HAL’S KITCHEN: Foodies rejoice, Taste of Manitoba is back

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Taste of Manitoba is easily my favourite local festival of all time and I’m so excited that it’s making a comeback. But instead of Memorial Park, where I remember it, it’s going to be held at Fort Gibraltar in Whittier Park for five days, starting next Aug. 28. Shaun Jeffrey at the Manitoba Restaurant Association says it’s going to be bigger and better than ever which is saying something because, in its heyday, Taste of Manitoba would see 30,000 people. All the food and drink, from 35 restaurants and 10 food trucks, will be local … even the entertainment will be from here. An indoor lounge and a kids’ area will be new features. And if you can’t make it to St. Boniface for some reason, delivery will be available. I can’t wait!

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WINNIPEGGER WINS SKIP AWARD

Congratulations to Winnipeg’s Karissa Pazdor, one of the winners of the new Food Industry Award from Skip The Dishes. The award recognizes women in the Canadian food sector who exemplify resilience, innovation and leadership. Karissa is described as a driven entrepreneur who owns and operates four Little Caesars franchises across Manitoba. Skip hopes she will inspire the next generation of culinary leaders.

WE LOVE OUR SANDWICHES

Sandwiches make up 30% of the average diet, according to a new survey of 2,000 adults. Most, 42%, say their favourite is grilled cheese with another 21% picking peanut butter and jelly. And 46% love sandwiches so much, they’d be OK if that’s all they ate for the rest of their lives. As for prep time, most people say they need just 10 minutes to put together a sub.

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INTRODUCING THE PICKLEWICH

I may have to drive down to Grand Forks to give this a try. American sandwich chain Jimmy John’s is serving up a new menu item that pickle lovers are sure to relish. The Picklewich combines their signature sandwiches with their fan-favorite Jimmy Pickles. The Picklewich is a sandwich that uses pickles instead of bread. But it’s only going to be available for a limited time.

SILLY SUBWAY SUIT

Anna Tollison went to Subway for a Steak & Cheese sub but she wasn’t happy with the amount of meat in the sandwich so she’s suing. Seriously? Yup! In her class-action lawsuit filed in Brooklyn, Tollison accused Subway of misleading photos on its app. She claims the pics “contained well over 200% more meat than what was in the actual sandwich.” Tollison hopes other disappointed New Yorkers will join her suit.

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WINE & CANDY PAIRINGS

If you’re looking for new ways to consume all that leftover Halloween candy, I found an interesting list from wine influencer Kimberlee Lizakowski, known online as That Blonde Wino. Here are her perfect wine and candy pairings:

• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and merlot: “The warm fruity notes of merlot pair well with the chocolate-peanut butter perfection of a Reese’s.”
• Sour Patch Kids and Pinot Grigio: “A crisp white like Pinot Grigio tones down the tartness of the candy.”
• M&M’s and Gamay: “A light, fruity red pairs nicely with the milk chocolate in M&M’s and with their extra sugar kick from the candy coating.”
• Peanut M&M’s and Malbec: “The chocolate in M&M’s mixed with Malbec’s velvet-like finish and the slight saltiness of the peanuts is the perfect combination.”
• Starburst and viognier: “With Starbursts being so juicy, a full-bodied viognier is the perfect match.”
• Twizzlers and Sangiovese: “A lot of the fruity notes found in Twizzlers such as cherry and plum, can also be found in a Sangiovese.”
• Candy corn and chardonnay: “The creaminess of a chardonnay complements the flavours in candy corn nicely by muting some of that high-sugar taste.”
• Hershey’s and Zinfandel: “The fruit-forward notes in Zinfandel balance out the classic creamy flavours in a Hershey’s bar.”
• Kit Kat and Pinot Noir: “The jammy notes in a pinot noir are a nice complement to the chocolate coating of a Kit Kat.”
• Twix and cabernet sauvignon: “A bold cab paired with a more complex candy like Twix and its many different layers of flavour…keeps you wanting more with every bite.”

— Hal has written columns for years. He’s also the host of Connecting Winnipeg weekday mornings from 10 to noon on 680 CJOB. You can email him at Hal@HalAnderson.ca.

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