Author: Sharon Yeo

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

Day 2, am – Food: Today, Tomorrow, Together Conference

I did my best to try and blog on Friday night, but it seems my threshold for processing information was 10 hours. My cold didn’t help matters either, but now I have some catching up to do.

At any rate, the theme of day 2 was “what’s happening on local, provincial and national level”, and I think the committee did a great job of organizing sessions that addressed this topic. I started off the morning with a full thermos of coffee, the cinnamon bun I received yesterday at the Taste of Alberta, and a keynote by Elbert van Donkersgoed, Executive Director of the Greater Toronto Area Agricultural Action Committee. He talked about building blocks of a sustainable food system, with emphasis on farming just outside major cities – apparently, the value of production per acre is higher for farms closer to the city. Van Donkersgoed spent the initial few minutes deconstructing the notion of a “locavore”, and using statistics from an Ipsos Reid poll and a survey, tried to prove that though the locavore craved convenience, they are not just a passing fad. For example, 42% of Canadians reported in the poll that they had purchased locally-grown food in the last six months, 70% of the Royal Winter Fair patrons surveyed said that they change their diet seasonally, and 63% of the Fair patrons claimed they buy food based on where it comes from as opposed to the price. I was sceptical of these numbers, if not only because I think people respond to such question with the answer they think is “right” as opposed to the one that best describes their habits.

Van Donkersgoed argued that the business of farming needs to change to accommodate the rise of the locavore. He said that seasonality must be emphasized (to the point where consumers cannot get enough of the sun-kissed taste of a just-picked strawberry), consumers need to be educated on how to store fresh produce properly, and the structure of the food value chain (where supermarkets are currently the gatekeeper) must change.

He talked about Occombe Farm Store in the UK, which sells the produce of 40 local farms within 50km of the store. Situated on a conservation authority, residents can visit the farm not only to fulfill their shopping needs, but to reconnect with the land. The Edmonton Regional Tourist Group has organized opportunities for people to visit Edmonton’s countryside, but I agree with his point that urban sprawl must be reduced in favour of preserving (and ideally, increasing) the farmland around metropolitan centres.

It didn’t occur to me until he reiterated his points on Saturday afternoon, but van Donkersgoed was the only speaker that I heard over the course of the conference that wasn’t beating the drum of extreme change. Most of the speakers called for extreme shifts in thinking and practice, but for the majority of the population out there, such change just won’t happen. I’m glad van Donkersgoed expressed a more realistic (and small step) approach.

Our food-filled breaks began with a locally-sourced yogurt parfait – the yogurt was from Lacombe’s Bles-Wold Dairy, granola from Highwood River’s Highwood Crossing, and rhubarb and apple from enSante Winery. The granola, I should mention, was absolutely delicious.

Following the break, we reassembled in the auditorium for the first of three “open space” discussions. Attendees who had burning ideas were asked to lead table discussions and record the key points that had been brought up on flipchart paper. This was a good idea in theory, but with over 200 people in the room and only 6 volunteer leaders, needless to say, the groups were a little larger than they should have been.  Also, I could just see Mack shaking his head at the flipchart pages, and scolding that a wiki should be used instead. Apparently, the ideas will be collected and sent to all participants eventually, so hopefully some good will come out of them.

Wall of ideas

My first breakout session of the conference was called “Tensions in Food Security: promoting local food versus poverty”. Some points of interest:

  • 9.2% of Canadian households in 2004 were described as being food insecure, 2.9% of those being severe cases;
  • food banks, running on a supply versus nutritional need basis, fail to provide dietary adequacy, and their charitable model of program delivery makes it difficult for people to express unmet needs; and
  • the importance of food sovereignty and the need to “decommodify food” (Cathleen Kneen, of Food Secure Canada).

 

Valerie Tarasuk, Cathleen Kneen and Sherri Chisan wait for their turn to speak

Lunch consisted of a great mix of dishes – roasted bison au jus from Stettler’s Carmen Creek Bison, coleslaw, roasted potatoes and glazed parsnips and carrots from Edmonton’s Sunfresh Farms, a hearty bean casserole from Grainworks, barley fruit salad with barley from Progressive Seeds, bread from Bon Ton Bakery, and pastured butter from Bonnyville’s Johnson Family Farm. I felt bad for the chef at the bison carving station, who had to serve all hungry attendees, but he did a great job being patient with the demand. My favourite dish ended up being the glazed parsnips and carrots – simple but delicious.

Lunch

Day 1 – Food: Today, Tomorrow, Together Conference

The Food: Today, Tomorrow, Together Conference kicked off this evening at the Barnett House. The roads were sleek, and the icewalks (I mean, sidewalks) even more so, and though regretting my decision to walk to Barnett from Westmount Centre, I made it there soaked but in one piece.

Two things of note with this conference – they are striving to be a “paperless” conference, so attendees were not given any paper agendas (with organizers opting to project it onto a screen for everyone to see), and were expected to bring their own notepads for notes. Also, the majority of the keynotes and sessions will be filmed, so those who weren’t able to make it to the conference can see what they missed on the website.

Thomas Pawlick, author of nine books, including his most recent The End of Food, was the Conference’s opening keynote speaker. I have to say, one’s reception of his address has as much to do with the perspective of the listener as much as his words.

Thomas Pawlick

Having been introduced to the world of food security through Michael Pollan, I have to say that I probably wasn’t as receptive to Pawlick’s anecdotal-based speech. He talked a lot about small farmers he knew personally facing hardships due to competition with corporate industrial farms, and not being able to comply with provincial health regulations geared at shutting them down. He called it the “collectivization of Canadian agriculture”, and compared the current situation with what happened in the Soviet Union during Stalin’s reign.

He did bring some statistics into his lecture, including a brief overview over the “food tables” he had looked into – lab results analyzing the nutrients in everyday food items over the last 50 years. 100g of a whole tomato now, for example, has 22.7% less protein, 30.7% less vitamin A, 16.9% less Vitamin C and 61% less calcium than compared with the same quantity in 1963 – due largely to industrial farming methods that, among other things, do not breed for nutrients, do not allow time for optimum growth, and use only very basic fertilizer missing several essential nutrients (this really summarizes his point; Pollan elaborates much more in The Omnivore’s Dilemma on this latter subject).

Pawlick ended his talk with a call for action in the form of membership in two specific organizations – the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and the fairly new Landowner’s Association. Non-farmers can join the NFU as an associate member to show support for their farming counterparts, and start city-wide chapters. The Landowner’s Association is meant to be more inclusive, but the scenario he described (which involved almost one hundred shotgun-wielding farmers surrounding police that had threatened to shut down a neighbouring farm) sounded too activist-oriented for my tastes.

As a whole, I was looking for something more concrete than stories. The Canadian context was great, but having Pollan and his statistics-based rhetoric in my head didn’t help matters either.

Next, we were invited downstairs to the cafeteria area for what they called a “Taste of Alberta”. It turned out to be an assembly of Alberta-based producers and food companies, all offering samples of products. The organizers had warned attendees that it wasn’t a full dinner, and to ensure that a meal was had elsewhere, but I am certain I could have filled up on the samples alone.

enSante Winery was there, offering five different samples of their wine. I tried one of their raspberry varieties, and it wasn’t as sweet as I was expecting – perhaps I will stick with their Adam’s Apple for a sweet glass. Le Cafe Entres Amis was offering a chocolate-orange crepe – one slice was definitely rich enough for me. 2 Greek Gals from Calgary offered an entire plate of food – Greek salad, spanakopita and chicken souvlaki. I’m not usually a fan of feta cheese, but I didn’t mind it at all in their salad. D’Lish and Sandy’s Country Kitchen were also offering samples, with the latter offering to pack up her homemade cinnamon buns for attendees to take home! My favourite dish of the night went to Rose Ridge Land & Cattle for the Beef on a Bun – so tender, I should have returned for seconds. My only quibble with the tasting event was that reusable cutlery, instead of plastic cutlery, should have been used to continue with the conference’s environmentally-friendly mission.

We ended the night with one of three simultaneous film screenings. I chose The Real Dirt on Farmer John (based on the title and nothing else). It turned out to be a documentary about John Peterson, the founder of Angelic Organics, an Illinois-based Community Supported Agriculture farm. It tells of his life growing up on the farm, his family’s history tending to the land, and his own struggles with supporting a farm in the current market. Being an eccentric person with an interesting life history definitely added some spice to the film, but what I enjoyed most was seeing how John related to the land, his community, and most of all, his mother.

Based on the first day, I am optimistic for how much more I can learn at the rest of the conference!

Food: Today, Tomorrow, Together Conference

It seems the extremes of Edmonton’s winter weather has caught up to me, so I will make this short and sweet. Tomorrow evening, farmers, food activists, concerned citizens, and everyone in between will be gathering at the Barnett House for the Food: Today, Tomorrow, Together Conference, running January 29-31.

I jumped at the chance to immerse myself in the topic and have an opportunity to be surrounded by those knowledgeable about the field of food security – something I’m only starting to learn about.

The sessions I am most looking forward to are the ones titled “The Capacity of the Alberta Food System” and the “Realities of Farming” – two topics that I would appreciate a local context to draw from. Of course, the Taste of Alberta on Thursday will also be a welcome palate pleaser, I’m sure.

I will do my best to blog each day after the conference, but it will depend entirely on the state of my cold.

The Cooking Chronicles: Banana Chocolate Pancakes

I had no idea the Food Network show Diners, Drive Ins and Dives had an accompanying publication until I stumbled upon it while on Amazon one day. As Mack and I love the show (and have to make sure we’ve already had a meal prior to watching an episode), we ordered up the book right away, and were keen to see which recipes he selected to include in the book.

It arrived last week, and while I didn’t have time to sit down and read it, I was surprised to find that the book was filled with more than just recipes – two-page profiles of choice establishments provided a context for the recipe, and potentially bridge readers who may not be familiar with the show.

Flipping through, I was intrigued by a recipe for Chunky Monkey Pancakes, knowing that there were overripe bananas and a can of orphaned whipped cream begging to be used. I modified it a bit, however, as Mack doesn’t like nuts, we didn’t have chocolate chips on hand, and wrapping an entire banana with a pancake didn’t make sense to me.

Instead, I drizzled Nutella in place of chocolate chips on the dollop of batter (a great trick that I only just learned that works so well versus trying to incorporate additives at the batter stage). It burnt a little, but was manageable. Also, I sliced the bananas and heated the cinnamon-dashed fruit in a skillet of melted butter, and Clinton Street-style, sandwiched the slices in the middle. I finished the plate with a dusting of icing sugar, tower of whipped cream, and more bananas.

Banana Chocolate Pancakes

These banana chocolate pancakes were definitely too indulgent for an everyday breakfast, but were a nice weekend treat.

Food Notes for January 26, 2009

  • There’s a new Original Joe’s set to open in the new 23rd Avenue complex – their expansion is slow and steady, but I think their brand of casual fare is getting recognized.
  • Foodie Suz received a tip on her blog about a second Careit Urban Deli opening up in March in Crestwood.
  • Liane Faulder profiled the Prairie Mill Bread Company over the weekend (I have to agree with Mack about the poor usability of the Journal website – you would think a natural link in the above article would be to the bakery’s website).
  • Sabor Divino garnered its first review in the mainstream media in See Magazine. It’s a thumbs up (guess I shouldn’t give the Journal too much flack; See doesn’t link to the restaurant either).
  • Courtney and Brooke from Take it and Like it were profiled in last week’s Saint City News. Congrats!
  • I perused the Edmonton section of Urban Spoon the other day, and it reminds me a lot of Yelp. Anyone started actively using it? Perhaps the iPhone app makes the site useful, but I have to say I still prefer Chowhound; there’s something about the message board format that appeals to me.
  • This would be so useful, particularly if your office lunch room is equipped not with a toaster oven, but with a toaster: reusable Toastabags that help obtain the right crispy texture for everything from cookies to pizza.
  • Andree over at are you gonna eat that wrote a thoughtful, balanced entry about dog meat that she tried on her recent visit to China. Worth a read.
  • There is a bright lining in belonging to a smaller food community – not having to pay $10-12 for Vietnamese subs (as is the trend in New York right now).
  • Of course, there are some trends that I hope land in Edmonton soon, like chocolate chip cookie dough shooters available at a coffee shop (for just $1!).
  • Annie had a food-filled birthday party on Friday. Thanks to Mike and Virginia for the feast, and happy birthday Annie!

 

Hong Kong-style potato salad (my favourite dish of the night, featuring apples, celery, red onion, tomatoes, shrimp and potato)

 

Mike’s famous chicken wings

 

Beef and vegetable skewers, roasted on the Foreman Grill

 

Annie dishes out her Chestnut Cake from Garden Bakery

Happy Chinese New Year!

I can’t take credit for any of the food on our table on Chinese New Year – my Mum took care of everything, including honouring Mack’s request for spring rolls. I’ll let the pictures do the talking:

Spring Rolls

Deep Fried Egg Roll with minced pork

Shrimp and Vegetable Stir-fry

“Gold Coins” (deep fried pork)

Steamed Sole

Braised Sea Cucumber with Chinese Mushroom

Happy Chinese New Year to those celebrating!

Fork Fest Frenzy: Red Ox Inn

My original plan was to try and snag a Fork Fest reservation at the Red Ox Inn (9420 91 Street NW) for Monday, January 24 (fitting, it seemed, to eat in a restaurant named for this Chinese Zodiac year). But after a particularly maddening day at work on Thursday, I called Mack before entering into a late meeting to see if he could look into what might be available that night. We were lucky enough to obtain the last seating of the day at 8:45pm.

 

Fork Fest!

I had been to Red Ox Inn before, but was hoping that this occasion would bear an entree better suited to my tastes. We entered an absolutely packed restaurant, and were promptly greeted by a server and directed to a table. It turned out we were seated next to the authors of Loosen Your Belt and Eat Around Edmonton, Marriane and Zed – the last in a series of online food writers that have patronized the Red Ox this week (perhaps the restaurant should receive some sort of award for blogger attraction). It’s always nice to meet local culinary counterparts in person – I’m sure it won’t be the last time we run into them!

As I commented in my previous post, the Inn is a tiny, boutique-style restaurant. Space and intimacy are definitely two things they cannot offer though, and between the hardwood floor and tile-like ceiling, the Red Ox ends up having one of the highest sound levels of any restaurant in Edmonton. At the same time, as laughter and conversation echoes through the venue, it’s hard not to loosen up and feel like a part of one large group, dining and enjoying the experience together. Just don’t head to the Red Ox if you’re looking for a quiet evening out.

 

Red Ox Inn interior

We settled in with both the Fork Fest and a la carte menus, though like everyone else in the restaurant, would be ordering from the former only. Mack and I both decided on the puree of wild mushroom with maderia and gruyere-mushroom rye crostini to start, but deviated in choice on the rest of the meal. He chose the fish (seared Arctic char with ratatouille, roast garlic butter sauce and mashed potatoes) as his main, while I opted to stay away from their char and ordered the pork (marinated pork rack chop, Moroccan BBQ sauce, tropical fruit chutney, savoy cabbage and herbed rice) instead.

We aren’t very accustomed to late dinners, so the pacing of the meal didn’t quite match our appetites that evening. Still, we found the service to be attentive and gracious overall, though Mack commented that he could have done without the overemphasized “sir” at the end of seemingly every sentence.

Our first course arrived without a moment to spare, a wide bowl containing a thick grey-brown “paste”, in Mack’s words. My first spoonful of soup was the best, as the flavour somehow seemed to dull over the course of the bowl. The floating crostini was actually the best part, as the puree was made to be eaten with a bread accompaniment, to soak up the savoury goodness. 

 

Puree of Wild Mushroom with Maderia and Gruyere-Mushroom Rye Crostini

Our entrees took a bit longer than we would have liked, though I’m sure being the last table of the night didn’t help. My plate was stacked, my pork chop sitting high atop a bed of rice, vegetables, and garnished with a healthy amount of chutney. The Moroccan BBQ sauce was lovely (even though it tasted slightly like my Mum’s own sweet and sour base), and complimented the juicy, perfectly-cooked pork well. I made sure to soak up the rest of the sauce with my rice!

 

Pork

Mack was also happy with his char, though he said it was a tad over seasoned for his liking. The green beans were well-cooked as well.

 

Arctic Char

Dessert for me that evening was the warm chocolate cake, the same dessert I ordered on my other visit. It was the same as I had remembered – rich and sweet, my only wish was that raspberries were in season to accompany the cake.

 

Warm Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Mack’s blueberry and white chocolate bread pudding turned out to be better than both of us had expected. Not overly sweet, it appealed to Mack and ended his meal nicely.

 

Blueberry and White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Creme Anglaise

I’m happy I had the opportunity to try a three course meal at the Red Ox for a very reasonable $35 per person. As the server indicated to us that they only had one time slot remaining until next Thursday, we are sure many others will be treated to a great meal as well. Fork Fest runs until January 29, but many of the tables at choice restaurants will likely be booked solid (I would recommend taking a look at availability on Open Table, but calling to see if they have any cancellations if you really are intent on one particular restaurant).

Red Ox Inn
9420 91 Street NW
(780) 465-5727
Tuesday-Sunday 5pm-close, closed Mondays

My Wish List for Edmonton’s Food Scene

There are always things to be grateful for, and Edmonton’s burgeoning restaurant scene is definitely one of them. While I can’t say I’m actually a part of its development (commenting about it just isn’t the same as more active participation), it’s been wonderfully rewarding as a lifelong Edmontonian to see independent eateries and other food establishments successfully compete with chain restaurants.

At the same time, I know there are things in our dining scene that I would love to see – perhaps things that are percolating and forthcoming, but haven’t yet bubbled to the surface. In no particular order, here are some things I want to see more of:

  • One-note restaurants: It may be gimmicky, but places that serve one dish really well, such as Soul Soup or The Dawg Father, do attract attention. They are typically introduced to tourists as providing the “best” of something, and at the very least, force people to concentrate on one type of food, which may draw them away from their comfort zone.
  • Single word restaurant names: I was a bit disappointed with the recently opened Kai Asian Grill. I was really hoping the restaurant would grab “Kai” by the balls and just go with a single word to sell themselves to the world, but no, they copped out by adding “Asian Grill” to all of their signage. Yes, I know Edmonton has a number of restaurants that have one word names (Culina, Viphalay and Spago come to mind), but they don’t generate the same kind of excitement or mystery based on the name alone. Examples: Rouge (a contemporary French restaurant), Rush (a contemporary American restaurant) and Cilantro (which offers southwestern fare) in Calgary.
  • Food establishments as the hook for exploration: Beyond Chinatown and Little Italy, there are areas in Edmonton that should be explored on foot. Though food establishments generally become the bait to lure potential visitors to particular areas, they should not be the be-all-end-all of a visit. In April of last year, I wrote about a few walkable day trips that included food stops along the way – it was only a sample; I’m sure there are many others that I failed to include.
  • Innovative concepts: I was really excited when TZiN opened nearly two years ago. I really thought it would usher in a new age in Edmonton’s restaurant scene that would involve small, trendy establishments offering their own spin on dining. It hasn’t happened yet, but I’m still optimistic. Perhaps this means a charcuterie wine bar for Edmonton in the near future, but I’m sure the imagination of the city’s restauranteurs is greater than mine.
  • Year-round Farmer’s Markets: Summers in Edmonton are ripe with farmers’ markets (including my favourite one – the City Centre Market on 104th Street), but it’s a fairly depressing scene in the winter. There are only two approved farmers’ markets in metro Edmonton that operate year-round – Old Strathcona and Westmount – and one unapproved one at the Salisbury Greenhouse in Sherwood Park. Farmers’ markets are great places for people to learn about food and to feel a little more connected to the people who produce it, so it would be great to have more opportunities to do so, even in the winter.
  • Community gathering places: The Carrot, a volunteer-run coffeehouse on 118 Avenue, will be looked upon years from now as an inspirational model. Arts on the Ave, the organization behind The Carrot, has helped attract attention to the beleaguered neighbourhood by acting as a hub for community members to connect with one another, and by promoting local artists and causes. Edmonton could use more such initiatives.

What is on your wish list for Edmonton’s food scene?

The Cooking Chronicles: Coconut Crusted Salmon

Salmon seems to be my default weekend meal – somewhat fancier than a stir-fry I would typically make on a weekday, but still an easy and no-fuss meal.

We decided to walk to get the needed groceries for Michael Smith’s Coconut Crusted Salmon last weekend, which meant a short trek to Safeway. We usually get our fish from Save-On Foods, but were willing to give Safeway a try. Turned out they didn’t have a great selection – their filets in the cooler were quite a bit larger than what we were used to when compared with Save-On, and were only skinned on one side. We knew we wouldn’t be back for our salmon needs, but on that occasion, swallowed our grocer choice and bought a large filet to share.

The recipe was easy to prepare- we ended up just patting three sides of the salmon with coconut instead of using a Ziploc bag as directed. While the salmon was in the oven, I prepared some vegetables and rice to serve alongside the fish.

The fish came out with a nice crust, and was perfectly cooked on the inside – flaky and tender. The nuttiness and crunch of the coconut made the main seem a bit like a dessert course, but Mack and I both thought it was missing an accompanying sauce. I think Trish Magwood’s mango salsa or a pineapple chutney would make a nice side.

 

Coconut Crusted Salmon

Comparing recipes, I liked the Roasted Salmon recipe I made a month ago better, but I’m sure our experimentation with salmon varieties will continue!

The Cooking Chronicles: Coffee Creme Brulee

There are some kitchen gadgets, that while extraneous to day-to-day cooking, are justifiable. A food processor, for example, has so many uses that the expense incurred (and precious cupboard/counter space needed) could be rationalized – sauces, dips, bread crumbs, dough…the list goes on. Others, such as a mini kitchen blowtorch, are less reasonable. Though being able to make my own crème brulee was always an interesting idea, practicality got in the way of the purchase.

Fortunately, I had thoughtful friends who bought one for me for my birthday, and six months after the fact, I finally used it. Using Bob Blumer’s recipe, which seemed less taxing than many I came across (it removed a stovetop folding step), I made six Coffee Crème Brulees. While I had to be careful while pouring the water bath that surrounded the ramekins, the directions to bake it until the mixtures just slightly “jiggled” were spot on.

I took them out to cool, then, excited to finally use the torch, spread the necessary sugar on top of the custard. I took the torch out of the box, and then…couldn’t use it because I hadn’t thought to fill it with butane first. At this point, I wanted to eat one, so used Blumer’s suggestion of putting it under the broiler for a few minutes. The combination of too much sugar and not watching the dessert resulted in an overly-burnt crust. I was hoping the torch would allow for better control.

The next evening, I went to Burlington Tobacconists on Whyte to pick up some butane. For whatever reason I thought the gas would come in a disposable canister, to be inserted into the torch, used, then replaced. Instead, the butane came in an aerosol can. The staff person showed me how to fuel the torch (three second intervals is best, he said), and played around with the flame controls. I was set.

Back at home, I put Mack (and his pyrotechnic tendencies) in charge of the torch. He pulled the switch down and pushed the button (similar to how a butane lighter works), releasing an uncontrollable ten inch flame. It took us a while to finally realize we needed to tip the torch at an angle to make it release a small blue flame that we could utilize. A few minutes of concentrated effort later, we had a bubbling, golden brown crust.

The torch at work

Mack was surprised that the crust was solid all the way through, and like at an expert restaurant, required a quick wrist tap to break through to the custard below. He didn’t like all of the sugar, but I loved all of sweet crunchy bits. The custard was flavoured with instant coffee (and minus the stovetop step), was actually thicker than I wanted, and slightly more overpowering than I am used to. Vanilla bean, plain and simple, is my favourite, so I likely will have to try out an alternative recipe to see if I can achieve a lighter consistency.

Coffee Creme Brulee

It was fun being able to make one of my favourite dining out desserts at home. Thanks Annie and Janice!