Author: Sharon Yeo

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

Epicureous in Edmonton: 2009 in Review

I thought it was another great year for Edmonton’s food scene, though I probably sound like a broken record. However, it’s hard not to get excited when small, local businesses are getting the recognition they deserve in supplying the city with specialized products.

Tomatoes from Sundog Organics

Here are a few of the year’s notable trends and events:

  • A second Edmonton restaurant family was profiled in the third season of Family Restaurant early this year. Food Network Canada viewers were treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the Quons, the family behind local institutions The Lingnan and Chicken for Lunch. Unfortunately, the show left something to be desired.
  • While the effects of the recession were somewhat muted in Canada, people in Edmonton were still looking for dining deals to be had. As a result, several local restaurants, including The Blue Pear and Hardware Grill introduced menus with lower price points to entice patrons.
  • In spite of the economic downturn, several local establishments expanded their business in 2009. Health Fare opened its second location downtown, Famoso christened a third branch in South Edmonton Common, a third Mikado is now in the west end, and a new Transcend cafe will begin operation in Garneau in January 2010.
  • 2009 also saw several chains move into the city, including Cora’s, Cactus Club Cafe, and opening in early 2010, fondue restaurant Melting Pot.
  • Frozen yogurt shops, akin to their US cousins, have finally arrived in Edmonton! Twisted Yogurt opened up its first parlour in August, while Kiwi Kiss joined the fray in October. Expect many more storefronts in the first half of 2010.
  • As Eater would say, two’s a trend – both Vinomania and The Bothy are equipped with state-of-the-art Enomatic Wine Serving System. I wouldn’t be surprised if more restaurants go this route in the nest year.
  • Specialty bakeries were also launched in full force, with no less than four cake shops and cupcakeries popping up – Cake Couture, The Cake House, Flirt, and a second Fuss Cupcakes outlet on Whyte Avenue. Of course, who could forget Duchess, whose opening was the equivalent of a culinary earthquake in Edmonton.
  • A trend going into 2010 will undoubtedly be more transparent menus and accommodating kitchens, as more people require or choose gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan diets, but in 2009, Backstairs Cafe was already ahead of the trend, showcasing vegan cuisine and giving Edmonton its first culinary speakeasy in the process.
  • Local food producers continue to gain a foothold in the market, with the Good Food Box and new Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market providing more opportunities to support area farmers, the Eat Local First initiative helping consumers to identify goods made by local purveyors, the Meet the Locals Festival connecting shoppers with producers, and the successful launch of We Eat Togethershowing the appetite for local food.

I’m looking forward to what 2010 has in store already!

The Male Family Zoo

Being from a one pet family (I don’t count my Dad’s fish), it is a welcome surprise to be surrounded by so many animals at Martin and Patti’s. Given that they used to have a pet shop, it’s not really unexpected that they are animal lovers. They even have a room dedicated to reptiles and birds!

Ekon the Yellow Saharan Uromastyx

Thom and Crackers the California Black and White Banded Kingsnake

Kim and Casper, an Umbrella Cockatoo

 Max(ine), a beautiful Green-Wing Macaw

I wasn’t able to get a photo of the other Uromastyx and snake because they were hiding, but believe me, they are there!

One reason we don’t have any dogs or cats is because I am allergic to them, but riding a Reactine wave this week, it’s been nice to see what it would be like to have them around.

Kali, one of Kim and Shane’s dogs

Mack and Traz (wearing his too-cute jacket)

Kotah, the “gentle giant”, in a shot that captures his erratic puppy energy

It’s been fun to be able to play with the animals while I’m here!

Not a Diamond in the Rough: Fuego

To celebrate Mack’s birthday, Martin and Patti took the lot of us out for dinner at Fuego. Martin had been there for lunch one day, and enjoyed his visit.

Fuego is part of a larger company that includes a lounge, champagne bar, and catering service, under the umbrella of Dining on 50th. I was a little weary of their “international cuisine” tagline, but was willing to see what this Yellowknife restaurant had to offer.

Walking downstairs into the space, I was immediately struck by how busy it was. Though we knew many restaurants in the city are closed for the holiday season, I somehow still didn’t expect a nearly full house. Dimly lit, the decor was simple – red walls, sleek leather chairs, and pictures of a lake sunset encased in false windows.

Mack and me

The dining room was bracketed by a small bar and a stage – Fuego hosts local musicians on a nightly basis. The talented Shea Alain was our entertainer that night, performing acoustic, low-tempo covers of everything from “My Girl” to Fort Minor’s “Where’d You Go”.

Fuego has quite a large menu, and though there was some Latin American influence, it seemed to be put together with a purpose to please – the grilled ostrich seemed out of place. More focus might do it some good. Regardless, everyone was able to find one dish that appealed to them. Most of us also ordered appetizers.

The baked caramelized onion soup ($9) was rich, and packed an unexpected heat. Underneath the melted cheese and bread was a dense web of onions that I struggled to finish. Mack’s jumbo bacon scallop skewer ($15) was beautifully garnished with greens and a star, but was a touch overcooked. He gobbled it up, and said it was still pretty good.

Caramelized Onion Soup

Jumbo Bacon Scallops

My herb chipotle crusted whitefish filet ($26) was a bit disappointing – though the fish was nicely cooked, where I was expecting a hard shell, I was met with more of a pesto-like robe on the fish. Moreover, the beurre blanc was unappetizingly sour, to the point where I could have done without the sauce all together. I loved the balsamic glaze on the sweet potato fries though – the sauce made it more like a treat than a side.

Herb Chipotle Crusted Whitefish

Mack’s grilled arctic char ($34) was more of a success – the caper aioli was the perfect accompaniment. Mack also loved the crispy potato chips on his plate.

Grilled Arctic Char

Everyone else around the table seemed to enjoy their dishes (dishes were definitely over-sauced though), and despite the fact that the entire restaurant was serviced by just a single waitress, the kitchen was speedy and we weren’t left waiting long for our food. It is also worth noting that the restaurant was quite accommodating towards a gluten allergy in our party.

Bison Ribeye with Chimichurri Sauce

Beef Striploin with Brandy Madagascar Sauce

Grilled Seafood Stuffed Salmon Filet with Pesto Sour Cream

It was a nice night overall at Fuego, with wonderful ambiance provided by the live entertainment, and good company. Decent food, but I can’t say I would recommend it as a destination.

Fuego
4915 50th Street, Yellowknife
(867) 873-3750
Lunch: Monday-Friday 11:30am-2:30pm; Dinner: Monday-Saturday 5-10pm

Dog Sledding in Yellowknife!

Part of the Christmas present from Mack’s parents was a dog sledding tour with local company Beck’s Kennels. It was a very thoughtful gift, and one they knew we would enjoy because it would provide us with a uniquely “northern” experience.

Out of the possible tours, Martin and Patti chose the Northern Outdoor option. Two hours in length, we would all have the opportunity to drive the sled, either to the cabin where we would warm up around a wood-burning stove, or back to the home base. Beck’s also offers different types of tours, including aurora viewing, ice fishing and snow shoeing. In addition, proprietor Grant Beck is an avid dog racer – it was neat that the kennel was not only in the business of offering dog sledding recreationally, but participated in the competitive sport as well.

Some of the many kennels

Martin dropped the four of us off at Beck’s yesterday afternoon for our adventure. We were directed to dress warmly, particularly because of the length of our tour, and were surprised to find a collection of parkas, snow pants, boots, hats and mitts for us to use. We geared up and got ready to go.

Kim and Shane

Mack and me

Mack and Shane elected to direct the two sleds on the way to the cabin, and were given a quick lesson from our guide on what to do. We were told to stand with our knees slightly bent, and at the turns, to lean into the turn in order to avoid tipping the sled.

Practicing my stance

Kim and I settled comfortably into our passenger seats, and off we went! Our tour guide followed close by on a skidoo, checking to make sure both Shane and Kim’s sled and ours were on track. Though the dogs were playful and would occasionally fall out of the harness-and-rope-imposed lines, they were focused on getting to our destination, and knew the trails well. I felt safe the entire time – in case Mack fell of the sled, or the dogs made a wrong turn – we knew the guide would find us to help if we had needed it.

The view

Mack directing the sled (he loved his pink gloves)

The ride to the cabin took just over half an hour. It was a peaceful and serene journey, with the trails through the trees being my particular favourite, branches and boughs beautifully draped in snow.

Trail

At the cabin, while the dogs rested, we warmed up around the wood burning stove and had hot chocolate and snacks.

Kim warms up

Shane and Mack

We asked our guide about the dogs, because I had expected them to be long-haired Siberian Huskies. She said that because Siberian Huskies had been bred more and more for their appearance instead of racing traits, that Alaskan Huskies were actually a better breed for running. We also asked if she knew the names of the dogs, and she said it was difficult, with 135 dogs at the kennel!

Kim and I directed the sleds on the way back, and boy was it ever cold. We rode against the bitter wind chill pretty much the entire time, along a slightly different route than before. Though I was afraid I would fall off of the sled, between the grip of the sled runners and the fairly flat landscape, it was an easy ride. We had to help the dogs a little by pushing the sled up the hill, but other than that, the dogs took care of us.

On the way back

Thanks again to Martin and Patti for the experience!

You can read Mack’s post here and see some of the photos here.

Food Notes for December 28, 2009

I hope everyone had a good Christmas! We seemed to leave Edmonton at the worst time, just as the city was warming up! And though it’s not as cold as it could be here in Yellowknife, it’s still pretty darn chilly. A quick post of this week’s food notes:

  • I liked Liane’s article about upcoming food trends published this past week for the most part, but it should have read with a caveat that Edmonton tends to be way behind in embracing the trends, especially for her sidebar about trends that are “gone” – pork belly, cupcakes and finishing salts are still firmly entrenched in our city. I also had to chuckle at the quote from Dana McCauley about S’Mac, one of the mac and cheese restaurants  in New York – it’s been around for a few years now.
  • Chris has a great round up of the decade in food.
  • Many people were shocked when they read Liane’s post that Tree Stone owner Nancy Rubuliak has sold her beloved bakery to a couple originally from Montreal. I am glad the new owners said they will be keeping many of the same products, and are looking at installing a wood burning oven to recreate Montreal-style bagels.
  • Liane also had a preview of the cover of The Tomato, the newly-named City Palate magazine, which will hit the newsstands on January 2, 2010.
  • Both the Journal and Vue Weekly filed rave reviews for the Hardware Grill’s newly minted lunch menu. I can’t wait to check it out with the gift card from Mack’s parents – thanks again!
  • Interesting gadgets I read about this week: the first sous vide machine for the home cook (retails at $450 US), and an all-in-one Cuisinart Soup Maker, which combines a blender with a heating element.
  • I met up with Dickson for lunch at Dahlia’s Mediterranean Bistro in the High Street area last week. They don’t have an extensive menu (soups, sandwiches, and the like), but the interior is clean and the service is friendly. I had a late breakfast that day, so decided to order their last cup of lentil soup ($3.95) – it was delicious, and the addition of rice was a nice touch. Dickson had a chicken breast sandwich with spinach-basil pesto, roasted peppers and melted mozzarella. He said it was all right, but nothing special. Apparently they get their smoked meat sent from Montreal – I’d love to go back and try it.

 

Lentil Soup of the Day

 

Chicken Breast Sandwich

  • Mack and I finally decided to cook up the Greens, Eggs and Ham turkey bombs for my family that we had been saving in our freezer. Turkey breasts stuffed with orange-cranberry stuffing, it is the perfect seasonal dish for someone like me who is afraid of preparing a whole turkey. Unfortunately, we overcooked them, but they were still pretty good.

 

Turkey Bombs

  • My family doesn’t really have any Christmas Day traditions besides opening presents together in the morning. Sometimes after that, we end up at Denny’s for breakfast, for an early movie, or like this year, for dim sum. It was a packed house at Dynasty Century Palace – I haven’t been there for dim sum in a while, but I can see why it was so busy – almost all items are priced at $3.25. Quality-wise, we were pretty disappointed, but I was happy we were able to have another meal together.

 

My family at dim sum

 

Me and Mack

Have a great New Year’s eve, everyone!

Local Gift Basket of Possibilities

Mack and I made it to Yellowknife, despite arriving to the gate ten minutes after our scheduled flight time – the line-up to get through security was madness! It’s colder here than in Edmonton, but there is more daylight than I expected (around 5 hours). No photos to share yet, as we had a pretty low-key day relaxing at Mack’s parents’ house. It’s not a bad way to start a vacation though!

We exchanged presents this afternoon with Mack’s family – thanks again Kim, Shane, Thom, Martin and Patti for the gifts! I originally didn’t know what to buy Mack’s parents, but I remembered Jennifer Crosby’s idea of putting together a basket of locally-accrued food items. It seemed like a good way to share some uniquely Edmonton products, so a few weeks back, we started to assemble it. We ended up with this:

Basket of locally-purveyed goods

It contains:

Martin and Patti appreciated the gift, but I have to say, I really enjoyed looking for things that I thought they might enjoy. And though we restricted ourselves to items purchased at local businesses, it was fairly easy to find the variety that we did.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas!

The Cooking Chronicles: Sausages Braised in Red Wine

I won’t soon forget the day we decided to make our first recipe from We Eat Together, the locally-produced cookbook that has been taking Edmonton by storm. A series of unfortunate events took place, involving a garage door frozen open, burst pipes, a flooded garage and ultimately, no water in our apartment building for two days. It was an inconvenience to be sure, but one that in the end reminded us how fortunate we are to have access to clean, running water most of the time.

Fortuitously, the recipe of sausages braised in red wine required minimal water, besides having enough to wash our hands and vegetables. We had picked up a package of leek sausages from Irvings Farm Fresh, as well as a bottle of en Sante Campfire Strong (sour cherry) wine at the Old Strathcona Market the day prior, and had some Valbella pepper bacon left over in the fridge. The recipe was easy to pull together, particularly because the majority of the work was done on the stove unattended, allowing the sausages to simmer and the flavours of the sauce to meld.

The result (even without the jelly, which I only realized we had mistakenly left out as I write this) was fantastic. We ate the plump, juicy sausages straight out of the pan, along with the meltingly tender mushroom and shallots that still had some bite to them. A side of rice would have been great to soak up the sauce, but on that night, we did without. The remaining Campfire Strong wine was, as expected, a fine accompaniment, but more so for me as I found it to have less of the aftertaste I usually associate with red wine.

Leek Sausages Braised in Red Wine

A great cold weather dish, I will be making this again, hopefully with some rice next time!

Now on Brunch Rotation: Artisan Resto-Cafe

Artisan Resto-Cafe, tucked on the lower floor of the beautifully-restored Garneau apartment building on Whyte Avenue, is another one of those restaurants that I’ve been meaning to visit for some time, but just haven’t. Knowing we would need to eat before the matinee performance of It’s A Wonderful Life at the nearby Varscona, we finally planned a trip there.

We didn’t think to make a reservation, but though the restaurant was fairly busy, there were luckily a few tables free. We ended up with a window seat (our favourite kind), with provided a good view of the restaurant. The decor successfully combined old with the new – the lovely brick accents and warm yellow walls made for a very pleasant interior. The “Artisan wishing tree” that stood in the middle of the room was a whimsical touch.

Mack at Artisan Resto-Cafe

The large mugs of coffee were a good start, eliminating the need for frequent refills (I tend to down my coffee really quickly in the mornings). The vast breakfast menu (served all day, no less) was another plus – beyond the typical egg/protein/toast plates, omelettes and eggs benedict were waffles and crepes. Artisan-Resto even has a kids menu! It took some deliberation, but I chose the Country Harvest ($10.89), with 2 eggs, beef sausage, grilled potatoes and a slice of either French toast or a pancake. Mack selected the bacon and cheddar omelette ($10.69), served with toast, grilled potatoes and fruit.

We anticipated a bit of a wait given the large crowd, but the kitchen was right on top of things, with our food arriving only shortly after our order was placed. I enjoyed my breakfast – the sausage was meaty and flavourful, and the pancake, though it could have been a touch warmer, was easily the best part of my meal – crispy on the outside, but perfectly fluffy on the inside. I knew what I would be having next time…

Country Harvest

Mack’s plate was just heaping with food. He liked the grilled potatoes, but his omelette needed more salt.

Cheddar and Bacon Omelette

Overall, we had a great experience, and will be back. I would recommend Artisan Resto-Cafe without hesitation, and look forward to slotting it into our Edmonton brunch rotation.

Artisan Resto-Cafe
10732 82 Avenue
(780) 413-8045
Monday-Tuesday 6:30am-5pm, Wednesday-Friday 6:30am-9pm, Saturdays 8am-9pm, Sundays 9am-5pm

Kerstin’s Chocolates’ Name That Origin Finals

A few weeks ago, I participated in the Name That Origin contest at Kerstin’s Chocolates, more to be able to sample different single origin chocolates for free than to actually attempt at securing a spot in the finals. As I was only able to correctly identify one out of four samples, my only chance at entering the finals would be as a wildcard. And wouldn’t you know it, they chose me.

As this was the first Name That Origin contest Kerstin’s has ever held, Cyrus was sure to explain the rules – the prize was a $400 gift certificate to Kerstin’s, after all. In the first round, all contestants would taste six single origin varieties, with the task of matching them to a supplied list of six possible countries of origin. Based on our responses, four would be selected to move on to the semi-finals, with “lighting round” taste-offs. Two pairs of contestants would square off, alternating their answers until the correct answer was given. The finals would see the last two contestants face off in a similar manner. To ensure no foul play, Jennifer Cockrall-King and Scott McKeen were on hand to monitor and observe the proceedings.

Cyrus introduces the monitors

Water and crackers were provided as palate cleansers, but regardless, I knew there was no hope for me – my single origin palate is not refined at all, as evidenced from my poor showing in the preliminary round. Still, I was happy to be included – it was nice to be among fellow chocolate lovers!

Readying our ballots

Possible countries of origin

The eight contestants were given about 15 minutes to taste samples of the six chocolates, and were allowed to try multiple pieces. I did my best to jot down notes on the distinct flavours of each piece, but with no real point of reference to match it to, it was a fruitless task for me.

Sampling!

My guesses

Cyrus called time, and the ballots were collected and tallied. Though I wasn’t dead last, I was only able to correctly identify one chocolate (SaoTome & Principe, which had a smoky flavour and a grainy texture). Kristina, Erin, Jason and Jessica were onto the semi-finals.

Kristina and Erin were up first, and had to taste and identify one of the six varieties from the first round. Erin was the winner, correctly naming the origin on her first try.

And…go!

Jason and Jessica were up next, with Jessica emerging as the winner.

Tasting chocolate is very serious business

Though the final was originally meant to include a previously untried chocolate, Cyrus said that the possible countries of origin would be too numerous and thus too difficult to identify. So, one of the remaining four chocolates from the first round was chosen for the last taste-off.

Erin vs. Jessica

The winner? <drumroll please> Erin, who was able to identify Papua New Guinea as the origin of the chocolate. She attributed her success to a website called All Chocolate, which has a guide of tasting notes by country, and she had also purchased several single-origin bars to try at home.

Erin collects her prize from Kerstin

The seven runners-up were each given a box of Ghost Chile Salted Caramels by Theo Chocolate – not a bad consolation prize at all (I had one afer I returned home – delish).

Delectable consolation prize

Cyrus said that they would be holding more Name That Origin contests in the future, and that the contest really helped them fulfill one of their original intentions of the shop – to help spread awareness and educate people about chocolate.

Thanks again to Kerstin’s for the invitation to participate, and I look forward to continuing to learn more about single origin chocolates!

You can check out my photoset here, and Jennifer Cockrall-King will be uploading a video of the finals soon to her website.

Food Notes for December 21, 2009

Christmas is my favourite time of year, but it really is flying by faster than I’d like. We’ll be in Yellowknife in less than a week, but at least I’m now officially on holidays! On to this week’s food notes:

  • Though the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market will be closed on December 26, they will be open on December 23 for those needing to pick up a few things.
  • Still looking for a last-minute gift for a foodie friend or family member? How about a monthly wine subscription from Bin 104? Or there’s always the Beer Club at Sherbrooke Liquor Store, or Transcend Coffee’s monthly coffee subscriptions.
  • Liane had a great piece about three new “superstar” chefs in Edmonton – from Skinny Legs and Cowgirls, Von’s and Blackhawk Golf Course.
  • Liane also visited The Bothy last week.
  • An early review of Guru Restaurant on Chowhound, the new Indian establishment in the west end.
  • See Magazine interviewed Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Eating Animals, a sort-of manifesto for vegetarianism, this week.
  • One of the committees I volunteer for held an appreciation dinner last week at Rendezvous (10810-95 Street, 780-756-8902), an Ethiopian restaurant in Little Italy. I would never have wandered in on my own, so was really happy for the opportunity to be introduced to their cuisine. It was fantastic! The injera, which I am normally not a fan of, was not sour at all – apparently, that was a testament to its freshness. The friendly owner also conducted a coffee ceremony for our group, freshly roasting green coffee beans and brewing the result for us. I will definitely be back on my own sometime soon.

Rendevous platter

  • Mack and I attended the last Tweetup of the year on Friday at Original Joe’s Varsity. I had the Sicillian Burger, which featured a whole Spolumbo’s sausage – it was a lot of meat, but was an interesting combination, even though I think the sausage overwhelmed the beef and the rest of the toppings.

Sicilian Burger

Happy Holidays!