March 2015

Don’t Miss Québec Week

Vive les Fromages du Québec: some of Our Favourite Québec Cheeses A comforting recipe to take us into Spring

Plus, we’re launching a fun new cheese column And an olive oil we can’t do without...

Ottavio Italian Bakery

In this month’s newsletter:

1  case  

     March 2015

Don’t miss Québec Week! Try some of our favourite cheeses from la Belle Province An olive oil we can’t do without A rich recipe to take us into Spring Plus keep your eyes open for a fun, new online cheese column

2272 Oak Bay Avenue Victoria, BC 250-592-4080 www.ottaviovictoria.com

March 2015 NEWSLETTER

ISSUE 58

Keep your eyes on EAT Magazine’s online publication (eatmagazine.ca) for Laura and Andrew’s informative and entertaining cheese-centric column. Look

for their advice and tips in the new column called “Spoiled Milk”, we think!

NEW ONLINE CHEESE COLUMN

Last month Andrew and I went to Montréal. I know, you’re thinking why in winter would you go? We wanted to meet with some of our longtime suppliers and forge new relationships with a few others. Despite the freezing cold, Vieux Montréal was so pretty in the snow. And we managed to keep warm eating some amazing meals (Maison Publique, Lea, Le Serpent, Vin Papillon) and drinking great wine. It was a beautiful shock returning to an ocean of blooming cherry trees!

We will be celebrating all things Quebéc at the end of March, so we thought we’d highlight a few of our favourite cheeses from la Belle Province!

In The Cheese Case: Vive les Fromages du Québec!

COMTOMME: From Fromagerie la Station in the Cantons-de-l’Es comes an organic, raw milk farmstead cheese. It is ripened for ninety days on wooden boards and has a well-balanced fruity flavour, with hints of crab apple and butter. Delicious with cider!

LE BALUCHON: Made since 2004 by Fromagerie F.X.Pichet, this organic, raw milk, washed rind cheese is ripened for two months. With a creamy, melt-in-your mouth texture, it tastes of hazelnuts, cream, butter and finishes with a slight clover aftertaste. Enjoy it with a fruity and medium bodied wine such as a Rosé.

LE CHÈVRE NOIR: From Fromagerie Tournevent in Chesterville, Québec, comes an internationally acclaimed goat’s milk cheddar. It is dense and firm with a flaky, caramelly, crystalline interior that melts in your mouth. Its sharp, nutty, buttery flavour pairs well with port, ice wine, Pinot Noir, or a nice blonde beer. Made using vegetarian rennet and raw milk, it is aged a minimum of one year.

FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHEDDAR: If you’re looking for a delicious, older cow’s milk cheddar, this one’s a must. Made by Fromagerie Île-aux-Grues, their unpasteurized four-year-old cheddar has a complex flavour with hints of hazelnuts. We love it in homemade mac and cheese or on grilled cheese sandwiches with a bit of prosciutto cotto. It’s also perfect on a cheese board with Bonne Maman Sliced Orange Marmalade.

Quebec Week: March 23rd to the 28th Join us as we celebrate one of our favourite Canadian provinces and enjoy 10% off

all Quebec products including cheeses, duck breasts and confits, maple syrup, and game pâtés. Don’t miss our Québec inspired menu on the café with Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwiches,

Authentic Tourtière, Maple Tarts, Maple Gelato and hearty soups.

2272 Oak Bay Avenue Victoria, BC 250-592-4080 www.ottaviovictoria.com

March 2015 NEWSLETTER

ISSUE 58

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Ingredients

•  1 tbsp Abbea Extra Virgin Olive Oil* •  1 tbsp butter •  1 whole small chicken, skin removed, cut into pieces •  2 shallots, chopped •  2 garlic cloves, whole •  1 1/3 cup (1 bottle) of local dark beer •  1 tbsp Fallot Dijon Mustard* •  1 bay leaf •  1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped •  salt and ground pepper •  ¼ cup 35% cream •  8 oz (250g) Le Baluchon cheese*, rind removed, grated •  2 tbsp flour *available in Ottavio deli

Method

•  In a large saucepan, heat the oil over high heat and melt the butter.

•  Brown the chicken pieces •  Add chopped shallots and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. •  Moisten with the beer and add the mustard and herbs. Season. •  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer gently for

approximately one hour. •  Remove the chicken pieces and set aside on a plate •  Mix the grated Baluchon well with the flour, ensuring that it is

fully covered. •  Fold the cheese mixture and cream together into the saucepan

and let simmer until smooth. •  Return chicken pieces to pan and sauce, heat and serve.

Chicken in a Beer and Le Baluchon Sauce (adapted from www.fromagedici.com, a great site about Quebec cheeses)

Frantoio Cutrera Primo DOP EVOO

Produced in southern Sicily, this multi-award winning olive oil is one of our

favourites. Unfiltered and a monocultivar of local, hand picked

Tonda Iblea olives (which are organically farmed), it is cold pressed within six hours of the olives being picked. Green, intensely fruity, with

clear notes of sweet almond and fresh herbs, and a nice marriage of sweet, bitter, and spicy elements. Try it on

bruschetta, roasted meats, vegetables and fish, in soups and salads, or as a

finishing touch on risotto.

OTTAVIO BAKERY ECONOMICS The dreaded time has come

where ingredient prices have increased over the past several

years and we must adjust our bread prices in the bakery. We have absorbed ingredient price

increases in the bakery on everything from flour (+12%) to

hazelnuts (+45%) to refrigeration repair (+15%) in the last few

years. After holding our bread prices unchanged for the past 5 years, we will be increasing the

cost of large and small loaves by 5-6% on March 1st. We strive to

bring you the best handmade products possible, delivered with

superior customer service, and we are truly fortunate to have

such great customers at Ottavio.