Quaintrelle Weekender

Four ways to a better weekend

Welcome to Quaintrelle Weekender.

This is a short list of things I am currently loving to make eating, drinking, and hosting easier and a lot more interesting.

Have you ever noticed the popping sound soaking chickpeas make? Like little snaps crackling away in the kitchen.

I’m soaking chickpeas for a chili I’m making this weekend. It’s going to be rainy and cold in Toronto, and as luck would have it, I signed up for a non-refundable mushroom foraging course on Sunday afternoon, so I will want a big pot of something hearty and warming waiting for me upon my soggy return.

This one will be a vegetarian bean chili with loads of mushrooms and fresh corn that’s on every country stand right now. I think it will be brilliant with the wine I’m recommending this week.

And speaking of wine, we’ve opened up another round of tickets for our Tasting Tour of Argentina happening in Toronto on October 3. If you like good wine and great food, you really should join us.

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Fall Flavours

The Farm Table by Julius Roberts

I’m late to the party on this one, as this utterly charming cookbook came out last winter, but there must be something in the cooling air:

Angela Clutton

announced it’s her September pick for her cookbook club, somebody mentioned it on my Instagram, and

Jenny Rosenstrach

just talked about it on the This is Taste podcast.

For those of you who have been yet to be introduced to Julius Roberts, he’s a London chef turned country farmer, raising his own heritage livestock, and growing all kinds of produce and herbs. In between flitting about in cozy sweaters and beat-up Blundstone’s, loading his ancient truck with hay bales, or carrying tin buckets through a lazy flock of woolly sheep, he makes homey and rustic, yet elegant and enticing, seasonal dinners from his coastal Dorset farm. Oh – and he does it outdoors on some rickety burner or over an open fire by his greenhouse surrounded by wildflowers. I know. ANNOYING.

The book is broken down by seasons, naturally, using whatever is ripe and ready on his farm. One recipe I have on deck for the cooler weather is chicken and ricotta meatballs in broth.

Shop Here

Domino Foods, St Lawrence Market

This place definitely falls in the category #IYKYK.

Located in the north west corner of the lower level of Toronto’s iconic St Lawrence Market, I shop here on the regular for all kinds of weird and wonderful global ingredients that are sold cheaper than anywhere else. Amazing selections of dried pastas from Italy, dried chilis from Mexico, mustards, vinegars, sea salts, chocolates… I always buy more than I came for.

This one might be a bit inside-baseball for anyone not in Toronto, so I’m wondering if it’s worth it to list local recommendations? Let me know in the comments where you’re located and if you like the Toronto-centric tips.

Gift Idea

Romeus Extra Virgin Olive Oil

It seems weird for a sommelier to say this, but I’m slightly over bringing a bottle of wine as a hostess gift. Yes, bring a bottle of wine to dinner, perhaps a nice bottle of bubbly, but generally when people invite you over, they’ve already got the wine portion of the evening handled.

I far prefer to give meaningful gifts that will remind my friends of me for at least a little while. I’ve given coup glassware, luxury hand soap, a book on quotes, and a truffle slicer.

Extra virgin olive oil is sooo expensive these days, a beautiful bottle of premium evoo makes for a very appreciated and impressive gift for home cooks. I really love the beautiful designs of Romeus from Puglia, and brought a bottle to a friend’s housewarming dinner earlier this week. Yes, the olive oil is very good, but the clay bottles, painted in bright designs like this striped one I purchased for my friends, are gorgeous on counter tops and can be reused (so they can fill it up with the cheap stuff after and no one will be the wiser).

Wine of the Week

Donnafugata Sedàra Sicily, Italy 2021 ($21 in Ontario)

This very well might be my house pour for fall. An easy drinking red blend led by Sicily’s leading grape Nero d’Avola, this is smooth, supple, and juicy with interest in complexity of flavours that range from red cherry to spicy peppercorn and a subtle earthy note. I had this with pasta and sausage ragu the other night, but its fine tannins make it very flexible for food pairing. Try this with macaroni and cheese, charcuterie boards, and your Thanksgiving turkey.

Thank you for reading Quaintrelle.

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Also, if you like good wine and great food and happen to be in Toronto on October 3, I’d love to clink glasses with you at the Tasting Tour of Argentina. Get your tickets here.

I’ll be back on Wednesday. Be good (or better yet, don’t.)

xo – Erin