Culinary Q & A with Karen Unland

After recording a podcast on Seen and Heard in Edmonton with Karen, I thought I’d turn the tables on her and ask her to share some of her favourite food and restaurants in the city.

Occupation:

Entrepreneur (or at least trying), instructor, consultant

What did you eat today?

Breakfast: Chocolate croissant and plums

Lunch: Leftover Oodle Noodle (mostly pad thai)

Supper: Steak with mushrooms and shrimp, steamed potatoes from our garden, Caesar salad with lettuce from our garden

Snack: Gelato

What do you never eat?

I’m kind of proud of always eating what’s put in front of me. I don’t have any allergies or sensitivities, so I have that luxury. There are foods I’m more likely to choose than others at, say, a buffet, but I can’t think of anything that I wouldn’t at least try. (I did have a bad experience with pickled herring once that might lead me to shy away in the future.)

What is your personal specialty?

I really don’t cook much, but this year I learned how to make chicken noodle soup from scratch. After we have roast chicken (which my husband cooks), I take the carcass and make soup, then freeze it for future meals.

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

Two kinds of milk (full-fat for our son, skim for the rest of us)

What is your weekday meal standby?

If I’m cooking, I’ll usually make eggs, unless there are leftovers. Like I said, I’m not much of a chef.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

The appliance I use most in our kitchen is the tea-maker, which is kind of like a drip coffee-maker, but for tea. I was skeptical of it when my husband bought it, but it turns out to be very handy, and it makes it easy to use loose-leaf tea.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

Ah, it’s hard to think of food when the world is ending! I’d want to eat at home, and my favourite meal there is salmon cooked on the barbecue with a mustard sauce; steamed asparagus; fresh bread; saskatoon pie for dessert.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

For fast(ish) food, we probably go to Oodle Noodle or Edo Japan most often as a family. When I’m downtown, I’ll usually eat at Chopped Leaf or Remedy. For finer dining, my husband and I like Tasty Tomato, and my best friend and I often end up at Manor Cafe.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

I’m very fond of the Hardware Grill, but it’s been ages since I’ve been there, and the last few times I’ve tried it’s been booked. There are so many great places, though, and I pretty much like to eat anything I don’t have to cook.

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

I love seafood. If it were possible, I’d eat sushi and shellfish all of the time.

Follow Karen on Twitter and check out her blog and podcasts on Seen and Heard in Edmonton.