Category: Edmonton

Culinary Q & A with Brittney Le Blanc

Occupation: I work in the newsroom for 630CHED/iNews880. I write, report, and do web site stuff. Basically, if it’s in the newsroom… I probably do it at one point or another. I also run the @iNews880 Twitter account.

What did you eat today?

So far? Just two cups of hot chocolate. I’ve had my vanilla yogurt sitting beside me at work for about 4 hours now… so, hold on one second. Okay, I’ve had two cups of hot chocolate and a spoonful of vanilla yogurt.

What do you never eat?

I don’t ever eat nuts or peanuts due to allergies. But I also try to never eat onions or potatoes. I have a hate for green onions which I find places tend to add onto EVERYTHING. It’s not a welcome surprise on my plate.

What is your personal specialty?

I can cook a mean Mu Shu spin off. I use chicken instead of pork and add peppers, mushrooms, and rice noodles.

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

Ketchup. Which goes perfectly with my weekday meal standbys.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Either Chicken Nuggets, Fries, and Green Beans or Mac and Cheese. Both easy and fairly cheap.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

My dishwashing brush. I hate washing dishes, but don’t have a dishwasher… this handy brush is efficient and allows me not to touch gross dishwater.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

Chicken Mushroom Lasagna, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, a slice of carrot cake (without nuts) and a glass of ice wine. Alternatively, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk. The world ends tomorrow — if I die from my allergies, it’s only speeding the process.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Probably the southside location of Silcilian Pasta Kitchen. My family discovered it a few years back and we go there for family dinners from time to time.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

I would have to say the Bul Go Gi House. I’ve been going since I was a little girl. Service is almost always fast and friendly, and the food is absolutely delicious!

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

I’ve never given it much thought. Maybe I’d go to Hell’s Kitchen… I would order scallops and risotto. Those always seem so difficult to cook, but I’d love to try the finished product.

Follow Brittney on Twitter here.

Catalyst Theatre: “Nevermore: The Imaginary Life & Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe”

Mack and I went to see Catalyst Theatre’s Nevermore on Saturday afternoon, one of the most hotly anticipated shows of the season. Jonathan Christenson and Bretta Gerecke, the Sterling Award-winning creators of Frankenstein collaborated again, this time on a tale about the life of writer Edgar Allan Poe. From the website:

“Nevermore is a playful and inventive 21st Century exploration of the mind and life of a 19th Century artist whose tormented life and dark imagination inspired him to create characters and stories that have taken on an almost mythical stature in contemporary culture.”

In a word – it was captivating. Nevermore enthralled in the same way Frankenstein did – everything from the lighting design and musical direction to costumes and dialogue were seamlessly integrated together, where each element was inseparable from the rest.

Playing on variants of black, Gerecke’s costumes (several made from paper mache), coupled with gothic makeup, were both playful and dark. Every prop, including the delicate paper tea cups and creaky pop-up books, helped create a dreamlike world around Edgar where it was easy for the audience to see where his conscious world blended with his nightmares. The use of shadow and the semi-transparent screens for narrative scenes and chorus support were brilliant, and demonstrated Christenson’s adeptness in visual storytelling.

All of the actors (except Scott Shpeley who played Edgar) were required to perform multiple roles, each needing to be distinct in voice, stature and movement. I found no weak link in the cast, as all were skilled at the crisp scene changes. Two members did stand out for me – Vanessa Sabourin was particularly haunting as Edgar’s fleeting mother, and Beth Graham’s comic relief as “wee Rosalie” was always a welcome presence.

Nevermore runs until May 17, but has added an additional two shows on May 22 & 23. Go see it! You won’t be disappointed.

Food Notes for May 11, 2009

In exactly a week, I’ll be in D.C. with Mack! So looking forward to a vacation long overdue. In the meantime, I have some notes to share:

  • It seems Ching’s Asian Kitchen and Dim Bar (10154 100 Street) was not meant to last – we caught a sign taped up on its door thanking customers for their patronage.
  • Boualouang has relocated to their revamped, larger space down the block! Their new address is 10569-97 Street.
  • Mack and I swung by La Piazza Dasee (8004 Gateway Boulevard) over the weekend, and we both wondered why they bothered opening at all – nearly half of the store  (and all of the cafe) is still under active construction. Perhaps check them out in a few weeks to see how they’ve progressed.
  • If you were waiting for another opportunity to try out Eric Ng’s veggie donair (I tried one back in November), you’ll have it on May 12.
  • There are so many opportunities to get involved in the local food system right now. Take a survey about how committed you are about buying local over at the Greater Edmonton Alliance website (until May 15), sign up for the Good Food Project, or support the newest Community Supported Agriculture endeavour in Edmonton, Greens Eggs & Ham.
  • The Journal wrote about the coffee cupping experience at Transcend over the weekend. It’s sure to just heighten the demand for their monthly tastings. You can read about the experience Mack and I had last July here and here.
  • Some of the city’s premiere cake creators are featured in an article in Avenue Magazine this month.
  • Congrats to the marketing team at NAIT for their national award from the Canadian Public Relations Society in the social media category. They are being recognized for their innovative approach in engaging the public during Chef Rob Feenie’s whirlwind time in Edmonton.
  • I was following the live tweets from the James Beard Awards last week, but it seems I only caught the tail end. The Edible Prairie wrote about Jennifer McLaglan, this year’s winner for Best Cookbook, Fat: an Appreciation for a Misunderstood Ingredient with Recipes.
  • This is too cool: the green pizza box of the future.
  • I prefer Pagolac’s southside location to their Chinatown haunt, and I was reminded why when I stopped by for lunch last week. I ordered my usual dish (medium rare beef), and was presented with a bowl of lukewarm soup. It was so mild in temperature that the beef didn’t have the opportunity to lose its pink hue. I’ll be sticking to the southside branch in the future.

Pho from Pagolac

  • There’s nothing like kicking off the warm weather with Fat Franks, eaten fresh off the grill outdoors. Yum!

My Jumbo Dog (the toasted bun makes all the difference)

Mack is happy with his Cheese Dog

  • It also just doesn’t seem like summer without an iced brewed coffee from Starbucks, and I was able to have my first of the season last week. I have to remember to get a shot of sweetener in it the next time I order it though!

Ah, a coffee and a book out on the patio

Raising Awareness: Eat Local First

When I had heard that the folks behind Eat Local First had “put up signs” at Wild Earth Foods, I wasn’t sure what that meant. I was already familiar with their pamphlet that describes the benefits of eating local, so I didn’t know what else they had prepared to increase consumer awareness on area producers and products.

Liane Faulder posted a more concrete description of their new campaign last week, and I was finally able to grasp what they were trying to do – label all of the store’s local products with an “Eat Local First” tag. So on our way home from Whyte on Saturday, we decided to stop by and check out these markers in person.

While I have been to Wild Earth Bakery in the past, I hadn’t set foot in their sister grocery store before. It’s a small store not meant to be a one-stop shop, but like Sobeys Urban Fresh, it’s a place for neighbourhood residents to pick up small necessities.

Right as we entered the store, there was a sign advertising the “Eat Local First” campaign, with pamphlets people could take with them. And then the hunt began.

Signage

We didn’t make an exhaustive inventory of the store, but wanted to take note of the variety of local products available in stock. From Spring Creek Ranch beef to Highwood Crossing pancake mix to Pinocchio sorbets, I think the “Eat Local” tags are unobtrusive but effective in helping the consumer seamlessly identify which product will support a home-grown company.

Products from Highwood Crossing

Pinocchio ice creams and sorbets

Bread from Italian Bakery

I can’t see why other stores wouldn’t be jumping on this campaign to promote local goods, particularly with the heightened public awareness about the benefits of buying local (sustainability, food security, among other reasons).

As we were checking out our purchase, we noted a sign that read “Yesterday, 120 people said no to plastic bags”. It reminded us that the small changes we make can add up and do make a difference.

Read more about the campaign here.

Wild Earth Foods
8910 99 Street
(780) 439-4555

Sweets on Whyte: Fuss Cupcakes and Coney Island Candy

After a quick trip through the always bustling Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, we had some time to kill on Whyte before a matinee play, so we took the time to visit a few new additions to the neighbourhood.

An article in the Journal on Saturday pointed to the recent cupcake explosion on Whyte Ave – Flirt Cupcakes opened their doors in February, and Fuss Cupcakes followed with an Old Strathcona outpost that opened this past Wednesday. I have been pretty impressed by Flirt so far (I like their online ordering system, and their beautiful pink gift boxes), but to be fair, having met and interviewed the proprietors probably lends some bias in their direction.

Fuss has been in cupcake business at their flagship west end location (17298 Stony Plain Road) for nearly three years, and was originally known as The Cupcake Bakeshoppe & Cafe. I visited back in the fall of 2006, and was less than impressed with the cupcake – it had been refrigerated (a cupcake faux pas in my book), and the icing tasted artificial. I hadn’t been back to give them a second chance, which probably had more to do with their location than anything else, but was eager to see if they had improved their cupcakes during my time away.

Fuss Cupcakes interior

Fuss sets themselves apart from Flirt primarily by their distinction as being the only “nut free” cupcake bakery in the city, and by offering a large eat-in space. In addition to their cupcakes, Fuss also offers specialty coffees, teas, and floats. Branded merchandise was on sale, including this cheeky shirt:

“Legalize Frostitution!”

There were handy color postcards next to the counter, listing the sixteen standard cupcake varieties offered daily. For the Mother’s Day long weekend, Fuss was offering an additional strawberry and chocolate ganache special.

Order counter

I have to say Flirt does a better job with making their cupcakes look attractive to the customer – while Fuss definitely seemed to have an edge on ensuring a healthy supply of all flavours, I found their fluorescent-lit display a bit sterile and as Mack noted, made the cupcakes seem mass-produced.

Cupcakes

At $2.95 a pop. Fuss shares Flirt’s price point per cupcake. We decided to get one each (to be consumed while waiting in line at the theatre) – The Diva (strawberry icing) for me, and The Flawless Carat (carrot cake with cream cheese icing) for Mack.

Our cupcakes

The clear clamshell definitely loses out to Flirt’s recyclable packaging, and Mack didn’t like that the cupcake wasn’t firmly held in its place, rolling around as we walked. We both really liked the moist and airy cake however (and I was happy to find that they were at room temperature). Mack’s carrot base had a nice cinnamon aroma throughout, while my vanilla cake had just the right amount of flavour. The icing-to-cake ratio was something to be desired though. Mack liked the icing, and said it was less sweet than Flirt. I found it all right, but as someone who would choose something other than buttercream every time, that was no surprise.

It will be interesting to see how the “cupcake war” plays out as the months get warmer, and each shop experiences a fair bit of foot traffic from both tourists and regulars alike.

Our next stop was Coney Island Candy (10345 82 Avenue), a shop we wouldn’t have seen had it not been for the sandwich board on the sidewalk.

Coney Island Candy

It’s a shop for the visual sense, that’s for sure, filled with fun carney-inspired posters and bright displays reminiscent of the 1920s midway at Fort Edmonton Park.

Interior

The shop steps in to fill the void left when Carol’s Quality Sweets was forced to relocate after the fire on Whyte Ave. With over 500 varieties of candy (continuously being added to), including over 200 bulk options, Coney Island is a kid’s dream.

Even better, Coney Island also stocks novelties perfect for gift giving – I’m sure I could have spent more time peering at the various displays, but I did spy bacon mints and bacon floss – the perfect present for any bacon lover.

Open since March, I’m sure Coney Island will continue to draw in the young, and the young at heart.

Fuss Cupcakes
10441 82 Avenue NW
(780) 761-3877

Coney Island Candy
10345 82 Avenue
(780) 438-9003

The Ovens Have Landed: Starbucks Breakfast Sandwich Report

I was pretty excited when I saw that ovens were appearing in Starbucks locations across the city in March. While I knew I wouldn’t indulge in their sandwich offerings all that often (especially not having the time to stop in on my way to work in the mornings), I was looking forward to having the option of something more than cold pastries.

Mack and I had tried a sausage and egg sandwich while in Vancouver last year, and found it to be a sub-par cousin of the breakfast sandwiches offered at both McDonald’s and Tim Horton’s. However, we were eager to give it a second try on home soil. I would have loved to have been able to sample a free sandwich at the South Point location on Thursday, but we ended up walking to the Empire Building location that night for a quick bite before the RISE Celebration at the Citadel (the sandwiches are available until 90 minutes before closing).

All at $3.95, we had the choice of:

  • Classic sausage, egg & cheddar
  • Black forest ham, egg & cheddar
  • Peppered bacon, egg & cheddar
  • Reduced-fat bacon-style turkey with cholesterol free egg patty & reduced fat white cheddar
  • Spinach feta wrap with egg and roasted tomato

I opted for the sausage option, while Mack succumbed to the thought of having bacon for supper. We watched the barista unwrap our sandwiches and place them individually in the oven. When they were ready, they were transferred into a white paper bag with a seal that read “Great coffee deserves great food”.

Seal of Starbucks’ approval

I remember reading something a few months back about how Starbucks had to engineer their sandwich in a way that would make it virtually odourless, so the warming and consuming of them would not overpower the recognizable coffee aroma in its stores. I have to say they accomplished this feat with flying colours – the sandwich gave off nearly no smell – something a little scary when considering its main egg component. Mack liked the fact that the bread shell was not greasy at all, making it a less messy meal. I was disappointed with the sausage patty – it was chewy and lacked any real flavour, two things that are not surprising considering how it was prepared.

Sausage, Egg and Cheddar Sandwich

Peppered Bacon, Egg and Cheddar Sandwich

While I can’t say I won’t be sampling their other sandwich varieties, I think it’s safe to say that both Mack and I would choose our homemade egg sandwiches in a heartbeat. The ovens can also be used to heat up their other food items, though (Empire, for example, had a sign that said cookies could be heated up until 6:30pm), so we may find that the ovens are useful yet!

2009 RISE Celebration

As a representative of my agency, the board on which I sit, and as a member of the Edmonton community that strongly believes that immigrants and newcomers enrich our city, I attended the sixth annual RISE Celebration on Thursday night at the Citadel Theatre.

RISE stands for Recognizing Immigrant Success & Excellence, and celebrates the outstanding contributions by immigrant individuals and organizations that support immigrants. This was my first time attending the RISE Awards, so I didn’t know what to expect.

Mayor Mandel and Councillor Sohi were on hand at the start to proclaim May 7 “RISE Day” in Edmonton. After that however, it was all a blur. Though I thought the awards were meant to be the focus of the evening, it almost seemed like the presentation and acceptance of them were token gestures. While I know I can’t compare this grassroots ceremony to something like the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts, I expected more verbal background on each of the award winners. I have no doubt that the individuals recognized that night were deserving, but I was looking for more of a back story on each of them, in addition to more detail about their contributions – I thought RISE was an opportunity to make the larger community more aware of immigrant achievements.

Mayor Mandel and Councillor Sohi

Award nominees and hosts Sam Abouhassan and Maria Orydzuk

The other part of the celebration consisted of entertainment sets. My coworker was the “Entertainment Director” for the evening, and his band, Le Fuzz, acted as the “house band”. I first saw Le Fuzz at a previous Celebration of the Arts, and they continue to amaze me with the range of songs they can sing, not only in terms of language (Mandarin, Swahili, and Spanish for example), but also tone – from solemn to upbeat, they can do it all.

Le Fuzz

Other entertainment included: The People’s Poets, three Edmonton MCs who rap about social justice issues, local and global; Global Voices, a multicultural choir; Izuba, a group that performs dances unique to Rwanda; and Firefly Theatre, a performance troop known for “thought-provoking thrills and stunning displays of athleticism and grace”.

The People’s Poets

Global Voices

Firefly Theatre

The highlight of the night was definitely the finale that involved all groups that performed that night – a spectacle that the photo below can’t quite capture. The energy in the room and the optimism of the song “Wana Kuja” (“Come on” in Swahili) was a great way to end the event.

Grand finale

Though I have my criticisms about the awards portion of the RISE Celebration, I can’t deny that the spirit of the event is true and important in a diverse city like Edmonton.

Thanks to Mack for being the photographer of the night! His photoset is here.

Food Notes for May 4, 2009

  • My profile of Flirt Cupcakes was published in Vue this week! Also on the cupcake front – Chris left a comment that Fuss Cupcakes on Whyte will be opening up on May 6 (their website isn’t yet live, however).
  • Chris over at Eating is the Hardest Part wrote about a fairly new Tex-Mex joint called Burrito Libre.
  • I’m sorry to have missed the fourth annual Northern Food Night, a Slow Food Edmonton event, that took place last weekend, but there’s a photo-filled recap that captures just some of the bounty available in Canada’s northern regions.
  • It’s finally looking like spring, and the gardens are blooming – Courtney and Brooke wrote about their respective outdoor projects, as did Kevin Kossowan. I hope they all post pictures once everything has sprouted!
  • I like the direction of Starbucks’ new advertising campaign, with lines such as: “Beware of cheaper coffee. It comes with a price.”
  • Andree at Are You Gonna Eat That posted a link to something titled “The Food Blog Code of Ethics” – a set of standards drafted by two bloggers who are also trained journalists. I’m still mulling over the idea of guidelines beyond one’s personal ethics, but I agree with Andree’s point about the lack of transparency provided by mainstream reviewers – I think any review – whether it be in a paper or a blog – should be read as just one opinion, and nothing more.
  • A few friends and I tried to get a table at Cactus Club on Friday at 6:30. The wait? 1.5 hours. We trudged to Bourbon Street and found it virtually empty, sure that Cactus had diverted the usual brisk weekend business. Our group ended up at Earls, where Court’s post led me to order the grilled chicken and baked brie ciabatta ($13). I liked the sweet fig jam, crunchy apples, and generous slices of cheese, but the chicken was a little on the salty side.

 

Grilled Chicken and Baked Brie Ciabatta

  • Mack and I finally booked our trip to Washington, D.C.! I’m in the middle of trip planning, so if you have any suggestions for places to see and eat, please share. So far, Bruce has advised that we check out Georgetown Cupcake.

“The kitsch is off the wall”: Montana’s

While Mack’s dad was in town last weekend, we went for dinner at Montana’s. Part of the Cara Family of restaurants (which includes Harvey’s, Swiss Chalet, and Milestones), I’ve never really had the inclination to visit the chain disguised as rustic log cabins. At the same time, I was curious to see what they had to offer in terms of food – they’re aggressively promoting their new menu with television ads featuring talking moose and deer heads – a bit of whimsy for a restaurant I always considered to be more adult than family focused, at least by judging from the outside.

Because of this, I was surprised to find that the kitsch, as Mack described, was “off the wall” – literally. We walked inside to find a glaring red truck suspended from the roof, a wooden canoe raised above tables, and light fixtures made from “antlers” hung from the ceiling. It appeared the décor had some conflicting identities, however, as chalet posters and skis in one corner seemed out of place. Kim was looking forward to seeing the aforementioned moose and deer heads, and we were actually lucky enough to be seated directly beneath them.

Interior

Kim with mascots

The interior helped facilitate Montana’s casual, family-friendly atmosphere. Servers were dressed in the standard Kara uniform (button up shirt), decidedly pleasant, but necessarily breezy. Every table was overlaid with a fresh sheet of brown butcher paper, which seemed wasteful when the only apparent purpose of it was for our server to note her name down in black crayon.

The menus had just been redone (as indicated in the commercials), and were similar in build to the newer Swiss Chalet, leather-bound books. Improving the quality of the physical menu is a move that many in the restaurant industry are making in an attempt to elevate the value of the establishment in the customer’s eyes.

The feature sheet encapsulated the new items, including cedar roasted salmon and fire-grilled mushroom chicken. As a whole, the menu mirrors Outback Steakhouse and Tony Romas, with an emphasis on grilled entrees like ribs, burgers, and steak. Of course, diversity is the key to mass appeal, and a fair share of salads and pastas also make an appearance. I decided on the BBQ beef brisket with a side of seasonal vegetables ($11.79), while Mack chose one of the advertised specials, the Mediterranean goat cheese chicken ($16.99) and a side of Caesar salad.

The wait for our food wasn’t long and was well-paced between salad starters and mains. I have to admit my plate looked pretty bare – the single crown of broccoli side had me convinced I should have ordered fries instead. My sandwich wasn’t half bad, however – I liked the smoky barbecue sauce used, and for the most part, the brisket fulfilled its promised tenderness. Mack liked his chicken (especially the goat cheese), but thought it was nothing special.

BBQ Beef Brisket

Mediterranean Goat Cheese Chicken

As a whole, there was nothing off-putting about our experience at Montana’s, but then again, there was nothing particularly notable either. I was glad to have tried it to satisfy my curiosity, but I don’t think I’ll be back on my own accord.

Montana’s
3816 17 Street (2 other locations in Edmonton)
(780) 462-8789

May in Edmonton is for Excitement!

  • May Week Labour Arts Festival is already in progress, but runs until May 7.
  • Metro Cinema’s annual Korean Film Fest is on May 1-3, and will be showcasing 8 films this year.
  • Sample over 150 varieties of beer at the International BeerFest, May 1-3 at the Shaw Conference Centre.
  • There are lots of opportunities to pick up handmade gifts this month, starting with the Butterdome Spring Craft Sale, May 1-3. There will be over 140 vendors present.
  • Edmonton Youth Week kicks off May 1-7.
  • Who doesn’t like free things? Celebrate Free Comic Book Day by heading over to Happy Harbour Comics on May 2 for activities and of course, your free comic book.
  • The John Janzen Nature Centre is throwing a Planet Party on May 3 – there will be a puppet show, music, live entertainment, and cake!
  • Let the season of markets begin: the Marketplace at Callingwood kicks off its year on May 3.
  • Another film festival kicks off on May 4: Reel Femme 2009 is a four-day celebration of women in film.
  • Changing Together: A Centre for Immigrant Women is hosting its third annual Multicultural Fair on May 6-9. Look for unique arts, crafts and jewellery from Peru, Mexico, Egypt, India, China, South Africa, Philippines and Indonesia, among others.
  • Did you know the city’s International Basketball League team the Edmonton Chill are now the Edmonton Energy? Help cheer them on in their first home game on May 8.
  • Alberta Avenue continues their community-building initiatives with the Bloomin’ Garden Show and Art Sale on May 9.
  • Volunteers are hard to come by these days – why not consider helping out one of the local festivals this summer? Check out opportunities available at the Festival Volunteer Fair, May 13 at the TransAlta Arts Barns.
  • If you love commercials, you might want to check out a screening of the World’s Hottest Commercials, a fundraiser for the Edmonton International Film Festival. It runs May 14-17 at Metro Cinema.
  • Something I’m most looking forward to this month – the City Centre Market will again grace 104th Street on May 16. Check out their revamped website – it looks great!
  • The Spring Stop and Shop returns on May 22-24 at the Hangar on Kingsway, with over 100 designers.
  • A great opportunity to check out some of the local up and coming actors is in the Citadel’s annual Teens at the Turn Festival, May 22-29.
  • One of my favourite uses of Churchill Square returns on May 22 & 23 – bring your own lawn chair to enjoy Movies on the Square! I did last year, to watch my guilty pleasure High School Musical.
  • Doors Open Alberta, an event that turns the spotlight on the province’s architectural heritage, is back on March 23-24 in Edmonton. Last year, I took advantage of the festival and went on a 104th Street walking tour and a Capital Modern Tour – it was a great opportunity to learn more about our city.
  • The International Children’s Festival, now in its 28th year, runs May 26-30 in St. Albert.
  • Organizations to promote all things local seem to be popping up all over the place. artsScene Edmonton seems to another such group – their launch event is taking place at Planet Ze Design on May 28.
  • Do you have suggestions for ETS on how they could improve transit service? Consider attending the first ever TransitCamp on May 30, an opportunity for citizens to discuss a range of topics with ETS officials.
  • The next Royal Bison Craft & Art Fair is scheduled for May 30 & 31. I went to the last one, and definitely had to limit my spending.