Author: Sharon Yeo

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

Culinary Q & A with Liane Faulder

Occupation:  Journalist

What did you eat today?

I had granola with strawberries and raspberries for breakfast and a cheese sandwich with a side of organic carrots from Sparrow’s Nest for lunch, plus an apple and a glass of milk.

What do you never eat?

Liver, unless it’s in pate.

What is your personal specialty?

I make a buttermilk chocolate cake with a gooey fudge icing for all family birthdays and it is, if I do say so myself, quite a hit.

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

organic eggs, because they taste better.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Because I eat out a lot for work, I often like a simple bowl of home-made soup for supper. I always have a couple of different kinds in the freezer. Right now there is a Portuguese Green Soup. Chef Lino from Sabor Davino gave me the recipe and I just love it. I’ve also got a Fennel and Potato Soup in the freezer, made with a recipe from The Moosewood Cookbook.

What is your favourite kitchen item?

This changes regularly. I just bought a beautiful larchwood cheese board from Janice Beaton‘s cheese shop in Calgary, so that’s sitting proudly on my counter top and I’m planning a nice charcuterie for the next time I have people over. I also love my Braun food processor and my waffle iron.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

One of my mother’s Sundays suppers with a standing rib roast of beef and Yorkshire pudding,  draped in  hot gravy, and her fresh apple pie for dessert.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

One of my regular spots is Culina in Mill Creek, partly because it’s in my neighbourhood and partly because I love the combination of good food, a cozy atmosphere, reasonable prices and friendly service. And I love the wine bar down the street, Passa Tempo, which is also owned by Culina chef Brad Lazarenko and his partner Ed Donszelmann. The bartender at Passa Tempo, Diana, sets the tone. She manages to be both sophisticated, and down-to-earth, in her approach.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

This changes from time to time, depending on my most recent experiences. I’ve eaten a couple of pretty so-so meals at very expensive restaurants in Edmonton, so I don’t think that eating at one of the better restaurants in the city necessarily guarantees a top meal every time. Right now my favourite restaurant, however, is The Blue Pear. I think Chef Darcy Radies does a dynamite job of coming up with creative combinations and flat-out surprising flavours, and I really like the prix-fixe concept. I think Viphalay is the best place in town for Thai food.

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

I’d eat some fresh bread, along with some cheese and pate from one of the small shops along the Rue Montorgueil in Paris.

Liane’s weekly food column can be found in the Bistro section of the Edmonton Journal every Wednesday. She also blogs at Eat My Words.

Edmonton AIDS Walk for Life 2009

The 2009 AIDS Walk for Life took place this past Sunday. Mack and I participated for the second year in a row, and began raising money for it a few weeks ago. As some of you may have known, we were in a bit of a competition, and in spite of his “Twitter clout”, I won! Well, ultimately, HIV Edmonton is the winner, but thank you to all of my sponsors who helped me raise $260 (Mack raised $210). All of the money raised from the walk stays in the community to help with HIV Edmonton’s work with prevention, education and support for those living with HIV, among other activities.

With the water bottle and reusable bag I “earned” from raising over $250

It was a beautiful, albeit brisk, day for the 5km walk, and the weather was a blessing for the event, held in Churchill Square this year. The outdoor setting made everything seem more lively, and welcomed any and all who were in the area to enjoy the festivities. Besides music and entertainment, Planet Organic and Starbucks were on hand distributing refreshments, and walkers were treated to free pizza from Pizza 73.

Churchill Square

Burlesque performer Sophie Sticke

At the same time, there seemed to be more confusion that arose out of the open space, a natural result from a latent ability to exert control over a wide area. Last year, a button we received at the end of the walk entitled participants to complimentary pizza and popcorn, but this year, because of the nature of the space, tickets were required for food. It hadn’t been communicated to us that tickets could be used for a free hot dog from Fat Franks (we only stumbled upon this after deciding that we would buy food ourselves), and I’m sure many participants who hadn’t wanted to eat prior to the walk weren’t aware of this fact.

Nitpicks aside, it was still a great event. Nick Lees, the “Mile High Marshall” and Sophie led the way on a float of sorts down the walk route. There’s something about just being a part of a crowd, knowing you are a part of a movement larger than yourself that is wonderful to experience.

Nick Lees and Sophie

And we’re off!

Mack gets his walk on

Along the walk route

At the Legislature

Instead of stopping halfway through the walk at the Legislature for a photo, the organizers decided the group shot would be taken at the end back at Churchill Square. The stairs on the Centennial Plaza were the perfect place to do so.

Group photo op

Thanks again to everyone who supported us!

Food Notes for September 21, 2009

The television season officially started again, with the premiere of House. It was a fantastic episode to boot! Anyone else hungry for new shows? On to this week’s food notes:

  • A reminder that the Great Potato Giveaway is on this Saturday, September 26 at Norbest Farms. Who wouldn’t want fifty pounds of free potatoes?
  • I read about a new bakery called Old Bread Factory on Foodosophy. From the looks of the scrumptious desserts offered there, I will have to make an effort to swing by to pick up my own box of sweet goods soon.
  • The Cocoa Room is open again after the summer break, although under a new name – Kerstin’s Chocolates! Kerstin’s hopes the change will result in less confusion.
  • James from Transcend wrote a post last week about the surprisingly collaborative nature of the specialty coffee community. Good to know.
  • DeVine’s is offering a free spirits tasting on October 2 from 4-7pm. Donations will be gratefully accepted for the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters.
  • Is a local food supply network a possibility on the horizon? I hope so.
  • On that note – the USDA’s “Know Your Farmer, Know your Food” initiative sounds great, though I know sometimes these things could just be about throwing money without sense of where it is actually going.
  • I have been hearing so much about Portland lately – about how they are the model city for sustainability, planning, and liveability. And just this weekend, the NYT included a feature article about their supposedly incredible food scene. Is Portland too good to be true? My scanning abilities have failed me again – I didn’t realize they were talking about Portland, Maine.
  • Everything you wanted to know about burger classification and more – but be warned, don’t click on it if you’re hungry.
  • I’m in the middle of Frank Bruni’s memoir Born Round, and after his umpteenth description of a ravenous Italian meal with his family, I couldn’t take it anymore and had to make the only dish I knew that could satisfy my craving for pasta to gorge over: Giada’s stuffed shells with arrabbiata sauce. Yum.

 

Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

Alberta Arts Days: Citadel Open House and Randall Stout

After a visit to the City Centre Market (only 2 more opportunities left!), I packed up a lunch and met Mack at Churchill Square. Our day of arts activities would start at the nearby Citadel. As a part of Alberta Art Days, the Citadel had opened its doors and stage to the public for a behind-the-scenes look at their theatre, and I wasn’t about to miss it as I had last year.

Mack in the Tucker Amphitheatre

There were costumes on display, in addition to dance and stage combat demonstrations, but the real draw for me was the backstage tour.

Costumes from the Wizard of Oz

Citadel staff led us behind the Shoctor Theatre stage, where we took a peek inside their beautifully-refurbished green room, narrow change area, quick change area, and incredibly complex fly system of ropes and pulleys.

Change area

Quick change area (with my reflection in the mirror)

 

A small portion of the ropes backstage that control the fly system (to allow for backdrop changes, among other things)

The brother-sister team who head up carpentry and lighting then gave us a quick orientation to their work. Unlike some other companies, the Citadel constructs all of their own sets. However, they pressed upon us how “low-tech” things could be – for example, the bottle that conveyed Tinkerbell’s bottle prison in Peter Pan was nothing more than LED lights and a circuit board controlled by simple switches.

Heads of lighting and carpentry, on the set of The Drowsy Chaperone

The view from the Shoctor stage

Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay for the whole of the tour, as we had to leave for our engagement next door at the Winspear. When we both heard that Randall Stout, the man behind the controversial new Art Gallery of Alberta design, would be speaking, we jumped at the opportunity to hear his address.

Randall Stout

Like having the curtain drawn on anything, listening to Stout talk about his inspiration and choices behind the design made me appreciate the building further. The dichotomy of the sweeping stainless steel curves and boxy zinc forms was Stout’s observation of the disparity between our serene river valley and urban core, although the curves also reference the aurora borealis. The interior will have not only a great hall accented by four stories of glass panes, but also a grand staircase that will link it all together. Photos of the hall reminded me of the stunning Newseum we visited in DC, and if it has even a fraction of the grandiosity of that building, I think Edmontonians will have something to be extremely proud of. I’m also excited to see the  third floor outdoor terrace and street-level cafe.

What most struck me about his address was how well Stout seemed to know Edmonton, or at least the ideal that the city could be. For example, he showed one early conceptual shot of the gallery, with a similarly sweeping steel entrance highlighting the LRT across the street – he said that although the LRT entrance was beyond the scope of the competition, it was his “gift” to the City’s fathers, in the hopes that they would incorporate it on their own.

The new AGA, still under construction

The gallery will officially open on January 31, 2010. If you want to learn more about the background of the design, the Art Gallery of Alberta is currently hosting an exhibit called Building a Vision, which covers its conception to construction (remember – the gallery offers pay-what-you-may admission on Thursdays from 4-8pm!).

These are exciting times in Edmonton – I’m looking forward to January already!

The Cooking Chronicles: Curried Lentils with Potatoes

My Mum introduced Mack and I to Spice Centre (9280 34 Avenue, 780-440-3334) in Little India the other day. The impetus for this visit was a desire to pick up some lentils for an earmarked recipe of Curried Lentils with Potatoes in Mark Bittman’s Food Matters (here is a very similar recipe from another one of his cookbooks), another one of our “meat alternative” ventures.

What we found, beyond a great assortment of dried lentils and beans, was a fabulous selection of spices. With each small packet priced from $1.49-$2.99, we couldn’t resist stocking up. I mention this because their red chili powder was more potent than any other we’ve ever tried – we made the mistake of adding the usual amount to a tried-and-true chili recipe…and ended up with a dish so spicy I teared up at first bite. Needless to say, we won’t be making that blind measurement mistake again.

Anyway, Bittman’s recipe is a keeper – super easy, and served with rice, makes a comforting meal. The potatoes become fall-apart tender, and the lentils add an earthiness to the dish. And like most curry recipes, it involves the addition of coconut milk – when simmering on the stove, there is no aroma more welcome in my kitchen. Bittman does provide a variation involving chicken, which Mack would have preferred, and myself, having been brought up on curries containing green beans, would add that for an additional vegetable boost.

Curried Lentils with Potatoes

As the nights cool down, I’d suggest you stock your pantry and have this recipe handy as a go-to cold weather meal.

The Cooking Chronicles: Cold-Brewed Coffee

I made a mental note to try the cold-brewing method to make iced coffee as mentioned on Julie van Rosendaal’s blog this summer. Leave it to me to put it off until mid-September.

I loved Julie’s suggestion of using a French press to do the grunt work, eliminating the need to strain and filter the coffee separately. So after grinding some Transcend coffee we had in the house, I combined 2/3 of a cup of ground beans with 3 cups of water, and let the mixture sit in the press on the counter overnight. In the morning, I refrigerated the mixture after pressing the silt down – nothing to it.

Julie recommends a 1:1 diluting of the concentrated mixture with water or milk, or to simply pour it over ice. We went with the latter suggestion. However, having enjoyed more than our share of heavily-sweetened Starbucks iced coffees, both Mack and I have ended up with a need for sugar to override the bitterness. So I quickly made up a batch of simple syrup, and used a spoonful or two to help balance the iced joe.

Iced coffees in our drinking jars

The result was a great patio drink – not too strong, but not watered down. And best of all – so easy to make!

Eat Until You Burst: T. Pot China Bistro

Craving dim sum in Calgary, my family (and Mack) hit up T. Pot China Bistro on Felicia’s recommendation. I was a bit leery if not only because of the name (any Chinese restaurant that attaches “bistro” at the end of it wouldn’t appear to be the most economical).

Though we had an idea that the restaurant was in northwest Calgary, we didn’t realize just how far north until the drive. We were nearly into Airdrie when we hit the small retail area that contained, among other shops, a T & T.

T. Pot is not much to look at from the outside, being a generic big box. But it was quite lovely on the inside, with beaded curtains, crystal chandeliers and cushy high-backed chairs. And while their dim sum wasn’t the fun push cart kind, a few staff members wielded plastic trays as their push cart-equivalent, and offered us plates of food from their arms.

Interior

The area to the back of the restaurant where we were placed steadily filled up during our visit, but was never completely packed, unlike the other dining area separated from us by a median. Items were priced from $3.99 to $5.99, which are above the norm, but once the dishes started to arrive, we understood why: we were either given double the quantity normally provided, or items were twice the size of those commonly seen. Case in point, the steamed shrimp dumplings ($4.99):

Shrimp Dumplings

Standout dishes for me included Chinese doughnut wrapped with rice crepe and the pan-fried pork dumplings. Overall, we were pretty impressed with the quality of the dishes. Here are just a few of the plates we ordered:

Chinese Doughnut Wrapped with Rice Crepe (served on one side with some oddly paired peanut sauce)

Rice Crepe with BBQ Pork

Bean Curd

Coconut Buns

Pork and Shrimp Dumplings

Pan-fried Dumplings (beautifully arranged to boot!)

Deep Fried Pork Dumplings

Needless to say, we all ate until we nearly burst, and still ended up with leftovers. Ordering by paper always seems to have that effect – T. Pot China Bistro: 1, Yeo Family and Mack: 0

I’m glad we had the opportunity to try out the restaurant – I’d recommend it for dim sum off the beaten path in Calgary!

T. Pot China Bistro
100, 9650 Harvest Hills Blvd. NE
Calgary, AB
(403) 532-3982

Food Notes for September 14, 2009

You may have read on Mack’s blog that Twestival Local 2009 raised $565 for the Youth Emergency Shelter Society – thanks to everyone who came out! On another fundraising note, Mack and I will both be participating in the AIDS Walk for Life on Sunday. Brittney wrote an awesome post for “Team Sharon” last week – please consider sponsoring either myself or Mack. On to this week’s food notes:

  • Congrats to Chad and Josh from Transcend who placed third and fourth, respectively, in the Prairie Regional Barista Championships this weekend in Calgary. They’ll both be at nationals!
  • Nate Box’s new endeavour in the space that was previously Hulbert’s will be called Elm Cafe (7601 115 Street), and will be open for three meals a day. Look for it (fingers crossed) in mid-October.
  • Kelly posted about a new Indian restaurant on the city’s burgeoning southwest side called Zaika Indian Bistro. Looks sleek.
  • Christopher Thrall (who formerly edited and contributed to Vue Weekly’s Dish section) is Metro‘s Edmonton Urban Foodie – I look forward to seeing your reviews every Thursday, Chris! Meanwhile, food blogger Andree Lau has taken up Metro Calgary’s Urban Foodie post.
  • September 15 is the last day to get early bird admission tickets for the upcoming Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival, running November 5-7.
  • Vue Weekly had an article about Belle Valley Farms, an alpaca farm in Alberta – I’m not sure we’ll be seeing the demand go up just yet, but I’d be willing to try more of it.
  • Chris LaBossiere wrote a thought-provoking post about a potential redevelopment plan for the land currently occupied by the Valley Zoo. He suggests turning the area into a world-class community garden with teaching spaces for school children and culinary arts students alike.
  • Can a steakhouse be sustainable? An interesting question for Alberta, where steakhouses are a dime a dozen.
  • I had no idea Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups taste different depending on which side of the border they’re sold. Sounds like we Canucks have the better kind, though.
  • Can you say lunch envy? Some chef’s children have it good – I wish I had such good lunches when I was a kid.
  • Julie & Julia author Julie Powell’s new book seems even more contrived than the chapter excerpt I read, at least according to this Eater post.
  • Browsing in Damon J in Old Strathcona last week, I was handed a coupon book called Cheque Out Whyte. In it are some pretty sweet coupons, including a $15 “cheque” for Devlin’s, and a $10 “cheque” for Packrat Louie. It’s a neat promotion for area businesses to collectively offer.

Cheque Out Whyte

  • Just off Whyte (in the strip mall with Henry and Shoppers Drug Mart), I spotted a forthcoming restaurant called Taiwan Express. It will offer bubble tea, along with Taiwanese dishes.

Taiwan Express

  • A few of us helped May celebrate her birthday two weekend ago. We had dinner at Wildflower Grill, one of my favourite restaurants in the city. I have to say I wasn’t as enthralled with this experience as with past meals, and much of that had to do with our waiter, who was much too pushy with alcohol that night. Service aside, the food was okay. The star on my halibut entree was not the fish itself (which was actually overcooked), but actually the polenta, perfectly seasoned and cooked in a way that absolutely melted on my tongue. Mack’s steak was over-sauced, but he did enjoy his baby crock pot of truffled mac and cheese.

Goat cheese mousse amuse bouche

Halibut

Steak (any further details would have required some notation…of which I did not make)

Post #1000

It’s almost hard to believe this is my thousandth post. For a blog that started as an online means of recording my random musings, it has ended up becoming a celebration of food.

More than anything, I love that I have this web document of my descent into food – slowly but surely finding my way around the kitchen; stumbling into farmers’ markets and learning more about area producers and food security; and of course, discovering restaurant gems.

So though I’d be hard pressed to pick favourites, here are a few posts from the past thousand that remind me why I am glad to be a blogger – even though my memory might fade, I have access to entries that capture some of the magic of my experiences:

Thanks for reading!

Late Summer Picnic and Photowalk

Our city was blessed with an absolutely gorgeous weekend, but given our late start to the warm weather this year, I think we deserve it. Mack and I took advantage of it by finally having a picnic and a long walk in the river valley, tracing a route very similar to the one we took for our fall photo walk last year.

Downtown Edmonton

Through Louise McKinney Riverfront Park, we saw the Edmonton Queen take off with a boatload of passengers, and a number of canoes out on the North Saskatchewan.

Chinese Garden

Edmonton Queen cruising

On the other side of the connecting foot bridge, we found a shaded bench and unwrapped our lunch. We had picked up a few hot pressed sandwiches from Sobeys Urban Fresh to take along – an uptown turkey club for Mack and a chicken apple brie sandwich for me. We were surprised when we watched the deli attendant throw both sandwiches in the microwave before putting them in the panini press – the microwave was probably the cause for the chewy bread. I was looking for a bit more sweetness in the sandwich (the red chili jelly didn’t do it for me), and a lot more fresh herbs, but the apples had a nice texture and the quantity of chicken was fair.

On the foot bridge!

Our lunch

After lunch, we walked up to the Muttart Conservatory to explore the grounds. We intend to return to check out the newly-renovated pyramids sometime, but likely on a day when spending time indoors is more justifiable. We did pop our heads inside to see the new cafe, accessible to patrons without an admission fee.

Muttart Conservatory

Cafe inside the Muttart

The area surrounding the Muttart is beautiful in its own right, something neither Mack or I knew. Beds of plants, maintained by the Edmonton Horticultural Society (which celebrated its 100th anniversary this year), help celebrate some of the province’s perennial flowers, and help remind those passing by about the flora and fauna contained just beyond the glass.

Mack explores the gazebo

By one of the Muttart’s outdoor gardens

We even stumbled across a garden grown specifically for the Edmonton Food Bank (with, among other vegetables, tomatoes, cucumber and zucchini), maintained by the youth at the Yellowhead Youth Centre – too cool.

A Garden for Edmonton’s Food Bank

A sunflower in the city

Thanks for a relaxing afternoon, Mack! What did you do to take advantage of our glorious weekend?