all during summer.

But I too, was once oblivious to the bounty that grows on our doorsteps.

So I’ve assembled a breakdown of sources for super-local fare.

Now there’s no excuse not to buy local:

Founded by an Italian, Angelo Cetto, Cetto started the wine business in 1930. He bought a number of small wineries in the 1980s and is now responsible for more than half of the country’s wine production. Cetto cultivates 2,500 acres of vineyards in Baja California; also tequila and olive oil.

L.A. Cetto Petite Sirah

Color: Intense ruby red, extraordinary limpidity

Aroma: Spicy, red fruits, intense, it reveals the varietals character

Taste: Good mature tannins, long in mouth, dry, but very round and balanced, very characteristic of the varietal ~

Pairing: Combines with all kind of red meats, strong cheese, spicy dishes, among others.

$11.95 @ MLCC

L.A. Cetto Cabernet Sauvignon

Colour: Dark, deep ruby colored.

Aroma: intense bouquet

Taste: Black cherries, black pepper, cinnamon, plums and vanilla. Medium-bodied with a good fruit-acid balance, light tannins, and a clean finish and aftertaste.

Pairing: Grilled beef, especially sirloin steaks: pasta and fresh tomatoes.

$11.95 @ MLCC

The same thing occurred to Dr. Nick Proia. An Ohio pulmonologist, he developed Brix when it became obvious to him that no chocolate on the market paired well with wine.

At the root of these large blocks is single origin Ghanaian chocolate, known for its red fruit tones, mixed with the highest quality confectionary chocolate. The result is a blend so pure in flavor that it actually enhances those nuances found in great wines, without confusing the palate.

BRIX Milk Chocolate

Soft, creamy cacao perfectly compliments the lighter reds and dessert wines. The use of highest quality milk chocolate results in a taste like no other; both creamy and spicy.

Pair With: Port, Ice Wine, Rose, Pinot Noir, Burgundy.

$16.99 at Chapters & Specialty Wine Stores

BRIX Dark Chocolate

While its cocoa content is high, it remains sedate enough to enhance the fruit forward wines it was designed to accompany making it the most versatile. Its suggested pairings are on the label but don’t be fooled – it easily stretches upward to the lighter cabs and downward to the heavier pinots.

Pair With: Zinfandel, Syrah, Rhone, Merlot, Shiraz

$16.99 at Chapters & Specialty Wine Stores

Are you looking for a sizzling 2011 calendar? A dozen of Manitoba’s most innovative and affable chefs show off their winning smiles and delectable dishes on the calendar pages of Hot in the Kitchen 2011.

The calendars are $2 each and available at:

• Bistro 7 1/4
• Deseo Bistro
• Segovia Tapas Bar & Restaurant
• The Tallest Poppy
• Peasant Cookery
• Four Points Sheraton Winnipeg South
• Mask Restaurant in Gimli
• Horfrost Restaurant in Portage la Prairie

The entire $2 from the sale of each calendar will support Winnipeg Harvest.

Now if you’re having a small group of wine-loving friends over, then go to town. Head to your favourite LC or specialty wine store and pick up a few bottles of some obscure single-vineyard Portuguese Syrah or a new vintage of your favourite Ligurian Vermentino.

But if (like most of us) you’re having a big group of people with many different tastes, how do you balance your love of good wine with the reality that the wine will only be a sideshow to the main event?

Let’s be honest. Even if you serve the most fabulous wine that money can buy, most people won’t remember it. But if you serve up some nasty swill, people will remember. So to keep everyone happy (and to keep your bank balance in the black) the trick is to find a couple of crowd-pleasers at a reasonable price.

Here are some pointers to help you on that search.

Crowd-pleasing

I can’t stress this enough. This is the time to play it safe, and make sure that the wine will suit both your great-aunt and your roommate’s slightly unhinged cousin.

Acidity

The food at most holiday parties is a wild mixture of sweet, salty and spicy. In other words, it’s hard to pair. If most of your wine choices have at least a touch of acidity, you’ll do fine. They won’t be perfect, but they will be perfect for the evening.

Price

It’s always nice to pull out an expensive bottle. But if you’re hosting the office holiday bash, do you really want to serve up the pricey California Cabernet at the back of your cellar? There’s no need to spend over $15 per bottle, and you can do perfectly well for even less.

So with all that in mind, here are some suggestions for your next holiday gathering.

Whites

Think crisp, light and easy-drinking. Avoid sweetness unless it’s paired with lots of acidity, and stay away from the big oak-bomb Chardonnays.

Prospect Winery ‘Ogopogo’s Lair’ Pinot Gris

• Richer, smoother and more flavourful than your typical Pinot Grigio. Great on its own and even better with food.

$14 at MLCC

Dr ‘L’ Riesling

• A luscious and smooth German Riesling, where sweetness and acidity are perfectly balanced. Goes well with greasy and spicy finger food too.

$15-17 at Specialty Wine Stores

Shepherd’s Cottage Semillon/Chardonnay

• South Africans celebrate their holidays in the summer sun, but this wine goes very well in our snowy season too. Crisp and well-balanced with some neat herbal undertones. Highly underrated.

$12.57 at MLCC

Reds

This is a tougher category. More people will go for the reds, so the pressure is on. You’ll want some acidity, but the wines have to be soft enough to drink on their own too.

Gougenheim Malbec

• Malbec is in everyone’s sights these days. And with good reason. This example is medium-bodied, with exotic, almost smoky flavours. Pairs well with meat-based appetizers but also holds up very well on its own.

$12.11 at MLCC

La Veille Ferme

• An old standby, but it’s consistently good. The balance of soft fruit flavours and crisp acidity make this the perfect holiday wine. Drinks just as well out of a plastic wine glass as it does out of crystal.

$12.50 at MLCC

Beaulieu Coastal Zinfandel

• A rich, full-bodied wine with a bit of a wild edge. For the big red fans in the crowd. Can handle some of the spicier foods too.

$13-15 at Specialty Wine Stores

Sparkling

The biggest misconception about sparkling wine (or bubbly if you prefer) is that it’s only for celebrations. Well, it’s not. And more to the point, sparkling wine can pair with just about every mood and food imaginable. So why not pop the cork on a bottle or two of bubbly for your next party?

Segura Viudas

• A crowd-pleasing Spanish cava. This fine cuvée is fairly crisp with an interesting floral note and mouth-pleasing sensation of creaminess.

$14.50 at MLCC

Lavit Rosado

• A sparkling rose from the gang at Segura Viudas. Possibly the most fun you can legally have at a holiday party. The colour is seasonally appropriate too.

$14.21 at MLCC

Chamdeville Blanc de Blancs

• France’s finest contribution to the party wine market. Cheap and cheerful, with enough crisp, toasty flavour to keep everyone happy.

$13-14 at Specialty Wine Stores

These are just a few party pairing guidelines but the overriding rule is make sure you enjoy the wine. It’s your party after all.

SavourWinnipeg.com wine editor Alec Stuart has been in and out of the wine industry since 1996 and has spent the last ten years handling wine education for the Kenaston Wine Market. While his workdays are spent dealing with acronyms like ISO, CSA and EMS, his evenings feature the more pleasant VQA, QmP and DOCG. His wish for the holiday season is for everyone to get along over a glass of good wine (and for a bottle of Argyle Vintage Brut to land in his stocking). If you have a question for Alec or a suggestion for a future feature, drop us a line.

We’ve done the legwork and scoured the supply stores and markets for the cool tools, meal-time must-haves, and consumable collectibles.

Savour Winnipeg is proud to present twelve foodie gift ideas that any one who knows their way around a kitchen would love to have stuffed in a stocking.

Starting with…

The Kwak Pack

Like so many Belgian beers, Kwak has a custom glass, perhaps one of the most unique serving vessels you’ll ever see.

It’s a smaller version of the stirrup-cup, or yard of ale, an innovation that allowed publicans to serve coachmen and horsemen without them having to dismount. Each Kwak pack comes with 4 beers and a signature round-bottomed glass and stand.

Manitoba Liquor Marts

Various locations

$21.95

Beer Bottle Tumblers

These cool cups take custom beer containers a step further. A unique recycling process heats the original bottle, then stretches and forms it into a tumbler.

Several top brands are available including Corona, Red Stripe, Steam Whistle, Sleemans and Carlsberg.

Five Small Rooms

1857 Grant Avenue

$21.95

Baseball Bat Pepper Mill

King Pepper’s black pepper grinder is available in a 72cm life-size model or a much more table friendly junior version like the one we found at Five Small Rooms.

The beechwood body is fire-branded with the logo, and the stainless steel grinding mechanism is guaranteed for life. Stuff this in a stocking and you’re bound to hit a home run with the sports fan or foodie alike.

Five Small Rooms

1857 Grant Avenue

$44.95

Folding Trivet

Trust Lee Valley to stock such an innovative and practical product. Made of durable, non-slip silicone, this trivet forms an 8 1/2 inch base for all but the biggest pots.

When finished, it neatly folds down into a tiny baton less than an inch in diameter for storage in practically any drawer.

Lee Valley Tools

1395 Ellice

$14.95

Nutrition Scale

Programmed with detailed nutritional data for nearly 2000 foods, you can also add up to 99 new codes for those not on the list–simply enter nutritional information from the package label.

The LCD screen shows calories, carbs, sugars, protein, cholesterol, sodium, and four other nutritional factors, based on weight.

Lee Valley Tools

1395 Ellice

$49.50

Microplane

Whether you’re grating cheese, chocolate, or zesting lemons, limes and oranges (as for the Citrus Turkey recipewe’re featuring this month), a Microplane is an absolute marvel and an indispensable tool in the kitchen.

Available in a wide array of forms, functions and colours, we recommend investing in the professional grade as pictured here, especially for zesting, as the Ultimate Citrus Tool proved an ultimate disappointment (see review).

da Niels Kitchenware

485 Berry Street

$22.50 srp

Citrus Press

Whether it’s the easy squeezy job of making fresh orange juice, or extracting juice from notoriously reluctant limes for margaritas, a citrus press makes the job quick and easy. It’ll also prove handy dandy for this month’s featured recipe.

The Happy Cooker

464 Stradbrook

$12.99

Split Roasting Rack

Just in time for the holidays. Removing that giant bird from the roasting pan no longer needs to be a delicate operation. Even pans with cradles leave you the awkward task of separating roast from rack before you can carve. The Lee Valley take-apart roaster’s rack breaks into two parts at the base, freeing your Christmas turkey with no fuss, no muss.

Lee Valley Tools

1395 Ellice

$19.95

Gravy Fat Separator

Once you’ve got that bird free, collecting those pan juices is essential to a great gravy. Pour them straight into the strainer lid of this easy to handle glass jug. The bottom mount spigot dispenses the drippings from the bottom, leaving the fat behind.

The Happy Cooker

464 Stradbrook

$24.99

Squeeze Bottles

Whether it’s a crema for Mexican food, or creme anglaise for desserts, every foodie can find a hundred uses for these re-usable squeeze bottles. Sold as a pair, they’re a no-brainer, low budget stocking stuffer.

The Happy Cooker

464 Stradbrook

$3.99 pair

Tortilla Press

If you already make your own pizza or pasta dough, then take your tacos to the next level too with this aluminum tortilla press.

Whether it’s white, yellow, even blue corn masa and a little muscle you’ll be wondering why you’ve used those flavourless flour flatbreads in the first place.

The Happy Cooker

464 Stradbrook

$44.95

Bruleé Torch

Creme Bruleé is a fairly easy dessert to make, but that caramelized sugar crust can prove elusive without the right tools.

This little torch delivers big BTUs for just over twenty bucks and you’ll find new uses for it in no time–like adding a little flare to the features on your jack-o-lanterns.

The Happy Cooker

464 Stradbrook

$21.99

WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT: Besides their cakes being delish, in honour of Movember (no that’s not a typo) they’re selling mustachioed Irish Cream butter cream chocolate cupcakes and donating a percentage of sales to prostate cancer research.

If you’re like me and somewhat folicularly challenged in the facial hair department, you can buy a mo and save a bro.

ATMOSPHERE: Once upon a time a Manhattan pastry princess met a Baltimore cake king, and this is their baby.

PRICE RANGE: If you have to ask…but like that Steve Martin movie, everything’s cheaper by the dozen.

HOURS: Inexplicably later, for a bakery: M-T 11 am – 5 pm; 11 am – 7 pm Friday; 10 am – 5 pm Saturday.

ADDRESS: 85 Arthur Street

PHONE: (204) 612-yumm (9866)

WEBSITE: Sweetness is just a click away…and there’s a blog too!