Author: Sharon Yeo

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

Food Notes

  • It’s your last chance this year to soak up the outdoor market atmosphere at the City Centre Market this Saturday and bid adieu to the wonderful producers that grace 104th Street, at least until May 2009.
  • Hundred Bar & Kitchen, previewed in Bistro last week, is hoping to open this week. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Chris Lachance.
  • Devlin’s has delayed the launch of its fall menu (which was initially slated for September 30). The cocktail lounge hopes to begin offering its seasonal dishes in the next few weeks.
  • The Hat Resto-Pub (the latest incarnation of The Silk Hat), is set to open on October 24.
  • Xtreme Asian Fusion (I still don’t know if this, or Phobulous, wins the award for worst Asian restaurant name in the city) received a favourable review in the Journal this week. Count me surprised, but then again, I was so off-put by the name that I would need prodding to walk through the eatery’s doors.
  • I was wondering about the south side location of Cafe Select, as it seemed to be closed during prime dining periods whenever I passed by. I noticed the other day that the interior has since been gutted, and the location removed from the website. I’m guessing this second branch was losing money for the company?
  • An interesting Q & A with Eugenio Rodrigues, co-owner of the Doggie Style Deli, the only restaurant in the city that literally caters to the dogs.
  • It’s one of my favourite commercial events of the year – when Starbucks releases their red cups and holiday drinks. Expect cups in stores on November 4th, with drinks to follow on November 28th. Details here.
  • The New York Times read my mind: I was just thinking about alternative uses for my rice cooker, and then this great starter article appeared.
  • Mack sent me a link to a convenience product that seems wholly unnecessary: peanut butter slices.
  • Given my terrible track record with finishing novels, it’s a miracle I ever completed reading Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma at all. It was a testament to the book itself – Pollan’s ease of translating some fairly complex processes into layman’s terms and his delicious curiosity into the subject made it an enjoyable read. The chapter about Polyface Farm was my definite favourite, and made me appreciate ecosystems in a way I never thought possible.
  • I tried the new Signature Hot Chocolate at Starbucks, pricey at $3.69 for a tall. It is quite a rich drink, good for those cold winter nights in front of a fire, but definitely not something I’d have every day.

Starbucks’ Signature Hot Chocolate

  • While it probably isn’t the best time to be lurking in dollar store aisles to hunt for cheap food deals (with the breadth of food scares lately), I can’t seem to resist a good bargain. Dollarama had boxes of “Pad Thai” for sale, which I bought for my emergency food cabinet at work. I had it for lunch the other day, and have to say it was quite disappointing, and not at all like the photo. Thankfully, it was only a dollar. What’s the best deal you’ve swiped for $1?

 

Pad Thai

 

Pad Thai prepared

A Second Chance Granted: Garage Burger Bar & Grill

Last spring, I garnered my first serious comment smack-down on a post about my mostly negative initial experience at Garage Burger Bar & Grill (10242 106 Street). I have since learned that it is a much-loved installation in the downtown dining core, even though some of its most stalwart fans have also admitted that Garage has fallen prey to inconsistent standards in the last year.

On Thursday, prior to the Biden-Palin smackdown, Mack and I were finally ready to give Garage a second chance, prodded somewhat by a coupon I had on hand. Still early in the evening, the restaurant was completely empty when we walked up, and remained so throughout our brief stay. We were quickly seated at a self-selected table on the patio, eager to soak up the last rays of autumn, and after settling in with our drinks of choice, paged through the well-worn menus.

I ordered the Bacon Mozza ($6.49), while Mack opted for the Chili Burger ($6.49). We topped off our meal with a basket of french fries ($3.95), as they were out of onion rings.

The advantage of being the only customers in a restaurant became evident when our food arrived just minutes after placing our order. Our burger plates looked virtually identical to what I could remember from our past visit, but thankfully, the fries appeared to be fresh this time around. Our burgers themselves were fine – they hit the spot, but in general were nothing special.

Bacon Mozza Burger

Chili Burger

“Why are you always taking my picture?”

While more inexpensive than a comparable burger from a place like Red Robin’s, I’m still left wondering how Garage has accumulated the reputation it has; perhaps we have to patronize them later in the evening to get a sense of the large community that supports their favourite burger joint and keeps the restaurant on its toes.

Garage Burger Bar & Grill
10242 106 Street
(780) 423-5014
Monday 11am-6pm, Tuesday & Thursday 11am-8pm, Wednesday & Friday 11am-9pm, Saturday 12-8pm, closed Sundays

October is for Seasonal Activities

  • Curious about the upcoming Citadel season? Check out the Citadel’s Open House on October 4, complete with actor meet-and-greets, videos about this year’s productions, and family-friendly activities.
  • Join the Somali Canadian Cultural Society on October 4 for a family-friendly celebration of Eid at the African Centre (13160 – 127 Street) from 2-6pm.
  • The latest Edmonton Film Society series continues this month with its theme of intrigue and suspense. Check out their weekly line-up here.
  • Every Wednesday until the end of November, enjoy a free noon hour musical concert at McDougall United Church (10025 101 Street).
  • The Edmonton Corn Maze is open every day until the middle of the month, fun for all ages. For those interested in something less tame, look for the Farm of Fear event offered at the end of October.
  • The Edmonton International Lit Festival runs October 16-19.
  • Need an excuse to check out some of the city’s art collections? The Fall Gallery Walk may be just the event you need to get you there, on October 18 & 19.
  • The annual ABC Head Start fundraiser in the form of the Scarecrow Festival runs October 17-19.
  • I missed the Soapathon, but won’t be too sad, as Die-Nasty begins its 20th season on October 20.
  • Kick-off Halloween early with the Deadmonton Horror Film Festival, October 24-26.
  • The Art Gallery of Alberta offers a free lecture once a month in the Atrium in Enterprise Square. This month’s session is scheduled for October 30.
  • There’s tons of great theatre around the city, but if you’re looking for something frightening, look no further than Northern Light Theatre’s annual Urban Tales, October 31 – November 1 (it’s also being webcast live if you can’t make it down to the Third Space).

The Edmonton International Film Festival: “Rachel Getting Married”

The Edmonton International Film Festival, arguably the most accessible festival in Edmonton’s catalogue (“we’re going to…a movie”), began last week, screening independent and light-Hollywood films for nine days. I usually take in at least one fairly mainstream movie per festival, and this year was no different.

We chose Rachel Getting Married, an Anne Hathaway-feature that garnered much praise after it screened earlier this fall at the Toronto International Film Festival. After reading the synopsis, I figured the wedding would be simply a backdrop to the real drama, but in actuality, the ceremony and everything that surrounded it (the rehearsal dinner, the reception) was showcased in full glory. This was both a strength and weakness of the film: while the scenes appeared so emotionally genuine (to the point where I wanted to be invited to be a part of the family), I think Mack was right in saying certain scenes could have used more liberal editing (was listening to a dozen rehearsal dinner speeches necessary? Or watching a lengthy dance floor montage?).

The core of the story, however, focused on Hathaway’s character Kym, a young woman returning home from rehab on the occasion of her sister’s marriage. Over the course of the movie, it is revealed that when Kym was sixteen, while high on drugs, ended up causing an accident that killed her younger brother. Each member of the family coped with this tragedy in a different way – Kym with her addiction, Rachel in studying psychology (an area that allows her to learn about human behavior) and the mother with separation and denial. How each member of the family related to each other was fascinating to watch, and in light of all of the wedding fun, I wished for more moments like the quiet one between Rachel and Kym preparing up for the ceremony.

The shaky camera (and seemingly unnecessary close-ups) had thankfully dissipated for the most part by the end of the movie, but I know Mack was happy when the film was over for this reason. While it’s not a must-see, Rachel Getting Married is an interesting window into a fictional family doing its best to move forward from a past tragedy.

The Film Festival runs until Saturday.

Fall Photowalk

Greeted by a lovely autumn afternoon (there’s really nothing better than pilfering another warm day from the impending arms of winter), Mack and I decided to make the most of it outside, and took a walk. Though my intention was to lead us to Louise McKinney Park in the core’s east end, I didn’t think our meandering would last four hours! It really was a great opportunity to explore parts of the city and the valley I had never been to before, all documented on Mack’s camera.

Mack’s photo set is here, but the following are a few of my favourite shots:

Paul Kane Park (I love unexpected greenspaces downtown)

Path to Ezio Faraone Park

At the (Legislature’s) water’s edge

 

A nice little park

I heart gazebos (they always remind me of Stars Hollow)

Snack break at Starbucks

The view from the Shaw Conference Centre balcony

Us

Louise McKinney Park (I’ve never been here before)

Bridge

View from the end of the bridge

By the river

As these coming days may be the last few this year warm enough for a walk without bundling up, I encourage you to explore your neighbourhood – you never know what new favourites you’ll discover.

The Cooking Chronicles: Autumn Housewarming

While I love hosting parties, they seem to take a lot out of me. Mack (and Kim’s) housewarming party is a good example.

They moved into their new apartment in May. I offered to help Mack with the housewarming preparations (mainly around menu planning), and started thinking about summer-appropriate foods to serve. June soon gave way to July, then August, and finally September, when Mack at last chose a date for the belated celebration.

To befit the cooler weather and seasonal produce, I felt a menu overhaul was in order. As well, I wanted to incorporate dishes that Mack himself would serve, namely, share plates and comfort food. And for my twist (something wholly unnecessary, but really a pleasure for me to work out) – the inclusion of at least one ingredient obtained from a local producer or manufacturer in each dish.

With those parameters in place, the following menu was born:

Housewarming menu (“lamb” should read “turkey” – I had lamb on the brain for some reason)

Every dish could be made or assembled in advance to be heated up just prior to guests arriving. The only tricky item was the turkey sliders, which would be formed that afternoon, but pan-fried while guests were snacking on other things – an entertaining faux-pas, I’m sure, but we were pretty attached to serving the mini burgers.

We spent most of Friday evening (after the debate, of course) in the kitchen, baking up cupcakes, cookies, and pita chips.

The idea for Chocolate Chai Spice Cupcakes were inspired by a similar flavour offered at Whimsical Cupcakes to celebrate the season. I found a recipe online that appealed to me even with the added step of grinding the spice mixture myself. It was a pretty fragrant mix that I wasn’t sure would work with the chocolate, but it turned out to be an interesting combination, great paired with a cup of coffee. The tops of the ‘cakes ended up being much too dry and crumbly, but that could have been a result of leaving them in the oven a few minutes too long. This was also the only item on my menu that lacked a local component, though I was so tempted to head to Kerstin’s to pick up some dark chocolate.

Chocolate Chai Spice Cupcakes

The unusual Coffee Shortbread recipe came to me by way of Flickr, which I followed to a blog. A modified Martha Stewart recipe, we used freshly-ground Transcend-roasted coffee in our cookies. The only instruction we neglected was “properly” chilling the shortbread before baking. I found the shortbread a little on the bland side, unfortunately, though Mack disagreed with me and gobbled up the leftovers once the guests departed.

Coffee Shortbread

We were up early on Saturday morning to head to the City Centre Market and ensure we had the pick of produce and meat. It was a lovely way to start a fall day, as though it was cool enough to remind us that cooler weather was ahead, the sun was bright and full of optimism for the weekend.

Back at the apartment, while Mack cleaned and tidied up, I continued with the food prep. Giada de Laurentiis’ Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables was the easiest to start with. I wasn’t sure the bowl we had on hand was big enough to combine everything, but it turned out all right. Once this dish was assembled, I put it in the fridge, and would start heating it only after the nachos were out of the oven. I think this would be a great recipe to pull out for an autumn potluck – great texture, color, and a cinch to make. Leftovers also heat well in the microwave for a nice lunch the next day.

Colorful vegetables (Kuhmann’s squash made up the local ingredient)

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

By the time I was done with the pasta, the ground bison meat we had picked up from Medicine Man Bison that morning had defrosted. The chili recipe I chose was something between the Medicine Man’s and another I had seen in Food for Thought magazine, primarily because I could not find the “Louisiana dip mix” called for in the former recipe. I had never made chili before, but after this experience, I will definitely make it again – the result was a delicious payoff for something so easy. The ground bison was notable – virtually no fat appeared when I browned it in the skillet, and at $12.50 for 2lbs, it was a decent price to pay for good quality meat. After I incorporated all the ingredients, we transferred the chili into my Mum’s borrowed slow cooker and let it simmer until the party started. It was a great dish to have on hand, as for those dropping by later in the evening, we could guarantee them something hot to eat. 

Hearty Bison Chili

Next were Rachel Ray’s Apple-Cheddar Turkey Burgers, something Mack and I had experimented with two weeks before. This time however, mini versions were on tap, built with Italian Bakery baby buns we picked up at the Italian Centre, and Greenvalley lettuce we bought at the Market. Though the turkey itself turned out to be resilient to over-cooking, done again, I’m not sure I would make them again for a large, informal group gathering. Trying to balance conversation/hosting duties while cooking the slider patties was too difficult a task.

Getting the buns ready (yes, I realized the burgers were missing apple slices…after Mack pointed it out)

Apple-Cheddar Turkey Sliders

Last but not least was assembling Mack’s Slammin’ Cheese Nachos – an item Mack would probably make and serve if he were to host the party on his own. We layered Don Antonio’s tortilla chips with mozzarella and cheddar cheese with diced olives, jalapenos, and roma tomatoes from Gull Valley Greenhouses. Kim suggested that we use glass pie dishes for the nachos which was a great idea – it meant we could bake and serve the nachos in the same container.

Mack’s Slammin’ Cheese Nachos

Once everything was in the fridge and ready to go, we were able to start setting up the table and the apartment itself.

Buffet-style

Drink bucket (the only true “relic” from my summer party plans, and one I wasn’t willing to give up)

Though there seemed to be some issues with the door buzzer (and people not being able to find the apartment just behind the fire doors), everyone made it all right. We had suggested that guests eat something prior to arriving, as I didn’t think we would be able to make enough to feed fifteen hungry mouths, but perhaps it was the wrong strategy to take, as many of our friends arrived with full stomachs.

Between nibbling, chatting, fun with fortune cookies and Transformers, it was a good night overall. And with the house broken in, it’s only a matter of time before the apartment will play host to another gathering of friends.

In the living room

Thanks to everyone for coming (and to my Mum for helping us out)! Mack’s photo set is here.

EDIT: I neglected to thank Jane in my post for bringing the hummus to go with the pita chips. Thanks again, Jane!

Food Notes

  • I noticed the other day that Essence Organic Tea Bar (10011 102 Ave) has shut down for good; it lasted about a year. I think their somewhat hidden location and no evening hours didn’t help matters.
  • Mack sent me a link about the Art Gallery of Alberta‘s Request for “Expressions of Interest from qualified restauranteurs to create, lease and operate a casual fine dining restaurant/café and provide catering services for the facility.” I hope the restaurant is at least partly situated in the space that juts out and overlooks Churchill Square. And depending on the restaurant that ends up in the gallery, the view may only be one aspect to be excited about.
  • With options like Thai Express and Oodle Noodle that are so much better, I am still left scratching my head at why Edmonton has so lovingly embraced Wok Box. Apparently, we are going to inflict sub-par food on visitors to our fair city too – Mack sent me a link about an upcoming Wok Box opening at the airport in December.
  • I don’t often post about bars or clubs on my blog, but Play Nightclub (10233 103 St), the new queer club to hit the scene, will be offering up their space to non-profit and community groups when not in use. That definitely warrants a mention. The group partly behind Play (who also runs Oil City Roadhouse, The Globe, and Fluid among others), is also behind the upcoming restoration of The Silk Hat.
  • Mark your calendars: Hundred Bar & Kitchen (10136 100 Street, 780-425-0100), the new Century Hospitality venture, will open its doors on October 2.
  • Another one from Mack – local restaurants will be donating their leftover fare to the Edmonton Food Bank to help feed the hungry.
  • Bistro began a new monthly section called “Trade Secrets” last week, where culinary experts will answer pressing reader questions on anything from proper ingredient preparation to dish ideas.
  • Funny how places that are community favourites can so easily fall under the radar. Happy Garden is an example, reviewed in the Journal this weekend.
  • Mack and I wandered around the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market on Saturday. It’s been a while since I’d been there (I prefer open-air markets when possible), and I was surprised at how much larger it was than I remembered. We picked up some produce from Peas on Earth for my Mum and some Catfish Coffee Roasters for us. After the City Centre Market shuts down for the season, I may have to sneak back – for the produce and the atmosphere.

 

Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market

 

Inside

 

Catfish Coffee (thanks, Adam, for the pointer)

 

Fall harvest from Riverbend Gardens

Edmonton AIDS Walk for Life 2008

I’ve written in the past on this blog about seminars and workshops I’ve attended to learn more about the topic of HIV/AIDS, but they’ve been heavily skewed towards the international side of things. For whatever reason, it’s become easy to ignore the same issues at home and concentrate only on the problems abroad.

Thus, when I saw advertisements spotlighting the upcoming AIDS Walk for Life, I decided to sign up. I participated in the walk once before while in university, but hadn’t continued with the annual fall event.

Walk for Life

Since that time, the walk has changed – it now started from City Hall (instead of the Butterdome) and wound its way through downtown Edmonton (instead of the River Valley). The fundraising part of it also got easier, with an online collection function available to those registering online. I really should have utilized it – Mack garnered $100 after just a day of soliciting donations.

We made out way to City Hall on Sunday afternoon, just in time to join in on the festivities. Pre-walk entertainment included the high-energy drag queen Yoko Ono and the female singing trio Belle Rouge.

Yoko Ono does Footloose

Watching Belle Rouge

There were various displays around the City Room, and a craft area for children. The entire walk and atmosphere was very family-friendly.

Art work

We were eventually ushered outside for an optional warm-up led by peppy staff from the World Health Club, and we were off.

Dance, everybody!

Before the walk

It was very clearly an autumn day, with overcast skies and a light breeze, but we couldn’t have asked for better weather – it was just cool enough for a comfortable 5km stroll.

And we’re off!

Poor puppy!

Winding across the closed street

The group made an obligatory refueling/photo pit stop at the Legislature before heading back, when it did start to get a little chillier. Thankfully, however, the rain held off.

At the Legislature

We were promised food upon our return to City Hall, and the organizers delivered. With the walk over, we were free to gorge ourselves on complimentary soft drinks, Starbucks coffee and iced tea, mini doughnuts, fresh popped sweet and salty kettle corn, and Funky Pickle pizza. We happily obliged.

Mack happy with mini dougnnuts and balloon

With popcorn and pizza

The Walk for Life was not only fun, but was for a great cause. I will definitely be looking to participate again next year.

Mack’s photo set is here.

The Cooking Chronicles: Chicken Pesto Pot Pies

I had made pesto with some leftover fresh basil I bought at the farmer’s market a few weeks ago, intent on using it for a recipe for Chicken Pesto Pot Pies I saw in the fall issue of Our Compliments magazine. I finally had the chance this weekend.

We cheated with the potatoes, and used the store-bought powdered variety as directed in the recipe, but as we were using made-from-scratch pesto and cooking the chicken ourselves, I figured it was a fair trade off. We bought individual aluminum pie plates, and once we tossed the filling together, we divided the coated vegetables and chicken between the containers and topped them with scoops of mashed potatoes. We baked them for just under half an hour, and they were done, sizzling with some of the excess olive oil in the pesto and smelling wonderful.

Though the surface of the pies didn’t get as brown as they did in the magazine photo, the top of the potato round was somewhat crusty. The pies were essentially a shepherd’s pie made with pesto instead of gravy, but while I can’t say that the pesto flavour was distinct, these pies tasted lighter because of the gravy substitution – and had the benefit of a vibrant green color instead of a drab brown tinge.

We had a few leftover pies for supper the next night too, and as indicated in the recipe, these are great to make in advance and freeze for emergencies. I will be making them again.

Chicken Pesto Pot Pie

Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City

I had been looking forward to the Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) exhibit, titled Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City, for some time. From the website:

“Guided by MSF aid workers, visitors are asked to imagine that they are among the millions of people fleeing violence and persecution in, for example, Somalia, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, or Sudan.

“The exhibit is made up of materials used by MSF in its emergency medical work around the world, including emergency refugee housing, a food distribution tent, water pump, health clinic, vaccination tent, therapeutic feeding center, and a cholera treatment center.”

I had been to World Vision’s One Life exhibit at West Edmonton Mall last year, and expected it to be somewhat similar, but this exhibit turned out to be better because of its group and interactive nature.

Meeting point at McIntyre Park in Old Strathcona

Our guides Ben and Natalie, like all other exhibit guides were actual MSF workers, so could speak about most of the issues from personal experiences. Ben is a long-time field manager with MSF, with experience in the Ivory Coast, Sudan, and Sri Lanka, among others, while Natalie, a midwife, just returned from a mission in Chad.

Ben and Natalie, both Canadians

The tour started with a primer on the basic difference between a “refugee” and an “internally displaced person” – the latter still residing within the borders of their country. We then progressed through a series of “stations”, starting with examples of refugee camp shelters.

Ben in front of a makeshift “urban” shelter

Plastic sheeting – portable and rainproof

Next, it was onto the food rations allotted to each person, which only included rice, oil, sugar and beans – no meat, vegetables, or fruit. When even these basics aren’t available for distribution, standard “biscuits” infused with some minerals and nutrients are provided instead.

Food tent

Not surprising, the latrines consisted of plastic-walled sheeting with a plastic mould covering a hole dug into the ground. Once the hole filled up, the latrines were moved, with careful consideration of where the water supply was located.

Sample latrine

Next, we were shown a basic sanitation system. It was heavily emphasized that women and children were largely responsible for waiting in the long lines for both water and food. With a 20L jug being difficult for even a grown adult to carry, it was mind-boggling to imagine a young child delegated such a task.

Water sanitation

We were then shown the different medical services provided by MSF – their primary focus. From counselling, physical treatment, vaccinations, and cholera treatment, our guides pressed upon us the fact that only 10% of their staff are international (90% are hired from within the country) and the number of conditions that go untreated because of the necessary triage and lack of resources.

Children’s drawings depicting their experiences

An example of an MSF clinic

A revolutionary blood spot-test for malaria

Single-use vaccination needles

Cholera treatment tent

One tent focused on the issue of malnutrition in children. We were shown packages of nutrient-packed food called “Plumpy Nut” that has proven to be quite effective, but Ben noted that there isn’t enough produced to meet the need.

Ben talks about various means of measuring normal growth in children

Plumpy Nut

In all, the exhibit took about an hour. I was looking for at least a passing glance on the issue of HIV/AIDS, but I’m assuming the all-ages target of the exhibit quashed anything that may not be fit to present to elementary-aged children.

Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City was well worth the time; you have one more day to check it out in Edmonton. My photo set is here.