Jeneen Sutherland, Executive Director of Magnificent 7 Luxury Wilderness Lodges of Canada, “working” at Aspen Food & Wine 2015
Churchill Wild and the other six members of the Magnificent 7 Luxury Wilderness Lodges of Canada have always taken great pride in the culinary experiences they offer their guests, so it was only natural that they exhibit their wares at the recent 2015 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.
“We (Magnificent 7) decided to attend Aspen Food & Wine because it has proven to be one of the top culinary shows in the world,” said Jeneen Sutherland, Executive Director of The Magnificent 7. “And all of our lodges offer fantastic cuisine that perfectly compliments our wonderful wilderness adventures.”
Exhibitors at the Food & Wine Classic included elite restaurants, resorts, wineries, chocolatiers, cheese makers and even countries, and attracted an affluent group of attendees who were not only interested in food and wine, but also in nature, conservation and travel.
“It was a perfect fit for our lodges,” said Sutherland. “We were located in the Grand Tasting Pavillion and our lodge brochures and Wild Smoked Salmon Canapes were very popular. We also had the Dennis Fast polar bear book Touch The Arctic on display and that attracted quite a bit of attention. It’s certainly a vibrant, high-end food event that our clientele at the Magnificent 7 Lodges would enjoy. The airport looked like a parking lot for private jets.”
Blueberries & Polar Bears
Three “Classic” days of events included cooking demonstrations, celebrity chef sessions, wine seminars and a chance to rub shoulders with food experts and connoisseurs from around the world.
Sounds like something Churchill Wild cookbook co-author, chef and Webber-Reimer family matriarch Helen Webber and her co-author Marie Woolsey might enjoy next year!
Their deliciously imaginative “tundra to table” delights featured in the best-selling cookbook series Blueberries & Polar Bears would certainly allow them to “trade” secrets with some of the best chefs on the planet.
Magnificent 7 Luxury Wilderness Lodges of Canada offer “once in a lifetime” luxury wilderness adventures, and the lodge cuisine is always a highlight of the overall experience. But why not try some of the lodge recipes below for yourself! Let us know what you think!
Churchill Wild — Cranberry Cake with Butter Sauce
Wild Cranberry Cake with Butter Sauce. Photo courtesy of Shel Zolkewich.
3 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
3 tbsp butter
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups milk
3 cups cranberries
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside. Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla. It does not get all creamy fluffy as it does in a butter cake, as the ratio of butter to sugar is not high enough. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beating after each addition, just until it is mixed. Stir in the cranberries. Spread the batter in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 400 F for 35 minutes until golden brown.
For the butter sauce
¾ cup butter
1 ½ cups sugar
¾ cup cream
Combine the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer for 2 minutes and remove from heat. A wire whisk is very useful to keep the sauce smooth. Serve the sauce over the warm cake! Makes about 10-12 portions.
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Tweedsmuir Park Lodge — Smoked Salmon Cucumber Canapes
1 organic cucumber
¾ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
½ tsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp (scant) finely grated lemon peel
1 tbsp finely chopped chives
12 ounces wild smoked sockeye salmon
Whisk crème fraîche, lemon juice, and lemon peel in small bowl. Mix in chives. Slice cucumbers and place a dollop of mixture on each cuke piece. Arrange smoked salmon on top of crème fraîche mixture. Makes about 15-20 mini appies.
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Siwash Lake Ranch — Dandelion and Walnut Pesto
12 ounces (350g) washed and cleaned dandelion leaves
1 cup (250ml) olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled
6 tbsp (40g) walnuts, lightly toasted
1 ½ tsp sea salt
2 ½ ounces (70g) Parmesan cheese, grated
Put about one-third of the dandelion greens in the food processor with the olive oil and chop for a minute, scraping down the sides. Add the remaining dandelion greens in two batches, until they’re all finely chopped up. Add the garlic cloves, walnuts, salt, and Parmesan, and process until everything is a smooth puree. Taste, and add more salt and lemon juice to taste. If it’s to thick, you can thin it with more olive oil. Makes 2 cups (500g).
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Clayoquot Wilderness Resort — Grilled Clayoquot Sound Oyster Chowder with Cumin Thyme Broth
4 large oysters, grilled
600ml white fish stock (you can substitute vegetable stock)
250ml whipping cream
1 medium onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 medium potato, diced
1 lemon, halved for juice
1 bunch fresh thyme olive oil
½ tbsp toasted cumin
ground sea salt, to taste
cracked black peppercorn, to taste
warmed soup plates
Grill oysters over high flame on the BBQ. Allow the shells to open and remove from heat. Let cool and remove the oysters from the shell. Sauté onions and celery with olive oil and the toasted cumin until they are transparent and add fish stock. Bring stock to a simmer. In a separate pot bring the whipping cream to a simmer and add the whipping cream to the chowder base. Add the diced potato to the chowder base and simmer until the potato is soft. Season with salt, pepper, lemon and add the oysters to the chowder base. Allow the oysters to warm through the middle and add the fresh thyme. Serve the chowder in warm soup plates. Serves 4.
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Nimmo Bay — Secret Mussels, Fennel and Saffron Broth, Spicy Tomato Rouille
1-2 pounds Saltspring Island Mussels, cleaned
For the broth:
1 fennel bulb, diced
1 white onion diced
2 medium sized carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery sticks, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 large pinch saffron
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup prawn or fish stock
1 cup diced, canned tomatoes
¼ cup each fresh chopped dill and parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Saute fennel, onions, carrots, saffron and celery until softened. Add tomato paste and garlic, cook for another minute and deglaze with white wine and lemon juice. Add stock, tomatoes and simmer. Finish with fresh herbs.
For the rouille:
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp sriracha
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp panko or breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
Grape seed or olive oil
In a blender, combine tomato paste, egg yolks, sriracha, lemon juice, and breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Leave blender running on medium speed and slowly pour in oil to emulsify. Add mussels to simmering broth and cover. Cook until the mussel shells start to open. Drizzle with rouille and serve. Great with a crusty bread. Serves 4 as an appie and 2 as a main course.
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Pacific Yellowfin — Earl Grey Crème Brûlée
3 tea bags
300ml of heavy cream
60ml of milk
3 egg yolks
1 vanilla pod
50g brown sugar
Heat cream and milk. Steep 3 tea bags in the cream/milk mixture for 5 mins. Gradually whisk heated cream into egg and sugar mixture. Pour into buttered ramekins dishes and place in a bain marie. Cook for 30min. Cool and sprinkle with sugar and torch until crisp. Makes 8 servings.
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Smoked Wild Salmon Canapes!
Magnificent 7 Luxury Wilderness Lodges of Canada 7 is a partnership of luxury wilderness lodges in Western Canada.
Each property is family owned and operated, combining responsible, sustainable tourism with the best in luxury adventure travel.
For astute travelers craving sophistication with their fresh air and awe-inspiring surroundings, all resorts deliver intimate 5-Star experiences.
