Month: January 2010

The Cooking Chronicles: Tandoori Quesadillas

I love borrowing cookbooks from the library. And though I am not able to make more than one or two dishes in the time that I have the book (and yes, I usually take advantage of the option of multiple renewals), having time to peruse the recipes helps me determine if it’s a volume I’d like to permanently add to my collection.

Everyday Indian is a lovely publication, and one I first came across while browsing the shelves at the library. Written by Vancouver-based author Bal Arneson, the recipes capture Indian flavours with a North American slant, and to someone with limited kitchen expertise, didn’t seem overly complicated. Although some of her anecdotes seem misplaced and forced, the photos are bright and inviting, and make the book a breeze to read.

Mack loves quesadillas, so Bal’s tandoori version caught my eye. A quick stir-fry of onion, garlic and tandoori paste formed the flavour base, which was combined with chicken, some yogurt, then baked off in tortillas with mozzarella. The result? A spicy, slightly tangy quesadilla that was wholly satisfying – the yogurt mellowed the heat, and the sweetness of the onion added another dimension to every bite. It was an interesting departure from the salsa-based snack.

Tandoori Quesadillas

Paired with a salad, it’s a quick go-to meal, and one that we’ve made a few times since.

Culinary Q & A with Jennifer Cockrall-King

Occupation: Food writer

What did you eat today?

Apart from chocolate, you mean? While I do derive a significant amount of my daily caloric intake thanks to the stash of dark chocolate in my kitchen, today was a good food day. Breakfast was some peanut buttered toast with  tea. I’m not very motivated in the morning. But my husband and I had rack of lamb for lunch (!! I know) that we seared off in a frying pan and then plastered with a mash of chopped parsely, garlic, black olive tapenade, lemon zest and olive oil. We put the pan into the oven and let it cook some more until it was about medium. I don’t like rare lamb. We had a parsley salad with capers, thin onion slices, lemon juice and olive oil. (That’s a Nigella recipe from one of her shows and we simply call it “Nigella Salad” in our house.) We kind of eat big lunches in our house. Dinner was just soup because we were running out the door to see the Olympic torch relay.

What do you never eat?

I don’t think of myself as a picky eater, but neither am I a fearless omnivore. I don’t really like steak tartare. I detest liver. I’m not fond of foie gras, but I will eat it if it arrives on a plate and I’m at a dinner party. No brain, ever. No kidneys, heart, and other offal. I also don’t eat beef / beef products unless they are grassfed and grass-finished if possible. (I eat a lot of bison.) Oh, and I try really hard to not eat tuna, especially Blue Fin, and other absolute no-nos in the commercial fishing world. The fact that it tastes like heaven is not an argument to eat irresponsibly.  Most food I don’t eat are on a taste or texture ground, but I have a few items that I just don’t eat on moral or ecological grounds.

What is your personal specialty?

You can’t tell because this Q & A is not done in real time, but it is taking me a long time to answer. I guess I’m a generalist. I am better are savory dishes than sweet. I’m not a baker or a dessert-maker. I make a good French onion soup from scratch, because I’ll take hours to simmer and caramelize the onions. In the summer I make a really great roasted beet, fresh apricot and goat cheese salad with a shallot vinaigrette. It’s the best of summer all in one bowl.

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you will always find:

…half-full / half-empty jars of “impulse buys” like gourmet pestos, strange mustards, and pickled things and such. It’s a bit of a disaster because I have difficulty throwing stuff like that away, even if I don’t really like it as much as I thought I would when I bought it.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Caesar Salad with chicken. We make it from scratch so often that we usually just make a big jar of our homemade Caesar salad dressing and good quality Parmesan ready to roll. I’m pretty addicted to salads of all kinds because they are easy and I’ll use up little bits of leftovers — quinoa, green beans, steak, cheese — in my “salads.” They’re not just a few delicate leaves artfully arranged on a plate! Basically salads in our house may or may not contain leaves, but almost always contain cold leftovers.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

A wine-bottle opener for obvious reasons. After that, a good, sharp, heavy cleaver. It’s really satisfying to split a squash in half  in just one whack.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

Well, if the world really is coming to an end, then Blue Fin Tuna it is!!! (Under those circumstances, I’m sure it would be OK.) My last meal — on the eve of global collapse — would involve several bottles of good (French) Champagne, a raw oyster buffet, pan-fried baby eggplant and baby artichokes with Maldon sea salt, Poplar Grove Bench Blue cheese, tree-ripe Okanagan peaches, plums, cherries, …

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Somewhere within walking distance of our condo. We’re lucky, we’re close to the new Skinny Legs and Cowgirls, Matahari, Famoso Pizzeria, La Shish-Taouk, Cafe de Ville and such. Further afield I like to try new places and I definitely prefer smaller places or independents like Culina, Wild Tangerine, Blue Pear (though it’s been waaayyy too long since I’ve been there) and many of the other “Original Fare” restaurants. The food is better, the atmosphere is better and the money goes into the pockets of other Edmontonians. That’s very important to me. Having worked at Hardware Grill for almost three years, the place is like going home.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

That’s totally impossible…and I’ll get in trouble if I name just one.

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat?

I would love to go to Turkey, Morocco, and southern Spain (are you listening, travel and PR companies???). Ha. No those are my dream culinary vacations and I would eat everything in my path while there. Except for brains and such (see above list of my ‘Don’t Eat” foods..) I was meant to live on or near to the Equator.

The Olympic Torch Comes to Edmonton!

Now that I can feel all ten of my toes again, I can finally begin to recount the wonderful night that was the Olympic Torch relay stop in Edmonton.

Though there were activities all along the relay route, including stops in Old Strathcona and at the Legislature, I joined in on the festivities in progress at City Hall. I arrived just in time to see a short comedic piece about the origins of the torch by Teatro la Quindicina, and to listen to a spirited rendition of The Olympic Theme by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

City Room festivities

Athletes that had competed in the Olympics and Paralympics were recognized, and with that, the crowd dispersed into a rapidly filling Churchill Square.

May and me

The relay path to the stage

The crowd was treated to entertainment that included local group Asani, but for the most part, the stage presence came from seasoned relay stopover performers. The RBC MC earned my admiration as the most energetic of the bunch, and was able to elicit quite the noise from the crowd, while the Coke acrobats stole the show with their flexibility and fluid movements. While the “you’re the best crowd we’ve seen so far” statements rang hollow, I appreciated how well rehearsed and theatrical the entire show was.

The stage

As we danced in place in a futile effort to keep warm, I couldn’t help but marvel at how cool it was to be among the pulsing crowd, alongside hundreds of other Edmontonians about to witness our leg of the Olympic journey. The excitement was palpable.

The crowd

The moment we’d all been waiting for arrived in a flurry of camera flashes – I could barely see torch carrier Dorren Ryan as she made her way to the stage, and was thankful for the footlong flame to guide my eye and camera lens.

The torch arrives!

Up on stage, she lit the celebratory caldron, and the crowd erupted in cheers.

Caldron lit!

Though I think more entertainment followed the climactic moment, we decided to book it in favour of heat. I’m really happy to have been a part of the evening though – bravo to the organizers, and to my fellow Edmontonians who came out for the event!

You can read Mack’s post (with video!) about the ceremony here. Bruce from Moments in Digital also had some nice photos to share.

Unwind with Wine: Moriarty’s Bistro & Wine Bar

I’m very happy to see that Edmonton is finally getting its wine bar groove on. Moriarty’s Bistro & Wine Bar and LIT Wine Bar (on Jasper Avenue and 104 Street) are joining the fray that already includes Bibo and TZiN. While LIT is still in the works, Moriarty’s opened at the end of December, and after the Winter Light gala at City Hall last week, Mack and I popped over to check it out.

Moriarty’s Bistro & Wine Bar

Moriarty’s is the third business in two years to occupy the space that used to house Ching’s Asian Dim Bar and Mimi’s (10162 100A Street), right across the street from Hundred. I hope the space isn’t cursed, because I do think downtown could use another place for a glass of wine, and Moriarty’s, at least from our first visit, is a great addition to the core.

Wine

Moriarty’s is owned by the same people who run Sherlock Holmes and the Rose & Crown, but you wouldn’t know it from the interior. The black and white colour scheme is sleek and elegant, with one wall lined with cozy white leather banquets (where we chose to sit). The plastic black chairs that made up the bulk of seating options didn’t look too comfortable, but they were aesthetically pleasing. I loved the oversized light fixtures, and large black mirrors on the walls.

Interior

Moriarty’s is the fourth establishment in Edmonton to install and utilize an Enomatic wine system (Vinomania, The Bothy and Hardware Grill are the others). The system allows wine to stay fresher longer, meaning wines served by the glass can be preserved for a longer period of time. We both selected a glass of wine from the Enomatic menu, with eight options to choose from. I won’t even pretend to be a wine connoisseur to say that I can taste the difference between a freshly opened bottle and one with a life lengthened by nitrogen gases, but I think the technology is neat.

We weren’t particularly hungry that day (having sampled some food at the gala), but opted to order something to share. The menu wasn’t as exciting as I had hoped for (particularly after our server told us the chef trained at the Hardware Grill), and consisted of pizza-like flatbreads, sandwiches, salads, and a handful of appetizers. We ended up with the leek and house-roasted ham French tart, recommended by our server.

The server told us the phyllo pastry was made in-house, which was a welcome surprise. Buttery, flaky and rich, it was definitely not an everyday dish, and accompanied with the crunchy shredded leeks and ham, it was wholly satisfying.

Leek and Ham French Tart

Being the only patrons that night had its pros and cons. Our food arrived in no time, but the lack of co-diners made our experience somewhat awkward. Our server was on top of us from the moment we walked in, but given his genuine nature and obvious desire to please, it was excusable. And if anything, his sincerity was much preferred to some of the more condescending service we’ve encountered in the city.

Best of luck to Moriarty’s – I hope to be back for a glass of wine after work soon!

Moriarty’s Bistro & Wine Bar
10162 100A Street
(780) 757-2005

Food Notes for January 11, 2010

I am very happy that House and (next week) 24 are back with new episodes. And though Canadians are again getting shafted with a delayed broadcast of Top Chef Masters, I’m enjoying the show so far! On to this week’s food notes:

  • The last week of this season’s Meet the Locals Festival at Planet Organic south runs January 11-17 – check out their tasting tables and cooking demonstrations!
  • The Art Gallery of Alberta posted details on their new food establishments, including ZINC, which will be led by Chef David Omar. It doesn’t look like they posted a menu yet, but from the hours, they will be serving brunch!
  • Two local businesses announced that they are branching out with their second locations this year – Whimsical Cupcakes, with a new store to open near the High Level Bridge, and a second Padmanadi, a vegetarian restaurant with a cult following, to open on 107 Avenue and 101 Street on May 21. Transcend Coffee also posted an update about their second “T2” location in Garneau – looks like coffee lovers will have to be patient, as the renovations will take longer than originally anticipated.
  • Vue Weekly published an interview with Peter Jackson, formerly the chef/owner of Jack’s Grill. Since selling Jack’s, he has taken on a position of “Culinary Leader” at the Cheesecake Cafe. Perhaps this will be a trend in the next five years – chefs leaving independent eateries to guide larger chains.
  • The Bothy was positively reviewed in the Journal this past week. There was also an article about Edmonton’s growing hunger to learn more about wine.
  • Chris over at Eating is the Hard Part has a great series of Q & As worth a read – the first with the owner of GF Patisserie in Cochrane and the second with Duane Hicks of Blue Plate Diner.
  • This is interesting – the LA Times becomes the first major NA newspaper to shift their food section from Wednesday to Thursday.
  • Though it’ll likely be 2011 before it ever airs on Food Network Canada, I’m happy to see that Gail Simmons (of Food & Wine Magazine, and with Tom Colicchio, form the best reality judging duo on television, in my opinion) will be hosting the second Top Chef spinoff called Just Desserts.
  • Speaking of TV, does anyone else find those new McDonald’s advertisements particularly endearing? I’m talking about the Chicken Parmigiana, Big Mac and Egg McMuffin campaigns that flash from image to image, set to catchy, upbeat music.
  • The Tim Horton’s commercial featuring the doughnut wheel (in conjunction with the 49cent doughnut add on promotion) made me laugh. And while at Tim’s last week grabbing a drink, I was surprised to find a small version of the wheel in store!

 

Pick your poison (I’m a sucker for the vanilla dip, so I wouldn’t leave it to chance)

  • Though I’m not sure that part of downtown Edmonton needed another one – a Starbucks in Commerce Place will open February 4.

 

This will make it four Starbucks within 3 downtown blocks

Have a good week everyone!

Slow Food Edmonton: Winter Solstice Supper

Valerie (aka A Canadian Foodie) is a valuable Slow Food Edmonton member, and is particularly outspoken when it comes to teaching children about good, clean and fair food. And as Mack and I found out on Saturday, she is also a host par excellence.

Valerie addresses the hungry masses

Valerie had the great idea of starting a series of Slow Food “solstice suppers” – informal opportunities to mingle and share a meal with other local Slow Food members – and offered to host the first event. So on Saturday, Mack and I joined about two dozen others at Valerie’s house with, of course, a dish in hand.

Gathering around the appetizers

I have made Giada de Laurentiis’s mini frittatas before, but this was my first time using duck eggs (from Greens, Eggs and Ham) and bacon (from Valbella). I also added mushrooms and the requisite Parmesan and parsley. Better served warm but fine at room temperature, they’re a great party appetizer that are both quick to assemble and bake off. And with duck instead of chicken eggs, I found them to be lighter and fluffier than usual!

Two-bite Frittatas made with Greens, Eggs and Ham duck eggs and Valbella bacon

The spread at Valerie’s was amazing – I would have been satisfied with consuming the cheese plate alone. But variety is the spice of life, and even in the dead of winter, it was fantastic to see the breadth of locally-procured goods utilized in all of the dishes. From the Gull Valley tomatoes in Valerie’s bruschetta to Sylvan Star Cheese in Maria’s potato gratin to bison sausage from First Nature Farms, it was clear that area producers still have much to offer right now.

Buffet

The star of the evening was undoubtedly the roast pig. Valerie and Vanja ordered the pig from one of Vanja’s friends, who obtains the pigs from Hillview Acres Farm then roasts them in stone ovens in his garage. The meat was very tender and moist, and as you can probably see from the photos, there was plenty to go around!

“Some pig”

Ready to eat

Though everything was delicious, I have to pay particular homage to Colleen and Vince’s bread. Two years ago, they built a wood-burning oven in their backyard, which enables them to make, among other things, crusty bread. They brought a sampling of loaves with them, and I really had to stop myself at three slices. I was lucky enough to score a small baguette to take home though – reheated this morning for breakfast, it was still superb.

Bread!

And dessert? Between David and Nicole’s moist-but-not-too-rich Bavarian torte and Valerie’s gorgeous cookies, we were made.

Around the dessert table

Valerie’s cookie trays

It was a nice touch that Valerie invited everyone to write out the name of their dish, including the names of local producers utilized, on cards to display next to the dishes – she is in the process of collecting recipes and once finished, will display them on the Slow Food Edmonton website.

Good food, good company #1

#2

#3

Thanks again to Valerie and Vanja for hosting such a great evening!

You can see my photoset here, and read Valerie’s post on the evening here.

Film: “Presumed Guilty”

Mack and I were invited to attend the second Doc Soup screening that took place at the Citadel’s Zeidler Hall on Thursday night. Global Visions Film Festival helped to bring Doc Soup to Edmonton – a monthly film series that showcases both local and international documentaries.

The night’s film was Presumed Guilty, a documentary exposing the ills of the Mexican justice system through one man’s struggle to prove his innocence. José Antonio Zuñiga was arrested and jailed for a homicide he was never proven to have committed, and as the title of the film alludes, in a system where a conviction matters more than justice, his subsequent retrial was for show only, and did not result in a verdict change. It was a minor miracle that the cameras were allowed to film the retrial however, and I have to say, the “face off” portion of the footage was fascinating. The defendant (behind a set of bars) was able to literally face his accusers – in this case, the witness and the case detectives – and ask them questions face to face.

Antonio appealed the guilty verdict, and was able to secure an eventual acquittal from the appellate judges, but in the process, spent nearly 900 days in jail.

Roberto Hernandez, one of the two people behind the film, actually attended the screening, and conducted a Q & A at the end of the film. He is a lawyer by trade, and continued to reiterate his lack of filmmaking skill and expertise – “I just edited until I cried,” he said.  He was also extremely modest regarding the impact he has made on reforming the Mexican justice system – it turned out his previous documentary The Tunnel, which he screened for the country’s legislators, was a catalyst for a constitutional amendment passed last year which institutes a presumption of innocence.

The next Doc Soup screening is Junior, on February 4. For $10, it’s sure to be a worthwhile evening of food for thought. Thanks again to Ted Kerr for the invitation!

Adam also attended and blogged about the film – check out his thoughts here.

Yellowknife Wanderings

While I can’t say I was thrilled when Mack and I decided that we would be spending a part of the holiday north of Edmonton, in the end, I was glad we went. Not only we were able to spend some quality time with his family, but I am also now able to appreciate Edmonton’s relatively milder temperatures (really, anything above –30 feels like a blessing) and generous amount of daylight.

We were able to explore the city somewhat – on dogsled, in a vehicle, and on foot. Because Martin and Patti live in the downtown core, we were able to walk to the nearby shopping centres and restaurants.

The street where Martin and Patti live

Ravens (even larger than the birds we encountered in Banff)

Thom helped orient us to the area

Centre Square Mall, one of the two shopping centres

In YK Centre, the other shopping centre, we found The Chocolatier, a specialty shop that makes all their own chocolate in-house. Though truffles are their specialty, I picked up a package of their Carnutzel (caramel covered pretzel then dipped in chocolate), while Mack decided on their chocolate-covered Rice Krispie squares. Mack’s squares ended up being the winner – the pretzel base needed to be thicker to stand up to all of the caramel used.

Inside The Chocolatier

We also encountered a store in YK Centre that was dedicated entirely to Ragged Ass Road, a cheekily named street. Martin and Patti eventually took us to the small unmarked residential roadway, but it was a bit anti-climactic (and hence, no photos).

To Ragged Ass Road

We also window shopped at the Gallery of the Midnight Sun, a lovely local boutique filled with handmade treasures. I had to take a photo of the furs for Amanda.

Furs and pelts

Of course, something I was also interested in was the grocery shops. While I knew most produce and items would be available in Yellowknife, the question was – how much would they cost? Luckily, I came across this post at YK Online, which saved me from taking pictures of basic goods myself. While groceries are not surprisingly more expensive, some things still left me with sticker shock, like a bag of grapefruit that was nearly $8.

Co-op

My favourite store in Yellowknife, and one that I could see myself shopping in if I ever lived there, was Le Stock Pot (how could you not love the name?). The owner of the kitchen supply store and deli also owns two restaurants in the city – Le Frolic and L’Heritage. Even though they were in the process of moving their kitchen supplies to a separate location, I still fell in love with their pantry, stocked with pretty bottles of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and the like. And, never one to resist good bread, I picked up a baguette which I later consumed with butter. It was perfection.

Inside Le Stock Pot

The one restaurant I had some intention to visit was Bullocks, which some say serve the best fish in Canada. Much like other establishments in Yellowknife during the holidays, however, it was closed, and we ended up at the Vietnamese Noodle House instead. Who knew I would end up having pho in Yellowknife? It was all right, and did the job of warming me through, though the rare beef was a little tough.

Combination Beef Noodle Soup

As we were also in Yellowknife for the New Year, Patti took us to the fireworks show at Frame Lake. It was amusing to me that the show took place at 9:30 instead of midnight, but given how cold it was then, I was thankful for the early kick-off to 2010. Unlike in Edmonton, where the people setting off the fireworks are shielded by office towers, we were able to see the trio of men on the lake lighting off the rockets. The show almost felt intimate with a crowd of around 200, and the  fireworks themselves seemed larger, without any buildings in the way.

Fireworks

More fireworks

It ended with a bang!

On our last full day in Yellowknife, we checked some other things off of our tourist to-do list. First, it was up to Pilot Hill for some shots of the magnificent sunset, and the view from the top. Boy was it cold, but it was worth it.

Gorgeous sunset

Great Slave Lake

Looking toward the town

With Patti

Lastly, Martin took us to the ice road across Great Slave Lake which provide drivers with a shortcut to a small community across the Lake. We didn’t drive across, but it was pretty cool to see the ploughed snow roadway.

On the ice road

While we didn’t get to see any Northern Lights, we still got to experience many of the sights that make Yellowknife unique. Thanks again to Martin and Patti for their hospitality, and for making our stay special!

Mispon Winter Light Gala 2010

I was really excited to attend the kick-off event of this year’s Winter Light festival, Mispon Gala (mispon is “it’s snowing” in Cree). Based on last year’s evening of entertainment and food, I thought things could only get better, with Winter Light now in it’s second year.

Before entering City Hall, I walked past Churchill Square, expecting to find some outdoor activities similar to the previous year such as fire pits, light and lantern installations, or a snow maze. Unfortunately, the Square was bare.

All of the evening’s activity was concentrated at City Hall. Three fire pits had been set up around the ice rink, with some braving the cold playing around on the ice as we were leaving, but for the most part, everyone was indoors.

Outside City Hall

The ceremonies had just started when I arrived, with several festival event organizers taking their turn at the microphone to introduce their respective projects. After that, the audience was treated to a performance by Kristine Nutting’s Warm Up Burlesque – a cheeky, reverse burlesque that had the dancers pulling on layers of clothing. It was somewhat amusing, but not my cup of tea.

Krstine Nutting’s Warm Up Burlesque

To end off the night, Johnny Quazar and the Swingbots provided the musical backdrop as NAIT catering dished out comforting plates of food, including Big Rock Winter Spice Ale glazed meatballs and maple baked beans with sourdough crostini. Our favourite actually turned out to be the honey-scented bannock with Saskatoon marmalade – the bannock was sweet, with a lovely consistency similar to a scone.

Johnny Quazar and the Swingbogs

Bannock and Baked Beans

I was a little disappointed festival organizers didn’t go the route chosen last year – offering free hot chocolate to those who brought a reusable mug (I realize I should have brought a container for the food samples as well). I do think, however, that the more festivals remind us to bring containers with us, the better – it will eventually become habit.

In the City Room

As a whole, I was expecting more of the gala – more people, more excitement, more festivities. The tone seemed restrained this year, and as Mack noted, the lack of outdoor activities (for a festival that celebrates the cold season) was unfortunate. I am still looking forward to some of the upcoming events though, such as Ice on Whyte and the Silver Skate Festival. Check the website for more details.

No Caribou, No Problem: The Black Knight Pub

Mack and I ventured out into the Yellowknife cold (-42 with windchill) in the hopes of having lunch at Yummy Cafe. From the post on the lovely Life in the Knife blog, Yummy looked like my kind of place – family-run, cozy, offering fresh baked goods. Unfortunately, like many restaurants and businesses in Yellowknife, Yummy was closed not only during our visit, but for an entire month. We returned home, disappointed, and vowed to do some more research.

After consulting with Mack’s parents, we decided to visit The Black Knight Pub (and called to make sure it would actually be open on New Year’s Eve). The website revealed the promise of caribou burgers, and Mack was eager to have me try some “northern” type food.

It was actually pretty busy inside, though we had our choice of a handful of vacant tables. The Black Knight had the standard pub decor – a haphazard collection of flags, license plates, badges and the like dressing the walls.

Mack at The Black Knight

It took a few minutes for the waitress to acknowledge our existence, but given the number of patrons inside, we didn’t mind the wait. After perusing the menu of pub favourites, we asked about the seasonal caribou burger – unfortunately, the waitress told us that because of low caribou populations, a supply of meat was difficult to obtain, and a menu change was imminent. We accepted the bison burger ($15.50) alternative.

Mack’s only real complaint about The Black Knight was the beer – his pint of draft Kokanee was inexcusably thin – he compared it to beer-flavoured water. Had he known, he would have ordered a bottle instead.

Our orders arrived in good time, looking as good as they would ultimately taste. The edges of the patty were a tad charred, but it didn’t ruin an otherwise solid burger.

Bison Burger

As we were leaving, we heard the sound checks of a DJ upstairs, where Top Knight would be hosting a New Year’s Eve party later on – I’m sure it was quite the event. If you’re in town, The Black Knight Pub is a good, casual lunch option.

The Black Knight Pub
4910 49 Street, Yellowknife
(867) 920-4041