Author: Sharon Yeo

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

The Citadel Theatre: “The Three Musketeers”

A number of years ago, I remember being drawn to a Fringe show called Klang! Pow! Kersplat! primarily because it was promised that each of the scenes would involve stage fighting. I remember it being very entertaining, and really, I hadn’t seen anything like it before – there’s nothing quite like watching the dance of live, choreographed combat.

When Mack won tickets to The Three Musketeers at the Citadel, I was excited for the promise of stage duelling. We watched it on Sunday, and I am happy to say it didn’t disappoint on the action front. There was so much going on in the first grand fight sequence that it was difficult to keep up with the individual battles – though I suppose that wasn’t really the point. The spectacle of it all was exhilarating, and combined with the lavish costumes and props, definitely a crowd pleaser.

But given the running time of the show was nearly three hours, how the story unfolded became that much more important – the fight scenes couldn’t be the means to the end. I have to say that I wasn’t ultimately that engaged with D’Artagnan’s rise to musketeer status (though Eric Morin did a fine job emanating a nervous energy befitting of the character). My favourite scene was surprisingly one of the quieter moments in the production, when Athos (Kris Joseph) disclosed of his past heartbreak to D’Artagnan. I was actually hoping for more of such exchanges between the would-be musketeer and his mentors – his swift acceptance into the “all for one” trio seemed too expedient.

Tom Wood, who adapted the show, did take liberalities with the ending, understandable because of the production’s family friendly nature. Of his changes, I particularly enjoyed the final confrontation between Athos and Milady de Winter (Melissa MacPherson), which resulted in a much more dramatic, intense end than in Dumas’ original, complete with a resounding flash in the darkness. MacPherson, I should note, was delightfully evil, so much so that I had flashbacks to her equally solid performance as Lady Macbeth at the Freewill Shakespeare Festival last year.

Overall, it was a fun production that lived up to my expectations. The Three Musketeers runs until April 24, 2011.

The Cooking Chronicles: Creature of Comfort

Like Brooke, I know this warming trend should really trigger some sort of change in the kinds of dishes I should be craving, but the reality is – I love cold weather comfort foods. So though at some point a transition to lighter, more seasonal fare will take place, I’m going to take my sweet time.

Potato-Crusted Quiche

A few weeks ago, one of my coworkers talked about her favourite quiche recipe – instead of the usual pastry crust, she liked to use shredded potatoes as the base, pressed into a pie plate. I’d really never considered potatoes as a base before, but it seemed like an idea too good not to try.

I found a recipe for a potato-crusted quiche that involved slices of potatoes, a great way to use up the bag of baby potatoes I’d picked up from Kuhlmann’s. As directed, we tossed slices of potato with melted butter, parmesan and seasonings, then did our best to artfully arrange the slices in two pie plates.

Potato Crusted Quiche

Crust, pre-baking

After baking them for half an hour, we filled them with a mixture of cream and Greens, Eggs and Ham duck eggs and threw ham, mushrooms and cheddar in one, and sautéed onions and spinach bacon and parmesan in the other. We served the quiche with a side of mixed heritage greens, also from Greens, Eggs and Ham.

Potato Crusted Quiche

Potato-crusted quiche

Potato Crusted Quiche

Quiche with a side of greens

Amanda stopped by for dinner that night, and loved the quiche – as scalloped potatoes are a favourite of hers, she especially appreciated the potato base. Mack and I both really enjoyed the quiche as well – no doubt, this will be a recipe we will be coming back to again.

Vij’s Stewed Cinnamon-Scented Lamb Curry

The last lamb stew I made was a bit of a bomb – too sweet, and more than anything, highlighted the gamey taste of the meat, something Mack was not a fan of. With one more package of lamb stew from Eat Local First left to use, I wanted to find a recipe that he would actually like. Vij’s stewed cinnamon-scented lamb curry seemed like a good fit, given the strong flavours and Mack’s affinity towards curried dishes.

I had to do a few substitutions – canola oil instead of ghee, sour cream instead of yogurt, and just 1lb of meat instead of 2, but other than that, I followed the recipe as printed. I wasn’t sure the sauce would ever thicken, but it did, to a luxurious consistency. The curry was most pointedly infused with cloves (with the cinnamon barely detectable), but the flavours were very similar to the shortcut butter chicken dish that is a staple in our kitchen. The lamb was super tender after two hours on the stove, and, hurrah! wasn’t gamey at all. Mack gave it the thumbs up.

Stewed Cinnamon-Scented Lamb Curry

Vij’s lamb curry

Food Notes for April 11, 2011

As much as I’m not a fan of rainy days, we really need it to wash away all of the accumulated dirt and sand. So bring on the rain! On to this week’s food notes:

Chopped Leaf

The Chopped Leaf

  • Kathryn and I were able to pop by Battista’s Calzones for lunch last week before a meeting nearby. I am happy to say the meatball calzone was still every bit as delicious as I remembered.

Battista's Calzones

Mama Mia calzone

  • Before our second supper of alley burgers, Amanda, Felicia and I had dinner at Niche (which was reviewed in the Journal this week). It was packed, with many parties turned away, so reservations are a must. The full house didn’t cause service to slip up though (our server was fantastic), and our food arrived promptly. Amanda enjoyed her duck confit, and Felicia the dish of beef cheeks and pasta. I decided to try the braised pork and lentil soup and the bison short ribs. The earthy soup hit the spot, with a hearty texture befitting of a cool, spring evening. The short ribs were good, but in terms of meat satisfaction, I would likely end up ordering the beef cheeks again next time. The three of us shared the salted caramel brownie, and I am happy to say it was much better than the first one I had a few months back. It was warm, with flakes of salt evident underneath the whipped cream. Comfortable but refined, Niche will make a regular out of you!

Niche

Confit of Brome Lake duck with mashed potatoes and lemon thyme gravy

IMG_3149

Braised Spring Creek Ranch beef cheeks in a wild mushroom cream and egg noodles

Niche

Braised pork and lentil soup

Niche

Bison short ribs on white cheddar crostini

Niche

Salted caramel brownie

Niche

With the sisters!

Edmonton’s Own Alley Burger

When an idea is as great as Charcut’s alley burger – involving $5 versions of their upscale burger sold from their back alley door – you know it is just a matter of time before it appears in other cities as well. Edmonton has jumped on the bandwagon, with Century Hospitality Group’s Hundred embracing their back alley to purvey $5 gourmet burgers.

Friday saw the debut of #yegalleyburger, widely publicized in both the Journal and Metro. For that reason, I figured it would be best to line up early, just in case, so we joined the line-up of half a dozen people at 9pm.

IMG_3158

Felicia and Amanda made sure to dress for the weather

Hundred’s alley was without a dumpster, patrolling security guards, or the threat of passing cars, so it provided a bit of a different experience than standing in line outside Charcut. But perhaps the biggest disparity was the lack of devices and cameras being used. Sure, there were a few people snapping photographs and updating their statuses, but relatively few when compared with that night in Calgary.

IMG_3160

The line at about 9:15

Eventually, there grew to be about 30-40 people standing in line, eagerly awaiting the back door to open. A few minutes before 9:30, Chef Andrew Cowan appeared, trading $5 for a Century Hospitality Group poker chip that would guarantee the bearer a burger.

photo

Doesn’t it look like a shady exchange?

IMG_3162

Winnings!

The kitchen was on top of things, as the burgers started coming out right at 9:30. We grabbed our burgers, loosely wrapped in paper, and headed back to the warmth of the condo.

IMG_3168

#yegalleyburger

It was well worth the wait – the patty was well cooked, with a ton of flavour, and the duck egg was a nice touch, but what the three of us were most drawn to was the peppery hit of the arugula. I’m sure that even Mack, ever the rocket-hater, would have enjoyed it as a fresh counterpoint to the beef. On that note – Jerry posted a video of his friend devouring a burger – warning: don’t watch it while hungry!

We read later on Twitter that some people were turned away, so if you are planning on snagging one next week, make sure to get there early! It was fun, Hundred – looking forward to the next one already!

Follow @cheftonyle, @chefcowan and @chefpshoey to find out the details of the next #yegalleyburger!

Bokashi Update: The First Breakup

So, Bokashi. We’ve been seeing each other for more than three months, and though I know I haven’t been tending to our relationship as much as in the beginning, I feel it is because you don’t have room for me! Every so often, I stir the pot, hoping that the juices will flow, but nada. Sigh. I think we may just have to start over.

Okay, the relationship metaphor is probably a bit too much, but it pretty much sums up our first quarter with Bokashi (I first wrote about it back in February). It shouldn’t be discouraging (especially because Mike warned us that it does require a bit of a learning curve), but seeing the success of others highlights that we’re doing something wrong.

We started adding more material to the composter after about two months, given that the volume in the bin (as a commenter had indicated) had decreased. We also tried to take Sarah’s advice by not stirring it every time, and simply sprinkled the Bokashi over top.

Bokashi

Bokashi after three months

Three months later, we have acceptable mold (apparently, white is the good kind), and on top of the compost, a bit of moisture. But no magical tea.

No tea

No tea for you

It’s still a bit unclear to us how long we need to let the compost ferment in the bin before it can go in the garden, but we figure three months should have been enough time. We’ll be bringing the first load to my parents’ place this weekend.

Bokashi

To the garden!

Hopefully, our second batch of compost goes better. C’mon Bokashi – I know we can get through it.

Can You Say Breakfast Poutine?! Wake Bistro

Brunch at Wake Bistro was the perfect way to end our last day in Calgary, given we’d wanted a chance to explore the quaint Kensington neighbourhood anyway.

I’d read about it originally on Andree’s blog, and though she indicates in her post that the place is small, I wasn’t prepared for exactly how small. With 16 seats, plus an additional 4 seats at a narrow bar, Wake on the outset seems built more to house a café rather than a full-service restaurant. But with the line-up we encountered that day, it seems people are willing to wait, but more than that, it seems their imminent plans of expansion can’t come soon enough.

The interior is charming – a very simple green and white space, augmented by lots of natural light. Service was also solid – not exceptional, but good – though the two servers did a great job jumping on vacated tables so diners didn’t have to dawdle any longer than necessary.

Wake Bistro

Interior

The menu, though, is what would bring both Mack and I back again. I normally have a difficult time deciding what to order at brunch, but Wake made that decision excruciating, with an amazing array of dishes, particularly given the size of the restaurant. Vegetarians were well cared for among the options of breakfast sandwiches, burritos, pancakes and French toast.

The dish Mack chose is something I hope Edmonton establishments unabashedly steal. Using common ingredients served at brunch (fried potatoes, bacon, poached eggs, hollandaise), then adding cheese curds, their creation of breakfast poutine ($13.95) was a little bowl of heaven for Mack. Ingenious. His only minor quibble was the need for soft poached eggs (to take advantage of the runny interior), instead of medium poached eggs.

Wake Bistro

Breakfast poutine

The crepes ($10.95) that I ordered were nice and light, served with perfectly crispy potatoes. I  would have preferred slices of ham used instead of cubes (for a better melding of textures), and perhaps a bit more cheese, but overall, it was an enjoyable dish.

Wake Bistro

Ham-stuffed crepes

Wake Bistro was a pleasant place to spend the morning, and one both of us would not hesitate to return to again.

Wake Bistro
207 10 Street NW, Calgary
(403) 264-4425

Walking at Work: Update

I thought I’d write an update about the walking club, given I’ve been pretty silent about it since my first and only post.

I won’t lie; the winter, especially this winter, was a difficult one to get through. Even with my belief in the power of walking and fresh air, coupled with a bit of a stubborn obsession to not let this group die, it was challenging in the dead of winter.

We found an indoor space nearby (about a two minute walk from our office) that served as our outdoor alternative, but truth be told, it was a hard sell. Why would one want to get all dressed up, only to have to discard their winter gear once indoors, else overheat?

But I kept the option open, and there were a scraggly few that joined me on those bleak Wednesdays. One memorable afternoon involved Jill and myself, stepping out into the -36 weather, trying to convince ourselves that it wasn’t as cold as it was.

Hurrah for walking!

My coworkers love being outside!

There were a few weeks where I didn’t venture outside (Wednesday or not), but for the most part, I found winter walking more calming than in warmer weather, and really enjoyed my solo walks on other days. It had something to do with the fact that the neighbourhood was blanketed in white and the snow absorbing some of the sound, transforming the streets to a peaceful, glistening wonderland.

Blue sky

Look to the sky

Spring brings new challenges – sure, potholes are an issue, but what about concave sidewalks that are every walker’s nuisance? Wellies are an absolute necessity with lakes puddles like these.

Puddles

With puddles like these, who needs lakes?

The open road

In the last week, I’ve just taken up walking on the road

I plan on continuing this weekly group activity, which should pick up as the weather improves. Along the way, I did learn many lessons that factor into the success of the group.

  1. Appropriate footwear: those who wear spiked heels in the winter, or flats in the spring thaw aren’t likely to be active walkers, at least, not without a pair of outdoor shoes with them at the office.
  2. Time: I still believe it would be easier to run such a group in an office where work schedules are more predictable, and where staff are mostly desk-bound. Many of my colleagues don’t control their own schedules, and are out of the office for long periods of time.
  3. Consistency: even if they aren’t a part of the group themselves, my entire office now knows that Wednesdays are synonymous with walking, and the group is open to everyone.

I should also mention the support – moral and otherwise – provided by the resource person at the Alberta Centre for Active Living. Her regular e-mails helped keep me on my toes, as I didn’t want to disappoint her!

Walking army

There they go!

I hope the spring brings renewed (or continued) physical activity for you as well!

Food Notes for April 4, 2011

I love that it is again warm enough to open up our windows. There is something so comforting about being able to hear the downtown soundscape from our condo. On to this week’s food notes:

  • The Alley Burger comes to Edmonton: Liane posted that Century Hospitality Group will indeed start the back alley tradition here – starting this Friday.
  • Chris reviewed the new restaurant Nomiya last week. Looks like a great place to share food!
  • See Magazine reviewed Bistro India, the newest restaurant serving south Indian cuisine in the city.
  • Cathy paid a visit to the relocated Japanese Village that, in her words, is now “nearer Red Deer.” Heh.
  • Avenue Edmonton interviewed the city’s brisket superstar, Rand Petersen (aka “Bubba” of Bubba’s BBQ and Smoke House) for their April 2011 issue (I will link to it when it goes online). I have to say I’m a bit disappointed that he won’t be moving around much, or at least to a location where it is a tad more transit accessible.
  • Castledowns Farmers’ Market celebrates their grand opening on April 6, from 4-8pm (via Liane).
  • On the heels of Top Chef All Stars (loved who won, by the way), comes the first season of Top Chef Canada, which starts on April 11. To get you through the week – check out Sherene’s  interview with host Thea Andrews.
  • Canned tomatoes and beans are a great weekday shortcut for me, but the more I read about the prevalence of BPA in the plastic liners, the more I think we should be eliminating canned foods from our pantry.
  • The WSJ had an interesting piece about how small businesses are having to be shrewd in order to keep from losing money when offering online coupon deals.
  • I couldn’t help but think of Ellen and Jill when I read about NY’s newest “build your own sushi” joint (can you say Doritos sushi?). Finally, sushi I’d be interested in! Heh.
  • How cute are these retro lunch boxes from Old Navy?

Lunchboxes

I’m a pepper!

  • While on the LRT on the weekend, we spotted an ad for Urban Diner. Loved the idea of stains communicating their range of dishes!

Live Fast, Dine Hard

Urban Diner ad

  • We were happy to see Pat at the City Market on Saturday. She will be at every other City Hall market. She was also happy to announce that Ocean Odyssey also launched their website!

City Market

Pat of Ocean Odyssey Inland

  • After the Taste of Bourbon on Wednesday, Mack and I grabbed a bite at Cactus Club. My original intention was to dine on the butternut squash ravioli, but I was swayed by the idea of Korean lettuce wraps ($14.75), while Mack ordered flatbread with tomatoes, feta and a balsamic glaze ($10.50). The pork and pickled vegetables were lovely, but forming the wraps using the iceberg lettuce leaves weren’t quite as elegant or as easy as I had hoped. Still tasty though!

Taste of Bourbon

Korean lettuce wraps

Taste of Bourbon

Flatbread

  • Mack and I headed to L’Azia for the Edmonton Champions after party on Thursday. My wine on an empty stomach ordered the gyoza (a pricey $6.95) instead of the siu mai. They were all right, but we expected them to be filled to the brim with goods, and not the half-empty pockets that they were. Especially for $1.40 a pop.

L'Azia

Gyoza

  • The GalaGuru that Mack and I attended on Friday at the AGA featured a burger bar (with choice of bison, beef or turkey patties, with an assortment of condiments and cheeses)! We loved the round, stylish chafing dishes.

Burger Bar!

  • Did you know New York Fries is now offering two new poutine varieties? Instead of the traditional gravy, how about a mild butter chicken sauce with your cheese curds? Or, a red wine sauce and angus beef? We tried the former (though the latter reminded us of the upscale poutine we had last year at Madison’s Grill). Though the chicken was a little dry, it actually wasn’t half bad.

Butter Chicken Poutine

Butter chicken poutine

Serving the “Mack Burger”: Loungeburger

Before we realized we’d even have a shot at getting our mitts on an Alley Burger while in Calgary, we were craving beef. A quick search on Chowhound led us to Loungeburger, an upscale casual joint whose lineage we couldn’t help but link with Edmonton’s Delux.

It was insanely packed – or maybe it has just been a while since we had to compete for seats during the Saturday night rush hour. The restaurant does accept reservations (which, of course, we did not have), but curiously also honoured reservations in their so-described first come, first served lounge. We waited about half an hour before being ushered to a table.

As mentioned, Loungeburger falls into the genre of restaurants popularized by Joey’s, Earls and Cactus Club, sharing the traits of pulsating background music, dim lights, and servers in form-fitting clothing. But perhaps because of its burger-forward menu, this restaurant also seemed to draw its share of families with young children.

The dining room, dressed in all wood and shades of brown, was not appealing. My friend Jill would have called it regretful feng shui, but to me, it just did not have a sense of flow – with oddly placed columns, a raised enclosure in the centre of the space, and a poorly planned combination of open tables and booths, I couldn’t help but think they should have consulted the designers of Local Public Eatery (a great example of how to combine the best of booth and table worlds). Thankfully, the food didn’t reflect our opinion of the décor.

Though Loungeburger isn’t quite a one-note restaurant (they do offer a range of appetizers and non-burger options), their burger menu is mighty impressive. Not only are there eighteen different burgers, but with the possibility of customizing your own, the true count is endless. They also serve six kinds of fries, alongside ten different dipping sauces (at extra charge).

The lounger ($23) Mack chose was made for him– with a 1/2 pound blend of Kobe and triple A beef stuffed with applewood smoked cheddar and bacon (two of his favourite things!), it’s a wonder his photo wasn’t on the menu itself. And boy, did it live up to his expectations – it was a hefty burger, with an acceptable amount of grease, and in between bites of bacon, beef and cheese, Mack declared it “money.”

Loungeburger

The Lounger with homestyle fries

Loungeburger

Mack digs in

My burger was a little more straightforward – I embraced the opportunity to try a Kobe beef burger ($21), sandwiched between Loungeburger’s pretzel bun. It was a satisfying meal, but for me, nothing really out of the ordinary. The beef had a nice rounded flavour, and like Mack’s patty, had a perfectly charred crust. I just wasn’t sure I’d be able to distinguish the Kobe from any other type of beef. I was also expecting a little more from the pretzel bun – it certainly looked good, with a twisted top and a nice sheen. And though its dense interior was able to hold together with the assault of the patty’s juices, it reminded neither of us of a pretzel. The curly fries were the best of the two kinds we ordered, and tasted like those served at Arby’s.

Loungeburger

Kobe beef burger with curly fries

Service was steady, and our waitress deserved props for her efforts to try and fix our wobbly table. Based on that, and the fact that they didn’t disappoint on their namesake dishes, we would definitely return. Especially on nights when the Alley Burger isn’t in session.

Loungeburger
#270, 14 Avenue SE, Macleod Trail South, Calgary
(403) 250-2747

Culinary Q & A with Karlynn

thekitchenmagpieOccupation: stay at home mom who gets out in the evenings/weekends once in a while to work at a hospital here in Edmonton.

What did you eat today?

Breakfast was french toast made with my homemade 8 grain bread, maple syrup and blueberry/strawberry fruit salad, A&W onion rings and a root beer for lunch, (I know, I know). For some end of the day recuperation I had a mini cupcake from Bliss (I just brought them home from Calgary) and a glass of white wine.  My late supper was spinach salad with strawberries/toasted almonds/vinaigrette and a tuna sandwich on same homemade bread, with more of that white wine.  Throw in a banana, mini carrots, cucumber..and that about covers it. I also foresee some popcorn with butter in my future tonight since it’s movie night at home with the husband.

What do you never eat? We try not to eat anything with hydrogenated oil in it, we’ve cut it out of our diets completely, even my son now reads labels to check for “the bad oil”. After cutting it out for so many years, it truly makes our stomachs ill if we eat a product containing it now.

What is your personal specialty?

Desserts, I think I am a little of a scone fanatic, actually. I must have more than a dozen recipes for scones on my site, all my favorite in some way.

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

Butter, fresh fruit and wine. What that says about me, I have yet to figure out.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Winter: spaghetti sauce with ground steak hidden in it (so my “vegetarian” son gets protein) over whole wheat pasta. Don’t worry, he doesn’t have moral issues concerning meat, just texture. He has no problem inhaling deep fried fatty chicken nuggets, but doesn’t believe me when I tell him that’s not eating vegetarian.

Summer: toasted tomato sandwiches on homemade bread with tomatoes from my garden or a simple Greek seasoned chick pea salad with same garden tomatoes,cucumbers, olive oil and feta.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

My KitchenAid mixer, hands down.It whips icing, mixes cookies, grinds meat, makes pasta….and it’s purty. It also takes up so little space compared to the return of what it does, I hate kitchen clutter, so an all-in-one works for me. Oh, wait, or my bread machine, until I am down to driving my kids once in the morning and once in the afternoon instead of three daily trips, hand made bread is not entering my food world. I love that I can set it to have hot, fresh bread done right when we wake up in the morning. You sure won’t see me up at 4 am kneading dough!

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.   A make your own sundae buffet with the kids and Mr Magpie, ice cream, brownies, chocolate and sauces and whipped cream galore. Everything I don’t allow them to eat on a regular basis, because if it’s my last meal, I want to spend it with them. Maybe some duck leg confit from the Hardware Grill…it seems to be permeating my food dreams lately….

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Daawat‘s on Whyte Ave, I can’t get enough of their vegetable or chicken Korma with a side of coconut naan. Heavenly hot spicy cream sauce and sweet honey coconut flavor at the same time.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton? Kevin Kossowan’s house. However, my opinion may change at any moment, Valerie hasn’t had me over yet.

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

The only thing I really can bemoan in this area is the lack of fresh seafood and having it as integral a part of the markets here as it is in coastal towns. Not that it would do me any good, as I am the only seafood lover in my family.

Karlynn blogs at The Kitchen Magpie.