Author: Sharon Yeo

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

“Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures”

I finally finished Vincent Lam’s Giller Prize winning Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures on the weekend. I actually wasn’t aware until I read the press release that the book was meant to be a collection of short stories, instead of say, a stand-alone novel. This does, to some extent, excuse the fragmented and jarringly disjointed way in which the narrative is told. I realize too though that yes, Lam was attempting to capture and simulate the fleetingness of life and physicians’ roles in their patients lives (e.g. Chen’s night shift in the ER), but reading it, I kept waiting in vain for glue to appear between chapters, and for a greater coherence to the overall story.

One of the strengths of Bloodletting is the multitude of voices, as patients, nurses, and doctors all air their perspective. On the other hand, this led to the running weakness of the book – with the exception of Chen and Fitzgerald, none of the other characters are developed to any extent. This forced the reader to make judgments and assumptions based purely on speech, and I ached to understand the motivations behind their actions. In particular, I was left hanging with Dr. Ming, who remained hard and detached even in marriage.

I found the beginning and end of the book the most enjoyable, and really, the valley of disconnectedness in between is really a shame. That said, “Contact Tracing,” the penultimate chapter, is by far the text’s most powerful segment. It would work really well in a 10-1 English class, as it is ground in the SARS reality that most students would remember, and employs some really effective stylistic elements.

It’s difficult not to admire Lam – a family man and full time emergency doctor – I can’t imagine how he found the time to pen this book. It does shed a light on the medical profession that I haven’t encountered before, and is worth a read for that alone, but I was still hoping for something more.

New Works Festival 2007

After dinner, Dickson and I headed to the Second Playing Space in the Timms Centre for the New Works Festival, an event that features various student-created productions.

The first show we watched, Flap, tells the story of a young couple who unite over their quest to save a dying bird. Dickson sarcastically commented afterwards that he was “fascinated,” and I’d have to agree with that description for the most part. It was a linguistically-weak play, almost too colloquial, and phrases meant to be “cute” came off as tired (e.g. the “Good Grief”/Charlie Brown connection). Moreover, the pacing was uneven, and without proper transitions between the scenes (via dialogue or physical space), the blocking appeared rough and counterproductive. Most egregious, however, was the overly transparent theme. The ‘caged animal’ repetition was tiresome, and seemed in many respects like a writer’s exercise in moving from a literal wing flap to a verbal tussle to the female lead’s relationship-ending flight for freedom. In all, it was a decidedly amateur production.

The second show of the night was light years ahead by comparison. Employing a Greek chorus, cheeky musical interludes, and two charismatic leads, Skewed Logic presents the story of Stu, womanizer extraordinaire. Like The Game meets Euripides, this was a wonderful experiment in theatre. Beginning with Stu’s delineation of the “5 types of girls” (if you were wondering, they are: cute, hot, cool, attractive, and beautiful, with a “secret sixth untouchable” category), the show started off light, fun, and relatable to the mainly 20-something audience. From there, the plot escalated in intensity, and by the end, resulted in Stu’s tragic death at the hands of his best friend. Unexpected but thought provoking, it was an undoubtedly whirlwind play. I was thoroughly impressed by the director’s use of space, as she fully exploited the thrust stage and all potential entrance and exit points to her advantage. That said, there was one part of the play that Dickson enjoyed, but made me rather uncomfortable – Stu and his psycho ex-girlfriend’s simulated sex scene, complete with both actors in their underwear. While I can understand the need for the audience to appreciate the level of betrayal Stu was capable of, I still believe it was gratuitous and unnecessary. But despite that blemish, I was still floored by the complexity and creativity of Skewed Logic. The playwright, Vincent Forcier, has a bright future ahead of him!

With Festival passes going for just $5, it’s an inexpensive opportunity to support young artists and be entertained – I encourage you to check it out!

Quaint but Mild: 9th Street Bistro

Dickson and I went to 9th Street Bistro (9910-109 Street) for dinner last night. About two blocks from my place of work, it was a rather chilly walk with the wind, but we made it. I’ve eaten at 9th Street on occasion with my workmates, but never for supper.

Reminiscent of Rice Howard Way’s Bistro Praha, the decor was old world European – the faded wallpaper, aged wooden tables, and direct but dim pendant lighting created an intimate atmosphere. The menu boasted many mature and healthy selections, but Dickson and I both opted for the day’s Quiche Lorraine with a side of fries, and a plate of Fried Zucchini to share.

There were only two other tables, so the food was naturally prompt. The Zucchini was quite good – tender and crisp, the fried morsels made a surprisingly nice appetizer. As for the Quiche – instead of combining the egg with the filling, the cooks layered the swiss and ham on the bottom crust, poured the egg on top, and baked it as is. The result was a dense, heavy layer of egg comparable to a custard. I didn’t mind it so much (though I now know how much difference parmesan or asiago cheese can make in flavoring baked egg) but Dickson was disappointed, much preferring Urban Diner’s version.

So though the restaurant itself is charming in an inoffensive kind of way, I think we may have to shop around some more to find a Quiche we can agree on.

Fried Zucchini

Quiche Lorraine with Fries

Music: Norah Jones’s “Not Too Late”

I’ve been listening to Norah Jones’s third CD, Not Too Late, for just over a week, and I’m happy to say that I am appreciating it more over time.

I loved her debut album, Come Away With Me, with its sultry and sumptuous ballads, and really disliked her second, country-tinged release, Feels Like Home, so I was a bit apprehensive with this new CD. Though not untouched by country (“Sinkin’ Soon” and “My Dear Country”), there are enough jazz and blues numbers to balance out the remainder of the disc.

My favorites so far include the first single, “Thinking About You,” (which has one of the oddest videos I’ve seen to date), the mellow “Rosie’s Lullaby,” and the strikingly nostalgic “Until the End” (I may be musically off, but the song transports me back to the 50s, all twilight and lavender, innocence at a high school dance, and could be perfect for an episode-ending House montage). And as you may have guessed, I lean heavily towards tunes that remind me most of Come Away With Me.

Not Too Late is worth a listen, particularly if you’re a Jones fan, or want to give a new incarnation of the blues and jazz a try.

The Cooking Chronicles: Super Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

This shouldn’t really qualify as a “Cooking Chronicles” entry, as what I made tonight was essentially baked peanut butter, but I wanted to include a picture, so here it goes:

Thwarted by my inability to find polenta flour, I was forced to switch from my desired Lemon Almond Polenta cake to my plan B craving, which this weekend has been Peanut Butter Cookies. I typically try to avoid recipes printed on the back of packages, but for ease and all-out laziness, I resorted to Kraft’s suggestion, albeit substituting the chunky version instead.

I think the preparation time worked itself out to 5 minutes, so topped off with 15 minutes in the oven, this was by far the fastest cookie recipe I’ve ever tried. The end product was all right – I should have omitted some of the sugar, but really, for 20 minutes, I can’t complain.

SEPBC

Quotable Women

Annie bought me a lovely page-a-day calendar for Christmas, filled with empowering, witty and feminist quotes from women through the ages. A few of my favorite gems so far this year:

  • “You see a lot of smart guys with dumb women, but you hardly ever see a smart woman with a dumb guy.” – Erica Jong
  • “I think – therefore I’m single.” – Lizz Winstead
  • “‘Stay’ is a charming word in a girlfriend’s vocabulary.” – Louisa May Alcott
  • “A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.” – Ingrid Bergman
And one more – gleaned from the “Telescope” section of the Edmonton Journal‘s “Sunday Reader” that’s too good to forget:

  • “I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Blogs are the New Black

Via Eat Drink One Woman, I read a recent New York Times article about the proliferation of food bloggers. In New York, it seems, the fashion isn’t merely to report about the fare and the service (as critically as possible), but to also divulge details about chef appearances, menu changes, and restaurant gossip. The fight against this phenomenon:

“Some restaurateurs are only grudgingly adapting. In a telephone interview, Mr. Hennings, the owner of E. U., said he had no idea who Ms. Freeman was the night she dropped by, but he pegged her as a blogger because she was snapping photos. He said it was unfair to judge a restaurant based on the first half-hour of service by a new chef. ‘These blogs can be ridiculously hurtful,’ he said.

“But others, like David Chang, owner of Momofuku Noodle Bar and Momofuku Ssam Bar, have embraced the blog world.’It’s instant marketing,’ Mr. Chang said. ‘They get the notice out there. It’s a more egalitarian thing.'”

While I myself have no ambitions to increase my blog’s traffic or to gain elite status as a food blogger extraordinaire, I would like to think my enthusiasm for food has rubbed off on those around me. After all, it’s a privilege to be able to share good meals with good friends, and variety is the spice of life, so I’ll continue to document my culinary adventures so long as this is enjoyable.

Culinary Q & A with Janice

Occupation: Pharmacy Resident/Pharmacist

What did you eat today?

Dim sum at Golden Rice Bowl

What do you never eat?

Lamb

What is your personal specialty?

Banana bread (I know, it wouldn’t make a meal, but it’s sort of my specialty in terms of baking!)

What is your favorite kitchen item?

Spatula (also a must have utensil for pharmacists, haha)

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

Mostly Japanese meal: I’d start with some beef tataki or baked oysters, then fill up on sashimi (mostly salmon) and spicy tuna maki. For dessert, I’d want a warm chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream 🙂

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Moxie’s (I didn’t count Chinese restaurants cuz I mostly go to those with family for the sake of convenience/not wanting to cook rather than actually choosing a place to go to for a meal)

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

Well, I can’t say I’ve tried every place in Edmonton, but I think Manor Cafe is a pretty nice place to eat.

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

I think I’d fly to Hong Kong and eat my heart out! I’d eat everything that I can’t eat here (especially the foods that I miss…too many of them to list) and then some 😛

Curious Packaging

I spent some time with Bettina this afternoon to celebrate her birthday (happy birthday!) and one of our stops included the perennial favorite, McDonald’s.

I couldn’t resist taking a picture of the box containing cherry pie – I was curious as to why a couple was featured prominently on the purple packaging. Is there some unknown association between couples and pie? Or maybe, I shouldn’t be asking that question.

Cherry pie

Not Quite Like Grandma’s: Sicilian Pasta Kitchen

After the movie, both Janice and I were craving pasta (Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore were shown cooking and eating pasta dishes throughout the movie). We tried to come up with a non-South Edmonton Common eatery that offered Italian cuisine, and she suggested Sicilian Pasta Kitchen (805 Saddleback Road) on the south side, something I didn’t know existed.

I had been to the downtown location before, and was fairly happy with their food and service. Janice said this neighborhood version was more casual and family-oriented than its central sister. She was right – the decor substituted dark wood for hand-painted murals, tiled countertops, and carpet. What was disconcerting, and not exactly suitable for Grandma’s kitchen was the hostess – she couldn’t have been older than 15, and was wearing a skirt and top more appropriate for a twenty-something bar patron than a greeter in a supposedly homey restaurant.

Thankfully, our waitress was properly attired. I ordered the Sacchetti Polo (satchels of chicken served with spicy ham and a garlic cream sauce), while Janice opted for the half and half pasta plate special (a novel idea, and great for sampling).

The portion size was fairly generous, but even now, I couldn’t tell you what was actually contained in the satchels. Not quite chicken, and with hints of green, it tasted more like mashed potatoes mixed with spinach. Though I appreciated the crunch provided by sliced green beans, I found both the ham and the sauce to be rather bland. The dish reminded me of something the inexpensive Fiore would serve, and I expected more from Sicilian’s pasta menu.

With decent service, and a quiet venue for conversation, I wouldn’t be averse to returning again, but I’d likely order their thin crust pizzas the next time around.

Sacchetti Polo