whitebear_blog

Miga the snowboarding spirit bear?

One of BC's rarest creatures has been selected by VANOC to be an Olympic mascot for the Vancouver 2010 Games.  Inspired by local mythology of the Pacific Northwest First Nations, Miga is a "sea bear" - part killer whale and part Spirit Bear.  Legend has it that orca whales would transform on land into the rare Kermode or Spirit Bear.

The First Nations believe that the Spirit Bear was turned white by the Raven to remind us of the Ice Age. They also believe that orcas are travellers and guardians of the sea.

Miga, apparently lives in the ocean near Tofino and spends the summers surfing at Long Beach and in the winters has taken up snowboarding.  I'm not sure where, perhaps at Mount Washington on the Island?  Like most Spirit Bears her favourite food is salmon.

Great choice by VANOC of Miga and the other two mascots, Sumi (a thunderbird, orca and black bear) and Quatchi (a Sasquatch), who aren't just cute toys but may also be seen as "protectors of nature" here in BC.

An Acadian New Years

Every year for the holidays my aunt in New Brunswick bakes an outstanding tourtière for the family to enjoy in one of our many feasts.  She has adapted this French Canadian dish, with an Acadian flair to contain more spices than the traditional version, which is customarily served after midnight mass on Christmas Eve. 

I've continued her tradition here in the west and bake it every year now for Boxing Day. I've made my own variation too and instead of beef I substitute pork or turkey.  As this may be made ahead of time, it is very convenient for a New Years brunch as well.

The savoury aspect of this dish along with the lighter protein opens up the wine pairing to some perhaps unexpected suggestions. A recent column by foodie Tim Pawsey recommends Riesling with tourtière and I wholeheartedly concur. Our aromatic White Bear Riesling is lovely with the seasonings in this dish. The recipe is as follows...

Acadian Tourtière

Serves 6

For the filling

• Brown 1.5 pounds of ground hamburger (I substitute ground pork or ground turkey)
  
• Add one small onion minced (and sauté until translucent)
  
• Add 1.5 cups of plain croutons
  
• Stir in 1 can of beef consommé (I substitute organic vegetable stock)  Note: for lean pork or turkey I recommend doubling the use of stock for additional moistness
  
• ½ tsp sea salt, ½ tsp pepper, ¼ tsp ground thyme, ¼ tsp marjoram 
• 1 tsp each ground cloves, cinnamon (both optional)
• 1/3 tsp each allspice, nutmeg (both optional)
  
• 2 tsps Worcestershire sauce  
  

For the pastry

• standard 8 or 9 inch pastry recipe
• 3/4 cup cheddar cheese
• dash cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
  

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Simmer first ingredients for 15 minutes.  

1)    Make a pastry for a double crust pie. Mix flour, cayenne pepper, paprika, shortening and cheese  before adding the cold water to the pastry; then add the cold water as you would for normal pastry. Cover & let pastry rest for at least 15 minutes in fridge.

2) Roll out bottom crust and put in  8 or 9 inch deep dish pie plate.

3) Pour hamburger mixture from frying pan onto the bottom crust; then cover with the top crust.  Once top crust is on – make slits in the top crust. Let rest for approx. 15 minutes before baking.

4) Cook for 45 minutes.  

I serve it with homemade sour cherry preserves or cranberry jelly and a mixed green salad topped with goat cheese and candied walnuts.

Note if you are baking this in advance and freezing, to reheat place frozen pie in 350F oven for 30 minutes.

Bon Appétit and Bonne Année!

A Maritime Christmas

With most of my family living in the Maritimes back east, for the holidays here on the West Coast we generally don't have the traditional roasted turkey dinner. Instead we try dishes that are suitable for smaller gatherings such as barbequed wild BC salmon or fresh BC Dungeness crab.  Both of which are naturally Ocean Wise.

Accordingly, I thought I'd share one of my favorite recipes, Cedar Maple Salmon, which I recommend paired with our aromatic White Bear Sauvignon Blanc.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup Canadian maple syrup
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill or cilantro
• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
• kosher or coarse sea salt & fresh black pepper to taste
• wild salmon filet
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• lemon wedges and dill/cilantro sprigs for garnish

Method:

Lay salmon filet with skin down on an untreated cedar plank (make sure to pre-soak the plank in water for at least an hour) and place atop grill. Cook over medium heat about 15 minutes. Combine other ingredients and pour sauce over salmon.  Turn up heat to medium high with lid closed for approx. another 5 minutes.  (Note, the plank will smolder creating smoke - that's what gives it that special flavour - if plank ignites, spray with water).  The sauce should carmelize and fish is ready when the flesh is still slightly opaque in the middle.  Take off heat and and garnish.  The salmon may be served on the plank, but take care to not overcook as it will continue cooking while its on the hot plank.

In the enclosed photo we've served the salmon with roasted potatoes and grilled asparagus with toasted almonds.

Bon appetit!

Coming next week: An Acadian New Years... 

Garden of the Spirit Bear

In keeping with our holiday gift theme, a book for the younger set, "Garden of the Spirit Bear: Life in the Great Bear Rainforest" by noted naturalist Dr. Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, looks like a lovely present for a child (grades 3-5).

One reviewer describes it as:

"By concentrating on the bears' interactions with various plants and animals, she helps readers see the interrelationships that form a delicate balance for all of the inhabitants. Also described are threats posed by logging and the attempts of the Valhalla Wilderness Society to establish the Spirit Bear Conservancy. Milton's watercolor illustrations depict vast, unspoiled landscapes and show the animals at home in the forest. Patent's work highlights the threat to one irreplaceable stretch of wilderness and the creatures that live there."

Though a few years old, it's a beautifully illustrated children's book, that still entertains and educates...

Canada's Forgotten Coast

With just two weeks until Christmas, what better present than a gorgeous picture book on the Great Bear Rainforest in support of charity?  An older, but still beautiful publication: The Great Bear Rainforest: Canada's Forgotten Coast by Ian and Karen McAllister (and forward by Robert F. Kenndey Jr.) is available online.  All proceeds support the environmental organization, Pacific Wild, who you can contact directly for signed copies! 

The publisher notes that the McAllisters -- both environmental campaigners -- spent over ten years exploring, photographing and researching this once-forgotten coast. The book contains over 150 stunning colour photographs.  With these photographs, a personable, informative commentary and full-colour maps and drawings, this book is the first to unveil the beauty and magnificence of this unique place.

One reviewer eloquently describes it as:

"This book is written as a journal of a sailing voyage. Although the authors had previously visited the remarkable areas they photograph and describe six times before, the seventh visit is chronicled in these pages. Thus there is a great depth of knowledge and experience inherent to this work which transforms a simple if elegant journal into a powerful, somewhat doleful, environmental monograph."

A lovely coffee table book that supports wildlife and habitat protection in the Great Bear Rainforest, which also informs and motivates.  The ideal green gift for the holidays!

Uncommon Solutions for the Common Good

Tides Canada held their holiday party last evening with donors, partners and friends and naturally served White Bear wines paired with delicious food from One Planet Catering for their guests.  We are proud to support them and contribute part of our proceeds to their preservation activities for the Spirit Bear's habitat in BC's Great Bear Rainforest.

Tides Canada identifies environmental and social challenges and brings the resources and leadership to make change happen. They pool ideas, strategies, people, and capital to achieve the greatest impacts on the key environmental and social issues of our time.

An example of their leadership role can be seen in the Great Bear Rainforest – the largest and most significant integrated conservation program in North American history. Tides Canada led the Canadian fundraising campaign and enabled coalition building among Canada’s leading environmental organizations including ForestEthics, Sierra Club of BC and Greenpeace Canada. They also aided scientific research that contributed to these agreements and worked with The Nature Conservancy to raise funds for this initiative in Canada and the United States.  Their efforts helped ensure a healthy future for the Great Bear Rainforest – now one of the most protected forest regions in the world.

Spirit of Christmas

Conservationist and Photographer Steve Williamson has just released a "Spirit of Christmas" gallery of prints that feature his favorite Spirit Bear images.  He has spent much of the past year working with Pacific Wild and other charities in the Great Bear Rainforest.  The images will be on display at the Comox Center Mall on Vancouver Island Dec. 2-6 and are also available on Steve's website.

Emeralds at the Edge

A gorgeous new picture book of the Great Bear Rainforest has just been released by wildlife photographer Andrew Wright.  The publication features personal experiences and stunning images of the Spirit Bear's habitat.

Come to the book launch in Victoria on November 20th at the Maritime Museum and hear Andrew speak about Emeralds at the Edge: Observations of an Accidental Activist. Join us there and have your copy signed by the author!  Profits from the sale of this book support the Sierra Club BC's work, please contact the Sierra Club BC for more information. 

Cornucopia: What you desire

White Bear is delighted to participate in a celebration of food and wine at our first Cornucopia experience this weekend at Whistler.

Interestingly, the history behind the extravaganza is much more extensive than the 13 short years it's been in Whistler, and dates back to the 5th Century BC.  Originating in Greek mythology, there are varying stories on its begining, one theory claims that Zeus while playing with the goat Amalthea accidently broke one of her horns.  In atonement, he bestowed magical powers on it, promising to give the horn's possessor whatever she desired. The story magically evolved from there into Copia the Goddess of Plenty, with original depictions of a horn filled with fruit and flowers. 

Modern day depictions have come to associate Cornucopia with Thanksgiving, harvest and wine.  And appropriately this weekend, there will be a plethora of winemaker's dinners, seminars, parties and of course the large Crush for consumers at the Trade & Convention Center.  One of the more interesting seminars offered is the annual Chef's Trip to the Farm with a visit to nearby Pemberton to discuss the harvest of fresh organic produce with the farmer and dine on homestyle cooking by a local chef in their country kitchen.

Buon Appetito!

White Bear with Salmon

According to a recent BBC story, the Spirit Bear is apparently excellent at fishing and is able to catch salmon (their primary diet) at a 30% more efficient rate than their black bear counterparts.  They cite a study from the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, by University of Victoria biology professor Tom Reimchen and graduate student Dan Klinkawhich, which found that the whiteness is a benefit for fishing during the daylight, making the bears "invisible" to the fish.

Two coastal islands, Gribell and Princess Royal Islands in BC approximately 500 km north of Vancouver are home to the rare white bears, which comprise 20-30% of the bear population there.   Moreso than black bears, Spirit bears are heavily dependent on salmon as a food source and to fatten up for the winter they feed extensively each autumn as the salmon migrate to their spawning grounds.  See enclosed video for a cute example of a young Spirit Bear fishing for the first time.

The White Bear Sauvignon Blanc is a lovely wine pairing with poached salmon.  I recommend wine, water, dill, parsley, shallots, cracked black pepper and a bit of lemon for poaching and then plating it on a bed of baby spinach.