Cured: Charcuterie

Happy new year to those resolved to eat healthily and purposefully. While those intentions are in the back of my mind...waaaay back there behind a new bottle of wine and Netflix, my number one goal is to hit as many of Edmonton's fabulous new eateries as I can get to, even if it means having to wear elastic-waist pants. This is the kind of goal I know I can achieve.

Located on the South side of Edmonton in the community of Ellerslie, Cured opened its doors mid-2015 to good reviews and just enough hype to give them a reputation. While I appreciate charcuterie, I typically don't go out to eat it, as it requires more assembly over cooking and is something I can prepare at home. My friend Jill and I went to check it out on Friday. Edmonton is in the midst of a cold snap and the prospect of a big glass of red with meats and cheeses felt like the right thing to do.

The menu is simple: guests choose five out of the sixteen cured meats and fish available, which include some interesting game meats like venison, elk and boar. Your choice of any/all of the twelve cheeses can be added at an extra charge. Cured also offers a good selection of shared plates. We opted to try the arancini: balls of arborio rice, lobster and peas breaded and then fried. The arancini was deceptively filling, but Jill and I are troopers and pushed through to the charcuterie without breaking a sweat. This is how seasoned eaters make it happen.

Of course the arancini was delicious. I'm sure there are ways of messing with this dish. Under cooking the arborio rice and using poor quality ingredients would likely do, but breading and deep frying food tends to mask those kinds of issues.  Thankfully, this dish didn't need any masking. The combination of subtle flavours was a delight.

For the charcuterie, of note was the smoked duck prosciutto, wild boar kabosy and pork liver pate. The duck left enough of an impression on me that I'm going to try tracking it down through a retailer. We also enjoyed the soppressata and I believe the elk andouille, but their flavours weren't as distinct as the other three selections.

The saganaki, a flaming Greek cheese appeared to be the popular favorite, as more boards exited the kitchen sprouting flames than didn't. We opted for the saganaki and Cantenaar, which is a hard cheese with Dutch roots that reminded me a little of Appenzeller.

In addition to the food, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and service at Cured and will be back to try some of the other menu items. We sat at the bar comfortably for almost three hours and were well cared for during that time. On the subject of wine and charcuterie bars, The Wine Room, on Jasper Avenue and 105th St. offers a menu similar to Cured. Hopefully this cold spell lasts a little longer. I could use more charcuterie.

Food, Glorious Food

I have been eating out. I have been eating out A LOT. Just as Superman must fight evil, I must eat!! Each new restaurant offers a challenge I must embrace. 

That might have been a little over the top. It's just that there a number of new haunts in town that beg to be visited. Although I don't have pics of all the food I've eaten, here's the low down on what's been sampled recently:

Corso 32: Thought the hype was an overstatement, but I was wrong. This contemporary Italian bistro serves wonderfully simple dishes focusing on fresh ingredients and less common cuts of meat. I say simple, because I remember a time not so long ago when a menu had so many adjectives, it sounded like a Harlequin romance. Today's era of eating is bringing back simplicity. 

I tried the pear carpaccio salad and chicken liver tortellini, while Ruedi ate a pork cheek terrine and an ox tail pappardelle. What stuck with me was the use of rich meats countered with very simple sauces to bring out the flavours and balance the richness. My tortellini for example, was drizzled with balsamic vinegar among a few other fresh, but basic ingredients. I savoured each bite: something I find I don't do enough of.

I also splurged on a chocolate torta with large, salty hazelnuts flooding the surface. Oh wow. I never get tired of that salty-sweet waltz. This was such a lovely combination of textures and flavours, I just couldn't help but keep eating it.

Cibo: Pasta dishes were the name of the game at this...well, contemporary Italian bistro. My friend Theresa and I ate there before a wonderful, but food-filled wine tasting. We didn't realize this at the time. Pan fried ricotta cakes were the instigator (see first pic), while a squid ink pasta with calamari and a hedgehog mushroom tortellini with a leek sauce followed suit. Sound good? It was!

The Common: Lamb hot dogs with cheese-braised cabbage, crispy onions and other goodies fill a homemade bun. Actually, all bread at The Common is made in-house which thrilled Ruedi our in-house bread maker. The Ruedster ordered a Umami burger filled with minced, flank steak, roasted tomatoes and the restaurant's take on thousand-island dressing. Funky fries with an optional Sriracha mayo make this place one of my new faves. Don't forget to order the lemongrass panna cotta before you jet. The dish is served in a jam jar with a roasted Asian pear on the side. I was sorry I had to share this one.

Tres Carnales Taqueria: Oh just get the fish taco and be done with it! Breaded red snapper is the fish of choice and it's served with a simple cole slaw and subtle sauce. I couldn't have made it better myself. Trust me, check my old posts. I tried and I did not make a better fish taco. Tres Carnales nailed it.