Government of Alberta Allocates $5 Million to Food Supply Efforts
Recognizing the challenges an increasing number of Albertans have with meeting basic needs, on April 10, 2020 the Government of Alberta announced a provision of $5 million to “support Alberta food bank locations, charities, not-for-profits and civil society organizations with their food supply efforts.”
Many local organizations have also been doing their part to support Edmonton’s Food Bank. #YEGTechCares has pulled together 20 companies so far whose salaried staff have pledged the equivalent of one hour of their monthly salary to donate to the Food Bank over the next three months, and a group of Dynalife employees donated $10,000 from their April pay for the Food Bank.
In other COVID-19-related news:
- Smokey Bear has created a take-out/delivery taqueria called Pedro’s. Their first menu featured a collaboration with Biera’s Christine Sanford.
- I’m late to the party, but it’s great to see HanJan and Izakaya Tomo teaming up to offer “mix and match” items from both menus for pick-up and delivery orders.
- In an effort to recreate some of the ambiance of dining out, some restaurants like Blue Plate Diner and Tzin have offered music alongside their take-out, in the form of streamed concert or a playlist.
- It looks like OEB has gone the route of Earls in setting up a marketplace to those interested in picking up some essentials.
Upcoming Events
- Get Cooking continues to deliver virtual cooking workshops, including several free classes this April, such as how to make Asian-inspired pork stock and Asian-braised pork.
- Local author Jennifer Cockrall-King will be leading two upcoming workshops as a part of the Pandemic University School of Writing; 50% of the proceeds will go towards the Canadian Writers’ Emergency Relief Fund. The first, on April 20, 2020, will cover food writing fundamentals, while Cookbook Confidential on May 11, 2020 is intended for aspiring cookbook writers.
Reviews
- Sharon shared her pre-pandemic experience at Shojo Izakaya.
Local News
- Congratulations to all of the breweries recognized in the 2020 Alberta Beer Awards, including Odd Company Brewing, who won gold in the category of New Brewery of the Year, and Campio Brewing Co. who won silver in the Brewery of the Year category. Jason Foster breaks down the trends based on the winners.
- Many people seem to be clamoring for sourdough starter – through Good Goods Co., Laneway Bakery is selling some of their 13 year-old starter.
Beyond Edmonton
- Top Chef Canada debuts its eighth season on April 13. While there are no Edmonton-based competitors, two chefs from Calgary made the cut.
Urban Agriculture and Farming
- With so many people thinking and planning for “victory gardens” this year, some may be interested in this free introductory online webinar about permaculture, scheduled for April 14 at 4pm.
What I Ate
- My Chicago-based sister Felicia sent us an Amore Pasta care package last week, featuring fresh pasta, sauces, and bread (the cream sauce was perfectly indulgent, especially when doctored up with some pesto). The whole box has been enough for several meals!
Amore Pasta care package
- We finally gave into the hype and tried Sepp’s Pizza, offering New York-style pies. I appreciated that the crust was thin but sturdy, and the pepperoni is something special. Emily gave it two thumbs up!
Pepperoni and mushroom pizza from Sepp’s
Only Here for the Food 