Eggs Benedict with Canadian Bacon and Home Made Hollandaise Sauce

Making your own Hollandaise isn't as hard as you may  have heard as long as you follow a couple simple rules. It is an emulsion sauce, so basically the trouble you may have is that it can separate on you if you do it wrong and it will look all curdled and really disgusting. Luckily I also learned how to bring it back if you do screw it up. :) This recipe makes about 1/2 cup or enough for two people (2 eggs each) it is easily doubled too.

What you need:
2 egg yolks
1 Tbsp of fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup of melted unsalted butter
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of salt (unless using salted butter)

2 English muffins
4 eggs (the fresher the better)
White vinegar
8-12 slices of Canadian Bacon
Fresh basil, tarragon, parsley, dill etc.

SET a pot with about an inch or so of water on the stove and heat until it's barely simmering
WHISK egg yolks and lemon juice in a bowl until they get ribbony and double in size (this part doesn't have to be exact as long as you whisk it really well for a few minutes it should be fine)
MELT the butter in a glass measuring cup

SET your bowl on top of your pot like a double boiler. You could also use a double boiler if you have one.
SLOWLY whisk in your melted butter. I mean REALLY slowly. A few drops at first then a very thin stream, whisking constantly. Your sauce will start to thicken when it starts to heat up. If it gets too hot your eggs will scramble. If you see this happening or it starts getting too thick add a little warm water to it and keep whisking. When it is the right consistency, turn of the heat and remove the pot from the burner. Add the cayenne pepper and salt and  keep the sauce warm but not too warm or it will separate. It may sound finicky but once you get the hang of it it's really easy and works out well. If you leave it too hot and it does separate you can try adding another egg yolk and whisking vigorously over your water again. It's not the best but at least you didn't waste the whole thing!

To make poached eggs is pretty easy too. All you need to do is get a wide pot with a few inches of water in it to barely simmering (you don't want any simmering just bubbles on the bottom of the pan). Add a splash of vinegar to the water. This will help the whites from spreading out all over the place. It won't make your eggs taste like vinegar unless you put in too much (it's about a Tbsp per cup of water). Crack your eggs one at a time into a small bowl and add them to the water gently. It will take about 3 minutes or so for soft yolks and about 5 for firm yolks. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs once they are cooked and place them on a clean kitchen towel or paper towel to get all the water off of them.

To put it all together just toast your english muffins, add a few slices of Canadian bacon (MMM!), your egg and a generous scoop of sauce. I topped mine with fresh basil. It was AMAZING! You can try anything you want with this recipe too. smoked salmon or bacon, black forest ham, asparagus, tomato, whatever you like.

You can add tarragon to the sauce to make it a Bearnaise sauce as well. Serve it over chicken, fish, schnitzels or green beans too.

Okanagan wine touring day two!!

Day two of wine touring. This time we headed over to West Kelowna to check out the two other biggest wineries, Mission Hill and Quails' Gate. We also checked out four smaller ones which were all really nice but a few stood out for me more then others. We tried about 50 wines so there is no way I can remember and write about them all so I guess I'll just talk about the ones that left an impression on me the most.

Mission hill was our first stop. Definitely the nicest and biggest. However there is definitely a sense of ostentatious-ness here. The tasting room was huge but it was like an antique store as well with books about Venetian decor and architecture. I guess that theme runs throughout the whole winery.  That being said it was pretty amazing all together. Worth a visit. We tried all white wine here. The one that stood out for me was the Legacy Series Perpetua. Made from Chardonnay. It was really smooth but really expensive. The tastings here were also the most expensive at $8 for 4 wines. They have awesome Pinot Noir here too.

The Bell tower at Mission Hill Estate Winery

Mission Hill Arch

Next we went to Quails' Gate. This was one of my favorites. We tried a few different types but the ones I loved the most were the Stewart family Reserve Old Wines Foch. Which is a bold and intense red that had this crazy barn yard smell that reminded me of my aunt and uncles cattle farm. Think leather and wood and earth. It's hard to explain and doesn't sound that good but try it with a big steak or something and OMG. I will definitely buy a bottle to keep for at least 5 years. The other wine I loved was the Botrytis Affected Optima. This is a sweet dessert style, late harvest wine that has been affected with something called "Noble Rot" Basically it is a fungus that turns the grapes to a raisin which concentrates the sweet fruity juices. This sounds not that great I know but it is soooo amazing! To me it had roses on the nose and tasted like sweet fruity green iced tea with a bit of honey, but with enough acidity to make it refreshing and crisp. LOVED it. Expensive but worth it.

The view at Quails' Gate

Next we tried Volcanic Hills. We were the only ones at the tasting bar at the time but it seemed like we just went too fast through these wines. we tried about 8 kinds. None that particularly stood out for me though.

Next was Mount Boucherie. They had a few nice ones. We tried all reds here. They said they had over 300 acre of vineyards, which I think is the most of this whole area. Surprising since they have such a tiny little tasting room. They were all pretty good. Especially the Summit Reserve Syrah. It was like BBQ in a glass. Just wow. Seriously is smelled like BBQ.

Rollingdale was one of my favorites because of their amazing icewine. Made from Chardonnay. It reminded me of Honeycomb cereal. So good! worth the $100 price tag even maybe......Really cool guys who work there too. Definitely no fancy wine tasting room to be found here.

Last stop of the day because we were getting to the point where driving isn't a good idea anymore. Little Straw vineyards. They had some really nice ones too. All well balanced. Tastings were donations only BTW so bring cash!

Okanagan wine touring

So I've decided to tour every winery I can in the Okanagan while I'm here in Kelowna. Not in one day. That would be ridiculous. So we started in Lake Country, which is a about twenty minutes north of Kelowna. We started at Gray Monk, which is more well known and the largest of the three main wineries here. They have a beautiful view for sure. They offered four complimentary wines to try. So we tried the Pinot Gris, which seems to be a well planted grape varietal here. It was of course delicious. Citrusy and peachy. Really great patio wine for sure. Next we tried a Pinot Auxerrois. Not a grape I'm very familiar with but is was definitely along the same lines as the Pinot Gris with a bit more aromatics. Next we tried the Pinot Blanc. It had more of a tropical nose with melons and mango A little more on the off dry side. I we also tried the Odyssey III series port which was chocolate and dark fruit and really delicious and for only 20 bucks I would buy a few of those anytime. Definitely one to check out.

So next was Ex Nihilo. We tried a Riesling and another Pinot Gris. Which is apparently a very good grape to grow around here. They said that both won gold metals in France? They were quite good in my opinion. Great patio wines. Next we tried three reds. The Pinot noir and their signature Bordeaux style blend. Both seemed a bit young but with some time they could develop into something even better. Smooth tannins and no shortage of oak. Not my favorite of the day so far. I don't remember the merlot so was nothing that stood out to me obviously.

On to Arrowleaf. I liked this one a lot. It's a smaller family owned vineyard. Had a really great Gewurztraminer with the classic lychee nut aroma, and of course Pinot Gris. They also had my first of two new varietals. Zweigelt, which is an Austrian red varietal. Medium bodied with cherry and spice. Pretty good, and Bacchus. Much like a sweeter Riesling with peach and citrus. I really liked that one.

Next was back closer to Kelowna at Ancient Hill Winery. Very small but they definitely had some interesting wines. One that stood out for me was the red Baco noir. It had a red liquorice aroma which I've never experienced before which is super exciting to me. After a few tastings everything starts to taste the same sometimes and this one didn't. Something interesting. Anyway that's all so far. All that wine tends to make one rather famished.....

After lunch we headed to one more winery right here in Kelowna and also the oldest one. Calona Vinyards, Which actually encompass three different wines. Sandhill, Peller Estates and Calona. There were too many to try them all so we went with the Sandhill ones. We tried a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay, a Merlot and a red blend (The name escapes me now). The best Chardonnay of the day for sure, half stainless steel and half barrel aged made it just the right amount of acidity and creaminess that is my favorite kind of Chard. The Merlot was also my favorite of the day. Just seemed smoother then the rest. She also let us try a Calona wine that I had never seen and was curious about called "Sovereign Opal" Which is apparenly a cross of two that I forget right now, I think a Gewurz and something else. Apparently it is only grown by Calona Vinyards, No one else in the world has it. It's a lot like a Gewurz though.

I think 5 is good for one day. I ended up coming home with a couple whites. The Ancient Hill Gewurztraminer and the Calona "Sovereign Opal" My little wine rack is growing! Lovely day!  

Update: Today we did a quick stop at Sperling Vineyards. Just a bit south of Kelowna attached to a cute little bistro place. Found out they are one of the oldest vineyards in the valley. Since 1928 I believe but that could be wrong. They never made their own wines but sold their grapes to other wineries. Until recently. I have to say they make some pretty interesting wines. Theirs Pinot Gris is really interesting as it has seen some barrel ageing. And their old vines Foch is really awesome. They also have these cute little 375 ml bottles of "sper...itz". A Moscato type varietal is in the blend and it ripens so quickly they can harvest in August. They stop fermentation early to keep it low in alcohol and quite sweet. Very refreshing and different.

Inniskillin Chardonnay

Inniskillin Chardonnay

This is one of my favorite whites. Something unique. Chardonnay is usually a more bold and rich white wine then others and there are so many bad examples of it that it has gotten a bad reputation. This one might change your mind. Chardonnay is one of the few grape varietals that benefits from barrel aging. There is also a technique used here called "malolactic fermentation" that turns the tart malic acid into a softer lactic acid (like in milk). This is why when I first tried this it reminded me of buttered toast. Toasty from the barrels aging and buttery because of the lactic acid. Very layered and balanced with a nice acidity.  Anyway it makes it really interesting and I think it's really awesome so try it with some Brie or Gruyere cheese and you'll see what I mean.

Mission Hill Five Vineyards Pinot Noir

Mission Hill Five Vineyards Pinot Noir

This is probably the best Pinot Noir I've ever had. The second best I've ever had came from the Okanagan region too. I guess this grape likes B.C. Pinot Noir is said to be a "notoriously picky grape" to grow. Basically if your going to buy it, don't skimp out and get the best you can afford. This one was only about $20 and it was well worth it. It offers lightness but intensity at the same time and has a silky smooth texture that is so mouth watering and juicy I would really like another bottle right now.... I think it's a really good start for people who are not sure if they like red wines as it is not so intense as others can be. It would be great paired with any poultry, asian dishes, salmon or cheeses. Loved it!

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

You know when sometimes you just get those cravings when you think of one thing and then you can't stop thinking about it until you have to have it?? Well that's why these came about. I was going to be having some amazing crab legs and I was thinking about Red Lobster and those biscuits they always serve. Those all you can eat delicious little biscuits that you just can't get enough of?? Yeah... So I scoured the internet trying to find a recipe that didn't use bisquick (cheaters) and I think this one is a winner. They were perfect and I bet you can't eat just one. I ate like five...........

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour (unbleached or regular)

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/3 cup butter, cold, cut into chunks

1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese (sharp flavoured is best)

1/2 – 2/3 cups milk

2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil

 

Topping

3 Tbsp. butter

1 clove garlic, minced or 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes or 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped

 

PREHEAT oven to 400° F.

IN a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and garlic powder. Whisk together to combine thoroughly. Add chunks of butter. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut butter into flour until it is coarse, pea-sized (doesn’t need to be fine). Add grated cheddar cheese and stir in. Add the 2 Tbsp. oil to the 1/2 cup milk. Add milk/oil mixture to the dough and stir until the dough is moistened and no longer dry and powdery. (Shouldn’t be sticky, just moist enough to hold together) You may need to add a bit more milk if your dough is dry.

DROP approximately 1/4 cup portions of the dough onto an un-greased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop or large spoon.

BAKE for 15-17 minutes. While biscuits are baking, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small bowl in your microwave. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and the parsley.

WHEN biscuits come out of the oven, use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter. Serve warm. Makes one dozen.