Taste Alberta Launch

On December 1, 2010, the Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald launched Taste Alberta, a series to be featured in both papers on a weekly basis. Journal staff, local foodies, and area farmers were invited to the Shaw Conference Centre’s beautiful River Valley Room that evening to help celebrate the launch of the series.

Taste Alberta

Taste Alberta has been designed to become a central gathering place for those in the province who are interested in local food – reading about the food that is grown and processed in Alberta, where such products are available, and how best to prepare it. The series will run for thirty weeks.

Journal Food Editor Kerry Powell welcomes the hungry crowd

Based on their first few articles – featuring turducken, local company Mighty Trio Organics, and Bernard Callebaut’s new company, Papa Chocolat, to list a few – I can see the potential; there are so many stories that need to be told.

But content alone isn’t what sets it apart, nor could it – stories featuring Alberta producers are the core of the weekly Food section regardless. Taste Alberta seeks to be more than that: a go-to online resource that amalgamates everything food. They have links to local food and drink blogs, an event calendar, and a Twitter widget that imports food-related tweets. I know from Mack’s experience developing ShareEdmonton, it will be a challenge for them to collect everything – there is just too much information out there. That said, it’s great that the Journal and the Herald are attempting this Herculean task, and with their reach (and requests for reader submissions), it may be easier to do so.

Kerry acknowledged that they series would not have gone forward without the support from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA), as well as Save on Foods. While ALMA makes sense as a sponsor (given the number of livestock producers in this province), I’m still not sure where Save on Foods comes in. Great on them for supporting this initiative, but I hope it means that they are also working on bringing in more locally-sourced product in their stores too.

The night really was a celebration of local food though, with stations around the periphery of the room offering hot and cold dishes prepared using ingredients sourced from area farmers. Several of my food blogging colleagues (Evonne, Karlynn and Chris, among them) did a better job of capturing the food than me, as I didn’t get to all of the stations, but here are a few highlights:

The miniature Lola Canola honey crème brulee, with a Berry Ridge Orchard Saskatoon berry compote set the bar pretty high – silky texture with a perfect balance between tart and sweet, it was the best (or worst) way to start off the sampling.

Thankfully, the Big Rock braised Sunterra bison short rib could handle the pressure – a knife would have made eating it slightly easier (it wasn’t quite fork tender), but the meat was nicely cooked. And the potatoes underneath? Creamy, garlicky goodness.

The mini Ardrossan free-range chicken burgers with roasted garlic mayonnaise weren’t bad either. The patty was moist and flavourful, and really could have been served on its own for that reason.

We are rarely without Irvings Farm Fresh pork products in our freezer, so there was no doubt we would enjoy their sausage, served with a barley risotto.

Thanks to the Journal for hosting the launch, and treating us to some great local food! I am looking forward to seeing what else Taste Alberta has in store for us in the coming weeks.

A Shared Experience: Skinny Legs and Cowgirls

On a Monday night a few weeks ago:

Me: Do you want to go for dinner tomorrow night?
Mack: What’s the occasion?
Me: No occasion. We just haven’t been out for a while. [pause] Okay, you got me. I have a coupon that expires tomorrow.

So goes how occasion has been dictating our decisions to dine out lately, since we’ve been enjoying the simple pleasure of preparing meals at home.

But after receiving a $25 coupon from Book a Table (curiously, from the name, one would assume the website is similar to Open Table, but the group is actually comparable to Original Fare – an assembly of local restaurants that seek to benefit from collective advertising power), it was an offer too good to pass up.

Skinny Legs and Cowgirls edged out Guru by just a smidgen due to transit accessibility, and the remembering from my previous visit that their prices were on the high side. A coupon would help take the edge off.

In December 2009, the restaurant moved from its tiny storefront in River Valley Kinnaird to a larger building in Oliver. Funny that we were only taking the time to visit it now; we used to live just a block away.

Walking in, it was love at first sight. It’s probably one of my new favourite dining rooms in the city, intimate with dim lighting, chic with a pressed tin ceiling, but comforting with warm fall shades of orange and red. Seated next to the fireplace, a single rose on the table, it instantly felt like a date night.

Interior

The menu hadn’t changed much since my last visit, somewhat surprising given the length of time that has passed. That said, our server did inform us of a most attractive special of the day, which we ended up ordering. We added a Nova Scotia scallop ($25) dish – scallops are one of Mack’s absolute favourite things.

While waiting for our appetizer, we gushed over the warm(!) bread and soft(!) butter. We were dying to know if it was house-made, or if not, from which bakery it had come from. The server candidly admitted it was from Costco.

Given the price, I wasn’t sure how many scallops to expect, but the serving was much larger than I anticipated. The scallops were perfectly cooked, nicely browned and with that telltale spring still intact. In a creamy leek and bacon dressing (that would also be fantastic tossed with pasta), Mack was in absolute heaven.

Scallops in a leek and bacon dressing

There were only three other parties in the restaurant when we arrived, two of them who were towards the end of their meal. For that reason, it was curious why our food took so long to arrive – over twenty minutes for the appetizer, and another twenty for our entrée. Given the restaurant’s penchant for organic, hearty dishes, I know diners should be patient for well-prepared “slow food”, but it made me wonder how the kitchen would do with a full house.

Thankfully, our main made up for the wait. Everything at Skinny Legs is served family-style; it was great to be reminded how disarming it can be to share food from the same plate. It’s been a while since we’ve eaten anything family-style (individual plates and bowls are always dished out from the stove before reaching our dining table at home, and the restaurants we’ve visited recently aren’t communal in nature), so it was refreshing to enjoy a meal that seemed that much more personal.

Of course, it helped too that the braised lamb shank ($54) was lovingly prepared – meat falling off the bone tender, swathed in a rich jus. We loved the accompaniments just as much – roasted baby vegetables, sweet potato puree, and a risotto that rounded out the dish texturally. There more than enough to satisfy both of us, with a price point that was more than reasonable, given the quality (and quantity) of the food.

Braised lamb shank

I was still curious about their affiliation with Book a Table, given that for the philosophy behind Skinny Legs and Cowgirls, Original Fare seemed like a better fit. I asked our server about it after we paid for our meal, and though he answered my question (essentially, that Book a Table was cheaper), it seemed to us that he couldn’t get away fast enough. A shame – because throughout the meal, he was quite conversant; it tainted our experience ever so slightly to end on such a note.

Complimentary chocolate truffles

As a whole, however, I would recommend Skinny Legs and Cowgirls – this meal was certainly more memorable than my previous visit, and probably more closely aligned with the experiences that have helped them build a loyal clientele. Not only was it good value for our dollar, it ended up being a great excuse to get out on a Monday night – we’ll be back.

Skinny Legs and Cowgirls
12202 Jasper Avenue
(780) 423-4107

A Taste and Tour of Amber’s Brewing Company

On a Saturday back in November, Mack and I met up with Thom at Amber’s Brewing Company for a tour. Thom works for Liquor Depot, and in part because of a recent deal between the company and local brewers, Liquor Depot staff were invited out for a friends and family day.

Mack and I are not as familiar with Amber’s as we are with the other two local brewing companies, but seeing as we had already made the rounds at both Alley Kat and Yellowhead, we knew it was only a matter of time before we crossed Amber’s off our list too.

We have tried Amber’s products a few times in the past, most notably during the intermissions at Hey Ladies. I remember being amazed when I was first introduced to Grog, their lime cooler with no artificial ingredients – in fact, the list of ingredients reads like any homemade cocktail. Or, sampling their cinnamon and cardamom beer, which they developed exclusively for New Asian Village, I was sceptical that the spices would come through, but hey, there they were.

Having seen Jim Gibbon up on stage, we knew he was a personable guy. But we didn’t know quite how personable until the tour. He claimed it was because he was on his third tour of the day (which, of course, involves gratuitous beer sampling every time), but we suspected his outgoing personality would shine regardless of blood alcohol content.

Thom and Jim (I really should have taken more pictures, but the tour went fast – Jim condensed the normally two hour tour into half an hour)

I’m sure someone, somewhere, will eventually compile a list of “Jim-isms” such as, “Wine sucks ass.” Why? “It’s just rotten grapes.” Or, “Beer is the foundation of humanity,” his statement that preceded one of his “thirty second stories” that once humans adopted a sedentary civilization, that water purification, through the creation of beer, was our saviour. His obvious passion for beer, weaved with his humour and sarcasm, made him a fun tour guide.

In addition to historical insights, the tour highlighted the environmentally-friendly aspects of the brewery, which included recycling of plastics and cardboard, donation of expended malt and hops to farmers for feed, and even heat recycling, which decreased their need for external heat units down from eight to two.

And then, the beer. Jim wasn’t shy about letting us taste whatever was brewing. The Sap Vampire Maple Lager (the #1 seller at Amber’s) was served to us directly from the vat, unfiltered. The Kenmount Road Chocolate Stout (best, Jim said, served as a float with ice cream), was uncarbonated. I can’t comment too much about taste (not really being a beer connoisseur), but my fellow tasters were floored.

Where the beer brews

Jim was really excited about the deal with Liquor Depot, the largest Canadian-owned liquor store by both number of stores and sales figures. The agreement will see four Amber’s brews, four Alley Kat brews, one Wild Rose and a percentage of Big Rock sold at all Liquor Depots in Alberta – a reach totalling over 175 stores in 25 communities across the province.

Australian Mountain Pepper Berry (Jim’s favourite)

It’s great to see a trend of local beers increasing their distribution venues (Local Public Eatery of the Joey’s Restaurant Group being another example). I hope to see this trend continue!

Thanks to Jim for sharing his afternoon with us, and to Thom for letting us tag along!

Amber’s Brewing Company
9926 – 78 Avenue
(780) 628-2305

By the Bite: ZINC’s Fall Menu

It’s hard not to admire restaurants that take risks – especially if those risks challenge diners to take a chance on something out of the ordinary. ZINC’s fall menu is one such gamble – it offers an interesting twist on the recent trend of small plates.

Nearly three dozen people attended ZINC’s media launch dinner, held on November 1, 2010 (oh yes, I am that behind). Chef David Omar introduced the driving concept behind his new menu, generously illustrated by a sample of eighteen dishes, plated and served as they would be on any other night, to any other diner.

Chef Omar explained that he wanted to provide guests with the option of ordering food as one would order wine – either by the glass or by the bottle. So, frustrated with the idea of confronting a customer with multiple menus, he designed the Fall 2010 menu to allow for both “by the bite” and “by the plate” selection.

Mack and I were seated with Chris, Sarah, Marianne and Charles – I’m sure jokes about dining with food bloggers abound, but for such an experience, there are no better dining companions (especially when they are much more on top of things than I am, having written about it weeks ago).

It was an intense meal to be sure, and to tell you that I remember everything, even with my notes, would be a lie. The flip side, however, is that the elements that stood out on that brisk fall day still do, while other, less memorable courses have fallen away.

In the order that they were served:

Cucumber and Tomato Salad ($4/bite, $10/plate) – I loved the textural variants, from the cucumber to the tomato to the quinoa. It did alarm me a little when Chef Omar mentioned that quinoa was very “in” at the moment – as much as I love fads sometimes, I was hoping there was more to his inclusion of the grain. Still, it was a lovely dish that longs for an Indian summer.

Caesar Salad ($4/bite, $10/plate) – My favourite of the trio, if only because of the bacon bits: prosciutto that had been deep fried, then dried in the oven. More please.

Beet Salad ($4/bite, $10/plate) – Not being the biggest fan of beets, I would never order this, but bravo to Chef Omar to demonstrate the versatility of beets – as a sorbet, and as a chip.

Salmon Three Ways ($5/bite, $12/plate) – It was great to have Chef Omar introduce each course, particularly when they were preceded by a story or a rationale. With this dish, we got both: continuing to order his salmon from Fin’s, this dish was his way of opposing the movement towards GMO salmon; while the maple cured candy (which tasted like fish jerky, emphasis on the fish), was something Chef Omar snacked on during his honeymoon. Unfortunately, I didn’t really care for the plate, narratives or not.

Lobster Bisque ($4/shot, $10/bowl) – Playfully served in a small cup, I thought the bisque was well-prepared.

Pan Seared Scallop ($6/bite, $18/plate) – ZINC’s staunch regulars demanded this dish carry over from the summer menu, and so, it remains. It wasn’t difficult to see why; the scallop was cooked well, and the sweet potato and maple ginger puree was perfection. Purees are a resolute strength of the kitchen.

Beef ($9/bite, $38/plate) – I still can’t wrap my head around who would only want a smidgen of beef. Around the table, the slices of Spring Creek Ranch striploin (individually fired) were all well-done and dry. No amount of goat cheese butter or shiraz jus could have saved it.

Vegetables ($7/bite, $24/plate) – Orzo really isn’t ideal for risotto; it doesn’t soak up flavour as well as rice or barley. Although it was all right to eat (I am a fan of the crunchy microgreens and sundried tomatoes), it was a poor vegetarian option.

Chicken ($7/bite, $29/plate) – The chicken supreme saltimbocca was delicious – moist and particularly flavourful in its swath of red pepper butter, it definitely did not suffer the same fate at its Angus brother. The roll of naked papperdelle noodles seemed like an unnecessary afterthought, and as much as I enjoy asparagus, given Chef Omar’s mentions of seasonality, it seemed inconsistent.

Duck ($8/bite, $32/plate) – Memories of Wild Tangerine’s jasmine tea, wok-smoked duck danced on my tongue when Chef Omar described that his duck breast had been smoked in green tea. Unfortunately, the smoked flavour didn’t really come through. The accompaniments, however, helped make this one of the most interesting dishes – a delicate, vanilla-scented cherry tomato, and a pumpkin and potato puree that would have been fit for dessert. It’s worth noting that while Chef Omar does his best to source locally (and does feature some local proteins on his menu), he told us later that Greens, Eggs and Ham isn’t able to supply him with the consistent volumes that he needs, so only he is only able to serve their duck on occasion).

Braised Lentils ($4/bite, $12 plate) – With pork belly atop the lentils, I expected fireworks. But with a slice of belly with too much fat but not enough flavour, the lentils, turned in a red curry cream, ended up being the most exciting taste to be had.

Lamb ($9/bite, $38/plate) – One of Mack’s favourites, and unlike the steak, was perfectly cooked. Sadly for me, as our tablemates were noting down their love for the dish, I dropped my piece on the floor. Sigh.

Pork Tenderloin Medallion ($6/bite, $16/plate) – The pork was overcooked and chewy, again a victim of precise timing needed with such small portions. The Savoy cabbage was nice, but Chef Omar emphasized that he would use whatever cabbage was fresh.

Cannelloni ($6/bite, $14/plate) – Greens, Eggs and Ham duck confit made an appearance in this dish, hurrah! Mack and I differed on opinions here though – he absolutely loved it (the melted manchego cheese, from Paddy’s, and the mushrooms and leeks didn’t hurt either). The texture of the confit reminded me a little too much of pate, though I agreed that the flavour was amazing.

Bison ($9/bite, $40/plate) – The pan-seared tenderloin sung to me in this trio, the Saskatoon berry jus providing a pleasantly sweet finish.

Bison Carpaccio ($6/bite, $40/plate) – Some of the plates (bisque, scallop), seemed to be a more natural fit for the “by the bite” concept. The bison Carpaccio was another, as some might be uncertain about committing to an entire dish of unknown. The plate was elegant, but the paper-thin slices of meat were overpowered by the pink peppercorn. I would order it again; it was promising.

Spaghetti ($8/bite, $26/plate) – The alpaca meatball I had a few days later from ZINC’s station at the Chili Cookoff wasn’t dry, so I’d say that much like some of the other proteins, that the kitchen just had to work on the timing.

Salmon ($8/bite, $36/plate) – Why eat salmon when you can have an amazing roasted barley pilaf with kohlrabi and carrot instead? This accompaniment knocked my socks off, and made me wonder why it wasn’t the vegetarian option.

Dessert, to my mind, made the easiest transition to the tasting concept – how often have you wanted to order one of everything off of the dessert menu? In a city with a distinct lack of dessert bars, I hope someone steps up soon.

While Chef Omar couldn’t provide “by the bite” servings of his desserts, he did treat us to his banana bread pudding. Served warm, it was a lovely way to end the night.

Again, I’d like to commend Chef Omar for introducing this concept to Edmonton diners. Though some dishes worked better than others, I can imagine the menu is a work in progress. I would also guess that with time, the kitchen could perfect the preparation of the proteins.

Thanks to Chef Omar and the rest of the staff at ZINC for a memorable experience!

ZINC (inside the Art Gallery of Alberta)
2 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Lunch: Tuesday-Saturday 11am-2:30pm; Dinner: Tuesday-Wednesday 5-9pm, Thursday-Saturday 5-10pm; Brunch: Sunday 11am-2pm; closed Mondays

The New Kid in Town: Local Public Eatery

While South Edmonton Common isn’t the most hospitable area on the best of days, a new addition to the land of box stores may make your holiday shopping excursions a tad more bearable: the city’s first Local Public Eatery is now here.

Local Public Eatery, a brand of the Joey’s Restaurant Group, has a successful flagship in the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver. They decided it was time to bring the concept to Edmonton, so in October, shut down OPM (another Joey’s brand) in order to convert the location into Local. The restaurant opened last Friday.

Interior

Local does have another location in Alberta (in Medicine Hat), but as a franchise, I was told its flavour was decidedly different than corporate-run establishments like those in Vancouver and Edmonton. Based on our visit this afternoon – I’d say the vibe was exactly as they billed it to be: “casual, comfy, neighbourly.”

Open kitchen, and Edison-esque bulbs

They really did a number on the interior – OPM had two distinct rooms separated by a wall – a bar/lounge at the front and a dining room with partitioned booths at the rear . The wall is no longer, and as a result, the space, with a long bar down the centre, an open kitchen, and booths on the periphery, feels refreshing.

What’s better than Conan on the flat screen?

Mack and I happily accepted an invitation to have a complimentary brunch at Local this afternoon. The staff were friendly, in good spirits and excited for the opening. They made sure to let us know that four of OPM’s well-loved dishes were saved from extinction (wok fired squid, gyoza, drunken chicken, seven flavoured beef), and that gluten-free options would still be available (six in total).

Besides the OPM transplants, the differences between the Kitsilano menu and the offerings in Edmonton are minimal – food at Local focuses on pub favourites: starters meant for sharing, entree salads, burgers and sandwiches. My only beef was that the “Oil City” burger, with cheddar and jack cheeses, hot sauce, pickled jalapenos & onions, is the same burger that appears on the Kitsilano menu, but under the moniker, “The Kits Beach” (doesn’t #yeg deserve a little bit more creativity?).

Fun map on the flipside of the menu (close-up of the legend is here; we did alert the staff that there are actually three local breweries in Edmonton – Yellowhead is currently missing)

Where Local Public Brewery really shines, however, is their beer menu. Unlike the Joey’s restaurants, Local has the leeway to include Edmonton-made beers on tap, and even better, price them at the same rate as big domestics and imports. So a pint of Kokanee, Pilsner, Amber’s Mountain Pepper Berry or Alley Kat’s Charlie Flint will all cost you $5.50. It makes choosing local just that much easier (in total, they have five local beers on tap – Amber’s Pepper Berry and Vampire Sap, and Alley Kat’s Charlie Flint, Aprikat and Full Moon).

They also have fun cocktails, such as their Caesar served in a boot-shaped glass. At $8, it is a meal in itself, served with an olive, a green bean and a pepperoni stick. The spicy horseradish gave it a kick Mack wasn’t expecting, but I can imagine this is a signature drink that patrons would return for again and again.

Hail Caesar!

As with the rest of the menu, the brunch options are few, but familiar. Mack really enjoyed his eggs Benedict ($12), with poached free-range eggs, back bacon & hollandaise. Though he would have preferred eggs with a runny yolk, he really liked the not-too-tangy hollandaise. And the side potatoes? We had to find out their secret – it turns out the potatoes are first steamed, smashed, then deep-fried, before tossed in seasoning. Delish.

Eggs Benedict

My order of banana pancakes ($10), served with smoked bacon and Canadian maple syrup, was solid. The pancake batter had a pleasant banana flavour, enhanced by the slices of banana on top. While I didn’t mind the petite stack, I couldn’t help but think of the fruit cum pancakes I had at Clinton Street Baking Company – with blueberries sandwiched in between two larger ‘cakes, it allowed for a better distribution of fruit goodness.

Banana pancakes

I should mention also that both our plates arrived with a shot glass filled with a fruit smoothie. Nice touch, especially before digging into deep-fried potatoes and fatty bacon, heh.

Thanks to the staff at Local Public Eatery for a great experience. Before we left, we purchased a gift card for a friend of ours who we know will love the place – give it a shot some time; you might too.

Local Public Eatery
1820 99 Street
(780) 989-5898

The New Wave? Fulton Market Burger Company

Mack is still teasing me for calling ahead and asking for reservations from a restaurant with the word “burger” in the name, but since we were dining out with Grandma Male, I just wanted to confirm the wait wouldn’t be too burdensome!

Mack and Grandma Male

I stumbled across Fulton Market Burger Company earlier this year when searching for lunch options in the Sherwood Park area for a staff function. We ended up choosing a different caterer, but my curiosity was piqued, especially after reading mostly positive reviews for the restaurant, and finding out it was the sole Alberta location.

Grandma Male is always up for trying new restaurants, and given her proximity to Sherwood Park, it made sense for the three of us to pay Fulton Market a visit.

Cold winter’s night

The decor slants towards a New York homage – photos of the skyline and the famous Lunch atop a Skyscraper. For that reason, we weren’t sure why the floor was partially covered in tile patterned after cow hide…

Interior

The menu itself reminded us of Rodeo Burger – the opportunity to build your own burger (base, bun, 50 toppings), or select one of their pre-designed creations. Perhaps this is the new wave of burger joints?

Grandma Male and Mack decide on their burger combinations

The ordering cards did seem wasteful though – one card per person? I’m glad they are double-sided, but given they utilized the technology of displaying orders on LCD screens in the dining area, one wonders if another step would have been to invest in order kiosks too (or maybe I’m just hankering for a local version of FoodParc).

Order up!

We all decided on the pre-designed burgers – I chose their Signature Burger ($7.45 for 1/3 lb), featuring smoked cheddar, smoked bacon, pickle slaw and Fulton signature sauce. Mack selected the Empire State Burger ($10.95 for 1/3 lb), with two prime rib patties, shiitake mushrooms, jalapeno jack cheese and the signature sauce. Grandma Male decided on the Bronx Burger ($7.47 for 1/3 lb) topped with jerk sauce, cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes and Jalapeno jack cheese. Though Grandma Male and I both upsized to a fry and fountain drink combo for $1.99 extra, Mack opted to treat himself to Coke in a glass bottle.

Not too many places serve Coke in bottles any more

The burgers were a tad more expensive than at Rodeo Burger, but given the patties were easily double the size (though they did not claim to use local beef), it was worth the price. The flavour and seasonings were good, not exceptional, but it was a pre-fabricated patty – for whatever reason, I was expecting something better.

My burger

I liked that the standard bread offering was an onion bun, but it was dry – as if it had been left out to air for too long. The onion rings were all right, and though we probably should haven’t have enjoyed the poutine, for all of the salt that was in that murky brown gravy, it hit the spot on that cold night.

Our meal

Like Fatburger, Fulton Market also offers milkshakes, made with Chapman’s ice cream (they even had some not-so-common flavours, like blueberry acai). Anything to help it stand out – if only it had been the food.

Fulton Market Burger Company
160 Broadway Boulevard, Sherwood Park
(780) 467-8388
Monday-Saturday 11am-9pm, Sunday noon-9pm

MoCupcakes, No Problem!

The manliest cupcake. Does that sound like a contradiction? I wasn’t sure what to expect when asked to be a judge in the MoCupcakes event that took place at Transcend Garneau last Monday, but it sure sounded like it would be a tasty task.

Cupcakes galore!

MoCupcakes is one event in the Movember arsenal to help raise awareness of and funds to fight prostate cancer, a disease that 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with in their lifetime. Although the campaign has been around for a few years (yes, it is the reason for the unsightly moustaches seen in November), 2010 has been the most successful year by far, having raised over $800,000, contributing to the over $20 million raised in Canada.

Demistache

So, why cupcakes? Well, why not? From the MoCupcakes website:

Why not combine an iconic feminine baked delight “cupcakes” and mash it up with a historically masculine cause that is changing the face of men’s health?

Jas Darrah was the mastermind behind Edmonton MoCupcakes, soliciting six bakers and five judges to determine the city’s manliest cupcake. The team at Transcend (who were also growing ‘staches for the cause), were generous enough to donate the venue, with staff agreeing to work on their own time when the shop closed for the night. Bravo.

Jas explains the rules

Each of the six competitors were given an opportunity to describe their creation to the crowd, knowing that the name and explanation of their cupcake would be worth 10 out of the possible 30 points (10 additional points were awarded for the look, and the last 10 for taste).

Jerry introduces his cupcake

Bacon enthusiast Jerry Aulenbach did not disappoint – his Cheddar Bacon Mo-fin with a chocolate ganache was a play on sweet and savoury flavours. But he even had bacon-less versions for those needing a kosher cupcake!

Cheddar Bacon Mo-Fin

Although Ailynn Santos of Whimsical Cupcakes wasn’t on hand for the presentations, her box of “Big Poppa” cupcakes were accompanied with an explanation that the moustachioed cupcake featured a spice base and root beer frosting. The straw cigarette was a nice touch.

Big Poppa

The cupcakes from Upper Crust were about twice the size of the others, and gorgeously showcased Edmonton’s most popular professional sports teams – right down to an Oilers decal made of icing and a football constructed from a chocolate-covered almond.

Sports-themed cupcakes

Transcend’s own Chad Moss offered a Chocolate Beet-down Mo-cake, using his wife Thea’s recipe. Though he would not divulge whether or not bacon fat was added to the batter, his cupcake was made using local ingredients where possible.

Chocolate Beet-down Mo-cake

Food blogger Chris Falconer offered his own interpretation of a cupcake with his Sunday Dinner Mancake, featuring a toasted bread crisp surrounding the ground beef, bacon and parmesan centre, then topped with a goat cheese mashed potato fondant and a maple sugar crisp. Talk about a dinner in cupcake form!

Sunday Dinner Mancake

Last but certainly not least, Jas’s wife Linda Affolder presented her tool-belt wearing Stud Muffins – an encapsulation of men with their “strong chocolate exterior”, a shot of Guinness in the frosting, and a soft caramel centre. The fleur de sel sprinkling was icing on the cake.

Stud Muffins

Alongside Kerry Powell, Ryan Jespersen, Seth Glick, and Nathan Box, we had the arduous task of assigning scores to each of the cupcakes. I know I was glad to have a rubric to fall back on.

Cheers!

Who has the best milk moustache?

Nate means business!

The judging

That said, Linda’s salty-sweet Stud Muffin was my personal favourite – the combination of the dark chocolate, caramel centre, and fleur de sel was just perfect, and made me wonder why the local cupcakeries aren’t already capitalizing on those flavours (Linda’s recipe can be found here).

It’s a hard job, but somebody’s got to do it!

The judging remnants (all taken home and finished later)

The winners, you ask? Chris’ savoury cupcake earned 125 out of a possible 150 points for third place.

Chris and Sarah toy with their prize

Second place was awarded to Chad for his beet cupcake, who earned 132.5 points.

Chad accepts his prize from Jas

And Linda, with 140.5 points, won first. She was unfailingly humble even then!

Kerry bestows the feather boa to the MoCupcake champion

Thanks to Jas for organizing the event – it was great fun to be a part of! And a big thanks to the bakers for contributing their time and efforts to the cause.

Mack did an awesome job with the photos! You can see his entire photo set here.

City Market in the Winter: Parkade or Bust?

Though I am not a fan of the heated tents on Churchill Square as a temporary bridge to a permanent, indoor City Market venue, when I heard the market would be shifting to the first level of the City Hall parkade, the tents didn’t seem to be such a bad idea after all.

Market Day!

Well – more than anything, it was just far enough outside what we were used to that we didn’t know what to expect. Walking in, this was the scene:

Parkade market

In place of vehicles were 50 or so vendors, a gift wrapping station and a children’s craft table. Though the grey surroundings and lack of natural light were difficult to overcome, the market organizers did their best, with balloon decorations and carollers to lighten the atmosphere.

Carollers (love the balloon reindeer!)

Vendors made the best of their space, using whatever was available to them to hang their signage.

Medicine Man Bison’s creative use of overhead pipes

In contrast to the individual tents, the best thing about this venue was that it allowed all of the vendors to be in the same room together.

Good turnout

Santa was walking around, scaring some children, and keeping in touch with the North Pole via his Blackberry. There was also another mascot, who we thought was a little more frightening, his blue, blue eyes bright under the fluorescent lights. It didn’t stop Mack from taking a photo with him though.

Nipper and Mack

Not knowing which vendors will be at each of the market dates makes it a little difficult to depend on these winter markets (as much as say, the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, or even Alberta Avenue), but I still enjoy the convenience of walking down the street for local products. I’m not sure the parkade is the best place for the market either, but I suppose until a permanent venue is found, whatever is central will have to do – I know I appreciate the City Market organizers doing what they can in the meantime.

Wide aisles

It was good to see Bamir of Eva Sweet, though I have to say I almost always expect to see him in the confines of his waffle truck. In addition to waffles, he was selling vanilla waffle dough, which is a great idea for the holidays – a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, and an easy breakfast for those with a waffle iron at home.

Eva Sweet dough

We also met Darcy Goodrich of Pure Country Food, who offers free-range pork, chicken, turkey, eggs, and grass fed and finished beef. We missed him at the last winter market in November, but look forward to seeing him again at the next two winter markets – if not only for their beef jerky, which I had to hide from Mack after he consumed half the package in one sitting.

Darcy from Pure Country Food

After picking up what we needed, we headed back to ground level to take advantage of some of the other market activities.

Marshmallow, anyone?

The lines were quite long for the sleigh ride during the Holiday Light-Up, so we were in luck today – crowds were thin, and meant we didn’t have to wait at all for our turn.

Giddy-up!

Art Gallery drive-by

Mack

Overheard during the ride – a 10 year old girl behind us said, “There’s always something fun going on downtown.” Agreed!

There are still two more City Market winter dates remaining this year – December 11 and 18, 2010, from 11am-3pm on Churchill Square (yes, back to the tents). See you there!

The Cooking Chronicles: Hurrah for Leftovers!

Most of the time, I’m just hoping our weeknight dinners yield enough food to provide us both with a hot lunch the next day, but sometimes, the recipes that are meant to feed a large family are wondrous for the two of us – eliminating a night’s worth of work, without sacrificing a home-cooked meal. What’s not to love?

Mark Bittman’s Paella

Mark Bittman’s recipe for paella in Food Matters is very similar to Michael Smith’s that we tried last year. But somehow, it worked out better. It could have had to do with the fact that we had superior ingredients this time around (sausages from Irvings, tomatoes from Kuhlmann’s), or because we had a more heat efficient vessel (a Le Cruset Dutch oven), but the resulting paella was so tasty! I loved how the tomatoes just fell apart, and infused their sweetness throughout the dish.

Paella (a photo of the leftovers…I had forgotten to take a photo of the meal before that)

And all the better – we were able to milk two additional meals from the pot. Score!

Mashed Potato-Topped Mini Tourtières

A recipe for mashed potato-topped mini tourtières in the Winter 2010 issue of Inspired appealed to me because of its likeness to shepherd’s pie, and its incorporation of seasonings more in line with tourtières. The recipe made it easy to incorporate many locally-sourced products, including onions from Kuhlmann’s, potatoes from Greens, Eggs and Ham, ground pork from Irvings, and ground beef from our cow share (it keeps going and going…). I decided to omit the cream cheese (knowing that we wouldn’t be freezing the pies) to keep the fat content down also.

Though the steps themselves weren’t difficult (sautéing the meat with the vegetables and reducing down a sauce, boiling and mashing potatoes), it took about an hour to finish cooking (given the pies had to bake for 30 minutes after assembly).

Mini Tourtières

Mack said it was missing a kick (perhaps some cayenne or chili powder would have helped), and I knew I should have added carrots for the texture and the sweetness, but as a whole, I enjoyed them.

And how many pies did we end up with you ask? Seven! They were easy to reheat, and made a great lunch the next day too. Hurrah for leftovers!

Shop Local Month 2010: Favourite Gifts to Give or Get

I haven’t really begun my Christmas shopping yet, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking about it! Things I’m leaning towards this year: treats from Duchess Bake Shop and Jacek Chocolate Couture; wine from Barr Estate Winery; or, like we did last year, baskets of locally-sourced products.

With Shop Local Month coming to a close, but the gift-getting-and-giving season just ramping up, I thought it might be helpful to collect ideas from a few city personalities, similar to last year. I asked them:

What is your favourite locally-purveyed gift to give or get?

I hope their answers will help you with your own shopping!

Garner Beggs, co-owner of Duchess Bake Shop

I would have to say a beautiful fountain pen or some ink from Stylus at 10538 102 Avenue. I’ve got more than a bit of a pen fetish and Stylus, besides having amazingly friendly and knowledgeable staff, has the most ridiculous number of inks I’ve ever seen crammed into one shop. Plus their selection of writing utensils in general is superb.

Tamara Stecyk, Special Events and Community Relations for the Edmonton Food Bank

I’ve always loved bakeries. Fresh bread can be so comforting and I love to treat myself to the apple caramel bread from Prairie Mill. It’s a great gift as well because the flavour is different than any other bread that I’ve tasted and others who have shared this sweet doughy pleasure with me agree.

I also recommend buying one or both of local writer Debby Waldman’s children’s books. Clever Rachel has riddles that even adults can enjoy. A Sack Full of Feathers teaches kids why it’s not a good idea to spread gossip.

Liane Faulder, Edmonton Journal Food Writer

I have to say that local cheese is my new favourite gift. A recent visit to Paddy’s (or Everything Cheese if you live in the south west) left me with three great ideas for locally-inspired hostess gifts over Christmas. Take a piece of St. Maure (by Holly Gale of Smoky Valley Goat Cheese) a chunk of pecorino (by The Cheesiry‘s Rhonda Headon) and a sizeable bite of Grizzly from Sylvan Star Gouda. Put them into a basket with a jar of preserves by The Jam Lady (available at Uncle Ed’s Restaurant or Bon Ton Bakery while the City Market is closed for the season) and a loaf of fresh bread from Tree Stone Bakery (baguettes are great, but they are long and might look funny sticking out of your basket). You are sure to be praised as the best guest ever at your next Christmas party.

Kendall Barber, marketer and blogger

This holiday season wrap up the gift of handmade with gifted and talented Edmontonians.

For design lovers or aspiring chefs, give a solid maple or walnut cutting and charcuterie boards handcrafted by Geoffrey Lilge. Available at Zocalo (10826 – 95 Street) or 29 Armstrong (10129 104 Street).

Give some sparkle with handmade jewelry from So Pretty. Absolutely adoring the rose gold collection for those hard-to-buy-for-gals on my list. Purchase online or at Coup Garment Boutique (#101 10137 104 Street).

Show up to your next holiday soiree with a hostess gift from g l a s s . f u l. These hand blown, tripled layered, coloured glass votives can be used as candleholder, vase, drinking glass or centerpiece. At only $30 a glass votive, these will be my go-to holiday gift.

Kids on my list will be reading all about jam with The Jam Story line-up of books from local illustrator Sarah Jackson. The adorable books teach important lessons on self-acceptance and realizing your tastiliciousness. Available at the Art Gallery of Alberta gift shop.

Omar Mouallem, editor, writer and rapper

No Edmonton woman is at her full potential of coolness without a piece of clothing by Fridget Apparel. Her line is a little 50s, a little mod, a little revolution.

And to add some animal or leafy charm to your life, I adore the felt anthropomorphized animals and hairpins by craft-ster Bevan Kovitz and her Trial By Fiber company.

Kat Danser, musician

I recently received a lovely gift of a massage at Prana Holistic. This business is owned by a mother/daughter team who are committed to the community and environment as well as providing a nurturing, professional atmosphere. My professional life as a musician means that I must commit to health and wellness. Creativity relies on a relaxed mind and body so that one’s spiritual essence can guide the way. The more out of my ego/mind self I am, the greater success I have in communicating musical meaning. I plan to return to Prana Holistic many times in the future so that I can expand my body knowledge and nurture myself. A lovely gift to receive and to give.

Gerbera daisies are my absolutely favourite flowers! When I first came upon La Piazza Dasee, I realized that something special was happening in that business. The calm environment, the care and attention of the creative flower artists and the value are outstanding. Whether sending beautiful flowers for to myself or to others, La Piazza Dasee is the only flower shop for me.

Valerie Lugonja, food blogger

I will be giving gifts from La Fourchette this year as I love the back story on this young foursome and their little funky flattened silverware markers that I first found at City Market downtown.

I will also be giving memberships for the Art Gallery of Alberta to my daughters as supporting our local art community is so important.

The last gift I will be giving is the gift of learning how to cook and bake through a gift certificate to a cooking class at my new business partnership with Maria: Taste Tripping.

I would love to get a gift of a donation made on my behalf to go to The Boys and Girl’s Club of Edmonton or to the Edmonton Food Bank. It is a time for me to give back and when someone wants to give me a gift, I ask that they keep these two very needy and incredibly important organizations in mind.

Jerry Aulenbach, realtor and bacon enthusiast

Bacon stuffies by @Evieheartsmilo. They are hand made, cute, cuddly, awesome, and bacon! Available as a muppet or a simple pillowy stuffy.

Bruce Clarke, photographer

Coffee – you can’t go wrong with just about any coffee product from either Transcend or Credo. Gift cards are always nice too.

AGA Membership – I’ve visited the new Art Gallery of Alberta more times in it’s first year of being open than I ever visited in all the previous years combined so I think a gift of a one-year membership would make an amazing gift to give or receive.

Hats – Headcase on Whyte Ave has a great selection of funky hats for men and women. As a man with a growing forehead, I’m learning to appreciate hats more and more.

Cosmetics – for the lady in your life, check out Lady Venom Cosmetics. Gina Cicero is an amazing makeup artist from Edmonton who has created her own line of high quality cosmetics.

Adam Rozenhart, Social Media Specialist and Podcaster

Boy, this is really a tough question. And I hate to default to something so common as what I’m about to suggest, but over the last five or so years, Edmonton’s food and beverage scene has grown by leaps and bounds.

If I had to give a gift from the local food scene, it would probably have to be a selection of fine roasted coffees from Edmonton’s very own local roasterie, Transcend Coffee. The boys and girls at Transcend have coffee bean roasting down to a T (pardon the ironic pun, if you’re reading this out loud). But more than that, they get what it means to be a local business. They’re active in social media, they love chatting with customers, and they also chat with competitors like the folks at Café Haven in Sherwood Park, and Nate Box over at Elm Café.

The holiday season is about staying warm and spending time with family. And nothing beats a delicious cup of coffee to help facilitate both.

Cindy Lazarenko, owner of Culina Highlands

Kerstin’s Chocolates! One year I received a gift basket with chocolate, book, coffee etc. wrapped beautifully, they do a great job there.

I love macarons from Duchess! Especially the salted caramel.

Also Callys Teas (8608 99 Street), her teas are so good and she sells these great little colored brown betty type teapots with basket inside, we use them at the restaurant.

Ryan Jespersen, Host of CityTV’s Breakfast Television

My wife (Kari Skelton) and I are big fans of “the experience,” so we try to give out-of-towners gifts that provide an opportunity to visit and learn a little bit about Edmonton. In past, we’ve gifted “itineraries” – weekends built around an Oilers game, a show at the Citadel (especially A Christmas Carol!), the Edmonton Indy or even the Ice on Whyte festival. A weekend in the capital city isn’t complete without a visit to one of our excellent independent restaurants, so we’re sure to include a stop at one of our favourites – Madison’s Grill, the Blue Plate Diner, Koutouki, Lux Steakhouse or Delux Burger Bar. Presentation-wise, it’s tough to beat the offerings at Notables Stationers. We’ve designed custom Christmas cards with their talented staff in past (and the hand-made wrapping paper is sure to impress). And for that person that seems to have everything, we’ve always found something special at La Piazza Dasee. Their team pushes floral design to a whole new level and their expanded location just south of Whyte Avenue has a great selection of unique gifts you won’t find anywhere else!

Make sure to check out Lightside Photography’s blog, featuring 30 local businesses over 30 days, for even more ideas!

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