People’s Food Policy Project: Kitchen Table Talk

Last night, I attended an event at the Central Lions Seniors Centre put on by Just Food Edmonton and Growing Food Security in Alberta that was seeking input from citizens around the People’s Food Policy Project (PFPP).

Welcome table

The PFPP is a grassroots project that hopes to, in April 2011, submit policy papers for consideration by the federal government. The ten current papers can be accessed here, and will be revised several more times as input is received at these so-called “kitchen table talks” as well as at an upcoming conference in Montreal.

Local food was served, of course, including BC apples and grapes, bread donated from Bon Ton Bakery, and some amazing homemade jam

The first part of the event saw individuals self-select one of the ten papers they were interested in having an in-depth discussion about. With perhaps 30 people in attendance, it wasn’t possible to have every topic covered, but it seemed to work well. I should also note that election candidates were invited to attend, but as the discussions were supposed to be based upon the ideas presented in the papers, I can imagine it would be difficult for someone who hasn’t given food-related issues much thought to jump in (and as a result, only one of the candidates, Brent Schaffrick, ended up staying the entire evening).

Discussion paper topics

I know I felt a bit selfish being there, feeling like I didn’t have much to contribute, but having a thirst to learn. The discussion I chose to participate in was “Access to food in urban communities”, touching on issues of personal food security, accessibility and affordability.

The discussion in the group was rich – touching on food deserts, vertical farming, and the need for small abattoirs, among other things – and perhaps even more so because the passion around the circle was palpable. And like some other events I’ve attended, the networking opportunity was more valuable than the content learned (Maryann Borch for instance, has a farm called Good Note southeast of Edmonton that I’d never heard of before – she participated in the On Borrowed Ground CSA this year). I do think more time could have been given for this part of the discussion, however. By the time we were given our two-minute warning, we had barely scratched the surface of the topic, and scrambled to write something down on our notes sheet.

The second part of the evening was done in an open space format, which allows individuals to start a discussion, and for participants to “vote with their feet” and change groups if they become disinterested with the dialogue.

I sat in at Perry Phillips’ table, where he talked about a new initiative by the Leduc-Nisku Economic Development Association, which has received a loan from Community Futures, to establish a local food value chain. This chain intends on growing the Alberta agriculture and food processing sector by connecting farmers and entrepreneurs with the right resources and expertise they need to succeed (e.g. sourcing products, locating processors, marketing to retail). It sounded like the chain was still in the beginning stages (they are hosting a facilitated discussion in November for the purposes of a needs assessment), but he did mention two things of note: first, the Leduc Food Processing Development Centre sounds like a great facility, a sparkly new incubator for food companies that provide, for a fee, access to state of the art equipment, staff, and assistance in the development of products, among other things. Second, he mentioned that the Executive Royal Inn in Leduc offers a 100-mile menu option for local-conscious folks organizing events and conferences – I had no idea, but will be looking into it.

Sharing our open space key points

Susan Roberts, the host of the event who works for Growing Food Security in Alberta, was asked at the end of the evening if Food: Today, Tomorrow, Together would be holding a conference next year (I attended the first conference she helped put on in 2009). Though the focus will be beyond food, Growing Food Security in Alberta has partnered with Pathways 2 Sustainability to host Food, Fuel and Finance in Red Deer next year, from February 23-25, 2011. Though food will be one of the angles covered, all speakers, she said, will be ready to address issues from all three sides.

Susan Roberts

The talk was worth attending, as I was able to find out more about the People’s Food Policy Project, and met some others in the city passionate about food! Thanks to Just Food Edmonton and Growing Food Security in Alberta for organizing the event.

Culinary Q & A with Kevin Kossowan

Occupation: Business Owner/Certified Financial Planner

What did you eat today?

Organic coffee, home-made organic stone-ground whole wheat bread, home-made apricot jam, goat cheese [Holly’s Valencay], vegetable soup [was harvesting veg from the back yard today – leek, beet, carrot, celery, kale, baby cabbage, swiss chard], pickled carrots [from my yard], a chocolate croissant from the Dutch Delicious Bakery, 2008 Chateau Pesquié Terasses.

What do you never eat?

I’d pass on Hakarl next time, but I still ate it, so doesn’t qualify as ‘never’. I may give it another go though over overcooked/burned/dried out processed foods from M&M Meat Shop. I remember going in there years ago thinking ‘cool, a meat shop!’. Not so much.

What is your personal specialty?

Game veal & yard food. I hunt moose and elk calves that are largely milk-fed and just starting to feed on grasses – much like Nature’s Green Acres’ Nouveau Beef which I’m a huge fan of. Yard food because I love to serve menus based on fruit, veg, wild mushrooms, and wines grown & made on my central/downtown city lot.

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you will always find:

Butter, rendered pork fat, home-made jams/syrups, eggs, organic cold-pressed canola oil, various yeasts [wine and bread], play dough. There’d also be a meat of some kind, and seasonal veg and fruit. Lately it also contains a diverse collection of artisan goat cheeses.

What is your weekday meal standby?

I don’t have one. Because I work from home, anything is fair game, any day of the week.

What is your favourite kitchen item?

A sharp knife. I avoid kitchen gadgets something fierce.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

I’d start by doing a tasting of every bottle in my wine cellar, then base a menu around the wines. I’d also want to tie into the two large wheels of goat cheese in my cellar. With some good saucisson sec, rustic bread, fresh fruit and simply prepared veg – I’d be pretty happy. Until I got to the heavier reds – in which case I’d likely be motivated to do some herbed-up long-and-slow rotisserie meats over a wood fire. I’d pass on dessert and have more wine instead.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

For the once every month or two that we do, it would roughly be a tie: Leon’s Wonton & Noodle, and the Than Than [on 101st St]. I tend to value DIY, and eating out is rather DNY [Do Nothing Yourself], so eating out and I don’t get along very well most of the time.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

In one’s kitchen.

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

I used to think geography was a barrier to my culinary happiness – but don’t feel that way anymore. It took me 10 years of traveling and cooking in foreign countries to figure that out.

So I’m going to go with: at home, braised beef shoulder, mashed French fingerling potatoes w lots of chevre and butter, and a nice bottle of right-bank Bordeaux. Yum.

Check out Kevin’s blog here, but in particular, make sure to check out his fantastic From Local Farms series of videos.

Wok and Roll: Shanghai 456

One place you wouldn’t think to find Mack in Edmonton? The City Centre Airport. But that’s where we were recently, in the canteen of the Edmonton Flying Club, also known as Shanghai 456.

You’ve come to the right place

Though the restaurant exists mostly to feed those who use and pass through the airport, it seems Jane’s parents had stumbled upon an ad for the establishment in a local Chinese newspaper. So they introduced Jane to the place, which actually turned out to serve some pretty good food. We congregated there two weeks ago so Mack could learn more about his MC duties at Jane and Yi-Li’s upcoming wedding.

The happy couple!

I’m glad Jane and her other friends, all fluent in Chinese, took care of the ordering (it also amuses me that there are often two versions of the menu at Chinese restaurants – a shorter one in English for people like me, and another in Chinese for those able to order more authentic cuisine).

The xiao long bao (soup dumplings), were among the best I’ve had in the city. The soup was hot and savoury, and it was difficult to keep to decorum and not scarf down the entire basket in front of me. Best of all, they’re fun to eat in a group – one member in particular failed spectacularly several times, piercing the skin and releasing the prized soup before the dumpling reached his bowl.

Xiao long bao

Also very good were the potstickers. The skin on the dumplings were particularly good – thin and light – unlike those typically found at Chinese restaurants.

Potstickers

Mack was a bit hesitant about trying the red bean cakes, but he was easily swayed once he took his first bite. Of course, it’s hard not to love anything deep-fried, but in this case, the sweet and salty combination of the red bean filling and crispy exterior won him over. I know my Mum (a huge fan of red bean cakes) would love this version.

Red bean cakes

Other dishes we sampled included a hot and sour soup (not for the faint of heart – it definitely was more hot than sour) and sherry-braised chicken . The only disappointing dish we ordered was the fish – it had been deep-fried to an unfortunately chewy and hard crisp, then coated with a sickly-sweet sauce.

Chicken and fish

Service was good – we didn’t have to wait long for food or hot water refills on our tea – and though the interior wasn’t visually appealing, it was clean and functional.

Interior

If the airport is closed once and for all, I do hope the owners of Shanghai 456 find another home – their food would otherwise be missed.

Shanghai 456
49 Airport Road (Municipal Airport Building 18)
(780) 451-8333

Where’s the Beef: Rodeo Burger

Before Pecha Kucha 8, Mack and I met up with Brittney and Shauna for dinner at Rodeo Burger. I had been looking for an excuse to hit up the campus burger joint, and an event at the U of A was the perfect justification.

The bold signage, declaring the restaurant’s commitment to using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, and dedication to from-scratch goods (including their bread, patties and toppings) was eye-catching. But the red and black colour dynamic and hokey “Western”-themed font lost me, but then again, I’m much more attuned with the diner sensibilities of Fatburger, probably the closest burger joint comparison.

Interior

Service was friendly, and the cashier was quite patient with us as we waded through the options we had available to customize our burger (19 included in the basic burger price of $4.69). I ended up with a burger topped with bacon and cheese (at $1 more) and caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato and ketchup (included). Mack chose the Western burger ($5.69) topped with mustard, southwest sauce, sautéed mushrooms, bacon, guacamole, green chillies and caramelized onions, and we both upsized with fries and a drink.

Our order didn’t take long at all, our meals ready for pick up at the front counter in no time. I loved the presentation of the shoestring fries, spilling over the paper cup into the basket below. Mack had chosen the “seasoned” variety, which, unfortunately, needed more seasoning. My sea salt version was tasty, but under salted for my taste.

Burger and fries

As for the burger? The patty was thin with not much inherent flavour, surprising because they are custom-made for them, a claim that usually signals the expectation of something more substantial. Brittney’s complaint was that her patty did not fit the bun at all, again puzzling since they bake their own bread as well.

Mack digs in

My grievance was the composition of the burger – typically, ketchup is used as a “binder” of sorts underneath the top of the bun. Here, the ketchup was underneath the patty, resulting in slippery lettuce that would not stay put.

My burger

Rodeo Burger recently had a “free burger day” in support of the Salvation Army, and I do respect the fact that they, unlike other fast food chains, support area producers. And though I would return to Rodeo Burger if I was in the neighbourhood, I’m not sure I would go out of my way for a visit.

Rodeo Burger
8525A 112 Street
(780) 436-4375
Monday-Friday 11am-11pm, Saturday-Sunday 11am-10pm

City Market Report: Week 22

It’s hard to believe that another City Market season has come to a close – I remarked to Mack today that it is difficult to remember what we did on Saturday mornings when the market wasn’t in session.

Beautiful way to end the season

It has become a weekly ritual we look forward to not only for the purposes of stocking our fridge, but also to visit with producers and other market shoppers. More than in previous years, the market really felt like a community gathering place.

Kyla and friends

Unlike the chilly way the City Market ended last year, we were blessed with sunny skies and gloriously warm weather today. At the very least, it meant buskers were able to further enliven the atmosphere.

Martin Kerr

Though the City Market hasn’t yet found a permanent winter space, they have already planned to extend their season somewhat by hosting markets on Churchill Square in heated tents. Dates include:

October 16, 1-5pm @ the Olde Time Fair on the Square
November 13, 3-7pm @ the Holiday Light Up
December 4, 11, 18, 11am-3pm for special winter markets

The hard working City Market staff and volunteers

I really enjoyed documenting the market this year. It made me hyper-aware of our growing season, as I paid attention to when certain items started to become available. It also helped connect me with producers, all of whom were great about my picture taking habit.

So instead of produce photos this time around, I wanted to showcase some of the hard working farmers themselves. I respect and admire all of you for sharing your skills and talents with us, and helping to feed our city.

Jennifer of Sundog Organic

Mary Ellen from Greens, Eggs and Ham (in addition to their drop-off locations for Futures members, they will also be selling at the Alberta Avenue farmers’ market starting next week)

Rick and Amy of Barr Estate Wines (they will be participating in some of the winter market dates)

Pat of Ocean Odyssey Inland (fish available year-round at their retail location, 10027 167 Street, 780-930-1901)

Ed and Sherry of Sunshine Organic (their products can be found year-round at Ocean Odyssey, but they also offer a winter pick-up option)

Michael of Mo-Na Food (he said they are still in the process of determining their winter sales plan)

Patty of Lola Canola (she has started selling soaps made with honey!)

Alan and Sarah of Irvings Farm Fresh (they also sell at Old Strathcona and Salisbury farmers’ markets year-round)

Mathias and Gerda of Green Valley Farm

The City Market returns to 104 Street next May. Thanks for a great season!

The countdown begins…

The Cooking Chronicles: Soup’s On

When we got back from San Francisco, the shock of a fifteen degree temperature drop immediately drove me to revisit the soup sections of my cookbooks. Comfort was definitely in order, and what better radiates comfort than a hot bowl of soup?

Italian White Bean, Bacon and Tortellini Soup

Giada De Laurentiis’ recipe for an Italian white bean, pancetta and tortellini soup immediately caught my eye, but then again, it’s hard to go wrong with pork belly and cheese-filled pasta. I ended up substituting Irvings Farm Fresh bacon for the pancetta, and boy, was it a good decision – the bacon imbued the broth with a smoky flavour that was irresistible. The tortellini (from local company Pasta Time, available at the Italian Bakery) was also a nice inclusion, especially because we don’t indulge in the cheese-filled pasta often. And though we didn’t have any carrots, the Swiss chard from Sundog Organics provided a needed vegetable punch.

Italian white bean, bacon and tortellini soup

It was a simple but tasty soup that I will definitely make again, especially on cold winter nights.

Golden Pepper and Tomato Soup

For something a little less protein-rich, I turned to Deborah Madison’s golden pepper and yellow tomato soup. I ended up substituting another main ingredient in this soup – instead of using yellow tomatoes, I used one absolutely massive Grightmyre’s Pride tomato that weighed over two pounds (James of Sundog Organic said the heirloom variety is quite dense). Coupled with bell peppers from Doef’s and saffron and herbs for flavouring, the outcome should have been better than it was. We thought the broth was lacking something, though the bacon broth, still lingering on our minds (and palates), probably made it impossible for this soup to follow.

Golden pepper and yellow tomato soup

Celeriac Soup

I had been eying Donna Hay’s celeriac soup in No Time To Cook for some time, patiently waiting for celery root to appear at the City Market. It finally did recently, and I picked some up from Greens, Eggs and Ham. In addition to the celery root, the recipe also calls for onion, potatoes, stock and a touch of cream, pureed together.

Celeriac soup, all packed for lunch

I know I shouldn’t be surprised that celeriac tastes exactly like celery, but I was. It brightened the potentially heavy soup with a lovely freshness that made for the perfect lunch.

Though I’m happy with the beautiful fall weather we’ve been having lately, the bright side of a drop in temperature will be returning again to the comforting arms of soup.

Volunteering for the 2010 Homeless Count

The eighth count of Homeless people found 3079 homeless∗ people in the City of Edmonton. Of these, 1862 were absolute homeless (having no housing alternative) and 1217 were sheltered homeless (living in emergency accommodations). This represents an increase of 18% in the overall number of homeless individuals in the City of Edmonton from the 2006 count tally of 2618.

-from A Count of Homeless Persons 2008, Homeward Trust

After volunteering for the last Homeless Count in 2008, I started noticing that the final count of 3,079 was cited often – not unexpected given that it’s the best guess agencies have available, but surprising given the caveat on the possible margin of error given the methodology. Still, because of its pronounced use as a likely basis for funding, and more than anything, its encapsulation of the homeless population for the public, I knew I wanted to volunteer for the count again this year.

In light of the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, and in particular, the Housing First model that the plan embraces (having placed over 900 people in housing), I am really hoping that the count finds a decrease in the number of homeless people in Edmonton. Of course, this would mean that the number of homeless would have had to remain somewhat stagnant since 2008, but I’d like to be hopeful.

I headed to Boyle Street Co-op (my base camp site) this morning and met Fraser, who would be my buddy for the count. Our route ran along 107 and 107A Avenue, through both Central McDougall and McCauley neighbourhoods, and definitely saw more foot traffic than the route I had last year along the same Avenue but further west in Queen Mary Park.

Avenue of Nations route

Similar to what Mack and I found two years ago, we encountered many people in this ethnically-diverse area who passed on answering the questions because of English language barriers (it might be worthwhile for volunteers with second language capabilities to be recruited for future counts). Also, many, once finished answering our questions, were curious about why the survey was being done – a great opportunity to mention the work being done and coordinated by Homeward Trust.

It is worth noting that we also talked to a few people who admitted to being formerly homeless, but had strong opinions on what could be done better to address the issues. For example, one man expressed his opposition to the construction of another social housing complex in the inner city, stating that the temptation for relapse for residents in such an area is much higher than when compared with less central neighbourhoods (he may have been referring to the complex for recovering drug addicts that was just turned down by a city board in Central McDougall).

The 2010 report should be out by mid-November. Thanks again to Homeward Trust for this opportunity to volunteer – it’s always a humbling experience.

If you’re looking to give back, consider volunteering at the upcoming Homeless Connect on October 17, 2010. Hope to see you there!

24/One at the Edmonton International Film Festival

At the City Market last weekend, dozens of people gathered around the Edmonton International Film Festival tent, readying themselves for the 24/One Challenge: make a family-friendly short film in just twenty-four hours!

For the chance to win a $500 cash prize, 45 teams of three entered the competition, with 38 managing to hand in their submission by the deadline. In addition to a selecting one of three genres (comedy, film noir or mockumentary), teams had to include a prop in their film (they were given $5 to purchase something from the farmers’ market), and also incorporate the line “They’re reel…and fabulous” into their script. A jury panel then chose the top ten to be screened on the last day of the festival. The winner of the grand prize, however, was to be chosen by the audience.

I was was planning on making it to at least one screening at EIFF, and after the excitement at the market, figured it would be best to satisfy my curiosity and find out how the teams did. Mack had been lucky enough to get free tickets from EIFF this year, so though he couldn’t come with me, I was able to take advantage of a complimentary pass.

Due to a fire alarm and subsequent evacuation, the screening had been pushed back a half hour. It wasn’t a long wait, and besides, it meant the excitement for the filmmakers in the audience (who wouldn’t know if their film made it into the top ten until show time) had even more time to grow.

The line at Empire Theatre

I really didn’t expect to laugh as much as I did. Several of the films were hilariously absurd (including personified vegetables, an alien encounter, and the sport of “freestyle walking”), and I couldn’t help but appreciate the creativity on display. Though some were cleaner than others, in terms of camera work or sound recording, for example, it was amazing to me that all of the films had been written, shot, and edited all in twenty-four hours.

My two favourite films (and the two that I ended up voting for with my audience ballot) were by Team Show & Tell and Team SSC. The former produced Mittens, about a man entranced with a girl who left a mitten behind at his bus stop, to the point of developing stalker tendencies, while the latter, Reunion, prominently featured its prop (a jar of grape jam from Strathcona County Kitchens) in its telling of a band shattered by a member’s “preserve addiction”.

My ballot

Though I didn’t connect with Walk the Line, a mockumentary about the sport of freestyle walking, it was clearly very well done. More than anything, I was actually able to identify the Edmonton locations they used (something I was hoping for more of) – Beaver Hills Park and the Legislature grounds.

Before they announced the winner of the $500 people’s choice prize, host Rick Lee handed out prizes in jury-determined categories. Walk the Line took home a majority of the awards, including best director, editing and cinematography, so it wasn’t a surprise when they were also called up for the people’s choice award.

I was really glad to have caught 24/One fever – it’s something I will definitely look for at next year’s festival!

City Market Report: Week 21

Though it started out quite chilly this morning, it turned out to be a great day weather-wise for the penultimate City Market day.

Don’t you just love the market in the fall?

Because I had a workshop to get to, I had to make my rounds in twenty minutes – definitely not enough time to really enjoy the market, but at least we have our groceries for the week!

Still quiet

There were lots of purple produce to choose from:

Beets from Kuhlmann’s

Grapes from Steve & Dan’s

Kale from Sundog Organics

…and lots of pumpkins!

Jack-o’lantern sized pumpkins from Riverbend Gardens

ugar pie pumpkins from Sundog Organics

My personal favourite – too cute ornamental gourds from Kuhlmann’s

I can’t believe the City Market season ends next week – time really does fly. Hope to see you there!

Deliciously Trendy: MRKT

Though there has been some mainstream and blogosphere buzz around MRKT, Carla Alexander and restauranteur Sal Dimaio’s newest venture, it still seems to have that “hidden gem” status. This may partly have to do with a lack of aggressive signage at street level (a sandwich board is the only obvious pointer to the restaurant’s existence upstairs), or, up until this point, a lack of formal marketing, but there is something refreshing about an organic growth of customers linked to positive word-of-mouth recommendations. It seems to be a trend in the city as of late, with Duchess and Elm Café having developed their clientele in a similar fashion.

I was happy to finally sample MRKT’s fare last week, having set a lunch date with Ellen (who funnily enough works in the same office as I do, but separated by a floor, means that we hardly ever run into each other).

While MRKT didn’t turn out to be the best place for those on a tight schedule, we didn’t mind the wait as it gave us time to catch up. There were about eight people in front of us, and with that queue of food orders, it was twenty-five minutes before we had plates in front of us.

I loved the décor. When I initially saw photos of the wood paneled walls, I was afraid it would be too dim and imposing. But it was quite the opposite, with the fun curved paneling and two skylights, the atmosphere felt warm and inviting. The communal table (while a little more utilitarian than FARM’s wood version) and blackboard menu also reminded me of FARM, and with their Edison lights (the first in Edmonton!), this interior is probably the trendiest in the city.

Interior

Similar to Soul Soup (Carla’s first restaurant venture), there were three soup options. In addition to soup were three sandwiches, a special and desserts (keep up to date with their daily menu items on MRKT’s Twitter account). Ellen and I both opted for a soup and sandwich combo($13). We both chose the meat soup, a spicy Italian meatball, but deviated on the sandwich orders.

The only blip was the the ordering system – we placed our orders at the counter, and then sat down to wait for our food. But instead of calling out orders (which, I would imagine, would be difficult given the din of the room during the lunch rush), we had to go up to the counter to periodically check to see if our order was up. Sure, a minor inconvenience, but making our way around the narrow tables wasn’t effortless.

The food, however, was everything I had hoped for – comforting, tasty, and made with care. Ellen and I both loved the meatballs in the soup, but had hoped for more than a halfhearted kick, especially from something billed as “spicy”. She really enjoyed her oven roasted tomato, basil and arugula sandwich, noting that she liked the choice of asiago cheese.

Roasted tomato sandwich

My braised Alberta beef sandwich was something that still haunts me today, the combination of tender shredded beef, edam, caramelized onions and pesto taunting me to find something equally as memorable and delicious. I loved that the bread soaked up the tomato sauce the beef had been braised in, ensuring every bite was moist and further punched up with flavour.

Braised beef sandwich

I was happy to see on their blackboard that MRKT is also open for dinner now (and fortuitously, Marianne posted her review yesterday, and had good things to say). It’s the type of restaurant that would transform in the evening into a charming, intimate venue – extending its daytime commitment of friendly staff and good food. What are you waiting for?

MRKT
10542 Jasper Avenue
(780) 757-6758
Lunch: Monday-Saturday 11am-2pm
Dinner: Wednesdays-Saturdays, 5pm-late

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