Expand your culinary horizons PRAGUE THE GOLDEN SAVOURING CYPRUS AUCKLAND FOOD TOUR SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD TASTE OF GHENT plus DESERT HOT SPRINGS NOOSA SINGAPORE CARTAGENA FLORENCE LOS ANGELES Issue 42 Summer 2021 Canada Food Day FOR PEOPLE whO LOVE TO read , LOVE TO eat AND LOVE TO travelSOMETIMES THE BEST PLACES ARE THE ONES YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO. Introducing year-round flights to Panama City and Rio de Janeiro. Immerse yourself in Latin culture with our year-round service to Bogota, Buenos Aires, Lima, Santiago, and São Paulo. And with new service to Panama City and Rio de Janeiro, we’ve got Latin America covered. For more information contact your travel agent or visit aircanada.com Flavours come alive when you add a little ULINARY - Taste & Travel.875" (+ 1/8" bleed) From the hills to the sea, Prince Edward Island is a foodie’s dream. From bold culinary boot camps with famous Island chefs, to guided clam digging and beachside lobster boils, it’s a vacation destination that definitely has food on the mind. So no matter what your taste is, you’re sure to find the right dish when you add a little island. Plan your PEI getaway today at PrinceEdwardIsland.com | 1.877.445.4548 Air Canada offers award-winning service and the most flights to Charlottetown, all year long with daily departures from Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax, and this summer from Ottawa. Book now at aircanada.com/PEI58 LETTER 4 On The Table DISPATCHES 6 Hot Off The Grill What’s new in the world of culinary travel. jOuRNAL 10 TASTE&TRAVEL readers report from around the world. 10 Cartagena 11 singapore 12 Noosa 13 Florence LODGING 14 Azure Palm Resort & Day spa Oasis DESTINATIONS 52 The Taste Of Ghent HEATHER TuCKER explores the Belgian city loved by Europeans for its unique blend of food and culture. HERITAGE 30 Zlata Praha: Prague The Golden SuSAN HALLETT writes about Prague, the first in a series profiling UNESCO World Heritage Sites. DINING 26 Nomad eatery ELYSE GLICKMAN meets the man behind LA’s hot new dining spot. 48 A Better Way To Fish SuSIE ELLISON learns how a Community Supported Fishery helps Canadian fishing families, with benefits for the environment and the consumer. EvENT 38 Food Day Canada This year we’re celebrating Food Day Canada with a selection of recipes from three exciting new Canadian cookbooks. FOOD TOuR 20 Hidden Panmure ANDRÉ TABER joins a walking tour of a multicultural neighbourhood in New Zealand. LETTERS FROM THE EDGE 58 savouring Cyprus The birthplace of Aphrodite is a Mediterranean jewel with a unique culinary culture. By DAMIAN MARCH . TASTE & TRAvEL LIBRARY 74 Book Review Eat, Habibi, Eat! by SHAHIR MASSOuD . 77 On The Bookshelf NEw to the shelves of the TASTE&TRAVEL library. TASTE&TRAvEL KITCHEN 78 Pavlova Baking expert GENEvIEvE KNIGHTS shares her tips for making the perfect pavlova and demonstrates just how versatile this dessert can be. 84 Rose SuSAN HALLETT profiles a fragrant favourite. 87 Vegetarian Voyager Sheikh Mushatah. 95 Cooking With TASTE & TRAvEL Recipe index for this issue and kitchen tips. REGIONAL MARKETPLACE 88 The TASTE & TRAvEL Culinary Traveller’s Guides 88 OTTAWA 89 TORONTO 90 MONTREAL 91 CALgARy 92 WiNNiPEg 93 SAN DiEgO 94 vANCOUvER NOTA BENE 96 sweet summer escapes FOR PEOPLE whO LOVE TO read , LOVE TO eat AND LOVE TO travel Summer QuENCH 70 Hard Ciders Bloom In The Apple Capital Of The World There’s a new generation of craft cidermakers in Washington State. By RHONA BARON . MARKET FOCuS 68 union square Greenmarket Waiting for lunchtime… M ICHAEL T HOMAS CONTENTS • ISSuE 42 • jul–sep • 2021 Read it!Expand your culinary horizons Download NOW! www.TasteAndTravelMagazine.com GET itOn The Table S ummer COVeR 2021 janet p. Boileau PuBLISHER PUBLiSHER Janet P. Boileau SENiOR EDiTORiAL CONSULTANT Christopher P. Hill CREATivE DiRECTOR Charlotte Kahn SENiOR EDiTOR Anne DesBrisay CONTRiBUTiNg EDiTORS Elizabeth Andoh, Stephanie Arsenault, Andrea Ratuski, Pam Collacott, Elyse Glickman, Anne Mendelson, Michele Peterson TRAvEL EDiTORS Susie Ellison, Todd Lawrence EUROPEAN EDiTOR Susan Hallett FOOD EDiTOR Shari Scheske CONTRiBUTiNg PHOTOgRAPHER Michel Chicoine WEB DiRECTOR Michael Hyde WEB EDiTOR & SOCiAL MEDiA MANAgER Emily Kennedy ADvERTiSiNg SALES advertising@tasteandtravel.ca CONTACT US info@TasteAndTravelMagazine.com EDiTORiAL ENqUiRiES editorial@ TasteAndTravelMagazine.com SUBSCRiPTiONS & CiRCULATiON subscriptions@ TasteAndTravelMagazine.com Printed in Canada. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement Number 42167015 © 2021 Taste&Travel international is published quarterly by Taste and Travel Publishing international inc. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the publishers. No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher. Subscription rate is $100 annually. IN A yEAR of health crisis, travel restrictions and disrupted global supply chains, it is more important than ever to recognize the value of the dedicated Canadians who put food on our tables — from the farmers, foragers and fishers who harvest the bounty of land and sea, to the chefs, bakers, cheesemakers, brewers and other artisans whose creativity and commitment to quality contributes to our flourishing food scene. And how about the grocery store workers, food delivery drivers and folks who man drive-thru windows so we can be sure of a bite to eat at any time of the day or night? Thank you, one and all! Food Day Canada brings together all Canadians with the University of guelph and food system partners to celebrate Canadian food and the people who create and study it. Last year #FoodDayCanada reached almost 15 million Canadians online. This year Crystal Mackay, a University of guelph alumna and well-known advocate for Canadian food and farming, will be coordinator of Food Day Canada, stepping into the role left vacant when FDC founder Anita Stewart passed away in 2020. We’ve been celebrating Food Day Canada since 2011 and this year will be no different. in this issue you’ll find a feast of recipes inspired by Canadian chefs and Canadian ingredients, starting with the gorgeous nutmeg-scented breakfast bakes from Chef Michael Smith that you see on the cover. For a bit of armchair travel, we pay a visit to the Mediterranean island that is the subject of vancouver-based author Christina Loucas’ new book, Cyprus Cuisine. And there’s more deliciousness from another Canadian chef with international roots — Shahir Massoud. His new Egyptian-inspired cookbook Eat, Habibi, Eat! connects with one of the world’s most ancient cuisines in a thoroughly contemporary way. We’ll also introduce you to Skipper Otto, the first Community Supported Fishery in Canada. We were excited to learn about this maritime equivalent of a farm share, which ensures that traditional fishing families in British Columbia can earn a decent living while helping consumers navigate the complex issues surrounding the sustainability of our seafood resources. And there’s more in this issue — Ottawa–based writer susan Hallett’s story about Prague is the first in a series of articles about UNESCO World Heritage Sites that we’ll be featuring in upcoming issues. you can also learn to make a perfect pavlova, cook with rose petals, and read about a gorgeous new spa in the California desert. Enjoy! 4 taste& travel international July–september 2021 LETTER Enjoy it! P ENG u IN C ANADA /A L D O u GLASJoin the party! On saturday july 31, 2021 Cook Canadian! july 2021 F rom coast to coast all across Canada, the country’s top restaurants and leading chefs are showcasing Canadian ingredients with seasonal menus celebrating the bounty of land and sea. Home cooks are taking part as well, with backyard barbecues, parties and markets that celebrate Canadian food, some of the finest and freshest in the world. A celebration of Canadian food and food producers HErE’s HOW tO taKE Part https://fooddaycanada.ca/fooddaycanada/ langdon hall 31Hot off tHe Grill Enjoy a Taste of Jalisco at Marina Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa Immerse yourself in the flavours of Jalisco at newly renovated Marina Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa. The resort’s new ‘Jalisco at Your Table’ culinary experience pays homage to the state of Jalisco by featuring gourmet versions of traditional regional ingredients and dishes. The seven-course menu includes a tamal of rajas and cheese accompanied by a cup of warm coconut atole, Zarandeado-style fish roasted over a wood-fired oven, birria (slow cooked beef ribs marinated with guajillo chile and spices), a fruit dessert duo and more. Available by special request only, the meal can also be paired with a private tequila tasting led by the resident tequila sommelier. Dining locations include the resort’s herb garden, the La Cava wine cellar or the picturesque jetty overlooking Banderas Bay. www.puertovallartamarriott.com Go Truffle Hunting in New South Wales Prized for their intense, earthy taste, black truffles are in high demand in New South Wales, Australia. These buried delicacies thrive in rich soil where frost adds to the intensity of flavour, so the months from June to August are an ideal time to take a gourmet getaway, go truffle hunting and sample truffled products. Top destinations include Lowes Mount Truffiere in Oberon where you can forage for Périgord black truffles in a pine forest, Borrodell Estate and Winery known for its gala Black Tie and Gumboot Truffle Hunt and Dinner, or Blue Frog Truffles north of Canberra, home to an annual Truffle festival. www.destinationnsw.com.au TO ENSuRE ACCuRACY OF INFORMATION, PLEASE CHECK wITH INDIvIDuAL ESTABLISHMENTS FOR COvID-19 uPDATES. Learn to Cook in Jamaica Curious about the secrets of jerk seasoning and spices? Wish you could prepare exotic fruit, such as ackee? How about traditional dishes, like “Run Down?” Master the art of cooking like a local with Chef Shevan and Chef Kern at Jakes Hotel on the South Coast. Interactive authentic Jamaican cooking lessons cover traditional dishes all made with fresh ingredients sourced from Jakes’ own garden and surrounding local farms. Dishes change based on the catch of local fishermen and the crops of local farmers, so every day there’s a new dish for guests to eat and a new skill to learn. The front desk will be happy to arrange your cooking lesson. Lessons are normally scheduled for midweek, between 3 and 5 pm. By Damian March . www.jakeshotel.com 6 taste& travel international July–september 2021 DISPATCHES M ARINA Pu ERTO vALLARTA R ESORT D ESTINATION N E w S O u TH wALES >>> whAT’S NEw IN ThE wORLD OF CULINARy TRAVELChill Out in the Garden of Love in NYC Grupo Gitano is returning to New York City with the Garden of Love restaurant and mezcal bar for its fourth summer. The Tulum- inspired oasis, framed by the Freedom Tower and the downtown NYC skyline, is the largest outdoor space in Manhattan. Inside, guests are magically transported to the lush, tropical jungles of Tulum with soaring palm trees, tropical plants, twin pergola dining decks, an open fire kitchen and a reflecting meditation pond. Guests will experience gypsy-disco music, entertainment and art amongst the large-scale garden oasis as well as mezcal-focused cocktails and a modern Mexican menu created by Executive Chef Antonio Maldonaldo. Menu highlights include watermelon salad, tuna tostada, truffle tlayuda and grilled chicken pastor. www.grupogitano.com Overnight in The Maine Lobster Suite Just as summer travel plans begin to make a comeback, The Boathouse Waterfront Hotel and Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC) have partnered to create the ultimate Maine lobster experience. Featuring lobster-themed decor within a waterfront hotel overlooking the harbour side of the Kennebunk River in Kennebunkport, Maine, the newly-launched Maine Lobster Suite is the first of its kind. An oasis for lobster lovers, the specially-curated hotel package features extraordinary experiences designed to satisfy those craving a lobster-filled getaway. Guests enjoy a Blue Lobster Chardonnay and cheese board on arrival, a Rugosa Lobster Cruise, a secret lobster menu and more. www.boathouseme.com Functional Food to Go with Mid- Day Squares Protein bar meets chocolate bar in these plant-based treats crafted in Montreal. These functional chocolate snacks are packed with protein, fibre and other goodness. A package of two squares contains the same amount of fibre as three servings of broccoli, the protein equivalent of two eggs and as much Omega-3 as two servings of salmon. They come topped with a rich layer of chocolate that’s gluten-free, vegan, organic, dairy-free, non- GMO and soy-free. Available in a range of flavours including Fudge Yah, Almond Crunch and the best-selling Busta Peanut, the bars are especially designed to curb hunger cravings. So, whether you’re on a summer road trip, post-workout, or just crave a sweet treat, Mid-Day Squares are sure to satisfy. www.middaysquares.com 7 July–september 2021 taste& travel international DISPATCHES Hot off tHe Grill CURATED BY mIChELE PETERSON © H EIDI K IRN P HOTOGRAPHY G R u PO ITANO Next >