25 Gifts of Taste: A #yegfood Gift Guide

We’re just over two weeks away from Christmas, if you can believe it! I’m typically the type that squirrels away gifts all year, so I’m not usually in a panic at this point, but I know there are many who leave things to the last minute. But – if anyone on your list loves food, you’re in luck, as there are so many locally-sourced options available.

A basket of goodies we put together a few years ago

Here are some ideas to consider:

Stock Up the Pantry

A little can go a very long way, and for me, that often means taking the time to put together a gift basket filled with my favourite items from local producers. Some of those include:

Gold Forest Grains has gift-ready bags of some of their most popular products, including their Pancake Mix and Sturgeon River Cereal. Find them at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market every Saturday.
Irvings Farm Fresh is no longer a well-kept secret in Edmonton – more than a dozen restaurants including Tzin and Canteen serve their products, and their bacon is legendary. Pick up an Irvings gift certificate to treat a loved one to some quality meat (available at the Salisbury Greenhouse and Old Strathcona Farmers’ Markets).
Allan Suddaby started his labour of love, McKernan Food Works, earlier this year, but they’ve already launched two products: apple cider and mead vinegars. You can find them at Little Brick, which will provide you with a great excuse to visit the café and general store for yourself.
Also at Little Brick, pick up something sweet from the Red Balloon Pie Company. They have seasonal caramels in festive flavours like egg nog and gingerbread!

Stock up the Bar

For the amateur bartender, there are a few local options to help progress the festivities:

Eau Claire Distillery, Alberta’s first craft distillery, offers vodka and gin for the discerning palate. For the holidays, they have also produced a special Christmas Gin, featuring the botanicals of frankincense and myrrh.
It seems bitters are sold at every kitchen and food specialty shop, but only one is made locally: State Motto. Their handcrafted products include Earl Grey, lilac and orange bitters.
There are a number of local fruit wines available from the Edmonton region, including Shady Lane Estate, and Barr Estate Winery.

For Those Who Love to Cook

There is no shortage of cooking classes and cookbooks for those seeking some tips or inspiration in the kitchen:

Gail Hall of Seasoned Solutions began the original series of farm-to-table cooking classes, but she offers so much more, including ideas for entertaining and menus based around holidays. Pick up a gift certificate for one of her hands-on classes or express cooking tutorials.
Kathryn Joel’s Get Cooking features an array of guest chefs who specialize in global cuisines. The classes are held at a brand new facility at MacEwan University. It doesn’t look like the 2016 calendar is up just yet, but you can pick up a gift certificate for classes that start at $139 per person.
For more topic-specific classes or basic skills, consider Metro Continuing Education. They have a great selection of sessions, including knife skills, an introduction to sushi making, and bread making. Courses start at $89.
Calgary food tour operator Karen Anderson released her first cookbook, co-written with Noorbanu Nimji. A Spicy Touch features 200 Indian recipes in a full colour 320 page book. Join Karen at the Edmonton launch of the book on December 20, 2015.

Tableware and More

There are some local gems that can help you add some class – or some fun – to the kitchen of someone you love:

On Our Table makes some of the most beautiful cheese and cutting boards I’ve ever seen, and have even been featured in Bon Appetit Magazine. They are showstoppers, and worth the investment.
The mugs from Mod Pots Ceramics are well-used in my house – I love their classic but playful design, and the fact that they are the perfect size for a warm drink in the winter.
Everyone needs a bit more #yeg: this can be in the form of a screen-printed tea towel with images of our most cherished landmarks, including the Hotel Macdonald and the Alberta Legislature. Find these at Fine Mesh.

The Gift of Taste

We’re very fortunate in Edmonton to have some very knowledgeable and passionate food experts who are eager to share their learnings. Here are a few of them:

The Cavern on 104 Street hosts a Cheese School that teaches the basics of cheese varieties and wine pairings. Tickets are $75, with two upcoming sessions on January 17 and 31, 2016.
Transcend Coffee leads a number of coffee education sessions, including a coffee tasting and appreciation, a pour over basics workshop and a French press and Aeropress workshop.
I’ve attended a number of chocolate tastings put on by Jacek Chocolate Couture, and have enjoyed each one. Unfortunately, they don’t have any of their 2016 dates up just yet, but I’m hopeful they’ll have some tickets for sale in time for the holidays.

Gifts That Keep on Giving

Who says Christmas can’t be year-round, or at least prolonged? Choose a membership-based gift to bring cheer for a few more months of the year:

Farrow’s Bean Club is great for coffee connoisseurs. Every month, members are introduced to beans from a new roaster, some offered exclusively to club members and never put into Farrow’s rotation. Every 3, 6 or 12 month membership even comes with a free mug! Memberships start at $82.50. Transcend Coffee also has a similar subscription club, with beans roasted in-house.
Beer lovers in Edmonton flock to Sherbrooke Liquor, which has an incredibly extensive inventory of beers. But did you know they have a Beer Club, which entitles members to a monthly selection of beers and 10% discount off all beers for the duration of the membership? 3 month terms start at $175.
Sugared and Spiced’s Cake Club is perhaps most unique subscription in Edmonton. For $195, members are entitled to 3 cakes for pre-arranged dates through the year, with delivery included for those within city limits. Never be caught empty handed on special occasions again!
Who doesn’t love cheese? Cavern’s Cheese Club would be sure to please, with subscriptions starting at $55/month for a selection of cheese and a preserve accompaniment.
For a more practical gift, consider a grocery delivery service like The Organic Box or SPUD to make it more convenient for a loved one over the winter months.

Give Back to Those in Need

Many in our community go without at Christmas, so it’s also worth considering investing your gift in a charitable organization spreading cheer at this time of year:

The Christmas Bureau is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and with the economic downturn, expects to serve 67,000 Edmontonians this year. You can make a monetary donation of any amount, or donate a hamper for a senior or a family.
The Bissell Centre released their annual holiday gift guide, and you can provide meals to the homeless, the working poor, and young ones in their childcare centre.
Back again to bare all for a good cause, the 2016 Sexy Men of YEG Food calendar features over a dozen local personalities who posed in good fun to help raise funds for the Edmonton Food Bank. Last year, the calendar raised $19,500!

Happy Holidays!

Ramen for Brunch: Yuzen

It seems ramen’s the thing in Edmonton right now. There were only a handful of restaurants serving this Japanese staple before this year, and the inventory has grown since then, with Kazoku Ramen joining the ranks this fall, and Prairie Noodle Shop’s pop-ups making way for a brick and mortar storefront soon.

Restaurants in St. Albert have joined this list as well, with Ohana-ya offering ramen for lunch on weekdays, and Yuzen complimenting that with ramen on Saturday afternoons. While in St. Albert last Saturday, we planned for a ramen brunch at the latter to make the most of the trip out.

We were told by friends to arrive early, but unbeknownst to us, Yuzen shifted their Saturday hours back half an hour, and now serve ramen from 11:00am-2pm. So our 11:30am arrival meant an already full house, and an approximately 30 minute wait for a table.

Loved this sign

The menu is pretty straightforward, with 5 different bowls to choose from. I chose the pork-based tonkotsu ($11), while Mack selected the soy-based shoyu broth ($11). We each added an egg as well ($1).

Given the singular menu focus, the kitchen was able to maintain a fairly efficient speed. Service as a whole was also very pleasant and friendly throughout.

Tonkotsu ramen

I quite enjoyed the tonkotsu broth, full-bodied and seasoned just right. Both Mack and I found the noodles well-cooked, and enjoyed finding a creamy yolk centre in our eggs. Our only complaint lay with the pork, sliced too thick for my preference and ultimately on the dry side.

Shoyu ramen

We were told the crowd was actually on the small side that day, so I think the word is getting out about St. Albert’s ramen brunch option. It is a bit too far for us to frequent often (Ninja Club is our current go-to), but I would consider it again when in the neighbourhood.

Yuzen
127, 1 Hebert Road, St. Albert
(780) 569-5270
Lunch: Tuesday-Friday 11:30am-2pm, Saturday 11am-2pm; Dinner: Tuesday-Sunday 5-9pm; closed Mondays

Farmfair, Burgers and My First Canadian Finals Rodeo

I have to admit, the idea of going to the rodeo has never appealed to me, even if I’ve always been curious about the excitement surrounding the Calgary Stampede, and in Edmonton, the Canadian Finals Rodeo. It is something quintessentially "Albertan", but has also seemed inaccessible to me without any personal ties to a tradition that can run generations deep for many in the province. So it took Mack being extended complimentary tickets to this year’s Canadian Finals Rodeo for me to finally learn what all the fuss was about.

We headed to Rexall Place on Friday to a nearly packed house, absolutely energized for the events to come. Confronted with such a crowd, it was the first time I realized the scale of the CFR’s economic boost for Edmonton – it was clear most taking in the event were visiting from out of town.

My cowboy

I was thankful for the two commentators who made sure the audience remained engaged and entertained. They were also very inclusive, taking the time to explain some of the rules and nuances of the sport, much appreciated by a novice like me.

It was easy to see the amount of training each competitor had put in to get to this level, from cattle roping to barrel racing. The bull riding finale unfortunately only saw a handful of riders reach the eight second mark, but no question they all seemed to give it their all. I can also see how the CFR builds in excitement over the course of the week, as the audience familiarizes themselves with the competitors night after night.

Bareback riding

I’m glad I was able to experience my first rodeo! Thanks to Northlands for the opportunity.

Northlands also enabled us to attend the corresponding Farmfair, held during the CFR at the Expo Centre. An agricultural trade show for farmers, it is an event I have attended in the past. I used to volunteer for adult English as a Second Language classes, and as admission at the time was free, it was a great field trip to help our students learn about one of Alberta’s foundational industries.

Farmfair 2015

Farmfair has since started charging admission ($5 for adults). Though I’d hope there would still be the chance for adult groups to utilize it as an educational experience, it is a reasonable cost given the breadth of events organized. We wandered through the halls, admiring the livestock and wishing we’d arrived in time to watch the stock dog competition.

More animals

New to Farmfair this year was the Northlands Food Lab workshops, free with admission. The workshops focused on food skills that could be taught in an hour – cheese making and burger prep. We signed up for the latter, and joined about a dozen other participants on Saturday in the makeshift kitchen in the concourse of the Expo Centre.

Chef Parker

Led by Northlands Sous Chef Chef Parker Regimbald, participants were shown how to make a better burger by grinding our own beef. The ten ounces of inside round we used had been donated by Sysco (of which we were reminded numerous times). While recognizing the need for sponsorship, particularly for a free workshop, it was still disappointing that the chance to highlight a local producer was squandered. Northlands has been highlighting its inroads with supporting local (with its food truck and partnership with Lactuca, among others), so this just seemed like a missed opportunity.

Mack prepares his burger

At any rate, Chef Parker is an excellent instructor, articulate and clearly passionate about food. He offered the following tips:

If grinding your own meat, make sure to keep the meat cold before grinding it to decrease bacterial growth;
For additional flavour, grind in some pork fat or bacon (Northlands uses their house-made bacon for this purpose);
Make sure the patty is at least 1/3 larger than the bun you will use, as the patty will shrink during cooking;
Season in layers – toss in some salt and pepper as you’re mixing the meat, but also season both sides of the patty;
Grease the patty instead of the grill to ensure it doesn’t stick;
The patty is ready to be flipped once when it no longer sticks to the grill;
You can tell the second side is done when blood starts to pool on the surface, or alternatively, the feel of the meat is the same firmness as the area just beneath your thumb; and
To help the meat retains its juice, set a timer and rest the patty for 3 minutes before digging in!

It was a fairly straightforward lesson, and given the only addition to the beef was salt and pepper, it was a very tasty burger.

Thumbs up!

Chef Parker was very happy with the response to the Food Labs, and is hoping to run more such events, even outside of Farmfair. It was a great add-on to an existing event, so it would be great to see this topic and others offered again in the future.

Harvest Festival at The Organic Box

On Sunday, The Organic Box opened its doors for a Harvest Festival. It was a way for them to celebrate a good growing season and provide their customers with an avenue to meet some of their producers firsthand. Mack and I were among the minority of attendees who don’t currently subscribe to The Organic Box, but were interested in learning more about their operations.

The Organic Box warehouse

The Organic Box provides home delivery of sustainable groceries, and sources its products from many Alberta farmers. The Organic Box has grown significantly since its inception in 2010. Beginning with 120 customers, after a year, they were reaching about 500 homes in Edmonton. In 2015, they’re processing 2000 orders a week, and they’ve expanded their deliveries to other communities in central and northern Alberta, including Fort McMurray, Athabasca and Camrose.

Ready to be packed

This growth necessitated their recent move to a 17,000 square feet warehouse which should be large enough to accommodate them for years to come. This new space has 5,000 square feet of cooler space alone, which, as a comparison, was the size of their previous home.

Dry goods

Abbie Stein-MacLean, the General Manager of The Organic Box, provided an educational tour. They have five different temperature zones (including a room dedicated entirely to bananas to ensure they can ripen more slowly and naturally than at conventional supermarkets). They also take great care to separate ethylene sensitive fruits and vegetables such as cabbage from items that produce ethylene like apples.

Abbie from The Organic Box

The Organic Box prides itself on supporting local producers in many ways. One of their hopes in securing a larger warehouse was to be able to offer up space to those who may not have access to reliable, accessible storage. Some farmers have taken them up on this, renting cold storage for items like potatoes and poultry.

More storage

In addition, the next phase for The Organic Box will be expanding their processing capabilities. A current gap in Alberta is the need for more inspected packaging and labeling facilities. They’re committed to further developing their current operation and consulting capabilities to work with more food businesses who want to increase their retail opportunities.

The current processing space

After meeting some of the vendors that sell their product through The Organic Box, I also better understood the potential they offer small businesses in terms of exposure. Genuine Jar, a small local jam producer, distributes their preservative-free product exclusively through The Organic Box. Edmonton-based Nxt Roasters, which we had never heard of (they focus more on the machines that roast the beans than the coffee itself), only sells its coffee to consumers through The Organic Box.

Nxt Roasters

We appreciated the chance to learn more about an Edmonton success story. The Organic Box has great aspirations to strengthen other local businesses as they themselves grow. I hope they are able to achieve their ambitious goals, and continue to increase the awareness and sustainability of our local producers and food entrepreneurs. Thanks to The Organic Box for having us!

Enjoy the “Best of the West” during the 2015 Canadian Finals Rodeo

The Canadian Finals Rodeo is back again for its 42nd edition, taking over Northlands next week. To engage Edmontonians and visitors alike, Rodeo Week is taking place from November 7-15, 2015, in conjunction with the CFR. Events include a family-friendly wild wagon race at Fort Edmonton Park, a mechanical bull riding championship at Cook County Saloon and the popular chili cook-off at Churchill Square.

Bar at Woodwork

The tie-in extends to 17 local restaurants who have put their best rodeo-inspired dishes forward to ensure diners can get in on the fun, too. On Sunday, Mack and I joined Andrea, Linda and their respective partners on a food crawl organized by Edmonton Tourism to preview some of the dishes on this “Best of the West” menu.

Woodwork

Woodwork has a great cocktail program, so we were looking forward to sampling their feature drink, the Campfire Rambler. Made with High West Campfire Whiskey, vermouth and maraschino liqueur, it was a spirit-forward drink meant for sipping. I appreciated the chilled glass that kept the cocktail cool enough to enjoy.

Campfire Rambler

Sherlock Holmes

The Colleen’s Amber Ale chili served in a sourdough bread bowl ($14) is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at Sherlock Holmes. Mack very much enjoyed the fact that the thick, hearty chili was heavy on the meat – sometimes straightforward is best, and indeed, this was Mack’s favourite dish.

Colleen’s Amber Ale chili

Fairmont Hotel MacDonald

The Confederation Lounge at the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald has one of the coziest tables downtown, surrounded with leather loungers and situated next to a roaring fireplace. With a wicked wind outside, it was an ideal place to warm up and get our bearings.

Not content to feature just one menu item, the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald has two. The wonton nachos ($19) were the most unique plate we tried that day, layered with braised pork cheeks, scallions, cheese and wasabi aioli. In some ways, the substitution of deep fried wonton skins better highlighted the toppings, given they are more neutral in flavour than corn-based chips.

Wonton nachos

My favourite dish was the chorizo sausage ($21), generously topped with beef chili, smoked cheddar and mustard crème fraiche. The sausage was great on its own, but the flavour was amplified with the addition of the chili. It is definitely something I’d order again.

Chorizo sausage

We were also encouraged to order drinks. Mack and I couldn’t resist the Game On Martini, designed to be the shade of Oilers blue. It was definitely on the sweet side, which I enjoyed. The Mac happened to be running a photo contest involving their special martini on social media. After entering, I was randomly selected and won a pair of tickets to an Oilers game. Needless to say, it was a good night.

Game On Martini

The Best of the West menu is available from October 26 until November 15, 2015. Thanks again to Edmonton Tourism for having us!

Check out Linda’s post here.

Recap: 124 Street Red Shoe Crawl

It’s hard to believe Red Shoe Crawls have been taking place in Edmonton for five years now! The brainchild of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northern Alberta, Red Shoe Crawls serve to raise awareness and funds to support a facility that houses families travelling to Edmonton to seek treatment for their sick children. Participating businesses donate their time and samples to contribute towards a fun, pedestrian-oriented afternoon.

Red shoes!

It’s been a few years since I’ve attended a 124 Street Red Shoe Crawl, so when offered the chance to attend as a guest on September 13, 2015, Mack and I accepted. We brought along first-time crawlers Thom and Alicia.

Thom and Alicia at Cococo

There were 25 stops on the list, which included an eclectic mix of retailers, galleries, cafes and restaurants. Though I understand the reasons behind some independent businesses not becoming involved (Sunday closure, staffing requirements, small spaces), it was disappointing to see that several of the newest additions to the street were not participating – the Red Shoe Crawl is a great way to expose a different crowd to your shop.

Ascendant Books, one of the new-to-us discoveries

At any rate, we still had many places to explore, many of them new to us. We also elected to participate in the scavenger hunt, which invited us to post photos of different items found in the stores along the way. Although it was much more time consuming, it added another element to the crawl, and I have to say, we did have fun with it.

Mack shows us how he eats his pizza at Boston Pizza

Similar to our previous 124 Street crawl experience, our main criticism was the lack of savoury items along the way. While we were treated to many sweet bites (including a scoop of gelato at Cococo), the savoury samples were few and far between. As a result, it wasn’t a surprise that our favourite stop was at reLISH. They served up a generous portion of made-to-order poutine.

Poutine from reLISH

Some businesses also took better advantage of their crawl participation than others, offering discounts or special offers for the day or the week of the event. It definitely added an incentive to shop that day, as Alicia and Thom found out at Bling.

Decorator’s paradise at Bling

To traverse the entire route at a leisurely pace actually took us the full four hours. But it was a great way to explore the neighbourhood! Thanks again to the Red Shoe Crawl for a fun afternoon, and to the organizers, volunteers and businesses who made it all happen.

We made it!

Recap: Food Trucks at the St. Albert Grain Elevator Park

Mack and I don’t frequent St. Albert very often, but a food truck event and a housewarming party were good reasons as any!

Given the St. Albert administrators haven’t been that supportive of food trucks so far, unless things change, the appetite for food trucks in the city will only be satisfied at farmers’ markets and special events. And as we’ve done with What the Truck?!, the Heritage Museum in St. Albert has organized these events as a way of drawing people to visit an area they may not have otherwise chosen to explore.

A small group of us headed to St. Albert Grain Elevator Park on a Friday night in August for supper before a housewarming party. We joined a robust crowd already feasting at the 15 different food trucks gathered.

St. Albert Grain Elevator Park

It’s been several years since Mack and I have been to the Park (coincidentally, that last occasion was also for a food event), but we both agreed it is a picturesque location, with the stately grain elevators waiting to be captured in every frame.

The organizers had a great line-up of live music, and had even arranged a small beer garden. Seating was at a premium, but it would have been difficult to add more given the space limitations.

It was the first time we had come across the 12 Acres food truck. While we were aware of the new restaurant in St. Albert, we had no idea they had purchased and rebranded the former Perogy Princess truck, too. They can be found at special events and at the St. Albert Farmers’ Market.

12 Acres

The food truck, like the restaurant, focuses on farm-to-table dishes. That day, they were serving up dishes featuring their pasture-raised beef, including burgers and pasta bolognese. We tried their Grain Elevator Burger, with MoNa mushrooms, fried onions and Swiss cheese. We were delighted to see that the patty came out a nice medium rare.

Grain Elevator Burger from 12 Acres

Meat Street Pies had the quickest turnaround time of any of the lines we joined, and everyone in our party loved their pies. Mack had the spicy Jamaican patty, while I enjoyed their tourtiere – the pastry crust was flaky and delicious.

Meat Street Pies FTW!

Our last shared entrée was from S’wich. We ordered a new Chinese barbecue pork sandwich Lex recently added to his menu. It may not replace my favourite rootbeer braised brisket, but it was tasty all the same!

Mack enjoys his S’wich

The events at the Park have been so successful I’d be surprised if they didn’t continue next year. Check the website for more information.

Of course, if you missed it, but still have a hankering for food trucks, What the Truck?! is hosting our finale at Churchill Square this Friday, September 11 from 4-8pm: 35 food trucks serving up over 125 different items. Whet your appetite here, and hope to see you there!

The View from the River: Paddling the North Saskatchewan with Edmonton Canoe

Last year, my coworker’s husband worked for Edmonton Canoe over the summer, and it was from her that I first learned about an all-inclusive way to paddle down the North Saskatchewan from Devon and into the city. Mack and I have wanted to see the city from the river’s perspective for some time, and finally made plans to do so last weekend.

Edmonton Canoe is one of two local companies that provides bus transportation from Edmonton to Devon and at the boat launch, sets you up with a canoe or kayak. For the two of us, we paid $100 total.

We met the staff and the rest of the group we would be departing with at Emily Murphy Park. Full disclosure, we arrived a few minutes late, and thus missed the complete introduction from the staff member. Still, from what we gathered, it was fairly brief; she was pointing out the route on a two-sided map we would be given to guide us on our journey, along with a whistle we were told to use in case of emergency. They estimated the trip would take approximately 7-8 hours.

Before getting on the bus to Devon, we were “checked off” a list (I had pre-paid for the trip by phone), though we found it odd that they didn’t confirm our cell phone number or even note down the number of the canoe we were assigned. When we docked, we weren’t asked for our names; I’m not sure how they would have known who to look for in the event all parties weren’t accounted for by the end of the night. In some ways, this was emblematic of our experience – Edmonton Canoe seemed uninterested in anything beyond the basic provision of transportation and a canoe rental, even though there were many opportunities for them to make service less of an afterthought.

Although a map of our river course was provided to us on the bus, it was clear the document was more than ten years old. It definitely could have been more detailed, as some of the pedestrian bridges we passed under were not noted, and given the bus ride was 30 minutes in duration, there would have been enough time for either a verbal overview or to look over information about the landmarks we could watch for.

Paddles ready

At the Devon boat launch, we had time to visit restrooms before we were fitted with lifejackets and pushed off in our vessel for the day. There were a few parties ahead of us, and a large group behind us, and though we all likely set off within about 20 minutes of each other, we eventually lost sight of everyone else.

On the river

When we started our trip, the weather was more than cooperative. Sunny, clear and without much of a breeze, spending the day floating downstream seemed like it would be a pleasant experience.

Our layered valley

I had been most looking forward to getting into Edmonton, in order to observe our bridges from the water, but I actually found the Devon portion most peaceful and relaxing. Mack and I were both amazed at how shallow and clear the river was in places – only a few inches deep – and understood why some have encouraged more Edmontonians to utilize the river as a place to swim. We did observe a few small groups floating on dinghies, but most of the people by the water’s edge were dog owners, along Terwillegar and Laurier Parks.

Dogs enjoying the water

The highlight of the canoe trip was when we spotted a family of deer along the shore, just before the Anthony Henday Bridge. We’ve seen roadside wildlife before, but never riverside wildlife!

Deer!

We ended up shoring up there to stop for lunch (which we had brought with us). Although the staff had pointed out a place called Big Island on the map, without any actual signage on the water, it was clear we had overshot it by that point. Mack commented that it would have been nice if some of the Edmonton Canoe staff had been waiting for us at Big Island to flag us down so we could have lunch as a group.

Mack at our lunch break

Riverside flowers

In the city, we made some discoveries, including Hawrelak Park/Buena Vista Park Pedestrian Bridge that we didn’t know existed.

Fort Edmonton Park Footbridge

We also had a great vantage point of the End of the World attraction in Belgravia. I’m not sure if it is normally that busy on a Saturday afternoon, or if the traffic was related to the recent media attention because of a survey the City is conducting on how to make changes to improve the safety of the site.

The End of the World

That second half of the trip was also memorable for reasons not as positive. By then, the headwinds had picked up, and in three separate instances, were so strong we couldn’t manage paddling against the wind and ended up turned the wrong way. Thankfully Mack has more canoeing experience, but it was a challenge to finish that last leg.

In some ways, the winds were a reason why the nonchalant greeting of the Edmonton Canoe staff we met at Emily Murphy Park was so bewildering. Given it seemed that most folks who would choose a service like this are novices, I figured there would be some concern on their part about our wind-swept journey. But as mentioned before, they didn’t even bother to check us off a list, so it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise.

We survived!

Canoeheads is the other company offering transportation/rentals, and the trip would be slightly shorter, at Laurier Park. Edmonton Canoe does offer a shorter trip of its own, from Emily Murphy to Capilano Park, which Mack and I will consider on a day with no forecasted wind!

As a whole, while we’re glad we finally experienced the view of our city from the North Saskatchewan, and appreciate the convenience provided by Edmonton Canoe, we felt like it was a bit of a missed opportunity to provide a bit more awareness about our river valley and its history, sights and landmarks.

Recap: What the Truck?! in the Outfield

Our penultimate What the Truck?! of the season had us storming the outfield for the very first time on August 22, 2015.

We’d been considering Telus Field as a possible event location for a few years. It fits in with our desire to highlight underutilized spaces, and is situated in a beautiful part of the city that more people should explore. It’s also centrally located, public transit accessible and (perhaps the primary reason why the feedback was positively off the charts) there is loads of free parking.

One of the other reasons we embraced Telus Field was its enclosed nature, perfect for families with small children. It was heartening to see kids let loose on the pristine, manicured grass in and amongst a field dotted with picnic blankets.

Some also took advantage of the opportunity to play catch right on the ball diamond. Checking out the perspective from the mound is definitely not something you can do every day!

The twelve trucks that joined us that afternoon offered the most diverse line-up of food we’ve had at a single event. Cuisine choices included Filipino, Indian, Jamaican, Mauritian and Mexican food.

Although the event wasn’t as busy as we would have hoped, it meant short lines for those who did come out. Mack and I finally managed to try a grilled cheese sandwich from Cheddaheads, who has driven up from Red Deer twice this year for What the Truck?!

We also had a fantastic new DJ join the ranks of our What the Truck?! crew – DJ Elekin kept it light, and by request, even spun “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch.

Thanks to our in-kind sponsor, the Downtown Edmonton Community League, our fabulous volunteers, and the Telus Field liaison for helping to make the event happen.

Our last event of the season takes place next week, returning to the place where we kicked things off back in May:

What: What the Truck?!
Where: Sir Winston Churchill Square
When: Friday, September 11, 2015
Time: 4-8pm

RSVP on Facebook!

This will be our biggest event by far, with a record 35 trucks joining us that day. We’ll be posting menus to whet your appetite on September 4. Hope to see you there!

Recap: Dinner at the Northlands Urban Farm for Alberta Open Farm Days

Although most of the events associated with Alberta Open Farm Days last weekend took place outside of Edmonton, there were still several opportunities to engage with agriculture within the city. Cindy recapped her visit to Horse Hill Berry Farm and Reclaim Urban Farm, while Mack and I were fortunate enough to be invited as guests to attend a dinner at the site of the Northlands Urban Farm.

Northlands Urban Farm

Lactuca, a local food producer, began as a backyard project, supplying restaurants and consumers at the 124 Grand Market. In 2014, in partnership with Northlands, Lactuca expanded their operations to a one acre site at 112 Avenue and 79 Street (about a 15 minute walk from the Stadium LRT station). This year, in conjunction with Alberta Open Farm Days, Northlands hosted a series of events to introduce the public to the urban farm, including tours, honey harvest demonstrations and cheese making workshops. The day concluded with the farm-to-table dinner.

Beautiful setting

It was a beautiful evening for an al fresco supper, and thankfully, given the dinner would have us traipsing through the gardens, it had been blessedly dry that weekend. Five food stations had been set up around the perimeter of the farm, and guests were invited to visit each on our own time to sample a total of eight dishes.

At the farm

Short of a brief welcome and introduction of the chefs involved, nothing more formal took place. I recognize that the staff had just led several farm tours earlier that day, but I assume a majority of those attending the dinner hadn’t been a part of them. Because of this, I thought it was a missed opportunity for Northlands to provide more information about their relationship with Lactuca, Northlands’ philosophy on local food, or, in the context of the meal we were about to enjoy, highlights of the Alberta products they had utilized.

On-site hives

This last point was particularly glaring when we visited the stations. It became painfully obvious that while some thought had been put into creating the diverse menu, many of the frontline staff serving the food and drink didn’t have the same awareness of the focus on local. They couldn’t answer questions about the products used, and weren’t confident on where they had been sourced. I’m optimistic that because this shift has been fairly recent (for example, the Northlands food truck, 1879, has committed to using 75% local ingredients, just hit the streets in July), staff engagement can only improve from here.

It is difficult to manage food quality in those makeshift outdoor kitchens, so as expected, some dishes were better than others. Our runaway favourite was the seared pickerel, with roasted cauliflower and broccoli, honey glazed carrots, crispy onions, bee pollen and corn shoots. The fish had been perfectly prepared, and the accompanying vegetables minimally cooked to emphasize their fresh quality.

Seared pickerel

Similarly, the DIY salad featured the breadth of our harvest bounty, including, of course, Lactuca’s own greens and vegetables.

DIY salad platter

The hay-smoked chicken had promise, but was just too salty. The same could be said of the braised bacon, especially when coupled with a gouda crisp.

Hay smoked chicken

The marinated flank steak was more successful, served with salsa verde. But Mack remarked that the corn should have been left alone; its natural sweetness really didn’t need to be masked by mayo.

Braised bacon and marinated flank steak

I did enjoy the duo of desserts. The first was a smoked almond ice cream topped with grilled peaches, lavender and a lemon cake cookie.

Smoked almond ice cream with grilled peaches

The second was a mixed berry tart with maple sauce and Chantilly cream. I could have easily had another; it was summer in two bites.

Mixed berry tart

I can appreciate that this was the first such dinner organized by Northlands, and if they decide to host it again next year, improvements could be made. The increase in urban agriculture projects should be celebrated with events like these so that more Edmontonians can learn about the potential we have to supply food within city limits. Northlands has the unique opportunity to make farm-to-table suppers a more frequent, accessible experience. I look forward to what they may have in store for us next year.

Thanks again to Northlands for inviting us to be a part of their inaugural farm dinner.

Check out Linda’s recap of the evening here.

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