An Artisan in Our Own Backyard – Mix the Bakery

Every time I drop by Mix the Bakery, I feel like we have a treasure in our own city.  Although I live across the city, I make a point of dropping by the Mix. Of all the great bakeries in Vancouver, the baguette from the Mix reminds me of the ones from France the most.  The baguette is crusty on the outside and moist & airy inside.  A tub of butter, a loaf of the Mix baguette, plus a glass or two of good wine equal BLISS.   

For all the years that I have been going to the Mix, I never met the baker.  So, I decided to meet the baker during my last visit and asked the staff.  “Rose is the co-owner and baker.  She is at the back”, the staff said as she gestured to the back.  I walked past the ladies of bakers at the back, the trays of resting dough, and the stacks of flour sacks.  I had to pause to take in the fragrance of baking permeating through the air.  The ladies said, “Keep walking.  More.  More.  Rose is in her office. Yes, to the left”.  I walked-in unexpectedly and met my local artisan baker hero.  The beauty of the baguette matches the beauty of the boulangère.

The Mix, in addition to the crusty Parisian baguettes, has a variety of breads, desserts, preserves, sandwiches and soups.  By the way, their preserves are essence of fruits.  And their coffees, made from the La Marzocco machine, are always perfect to my taste.  It is as though every single thing in the shop has been touched by the care and dedication of Rose and her staff.  The next time you want to catch an artisanal moment in our own city, I suggest the Mix.

As I walked out of the Mix, the spring passing rain had turned into a sunny afternoon.  And it is a Friday!  With a loaf of Rose’s bread in my arms, I reached to look at the business card that she had given me.  Her title says, ‘DOUGH GIRL’.



   

Odd & Perfect Couple – Chinon and Salmon

Here is a food and wine combination that I don’t think about too often: Chinon and Salmon.  At first, the combo sounds odd – like a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, sweet & sour soup, or Korean & Mexican taco. Our beautiful local salmons are now in season, starting with the Spring Salmon.

Chinon is an appellation in Loire, about 300 km southwest of Paris.  Chinon is a Cabernet Franc country.   Cabernet Franc is better known as Breton by the locals.  The locals sometime simply call the varietal Cabernet – meaning not Cabernet Sauvignon.  Chinon wears many expressions, all to do with where it is grown, vintage and, of course, the vigneron.  Gererally speaking, Chinon grown on sandy soils gives beautiful, perfumed wines that are meant to be enjoyed in its youth.  Bernard Baudry ‘Les Granges’ (pictured) is such an example. The same Chinon grown in a gravel and/or clay over limestone, will likely give structured wines that will benefit from some cellaring. 

Matthieu Baudry and his father Monsieur Bernard Baudry are seeking finesse and elegance in their wines.  Les Granges is usually no more than 12 to 12.5% alcohol.  The vines are grown in harmony with nature.  The grapes are harvested by hand – a rarity in the region nowadays.  The wine is fermented only using indigenous yeasts in concrete vats and bottled unfiltered in the late spring or early summer the following year.  The 2009 vintage is long sold out.  Matthieu informs me the 2010 Les Granges will be bottled this June.  The wine will be shipped this autumn and will arrive on our shores in October/November. 

The Les Granges 2008, the one I am enjoying now clocks in at 12% alcohol.   You can share a bottle over a dinner and don’t feel the vertigo.  The combination of Chinon Les Granges and our local grilled salmon is CONSCIOUS BLISS.