Cheese, not pot, on menu at 4/20 party

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This article was published 11/04/2019 (2396 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

April 20 is Raw Milk Appreciation Day — and that’s not an occasion to celebrate with cake.

A more appropriate party is being hosted by local cheesemakers Dustin Peltier and Rachel Isaak — who also run Loaf and Honey catering company — and Maarit Tymchyshyn and Courtney Dhaliwal of the Cheesemongers Fromagerie in the form of a seven-course raw-milk cheese dinner, featuring cheeses from across Canada, as well as Peltier and Isaak’s own Trappist-style cheese. The couple make raw-cow’s-milk cheese based on a method that has been practised in Manitoba since 1918 at the Abbaye des Prairies Monastery in Holland, about 140 kilometres west of Winnipeg, which they learned from Brother Alberic, who had been making it since the 1940s. It’s a 60-day aged semi-hard cheese that is handwashed every day, made from milk that comes from a single family-owned and operated dairy.

At the dinner, where each course will be paired with a wine or local beer, the cheesemakers will share some of their experiences and the inspiration behind the dishes served, while Gifford and Dhaliwal will talk about the other Canadian cheeses. Raw-milk cheese — made from unpasteurized milk — is not widely produced in Canada and is usually made by small, artisanal companies, as the milk is trickier to work with and its flavours vary with climate and terrain.

The dinner will be held on Saturday from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., at the St. Norbert Arts Centre, the grounds of the original Trappist Monastery in Manitoba. Tickets are $100 at wfp.to/rawcheese.

Earlier in the day, the Cheesemongers shop at 839 Corydon will host Peltier and Isaak from 10 to 11 a.m. for a “meet your cheesemaker” event and a tasting.

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Wow Hospitality, which caters for the Millennium Centre, 389 Main St., is partnering with local restaurants to host monthly lunchtime vegan pop-ups, tied into First Fridays in the Exchange.

The pop-ups, which run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., offer a selection of vegan entrées, desserts and smoothies for takeout — no tickets or reservations necessary — and also give the public a chance to ogle the beautiful Millennium Centre space, which is a window into Winnipeg’s architectural past. April’s event featured southern-style comfort food and desserts from Le Monkey Bar, the healthy-food kiosk that operates during summer months at the base of the Esplanade Riel.

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An intriguing new storefront has appeared at 939 Notre Dame Ave., just east of McPhillips Street. Cork and Olive Portuguese market is opening soon, according to the sign on the papered-over windows. The store’s Facebook page features a wealth of products — olive oil, chouriço, baked goods, coffee, tinned meats and fish, olives and other snacks — which will be available when it opens its doors.

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Satisfy your sweet tooth at Ciao’s ChocolateFest, running at participating local restaurants until April 30.

Diners can indulge in a cocoa-themed appetizer, dessert or drink ($7 each; not every restaurant features all three), such as Little Goat’s cocoa-dusted pork belly with ancho chili ganache or its dark chocolate Manhattan; the Oakwood’s spicy chocolate black bean dip or its triple chocolate cheesecake; Corrientes’ chocolate empanadas with Nutella and banana chips; or La Belle Baguette’s salted dulce ganache tart.

For a full list of restaurants and menus, visit ciaowinnipeg.com.

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The Centennial Concert Hall will host a Red Carpet Gala for MS on Thursday, April 25, featuring a pop-up dinner, speakers, entertainment, silent auction and prizes to raise money for multiple sclerosis research. Canada has the highest rates of MS, a chronic disease affecting the brain and spinal cord that has no cure.

The five-course dinner, included with $140 VIP tickets, starts at 5 p.m., and features a menu by Lasahan, former MasterChef Canada contestant Jeremy Senaris’s catering company, and Calvin Truong of Kyu Grill. The courses include scallop carpaccio, Wagyu beef salpicao bites, adobo sticky rice, black cod and a dessert of pan de coco (vegetarian options are available).

A $30 general admission ticket includes tapas and hors d’oeuvres.

Visit wfp.to/redcarpet for tickets.

jill.wilson@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @dedaumier