Author: Sharon Yeo

Sharon is an Edmonton-based blogger who has been writing about food since 2006.

Volunteering for Homeless Connect 6

I’ve very much started looking forward to Homeless Connect, which happens twice a year, in May and October. Similar to any annual event or festival where seasoned volunteers have the opportunity to reunite again after a period of time, Homeless Connect has become a place for Mack and I to catch up with familiar faces, in addition, of course, to giving back (you can read Mack’s recap here).

Today saw the sixth incarnation of the one-stop shop event geared towards Edmonton’s homeless population. I commented to Mack that although nothing is perfect, Homeless Connect is a great example of an event that really does continuously improve. Organizers weren’t sure if the number of guests would be affected by the gorgeous weather, but at the day’s end, it turned out they needn’t have worried.

Homeless Connect Edmonton 6

Got boots?

For the first time, Mack and I were assigned to a team other than registration – we were to be guides. Once guests were finished filling out the intake form, we would be waved down to escort guests to their service priorities.

Homeless Connect Edmonton 6

The guides get oriented

The system, comparable to an airport taxi queue, was very well organized – guides waited patiently in line for their chance to guide a guest, instead of the free-for-all that it supposedly has been in the past. There were a large number of guides – possibly too many – as it meant all guides had to wait a while before being paired up with a guest, but it did allow volunteers to take breaks without worrying that it would impact the team.

Homeless Connect Edmonton 6

Taxi guides

It was a nice change for me, and definitely meant that I was able to explore the available services firsthand with the guests. As well, it became obvious that some services were better prepared than others (for example, the hairdressers only started implementing a number system until part way through, which led to some frustration). Most guests just wanted to get to point B, but a few didn’t mind the company while they familiarized themselves with the lay of the land.

Homeless Connect Edmonton 6

Hairdressing area

In the past few Homeless Connect events, the line would typically start to dwindle around noon. Today, there was no such decline. And because old habits die hard, I seized an empty table and finished up my day with the registration team.

Homeless Connect Edmonton 6

The registration crush

They had added a new question regarding specific identification needs to the form, and also (finally!) separated the categories of “refugee” and “refugee claimant”. Other than that, the form was very similar to the previous version. My only suggestion is to somehow streamline the set-up so that all registration tables are within the sightline of guests. I was seated at a trio of tables angled in such a way that we were all but forgotten, or worse, couldn’t be seen by the volunteer directing guests to empty registration seats. All this while the line did not wane.

Homeless Connect Edmonton 6

Lunch time!

At the end of the day, 1409 was the preliminary guest count, only slightly less than the number that had accessed Homeless Connect six months prior. Bravo to Homeward Trust, the Shaw Conference Centre for hosting, and to all of the other service agencies for another successful event. See you in October!

Pedestrian-friendly Snack: Crepeworks

When group discount site Good News burst onto the scene back in January, their initial deal couldn’t be beat. Crepeworks had sponsored an introductory offer that would allow shoppers to snag one of the crepes (retail value $5-8) for just $1. And best of all, in keeping with the Good News policy of donating at least some of the funds to a local charity, all of the money collected would actually go towards the Edmonton Food Bank. Talk about win-win.

Unfortunately, Good News announced their withdrawal from Edmonton a short time after (one would imagine operating with the current landscape of multiple deal sites would be a very competitive one), but coupons purchased would still be honoured.

After the Jane’s Walk on Saturday, I ducked into Crepeworks for a break, hungry after the tour and a trip through the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market.

Though Crepeworks has been in Edmonton since 2002 with an outlet inside West Edmonton Mall, this was my first experience with them. The same carnival-esque, plastic crepe display graces this location as well, and for whatever reason, it’s hard not to like the whimsy of it. It reminded me very much of the “food” I cooked up as a child in those pint-sized play kitchens.

Crepeworks

Display

The benefit, of course, is that customers know exactly what they are getting, down to the plastic drizzle of sauce. Based on the display, I opted for a chicken Caesar crepe.

Crepeworks

Made to order

My crepe was made and assembled to order, the employee skilfully using a flat spatula to artfully fold the crepe so it fit perfectly inside a paper cone. In this way, Crepeworks is an especially great addition for Whyte, which can now add crepes to its portfolio of portable foods including pizza, hot dogs and ice cream, all meant to be consumed on the street.

Crepeworks

Portable crepe

The crepe, containing chicken, romaine, Caesar salad dressing, parmesan and a dusting of “bacon” bits, was actually not bad. The crepe itself had a slightly chewy texture, and was fairly neutral in taste – I could see how it would work equally well with sweet and savoury flavours.

Crepeworks

Chicken Caesar crepe

If not for the coupon though, I’m not sure I would have found value in the crepe. At nearly $7, I would expect it to fill the void of a meal, instead of just a snack, as I was hungry a few hours later. On future trips, I’d much rather indulge in a dessert crepe, preferably outside, while walking down Whyte.

Crepeworks
10352 82 Avenue
(780) 484-7975
Monday-Thursday 10am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 10am-11pm, Sunday 11am-7pm

2011 Jane’s Walk in Old Strathcona

The name Jane Jacobs is virtually synonymous with pedestrianism and vibrant communities. Even after her death, she continues to inspire new generations with her philosophy about what cities could be. One such way is through Jane’s Walks, tours done annually the first weekend of every May that gather like-minded and curious individuals together in order to explore neighbourhoods on foot:

Jane’s Walk honours the legacy and ideas of urban activist and writer Jane Jacobs who championed the interests of local residents and pedestrians over a car-centered approach to planning. Jane’s Walk often takes Jacobs’ ideas to communities unfamiliar with her ideas, in order to advance local engagement with contemporary urban planning practices.  The walks helps knit people together into a strong and resourceful community, instilling belonging and encouraging civic leadership.

I’m a bit of a walking tour junkie when travelling, but love to discover new facets of Edmonton this way as well. I remember being regretful about missing the 2010 Jane’s Walk, so was sure to make a note of it when the 2011 date was announced. So on Saturday morning, I joined a group of about two dozen folks at the Queen Alexandra Community Hall for a walk through Old Strathcona.

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Photo op!

Interestingly enough, although the tour was officially led by Karen Tabor of the Old Strathcona Foundation and Shirley Lowe of the Old Strathcona Business Association, there were a handful of City of Edmonton employees, including a retired city planner and a staff of Responsible Hospitality Edmonton that took part in the tour and would occasionally pipe up to share their expertise.

Though I recognize that it is naive to think that one could conduct a tour of such a historic community without referencing its past, I didn’t expect it to end up as one of the major focuses. I have to say I was hoping for much more of what was brought up at the start of the walk – the small but important details that contribute to walkability, such as well-maintained sidewalks, traffic calming, and the aesthetically pleasing and safety enhancing benefits of tree-lined streets.

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Traffic calming – narrowing the street to reduce car travel speeds

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Trees help separate the road from the sidewalk

A few historic features of the neighbourhood were highlighted that I found interesting. The Bard Residence (10544 – 84 Avenue) still has its rear carriage house intact, though when it was originally built, it also had a 180 degree turntable installed to make backing out with a horse and buggy easier. Also, I had to chuckle when the guide told us that following the amalgamation of Strathcona with Edmonton, the former Strathcona City Hall was turned into a juvenile detention centre.

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Bard Residence

Shirley talked about some of the developments that help contribute to the area’s vibrant nature. For example, the Strathcona Public Library will be again putting on an “outdoor reading room” with movable tables and chairs and wifi in McIntyre Park. But instead of offering it during the day, they will be concentrating their efforts on early evenings and weekends. Look for it in July.

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Strathcona Public Library and McIntyre Park

Shirley also mentioned that the small green space just north of what used to be the Iron Horse is slated for a $350,000 redevelopment. It will not only see the introduction of more plants and shrubs, but in recognition of the park’s location as the former railway hub, it will be designed to look like two train wheels from above.

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The park won’t look like this for long

While I enjoyed finally being able to participate in a Jane’s Walk, I have to admit that I didn’t feel I learned enough to warrant the two and a half hours I spent with the group. It was mentioned that the annual tour will trace a different path every year – if that is the case, I wouldn’t mind joining the group again, but would hope for more attention to be paid to aspects of walkability.

Century Hospitality Group’s “Top Chef”

It seems reality cooking competition shows are all the rage as of late, and with Top Chef Canada currently airing on Food Network, there is no doubt the profile of some of our nation’s chefs will definitely be raised in the process.

But did you know that Edmonton will soon be crowning a “Top Chef” of its very own? For a second year running, Century Hospitality Group (which runs Century Grill, Delux, Hundred and Lux, as well as a catering business) is showcasing its kitchen talent through an in-house culinary competition, dubbed “CHG Top Chef”.

This year though, the cooking throwdown is bigger and better. Not only will the finale be open to the public, but members of the external food community have been asked to help with judging duties. Mack and I were thrilled (and humbled) to be asked to be a part of a group of judges that includes Valerie of A Canadian Foodie, Mary Bailey of The Tomato, Liane Faulder of the Journal, and Chefs Blair Lebsack and Andrew Fung. It should be fun!

For some more background about why Century Hospitality decided to host such a tournament, I asked CHG Corporate Chef Paul Shufelt a few questions:

1. Why the “Top Chef” format?

We used the term “Top Chef” for the tournament, but, perhaps, it’s a hybrid of the Top Chef style challenges and the head to head competition of Iron Chef, or similar style cooking contests. We are holding a single elimination tournament, where 16 of our top young chefs are competing head to head, with the winner of each bracket going through to the next round. Each week the challenges will become more involved, with Top Chef style twists coming as the weeks go by.

2. What do you think are the qualities of a “CHG Top Chef” champion?

A CHG Top Chef, will be the person who best exemplifies the skills of a great chef. Often on cooking shows, it’s all about the dish they make and that’s it. Little value is given to other keys that make a chef great. Throughout the challenges we will be testing the chefs abilities to “sell” their dish, their ability to pair it with wine, and in the final challenge 20% of the total score will involve their ability to lead a team, which will include a competitor that they beat along the way, and a guest judge, who may know a lot about food, but little about the expectations of cooking a 3 course dinner for 50+ people. They will also be judged on organization of their time, use/waste of ingredients, cleanliness of work environment, etc. So the goal with this challenge is to determine who can not only prepare a great meal, but handle leading a team, manage a kitchen, and successfully feed 50 happy people. A little more involved than making dinner for four judges.  The successful chef will have to be creative, passionate about food, organized, poised, and possess strong leadership skills to win this competition.

3. Given we’re now in spring, and Lux’s recent foray into farmers’ market dinners, will seasonal ingredients be incorporated into the challenges?

The simple answer is Yes! Last week, we kept things very simple, because the time was limited and I was more concerned with seeing quality cooking, rather than overly complicated failures, but this week we will be adding a little something picked up from the downtown market before things get started. For next week, we will be incorporating even more ingredients from the market, and the secret ingredient for the dessert course in the Finale will be from the market, not to mention a foray of other great springtime ingredients picked fresh the day of. To take it a step further we have decided to provide the finalists with a $100 budget and an extra 30 minutes to peruse the downtown market to find complimentary ingredients for their dishes.

4. What can people expect from the finale on May 28? Why should they buy tickets?

People can expect a fantastic six course meal prepared by two of our most talented upcoming chefs, plated right before their eyes, in the company of other great food lovers. I can’t share with you what the secret ingredients are, but I can tell you they will be incredible. This will really be a foodie’s night! They will also get to be an active part of the decision process, as each guest will have one vote for their favourite chef. The total judges’ score will only be 100, so with 50 guests, and each one of their votes counting for one bonus point, they can really sway the decision. This will be a great evening of not just great food, but some fantastic entertainment, topped off with the crowning of Century Hospitality Group’s Top Chef.

I think this tournament will help to not only raise the profile of young chefs in Edmonton, but also help diners further understand and appreciate what goes into every plate at a restaurant. A girl can dream, but perhaps this will set the stage for a city-wide Top Chef competition to take place…

You can read more about the CHG Top Chef tournament on their blog. And if you want to buy tickets to the showdown, you’ll have to act fast – there are only 5 remaining as I write this!

Food Notes for May 9, 2011

The 30th edition of the Edmonton Fringe Festival has a name – Fringeopolis, celebrating the mini-municipality formed in Old Strathcona every August. I love the idea of becoming a “citizen” of the Fringe (or better yet, becoming a “builder”). Looking forward to it already! On to this week’s food notes:

  • Twyla filed a review of the new Prairie Bistro (situated inside the Enjoy Centre). Looks like it is worth a special trip out!
  • Courtenay wrote about the “preview” tacos cooked up by the folks behind Tres Carnales. They were served up to a hungry crowd at Red Star last week for Cinco de Mayo.
  • I passed by Yakitori Grill (10524 101 St, 780-760-0900) last week, and it now looks open. Anyone been yet?
  • I had heard rumours, but I wasn’t sure if it was true – a new waffle truck from a Victoria-based company called Wannawafel will be on Edmonton streets this month.
  • The Journal started a series on neighbourhood bakeries last week. First up, a shop I often frequent – the Italian Bakery.
  • Want to learn more about local Community Supported Agriculture you can support? Read on here.
  • I’m always interested in learning how farmers’ markets (and the politics of them) work in other cities – this is an interesting primer on the situation in Calgary, and specifically, about their lack of a central food policy.
  • Overflow for Hudson’s on Whyte: The Pint will be opening up soon in the former Purple Onion location (8032 – 104 Street).

The Pint

The Pint

  • Now I know how to sneak fruit into Mack’s lunch – disguise it as chips! The Plaid Giraffe has fabric “chip” bags for sale.

Chips?

What will they think of next?

  • I wandered into Wild Earth Foods last week, and found that they stock Steve & Dan’s BC Fruit on the shelves! It always helps when grocery stores can carry local product, and keep regular hours – it helps discount the “inconvenience” factor some have about farmers’ markets.

Wild Earth Foods

Steve & Dan’s at Wild Earth Foods (yeah, the signage is faint – hope that’s something they work on)

  • There’s something about seeing Edgar Farms at the farmers’ market (even without their bunches of asparagus) that gives me so much joy. Speaking of Edgar Farms – mark your calendars – their annual Asparagus Festival will be taking place on May 28 & 29, 2011.

Edgar Farms

Edgar Farms

  • When I asked my Mum what she wanted for Mother’s Day, she answered, “Biscuit sandwiches.” We did our best to deliver! Hope you had a great Mother’s Day as well!

Breakfast Sandwich

Buttermilk biscuit sandwiches with cheddar, Irvings back bacon and Sunworks egg

Culinary Q & A with Allan Suddaby

Allan SuddabyOccupation: Cook at Jack’s Grill.

What did you eat today?

Breakfast: black coffee, a stalk of rhubarb, smoked gouda.  Lunch: wheat and bean salad.

What do you never eat?

I don’t understand the question.

What is your personal specialty?

Fresh sausages.

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

Preserves: jam, pickles, mustard, and the like.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Depends on the time of year, but vegetables from Tipi Creek Farm and fried potatoes are usually involved.

What is your favourite kitchen item?

A sharp knife.  Specifically a 10” French knife.  Other items that deserve mention: stainless steel pans, food mill, stand mixer.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

Hot dogs with mustard and relish.  I can’t decided whether the buns would be toasted or steamed.  Served with braised cabbage and a glass of whole milk.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

A collection of pizza places around the university.  Notably Campus Pizza, Avenue Pizza, and the Garneau Pub.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

It’s a toss up between Corso 32 and The Bauernschmaus.

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat? Kevin Kossowan’s house.  I would order pork, mushrooms, apple wine, and charcuterie from his cellar.  Also I change my answer to the previous question to Kevin Kossowan’s house.

Allan blogs at Button Soup.

Fourth Time’s the Charm: The Cheese Factory

Back in December, I needed to secure a reservation for one of my teams (20 staff in all) for a Christmas lunch. One of my colleagues recommended The Cheese Factory, and it worked out beautifully. Our entire group pre-ordered so our food arrived almost immediately after we were seated. As a result, we were able to enjoy our meal but still return to the office in a timely fashion.

It was at that lunch that I first encountered their poutine. Given the affiliation Mack and I have for cheesy, gravy-strapped fries, I know it is quite inexcusable that we had overlooked The Cheese Factory for so long. That said, after one bite into their delightfully squeaky cheese (I honestly had no idea cheese could actually squeak!), I knew I’d be returning, with Mack in tow.

Four months later, we finally made it back together (and not for lack of trying – this was our forth attempt after being thwarted by their hours, a holiday closure, and an illness…we were almost ready to give up!). Those unable to get to the restaurant during the daytime should note that they only extend service into the evening on Friday and Saturday. But calling ahead is recommended – sporadic and extended holiday closures are not uncommon, as we encountered.

We dined on a Saturday evening, among two other parties already in the restaurant. It was quiet, in a pleasant sort of way, where the space provided by the server made it seem all the more intimate (and really, in our world, poutine is our Lady and the Tramp spaghetti equivalent). Our server was great though – she was friendly, prompt and made us feel like regulars.

The Cheese Factory

Interior

We split an order of burek ($7.99), a dish made of phyllo pastry stuffed with spiced ground beef (though a vegetarian feta and spinach version can also be had). I have been told that The Cheese Factory makes their phyllo from scratch, and that attention to quality helps make this a savoury, flaky, perfectly seasoned marvel.

The Cheese Factory

Burek

But of course, the main reason for our visit: poutine! The Cheese Factory offers five different kinds, all topped with their fresh, house-made cheese curds (if you come early enough in the day, you can watch the cheesemakers at their craft from behind the glass). The varieties include ground beef, chicken and galvaude (chicken and green peas). We opted to share a small regular poutine ($5.99), and a small Italian poutine ($6.99).

Boy, does The Cheese Factory honour their name – the curds were piled high (with a fry to curd ratio of 2:1), and stood up, in all its squeaky glory, to the poutine sauce. The fries were hot and fried to order too. Mack’s only quibble was a personal preference for a thicker gravy.

The Cheese Factory

Poutine

The Italian poutine was interesting. We both liked the tomato sauce – not too tart, with a thick, chunky consistency. It was also thick enough that it clung and did not steep into the fries, ensuring every bite to the last was crispy. Still, we did prefer the classic poutine – there’s something about the salt that’s a necessary part of the experience!

The Cheese Factory

Italian poutine

On our way out, we saw a couple making a beeline back home with their take-out poutine bounty. I can imagine that might be in the cards for us as well, given it might be a more solid bet than trying to have a sit-down dinner in the restaurant. But next up, in the poutine line of things, will be La Poutine.

The Cheese Factory
8943 82 Avenue
(780) 450-2143
Monday-Thursday 11am-4pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm, closed Sunday

The Cooking Chronicles: Saturday Eats

We had a recent Saturday pass that didn’t involve any errands besides our weekly trip to the City Market to complete, or any events to attend that would have had us running out the door. It was refreshing, actually – being able to cook several meals at home in a single day, and taking my sweet time to do so.

Portobello Mushroom and Ham Eggs Benedict

While perusing the menu at Wake Bistro in Calgary, we came upon their gluten-free version of eggs benedict, which featured a portobello mushroom base instead of the traditional English muffin. Though neither of us ordered it, it was hard not to think it was a great idea; it is a seamless way of adding a meaty punch.

That Saturday, having picked up some beautiful mushrooms from MoNa earlier in the day, I wanted to put together a similar eggs benedict for lunch. While the portobellos were roasting in the oven, I whipped up some yogurt hollandaise and poached two eggs from Sunworks Farm. We had some ham in the fridge, so I layered it on for even more flavour.

Portobello Eggs Benedict

Portobello mushroom and ham eggs benedict

Though Mack would have preferred some sort of bread in addition to the mushroom, I really liked it (isn’t a runny egg yolk one of life’s simple pleasures?). Some spinach would have been great as well, for colour and texture.

Portobello Eggs Benedict

I heart soft poached eggs

Sort-of Classic Meatloaf

Though I’ve been meaning to try one of Valerie’s recipes for some time, I just haven’t gotten around to it. We finally did, though to be fair, we modified her Mom’s classic meatloaf to the point where we probably didn’t do it justice.

The adaptations were made mostly because we didn’t have the right ingredients on hand – we only had Four Whistle Farm ground beef and Irvings ground pork on hand (no veal), and instead of side bacon, only Irvings bacon ends. We also substituted panko bread crumbs for ground crackers.

Other than that, we stayed true to the instructions, compensating quantities for the fact that we were only using 2 pounds of meat. We were able to make two medium loaves.

Sort-of Classic Meatloaf

Sort-of classic meatloaf, served with a cucumber-carrot salad and garlic toast (note to self: use a serrated knife next time)

We loved the salty surprise of bacon in every other bite, and the texture of the meatloaf itself – it had stayed very moist, in spite of the fact that it had stayed in the oven for close to an hour.

Thanks, Valerie, for a winning recipe. We will be making it again and hopefully to the letter of your directions next time!

Food Notes for May 2, 2011

I think I’m still recovering from Eat Alberta on Saturday (something I hope to write more about this week), but for the moment, I just want to thank everyone who participated, presented, and volunteered. On to this week’s food notes:

Borden Park

Borden Park

I hope you can get out and enjoy the beautiful weather as well!

Ladies who Lunch: Queen of Tarts

Annie and I got together for lunch over the long weekend at the Queen of Tarts. She hadn’t been to the charming bakery and cafe before, and though I’ve been popping in sporadically since it opened to satisfy our needs and cravings (bread and sweets, respectively), I hadn’t yet sampled their lunch menu.

The lunch crowd was steady at Queen of Tarts – not surprising because the bright and airy room is the sort of space made for leisurely weekend afternoons. The French-inspired menu is short but accessible, with the cafe taking full advantage of their bread case and pastry expertise.

Queen of Tarts

Dining area

I chose the croque monsieur ($14.95), made with local ham, béchamel, dijon mustard and gruyere on miche bread and served with organic greens. I probably could have done with a third piece of croque monsieur (who can pass up melted cheese and ham?), but I will admit that the mustard layer was a bit too potent for me – especially because the vinaigrette atop the salad was also mustard-based.

Queen of Tarts

Croque monsieur

Annie chose the day’s special, a French onion soup served with a side of organic greens ($12.95). Her soup was absolutely packed with onions; she also commented on their sweetness, a testament to their lengthy cooking time.

Queen of Tarts

French onion soup

Though the portion sizes are modest, it did mean adding a dessert course to our lunch (not something we normally do) was possible. We shared a pot of Earl Grey tea ($6.95), a thunder brownie ($3) and a chocolate dacquoise ($3.50).

Queen of Tarts

Dessert!

The rich, decadent thunder brownie has crossed my paths many a time (it’s Amanda’s favourite dessert), but it was Annie’s first encounter with it. She appreciated its chocolate depth. The dacquoise, on the other hand, was new to both of us, and surprised us with its delicate meringue sandwich. Its texture was absolutely perfect – just the right amount of chew and sweetness, enhanced with a thin layer of chocolate in between.

The Queen of Tarts started offering high tea this past Friday, and will run daily until May 7, 2011 (with 10% of proceeds being directed to The Bissell Centre). After that, the high teas will be held on a monthly basis. Based on this lunch experience, I would be happy to return again to check out their high tea – especially if I can find a way to work in a dacquoise into the meal.

Queen of Tarts Bakery & Bistro
10129 104 Street
(780) 421-4410
Tuesday-Wednesday 9am-6pm, Thursday-Friday 9am-8pm, Saturday 8:30am-6pm, closed Sunday & Monday