Category: Edmonton

Fun Fusion: Wild Tangerine

Last week I met up with Jennifer for a late lunch. My first pick, Il Pasticcio, unfortunately only serves lunch until 2pm, but Jennifer’s trusty foodie colleague recommended Wild Tangerine, whose operating hours span both afternoon and evening.

I’ve been to Wild Tangerine for dinner a couple of times in the past, and have been more impressed with each visit. They are a great example of a successful, independent business (and one of the first Original Fare members), and are well-known for their creative Asian fusion cuisine that highlights local producers.

Interior

As expected, we hit the tail end of the lunch rush, with only two other parties in the restaurant when we arrived. We were greeted immediately by co-proprietor Wilson Wu, ever-affable and chatty. This was the first time I’ve had the opportunity to speak extensively with him, and through the conversation, realized how health-conscious Wild Tangerine strives to be. Their current focus is on a line of pre-cooked frozen meals (available at the restaurant and through the Good Food Box) – from gourmet pizzas like Moroccan mint lamb to bison short ribs – which, like d’Lish, fills the niche of convenience with a conscience. He also told us that their Mobile Cuisine location (which had been located in Manulife Place, and served similar healthy takeout dishes), closed when their sublease of the space ended. Wilson said that it was difficult to hire staff (Mobile Cuisine opened during the boom), and that the appetite in Edmonton for such meals isn’t yet comparable to other cities.

While I can’t vouch for their bagged cuisine, I do love their menu. I think their play on Western concepts are clever: for lunch, for example, they offer Asian Po’Boys, really just a fancy term for “sandwiches”, said Wilson. Jennifer and I each ordered one – she the smoked salmon egg fooyung ($13), which tasted like a frittata encased in a bun, and I the butter masala chicken ($15). The sauce that enrobed the chicken was spiced for more timid palates (not a bad thing for a daytime meal), but the real star of the plate was the sweet corn relish, and the crisp green salad alongisde the po’boy.

Butter masala chicken po’boy

An order of four shrimp lollipops ($12) also found their way into our meal. We agreed they would be a disastrous first date appetizer, but were darn tasty. How could you go wrong with deep-fried, phyllo-wrapped shrimp?

Shrimp lollipops

Between their attentive service, interesting menu, and unrelenting support of local producers, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed lunch at Wild Tangerine. I’ll be back soon!

Wild Tangerine
10383 112 Street
(780) 429-3131
Monday-Thursday 11:30am-10pm, Friday 11:30am-11pm, Saturday 5-11pm, closed Sundays

A Family Farm: Greens, Eggs and Ham

About a month ago, Mack and I drove out to the Greens, Eggs and Ham farm in Leduc County on a Sunday afternoon. I had arranged to interview Mary Ellen and Andreas Grueneberg that day for a Vue Weekly story about their businesses and the challenges they face, and they were nice enough to invite us to stay for dinner as well.

Green, Eggs and Ham farm

Sometimes, 900 words isn’t enough to tell the whole story. This was one of those instances. Also – though I loved the images Gabe Wong produced for the Meat Issue, I was hoping they would showcase at least one of the photos I took that day. Thankfully, I have no such space restrictions on my blog!

Mary Ellen and Andreas (my favourite photo from that night)

Though I’ve buying from Greens, Eggs and Ham for a few years now (and just started my second year as a member of their Community Supported Agriculture, called the Greens, Eggs and Ham Futures Program), this was the first time I had the opportunity to sit down with them and learn how they entered the farming business. 

We had already toured some parts of the farm back in November, but in warm weather, we were able to see some of the land that would be seeded shortly, and check out the status of the greenhouse since our last visit.

Andreas finishing up with watering duties

We also took a quick peek inside the duck barn, containing a flock that would be processed at the end of the month (I think the duck legs we had last week were actually from animals we saw that day…).

Ducks!

More pets than food, the last stop was to check out some beautiful birds and not-so-quiet guinea fowl.

Whatcha lookin’ at?

The small family farm is referenced so often in current literature that it almost seems cliché, but Mary Ellen, Andreas, and their two daughters Ariana and Megan are a great example of how each member of the family contributes in some way.

“Ariana has an absolute way with fowl,” shares Mary Ellen. “She keeps them calm and friendly. One of the reasons our birds are so great and tender is because when we load them, there’s minimal stress. Usually when people are loading birds for processing, they wait ‘til dark and then they turn off the lights, put the black light in and hold them upside down by their feet so they can hold more in their hands, then throw them in the cages.”

“Because of Megan, my bird person, we go with their natural rhythm,” continues Mary Ellen. “At dusk, the birds lay down and go to sleep. So we load them before dusk. And the birds are all calm. We walk towards them with boards to corral them other than the turkeys who follow Ariana everywhere. Megan and I just stand in the back to make sure they don’t go away and they all follow her. Any changes are going to be stressful, but we try to minimize that because with adrenalin, it takes eighteen hours to get it out of the system so you will end up with tougher meat.”

Megan being a “bird person” isn’t an understatement either (she learned about birds primarily from working at The Bird Shop in Edmonton). They have ten parrots, in addition to the fowl kept outside as pets (turkeys, guineas, ducks, geese, chickens and peafowl), two dogs and three cats. Having grown up in a virtually pet-free house, it was a nice change to be surrounded by animal companions.

Too cute parrot

Yukon looking fully satisfied after his dip in the pond

We also talked about the increased distribution role Greens, Eggs and Ham has recently adopted. Because of her marketing skills, Mary Ellen has often promoted other small producers to potential buyers. This year, however, they have a formal contract to source and deliver local products – everything from cucumbers and tomatoes to Wagyu beef, alpaca and ostrich – for ZINC.

“It’s very important that the producers have their names on their products,” says Mary Ellen. “Other than the alpaca will go through us because I work with the Alpaca Association, the elk will come from Amber Lane Game Farm, Wagyu from Jordan Valley Farm, rabbit from Sean Anam Farm. I never want to be the kind of distributor who avoids using producers’ names because I want a local, vibrant, sustainable system and I want them to get a pat on the back for their product.”

This van gets things done

Dinner that night was a delicious turkey stew, made entirely with products from the farm – turkey drummettes, carrots and potatoes – coated in a flavourful jus. It’s a recipe I will definitely have to try myself.

Turkey stew

There was also dessert – a sinfully rich chocolate cake from Eco Cafe in Pigeon Lake (an upside to Mary Ellen’s distribution role is picking things up to bring back home).

Chocolate cake

Thanks again to Mary Ellen and Andreas for having us over!

Greens, Eggs and Ham are at the City Market every Saturday until Thanksgiving from 9am – 3pm, but their products can also be found at Careit Urban Deli and Ocean Odyssey Inland (10027 167 Street).

CommuniTEA Infusion Launch

One of the ideas that really resonated with me from Jim Diers’ talk back in November was the concept of “bumping places” – locations in the neighbourhood where residents could casually meet others – cafes, grocery stores, parks and the like. Some areas are undoubtedly more populated with such communal spaces than others, and Central McDougall, my adopted neighbourhood during the day, is not one of them.

So when Diers gave the example that night of a mobile meeting place, an ingenious van-turned-portable teahouse (complete with lawn chairs and fold-out overhead shade), I thought that was the perfect bridge to a more permanent solution. Even better, Diers shared that such a van was coming to the streets of Edmonton, courtesy of the Edmonton Learning Community.

A non-profit that works with people with developmental disabilities, the ELC had spearheaded the initiative with the support of the City, who helped purchase the vehicle. With some repairs and a colourful wrapped exterior, the CommuniTEA Infusion van was born (this slideshow provides more background on the project, from shots of the van pre-transformation to other shortlisted designs).

CommuniTea Infusion

The CommuniTEA Infusion van will be working closely with the Office of Great Neighbourhoods this summer in order to set up in communities targeted for revitalization – including Central McDougall.

Mack and I met up at Churchill Square this afternoon to attend the launch.

Councillor Sohi addresses the crowd

Serving up tea

Yes, that’s an iPod dock in the tea bar!

Mack enjoying his tea

Steeps Urban Teahouse sponsored the tea for this event, but the ELC is looking for more donations to support continued operations of the van.

Bravo to the Edmonton Learning Community and the City for this wonderful initiative. I’m already looking forward to the day the van stops by my neighbourhood!

Music and More: Blue Chair Cafe

I’m always happy when I can finally scratch a restaurant off my “to try” list, particularly when the restaurant has been on the register for a number of years.

I had initially added Blue Chair Cafe onto said list when I started to hear great things about their vibrant, packed-to-the-rafters, story slam events. The Journal recently reported that the relationship has since ended, but the restaurant has now started hosting their own version of the off-the-cuff narrative competition (on the second Wednesday of every month).

So while it would be logical to think my visit there two weeks ago would have been to attend a story slam, instead, a group of us from my workplace went to support a musically-inclined colleague of ours. He plays in a band called Le Fuzz, who bill themselves as “Alberta world beat fusion”. The quintet are super-talented, vivacious and upbeat, and every time I see them perform, I am amazed at how seamlessly the band is able to transition from one style of music to another. Moreover, they are known for songs sung in languages other than English – including Spanish, Swahili and Mandarin.

A long history as a performance venue (I couldn’t get a clear shot of Le Fuzz…they don’t stand still!)

A coworker commented that the layout of the Blue Chair reminded her of the now-departed Sidetrack Café, with the stage set back into a corner, and a mezzanine level ensuring that even those seated far back had a clear view of the band. With a packed schedule that includes a different performer almost every night, the Blue Chair has to be one of the busiest live music venues in the city.

Interior

I loved the bold wall colours, eclectic art, and the globe light fixtures that had been hung at different heights. Combined, the décor made for a very cool but comfortable feel.

A cozy two-top

I had also heard positive reviews about the food, though, as stated on the menu (on the flip side of a record sleeve!), the restaurant is hampered by a small kitchen. I ended up ordering my second choice (they had already run out of turkey chilli), the pad thai ($16).

Cool menu

As it was an absolutely full house, I was expecting a long wait, but was pleasantly surprised. While it was not the most authentic pad thai I’ve had (saucy, mild, and made with vermicelli instead of a flat rice noodle – similar to The King & I’s version), I enjoyed it, and liked the rich peanut and coconut flavours in the sauce. There were also a fair bit of vegetables (julienned carrots, blanched green beans, bean sprouts) included, which added great crunch and colour to the dish.

Pad Thai

To enjoy their last song and encore, a few of us found our way to some empty space and made a dance floor (okay, I joined them only for moral support). The wait staff who had to make their way around our cluster were definitely a patient bunch!

In all, Blue Chair Cafe provided a great space to unwind after a long work week. I hope to be back in the future to finally witness a story slam!

Blue Chair Cafe
9624 – 76 Avenue
(780) 989 – 2861
Monday – Sunday 10am-10pm

City Market Opening Day 2010

I’ve been waiting for this day since the City Market wrapped up for the season last Thanksgiving. Though we did make more of an effort this year to visit the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market on a regular basis in the winter months, there really is nothing like this open air market in Edmonton’s warehouse district. The fact that we can walk to the City Market doesn’t hurt either.

Market Day!

We arrived just before nine, to cool air and still-quiet streets. We never typically arrive at the market this early, but since we missed the opening ceremonies last year, we thought it better to be early than late.

The calm before the storm

We started our day off with a quick stroll around the grounds, then headed off to Blue Plate Diner for some much-needed coffee and breakfast. We decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather (and opportunity to people watch) by sitting out on the patio – it was one of the best choices we made all day.

Mack twitters on the patio

Pancake breakfast

Mack’s breakfast special – an Italian scramble

We eventually left our comfortable spot and joined the crowds for the opening ceremony. Mayor Mandel, alongside Councillors Ben Henderson, Jane Batty, MLA Laurie Blakeman, MP Laurie Hawn, and oddly, Bob Black of the Katz Group, rang the opening bells (apparently, Black was there to explore the possibility of the EAD housing the market in the winter months…but I’m not convinced). Jon Hall, who is on the City Market Board of Directors, touchingly donated his mother’s antique brass bell to the market, which will now serve as the “official” bell.

Ring, ring!

It was great to see so many people out – an estimated 13,000 by 12:30pm. With the addition of the Southgate and Century Park stations, I am hoping that the foot traffic will grow considerably this year. In terms of the market itself, they have had a 30% increase in vendors in 2010, with over 145 vendors expected in 2010. Although Sparrow’s Nest will not have a booth this year, most vendors from last year are returning, and span the gauntlet of goods from produce, prepared goods, and crafts. Undoubtedly, fresh vegetables are a big draw, and we had to laugh at the twenty-deep line in front of the Edgar Farms booth – early bird patrons were absolutely chomping at the bit for the few bunches of asparagus available this week.

In the storm

In addition to my old favourites (Greens, Eggs and Ham, Irvings Farm Fresh, Doef’s Greenhouses, Kuhlmann’s, Sundog Organics among them), it was great to see already-established businesses utilizing the market as a means of heightening exposure to their products, such as d’Lish and Sweet Lollapalooza.

Though it’s not an exhaustive feature of all products available at the market, these photos highlight just some of the fresh, tasty and creative things to be found at the City Market.

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The Market is also hoping to draw crowds to the streets with monthly cultural festivals, particularly fun for families. A Chinese celebration kicked off this feature, with lion and dragon dances bringing appropriate energy to an exciting morning. You can see the schedule of upcoming festivals dates here, with the next one being a Portuguese Festival on June 12.

Lion dance

Great crowd on hand for the festivities

We ended our market trip with a brief visit to deVine’s. In honour of the Chinese Festival, they were sampling wines and beers from China. Though I’ve heard some negative things about Chinese wines in particular (especially because it is such a new industry in that country), I was pleasantly surprised with the Noble Dragon wine. And priced at just $13.95, we had to pick up a bottle to share with my parents.

Chinese beer and wine

It really was a great morning – I hope to do it all again next weekend!

Check out Mack’s Flickr set here, a post from Chris at Eating is the Hard Part here, a post and video clip of the market from Raffaella here, and Valerie (A Canadian Foodie)’s post here.

Capital City Clean Up: Fifteen to Clean Challenge

I first heard about the Fifteen to Clean Challenge (part of the City’s annual Capital City Clean Up campaign) at a board meeting a few months ago, and immediately thought it was a great idea. I’ve found fifteen minutes to be the perfect “amount” of time – the length of a coffee break, it’s a non-committal duration that can draw my busy colleagues out to wellness, appreciation, or in this case, community spirit activities at work.

I’ve posted about our little corner of the world before – the Avenue of Nations, Central McDougall, the North Edge – whatever you want to call it, it’s not the best neighbourhood, particularly after dark. Litter might be the least of the area’s problems, but I thought a group clean-up activity would be a great way to not only get my coworkers outside as a group for fresh air, but also show the community that we are stewards of the neighbourhood.

We bought gloves and bags, and announced the date a week in advance. Enter Murphy’s Law: the rain came. And then the snow. Pushed back three weeks, I didn’t think Mother Nature would cooperate. Finally, on Thursday, blessed with sunshine and a cooling breeze, we had our date with garbage.

Due to appointments, paperwork, and the sporadic nature of our work in general, I wasn’t sure how many of my colleagues would end up participating in the challenge, but I am happy to say that over twenty people showed up to pitch in. It’s cliché, but many hands do make light work, and you could see the difference instantly.

Doing their part

Teamwork!

Who said cleaning can’t be fun?

Govind and I take out the trash

In all, between twenty of us, we “raised” 300 minutes of cleaning time. Thanks to my coworkers for helping out and my office for being supportive of the idea. I hope we can make this a regular affair!

Cozy Retreat: The Bothy

I met up with Annie last Thursday after work at Southgate for some light shopping. For dinner, we thought it would be a great opportunity to finally visit The Bothy nearby, a place I have meant to try since it opened back in December, and that Annie had heard about recently on CBC.

The Bothy occupies the end unit of a strip mall just off Calgary Trail. In spite of its vehicle environs, the décor inside does wonders to transport patrons to another world, one filled with share plates and fine spirits.

I loved the interior. From the kitschy signs (“wine is bottled poetry”) to the warm-coloured walls, painted in autumnal yellows and reds, to the lounge-inducing leather chairs, I felt instantly welcome and comfortable. The music that night skewed in the direction of jazz, the ideal backdrop to float the evening away in a swell of conversation and food. My only misgiving about the cozy space was the two mounted television screens. Last year, Todd Babiak wondered why many bars felt the need for streaming electronic entertainment, and particularly with The Bothy, and its feel as a gathering place, why the televisions are necessary at all.

Interior

The food menu wasn’t large (especially when juxtaposed with the liquor menu), two pages featuring plenty of nibbles, cheese and charcuterie options, and some hot fare. It took some willpower not to order two of everything from the cheese and charcuterie selections, but I figured some room should be saved for dessert.

Loved the detailed description of the wine offerings

I had chosen the chicken and leek pie, as the savoury pies were the sous chef’s specialty. I was not disappointed. The flaky, buttery pastry was perfection, a crust that simply melted into the velvety filling of tender chicken, softened leeks and white wine and cream gravy. I was saddened with every bite, as it meant I was that much closer to finishing an absolutely enjoyable dish. The accompanying tomato and cream soup hit the spot as well, tangy and satisfying, particularly because I had been craving tomato soup for a few days.

Chicken & leek pie

Annie took the plunge with The Bothy’s haggis, something neither of us had tried before. I think we were expecting a plate that resembled a B-rate horror movie, so found the dish that arrived relatively benign. She said that it tasted like a fattier, more sumptuous version of ground pork, with a texture that paired with the underlying mashed potatoes very well.

Haggis with tatties (mashed potatoes) and neeps (turnips)

Service was stellar, though I’m certain we didn’t take full advantage of the server’s expertise. When we arrived at the final course, the server had remembered Annie’s brief mention at the beginning of our meal that she was thinking of ordering a dessert wine. As such, the server recommended a pairing with the apple pie we had selecting. Annie said the Moscato d’Asti was a great suggestion.

As for the apple pie? It was a tiny dessert that packed a big punch. After my entrée, I was already familiar with the kitchen’s deftness with pastry, but the filling – wonderfully spiced, it’s a pie made for dwindling summer nights as the season rolls into fall, and for cold winter nights, when sustenance is best in the form of sweet remembrances from warmer days.

Mini apple pie with Hercule De Charlevoix

As darkness fell, the ambiance of The Bothy deepened and matured, with tabletop candles flickering light and shadow. Though we probably would have liked to stay on, weeknight obligations beckoned, and we reluctantly exited the freeway retreat.

The Bothy after dark

I’m so glad I was finally able to try The Bothy. It is a fantastic addition to Edmonton’s dining scene, and one I hope to frequent again soon.

The Bothy
5482 Calgary Trail
(780) 761-1761
Sunday & Tuesday 5pm – close, Wednesday-Saturday 11:30am – close, closed Mondays

The Citadel Theatre: “The Drowning Girls”

I was drawn to The Drowning Girls at the Citadel, partly because I wanted to see a Bretta Gerecke design sans Jonathan Christenson, but also because the stories that inspired the play were fascinating:

Meet Bessie, Alice and Margaret: over a short period of time in the early 1900s, these three wealthy women were each seduced, wed, insured, and ultimately slain — all by the same man.

This was the first time Mack and I attempted to buy rush tickets – all remaining seats available at 50% off the adult price one hour before curtain (it’s quite a significant discount, with Rice Theatre tickets priced at $50). We lined up a few minutes before 12:30 p.m. for the matinee showing on Sunday, and with only a pair of people in front of us, getting tickets was not a problem.

After we settled in our seats (the theatre looked about three-quarters full), the lights dimmed, and the usual omniscient voice reminded us to turn off all electronic devices. New, however, was the announcement that the Citadel would donate money to the Actor’s Fund of Canada if the performance was entirely free of gadget-emitted sounds and lights – we thought that was an innovative approach to a frustrating issue.

As for the show itself – fabulous. I loved the clean set – the black reflective floor, divided into a grid, and three immaculate porcelain bathtubs, each with a polished silver showerhead positioned above. Water was used throughout the show as a prop, as a metaphor, for affect, so between the already-filled bathtubs and the showerhead that was turned on and off at different intervals, the three actresses performed the entire eighty minutes soaked to the skin. It makes me cold just thinking about it, but they did it with grace to spare.

The production was able to convey the women’s feeling of claustrophobia right from the start, the iron vice of familial and societal expectation cloistering all other possibilities, and brutally exploited by the man who appeared to be their saviour. One by one, each woman replayed their story, underlining the ties that bound them all to the same tragic thread – the whirlwind romances, the shotgun marriages, the isolation, the psychological manipulation, the cruel endings.

The trio of actresses were required to take on multiple parts in addition to their main roles as the three women, and all were versatile in embodying the vastly different personalities (Natascha Girgis’ molasses thick Scottish accent blew us away). Beth Graham impressed me the most with her commitment to each character and her electric energy throughout. And in spite of some pin-drop tone reversals (from moments of black humour to sombre remembrance), the transitions were seamless, and more importantly, remained authentic and believable.

I have to admit I was a bit jarred by the optimistic ending though, featuring a cascade of jubilant bubbles. Even if justice was served, the women were still dead, betrayed by a husband and a society unwilling to accept the women as they were.

At the conclusion of the performance, the actresses thanked the audience for supporting a play originally conceived for the Edmonton Fringe, and that has now toured as far as Toronto. It was their final show at the Citadel, and happened to be their 99th performance (or, as Graham called it, their “Wayne Gretzky show”). Bravo to the cast and crew for a fantastic show and a great run.

Culinary Q & A with Cathy Walsh

Occupation:  The job that pays me is with the Federal Public Service. I am an Advisor, which means I provide advice, guidance and instruction to do with policy and Federal legislation. Although I never consciously thought of this as a career choice when I was growing, it made sense that I did. As a child, I converted my closet into a cubicle by putting in a desk, chair and telephone. My Dad would bring home pads of discarded forms from his office, and I would spend hours filling them out and filing them in a box.

What did you eat today?

Coffee, yogurt parfait (unsweetened yogurt, blueberries, apples, granola), apple, veggie sub, Coke Zero, roast chicken with coupe ondulée frites enrobées faites avec du sel de mer, homemade oatmeal raisin cookies, and tea.

What do you never eat? Calamari, octopus, geoduck – basically anything with a slime-factor, has the potential to suction-cup onto my face, or looks like an enormous old-man penis.

What is your personal speciality?

Bolognese sauce. It’s a rich, meaty thing that allows a lot of flexibility depending on my mood and what’s available in the apartment to put in it. I don’t mean putting in house plants or remote controls, but whatever happens to be in the fridge and pantry. When I cook this I usually go through a bottle of wine, have the tunes cranked, and sing along with the likes of Lady Ga Ga to Tom Jones. It’s very fun and relaxing. The recipe is from my Auntie Anne, but it is suspiciously similar to one found in the red and white checked Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

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

Milk, eggs, cheese, butter, yogurt, apples, oranges, onions, bagged salad, assorted veggies in the crisper, a bottle of white wine, beer, a jug of water, a jar of mayonnaise, maple syrup, and an assortment of condiments.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Campbell’s tomato soup, and/or, broiled cheese and tomato on toast.

What is your favourite kitchen item? 

Le Creuset enamelled cast iron French oven.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

Wine. Medium rare prime rib. Wine. Yorkshire pudding. Wine. Roast potatoes. Wine. Perogies. Wine. Nalysnyky. Vodka shots. Pizza. Wine. Gnocchi. Wine. Sashimi. Sake. Bowls of rice with an unlimited supply of Japanese Village’s steak sauce. Sake. Gooey cinnamon buns with pecans. Coffee with more Bailey’s than coffee. A wafer thin mint.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

The honest answer is the Food Court at Canada Place. When we go out for supper, we frequent Japanese Village’s sushi bar, Furusato, and Route 99.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

I tried a nibbling the corner of the Hotel McDonald once, but it made my fillings vibrate so I stopped. Where’s the best place to eat, maybe? [Ed: Sigh, you caught my poor grammar.] Haven’t found it yet. Been here for 12 years, and haven’t found THE spot yet. In Calgary, we were regulars at a place called Gaston’s. It was run by Gaston Langlois, Pat and Val Arrotta and Pierre Langlois. The food was amazing. The service second to none. The ambience was relaxed, intimate, yet social and friendly. I don’t think the place still exists. Ever since then, haven’t found anything that comes close.

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

It sounds so cliché, but I’d love to be in the Italian country-side, maybe along the sea, and drink wine while watching the sun set, eating olives, prosciutto, fresh bread, fresh fruit, and different cheeses. That said, I’m happy buying this stuff from the Italian Centre Shop and sitting in the sun on our little patio at home.

Cathy blogs at Walsh Cooks.

Chefs in the City: Spring Event Recap

When I was invited to the inaugural Chefs in the City event last week, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew that the evening would involve great food for good causes – to promote culinary arts as a viable career to local high school students, and to raise the profile of Canadian chefs on the world stage. Organized by Shaw Conference Centre Executive Chef and Canadian Culinary Federation Edmonton President Simon Smotkowicz, the proceeds from Chefs in the City would be split between the High School Culinary Challenge scholarship endowment fund and Culinary Team Canada, in pursuit of gold at the 2012 World Culinary Olympics. Other than that, however, between the sit-down dinner at the chef “action stations”, I was unclear how the event would unfold.

Chefs in the City

I met up with Bin Lau, Communications Director for Edmonton Economic Development Corporation on Friday evening, and we headed to the salon level of Shaw. There, we encountered a flurry of activity – sparkling wine and canapés were being circulated by efficient staff, guests were browsing the two dozen or so silent auction items available for bid (everything from bed and breakfast packages to cooking classes and portrait sessions), and two action stations attracted clusters of patrons seeking warm appetizers.

Chefs in action

The sautéed alpaca loin, served with whipped potatoes and yam foam was a punchy way to start the evening – this was my second encounter with alpaca, and though I’d be hard pressed to say the meat has a distinct flavour, the tenderness imbued by the chefs surprises me every time.

Alpaca with whipped potatoes and yam foam

We also had the chance to try a light asparagus spring roll, served on a bed of quinoa. I would have never thought to prepare asparagus this way, but the stalk stood up nicely in its crunchy parcel.

Asparagus spring roll with quinoa

At the host’s behest, we eventually made our way to the dinner area of the salon. Tables had been set up in the centre, with six chef stations lining the periphery of the room. Two screens bookended the space, with a camera already projecting the speaker’s visage onto them, useful for those seated far from the stage or at challenging angles.

Inside the salon

MC Danny Hooper was a hoot. Impeccably quick-witted, I appreciated his wry sense of humour as he did his best to maintain the attention of the crowd. He later explained how the evening would work – prior to the serving of each course, he would interview the chef who prepared the dish, Chef Blair Lebsack who would explain which local producers supplied the product for the dish, and the sommelier who would provide some information about the wine pairing. As the night wore on, it became clear that for whatever reason, this format wasn’t working. Unlike the PMA dinner I recently attended, where the chef and winemakers had the rapt attention of the crowd (granted, in a smaller setting with less distractions), the MC was forced to be quite stern when guests continued to carry on with conversations while the interviews were taking place.

Chef Paul Campbell of Cafe de Ville explains his dish while MC Danny Hooper and Chef Lebsack look on

Of course, I couldn’t get enough information – all of the dishes not only highlighted, but rejoiced in local produce and proteins, with over twenty farms featured. Chef Lebsack of Madison’s Grill is well-known for his work with area farmers, and his involvement in sourcing the ingredients for the meal showed, with many of his favourite suppliers ending up on the menu. He told us later that the main reason they were able to afford local product was because of a Government of Alberta program called Growing Forward, which seeks to better support the province’s agricultural industry.

Some of the producers also took the initiative to visit each of the individual tables to answer questions at a more personal level. One of the producers told me that guests seemed genuinely interested in learning about local food, and about the upcoming farmers’ markets. Because of that curiosity, I think it was a shame the program didn’t include further detail about where products from the night’s suppliers could be found (some pamphlets were available on the chef stations and silent auction tables, but it wasn’t a comprehensive package).

Interviewing Patty Milligan of Lola Canola

In terms of the cookery, it was pretty neat that kitchen stations had been set up right alongside the tables, and with the screens focused in on the prep work, it felt like we were being offered a special peek behind the curtain, complete with play-by-play.

On the screen/on the stage

The first course was a light but satisfying trio of a seared scallop with Irvings Farm Fresh bacon and vanilla foam, pea ravioli and a lobster-herb press. I am not usually a fan of scallops, but this one had been cooked well, meaty without being chewy, and set nicely with the smoked bacon. The pea ravioli was actually my favourite morsel on the plate, fresh and clean.

Seared scallop, pea ravioli, lobster-herb press

The course that followed was a dream – pan-roasted duck breast from Greens, Eggs and Ham and venison tourtiere. The duck, as expected, was moist and tender, with a lovely even layer of fat, but the tourtiere was undoubtedly the star. Paired with a confit rhubarb salad, the sweetness helped to melt through the richness of the meat and the buttery pastry.

Pan-roasted duck breast and venison tourtiere

Sometimes simplicity wins, and this was the case of our palate-cleansing, sensory refreshing third course. The Berry Ridge Orchard Saskatoon berry sorbet, served with fortune cookie tuilles and a wild cherry chip, could have been happily taken the place of any complex dessert. And judging by the total silence at my table as we each cleaned our our filled shot glasses, my dining companions felt the same way.

Saskatoon berry sorbet

The fourth course required some coordination – diners would get one of six different beef entrees, prepared by the chef at the station closest to their table. And because each chef had the opportunity to speak about their dish prior to it being served, it meant that table sections would be served one at a time. This made it my favourite part of the evening, as I excused myself to watch the chefs in action.

LUX Executive Chef Tony Le and Century Hospitality Corporate Chef Paul Schufelt watch over the poached eggs

It was a wonder to me why more people weren’t hovering by the action stations. I know I really relished the opportunity to watch the chefs at work, in their element, racing to finish their dishes, each plate a perfect replica of the other.

Chef Schufelt hard at work plating his “steak and eggs”

I was lucky enough to get to try two dishes, the additional entree a gift from Chef Tony Le, who probably noticed I was salivating while watching his colleague plate the dishes. Besides being fun (a play on breakfast “steak and eggs”), the poached egg, which willingly released its yolk with the touch of my fork, provided that extra bite of richness (the steak probably could have used an additional moment to rest, but given the time pressures, it was understandable).

Pine Terra Farms striploin with a soft poached egg, Kickin’ Ash braised short rib, Riverbend Gardens potato hash, Irvings Farm smoked bacon and ancho pepper hollandaise

My only regret was not being able to have more than a couple of bites before the too-competent staff whisked that plate away and replaced it with the dish I had in common with my tablemates – a Rosemary Jordan Wagyu beef tenderloin “Wellington” and buffalo short rib, prepared by Chef Campbell of Cafe de Ville. This was my first experience with Wagyu, and boy, did the marbling ever live up to the expectations, ensuring each bite was moist and flavourful. And while I enjoyed the short rib, it was an unnecessary addition.

Wagyu beef tenderloin “Wellington” and buffalo short ribs, with fine morel jus, sautéed root vegetables and creamed potatoes

Dessert felt like an event, probably due to my proximity to the chef stations (they really couldn’t get rid of me if they tried). I visited several of the plating areas, and  just when I thought they had finished layering on the multiple elements, out came sauces, brushes and the final touch, a diminutive chocolate flower.

Chef Sonny Sung of Bistecca watches the desserts being plated

Last touches

The final product was spectacular, a feast for the eyes with bursts of colour and texture. The Bles Wold yogurt and blueberry tart was dense but not too sweet, but the real gem on the plate was the parfait glacé. Wrapped in a delicate chocolate ribbon, the whipped filling inside, made with Lola Canola’s dandelion honey, was light as air. I really should have taken a photo of the parfait halved – it was a beautiful creation even on the inside.

Wild Alberta blueberry yogurt tart with Lola Canola dandelion honey parfait glacé and raspberry foam

As if that wasn’t enough sweets, along with coffee, we were served macarons in a chocolate box. That’s right folks, a chocolate box (I passed some tables later that had broken apart the vessel, probably to taste it just to be sure). While the meringue shells weren’t as yielding as those from Duchess, I really had no idea the pastry chefs at Shaw even dabbled in macarons.

One for you, two for me

The evening closed with remarks from Chef Smotkowicz, who thanked the members of Culinary Team Canada who pitched in that day (they would be staying on over the weekend to practice further), as well as all of the local chefs who donated their time and talent. Chef Smotkowicz said a second Chefs in the City event would take place at the Westin over the course of a week starting on October 29, and would include a reception, gala dinner and cooking classes.

Bravo, Chefs! (only about 1/3 of them are in this photo)

With fabulous food and wine, opportunities to watch the chefs in action, and chances to interact with local producers, Chefs in the City is undoubtedly a great event. And for a first-time execution, I think it was a successful endeavour, having raised tens of thousands of dollars for both the student scholarship fund and Culinary Team Canada. Still, I can’t help but think it might be overly ambitious. Chefs in the City seeks to raise the profile of culinary arts as a field, local chefs, Alberta producers and national talent – and while complementary, each area deserves elaboration in its own right. With limited resources, however, I can understand why this combined approach would have to be taken.

I’m looking forward to the next Chefs in the City event, and hope others take advantage of the occasion to help celebrate local talent and producers. It will only get better from here!

Thanks again to EEDC for the invitation – it was a night to remember.

Keep up to date with Chefs and the City here. You can also see my full photo set here.