Wintertime and Fried Dough

Back in 1979, someone at the NCC realized that in order to enjoy Ottawa's brutal winters, you needed a reason to celebrate them. Inspired by 1922's Canadian National Winter Carnival, Winterlude is one of city's biggest tourist and event draws, with features like the world famous Rideau Canal Skateway, the ice sculptures at the Crystal Garden in Confederation Park, and the Snowflake Kingdom in Gatineau's Jacques-Cartier Park. But to some, the true highlight of the festival is the opportunity to eat a BeaverTail. Paired with a hot beverage, this pastry makes being in the cold bearable for all but the more hardcore hibernators. If you're that winter adverse, you can try one of the many fried dough recipes out there that try to replicate the popular winter treat. This is one that recently caught my eye; please note that this is no substitute for the real thing.

Ingredients

120 mL warm water
80 mL warm milk
80 mL oil
5 mL vanilla
625 g self rising flour
25 g dry yeast
17 g sugar
7.5 g salt
0.35 g pinch sugar (a pinch)
2 eggs
Vegetable oil for frying
Cinnamon sugar

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yeast, warm water and the pinch of sugar. Allow the mixture to stand a couple of minutes to allow yeast to swell and dissolve. Stir in remaining sugar, milk, vanilla, eggs, oil, salt and most of flour to make a soft dough.
2. Knead 5-8 minutes (by hand or with your food processor's dough hook attachment), adding flour as needed to form a firm, smooth, elastic dough. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and place the bowl in a plastic bag and seal it (the dough can be refrigerated at this point if you're not planning to use it right away). Let it rise for about 30-40 minutes.
3. Gently deflate dough (if dough is coming out of the fridge, allow to warm up about 40 minutes before proceeding) by pinching off a golf ball sized piece of dough. Roll it out into an oval and let it rest, covered with a tea towel while you are preparing the remaining dough.
4. Stretch the ovals into the familiar tail shape, thinning them out and enlarging them as desired. Heat about 5 cm of oil in your vessel of choice. After a few minutes, drop a little dough in the oil. If it sizzles and browns up, then the oil is ready. Add the dough pieces to the hot oil, about 1-2 at a time. Turn once to fry until the undersides are deep brown. DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM THE STOVE as they burn quickly.
5. Lift the fried dough out with tongs and drain on paper towels. Immediately toss the tails in cinnamon sugar and shake off any excess.

The Year That Was And The Year That Will Be

As the meals and trends of 2015 have come and gone, it's time to look back at the year that was in food news, as well as what we can look forward to in 2016.

• Hot in 2015
  If the media reports I scanned are to be believed, the things that were trending in 2015 food-wise were bone broth; craft beer; anything smoked; beets; tacos; escargot; finding new and creative ways to make dishes gluten-free; rabbit; sitting at a booth in a restaurant; and food halls. I missed last year's beet craze, and I'm not sure when booth-seating wasn't cool - clearly, I need to eat out more this year.


• Food prices to continue going up
  You couldn't help but notice how much food cost at the supermarket last year, and that trend isn't going away in 2016. Because Canadians have to purchase about 81% of their fresh produce from sources outside of Canada, a head of cauliflower might be as much as $8 at the grocery store nowadays. Food prices could increase anywhere from 2% to as much as 4% this year, and according to Food Institute of the University of Guelph, the more the Canadian dollar loses traction, the price of imported foods like fruits, nuts, vegetables, processed products and grocery products will increase. Food prices in 2015 rose by 4.1% across the country, meaning the average Canadian household paid about $325 more for food than in 2014. Meat prices rose 5% last year and could go up another 4.5% this year, so expect to see more fish, lentils, and chickpeas on menus and tables this year, and the head-to-tail/stem-to-root- cooking practices to continue.
  
  
• Local restaurant closures
  Arguably, the biggest food story in Ottawa was the closing of Mello's restaurant in the Market. Everyone was caught off-guard expected the backlash from the diner's closing, mostly because no one ever thought the Ottawa institution would ever close. I never had the pleasure of eating there during either its diner heyday, or its pop-up supper club phase, and my wife considered it one of the sketchier of her after-hours haunts in the early 90s. Having gone there once for my birthday, the closing of Hy's meant more to either of us, with it closing in February of this year due to a disagreement over the cost of renewing its lease. Other restaurant closures of note in the city include Chinatown's Hung Sum and Raw Sugar Cafe, and the Denny's in South Keys.


• Favourite foodie word of the year
  
  hangry - 1.) hungry and angry at the same time; 2.) to be so hungry that it makes you angry
  
  Anyone with young children or who works long hours to meet impossible deadlines is familiar with this word and feeling; I'm amazed it took as long as it did to become mainstream.


• All-day breakfast at McDonald's
  It took me by surprise to see how many people got excited about hearing Mickey D's plan to serve the most important meal of the day twenty-four hours a day. When you consider how much of the breakfast market McDonald's has (they comprised one-third of all fast-food breakfast sales in 2012), it makes sense to extend breakfast past 10:30 in the morning. Let's hope this plan starts here in Canada in 2016 so that no one will ever know the indignity of just missing out on an Egg McMuffin ever again.


• Food companies to cater to millennials
  With their numbers reaching 80 million in America alone, representing about a fourth of the entire population, and $200 billion in annual buying power, it seems that if you weren't born between 1982 and 2004, your opinion about food and dining doesn't matter. But before you start complaining about how they need to stay off your lawn, you can thank these youngsters for things like the loungability and relaxed atmosphere at restaurants; the on-going fascination with sriracha and kale; and customizable menu options at fast-food places.


• Hot in 2016?
  The experts on Pinterest predict beer cocktails; snacking from Bento boxes; DIY artisan olive oils; avocado oil; homebrewing; and distilling your own liquor will be what everyone will be doing this year, along with pour-over coffee (who has time for that?); gourmet spins on traditional cultural cuisines; enjoying more vegetables; and choosing savoury or sweet desserts. I myself predict more choices on the edible marijuana scene as the Liberal government rolls out its weed legalization plans, and more of a spotlight on local cuisine as we march towards Canada's 150th-anniversary celebrations; get those food truck applications ready.

Throwback Thursday: Original Al's Steak House Creamy Garlic Dressing

After coming back from a trip to Montreal in 1967, Al Saikali decided Ottawa needed a steakhouse on par with those he saw in Quebec. Later that year in Bells Corners, he opened Al's Steak House in a building that's been around since the 19th century, and though it is now based on Elgin St., Al's has been satisfying their customers for more than 40 years. A friend of mine posted a link to what someone is claiming to be Al's creamy garlic dressing recipe, given to them by Al himself. You may take that with an appropriately sized grain of salt if you want, but for garlic lovers, this recipe looks legit enough to at least give it a try.


Ingredients

1 large egg white
160 mL salad oil (canola or any plain cooking oil)
60 mL white vinegar or red wine vinegar
3.2 to 4.25 g pure garlic powder
2.125 g dry mustard
dried parsley for colour

1. Beat the egg white well in a small bowl with a hand whip until the egg gets frothy and foamy. (Don't worry if it gets like a meringue, it just makes it thicker and creamy, and doesn't hurt the flavour in any way.)
2. Gradually drizzle the salad oil while beating the egg white in until it resembles a light white mayonnaise like texture. Stir in the vinegar, garlic powder, and dry mustard.
3. Cover well and refrigerate immediately. It will keep for a week or more in the fridge as the vinegar stops the egg from spoiling. Serve in a jug for pouring or a dish with a big spoon. Let people salt and pepper to their own taste.