Food Notes for April 4, 2016

It’s hard to believe it’s already April, but perhaps even harder to believe is that spring came early this year! I hope you’re out and about enjoying the weather as much as possible! On to this week’s food notes:

• The 25th annual Garlic Festival at Sorrentino’s kicked off today, and runs until April 30.
• Mark your calendars: the 2016 season schedule of What the Truck?! is now up! The first event is now a two-day extravaganza, on Saturday May 28 and Sunday, May 29.
• Jennifer Cockrall-King is launching her new book, Food Artisans of the Okanagan, on April 13 at Audreys. She’ll have sips and snacks on hand, too.
• The next COMAL Mexican Dinner is taking place on April 17 & 18. Tickets for the 6-course meal (including drinks) are $120.
• The second annual Edmonton Resilience Festival runs April 29 – May 1, 2016. I picked up my ticket for a workshop all about naturally leavened biscuits, waffles and muffins, led by Owen Petervine from Prairie Mill. It sounds like a great follow-up to his sourdough workshop last year.
• This year’s Indulgence tickets go on sale May 1 at 9am. They go fast, so make sure you’re on it if you’re planning on attending!
• Cindy tweeted that the space above El Cortez will soon be home to Have Mercy.
• It’s interesting to hear that Karen Anderson of Calgary Food Tours is expanding north to include Edmonton and Canmore on her roster. She’s started a crowdfunding campaign to help them with this growth.
• Nando’s scores a positive review from the Journal.
• Crystal posted another lukewarm review of The Almanac.
• Jonny didn’t get on the Love Pizza love train.
• Cheryl checked out the gluten-sensitive offerings at Kazoku Ramen.
• Just in time for food truck season, The Local Good spotlights the men behind S’wich.
• I love the title of Phil’s most recent odyssey, called Game of Scones, a quest for the city’s best scone.
• Speaking of Phil, his latest podcast features Chef Dale MacKay, of Top Chef Canada fame.
• Food is a 24 hour business – learn more about some of Edmonton’s night owls in Addie’s Avenue Edmonton article.
• Liv’s latest piece in the Globe highlights chefs who’ve returned home after stints abroad.
• Lillian is one of the most inspiring local bloggers, sharing her food knowledge learned through her own personal experimentation. Her newest lesson is all about hand rolling noodles.
• Have you already seeded your garden? Travis from Lactuca encourages you to start with lettuce.
• I love innovative ideas to curb hunger. Here are two this week about fridges open to the public: one in a Montreal alley, where people can drop off and/or take what they need, and another in India, where patrons can leave their restaurant leftovers in a fridge outside for anyone to take.
• I loved Bru’s tower of focaccia served alongside their feta dip! The dip was a bit salty, but I appreciated that it had been warmed through.

Feta dip with focaccia

• A long walk on Sunday took us over to Brit’s Fish and Chips. It definitely hit the spot.

One piece haddock and chips