Drumroll Please: Judging at the 35th Annual Heritage Festival

Mack and I were thrilled when the Heritage Festival asked us to be a part of their judging panel to help identify outstanding pavilions this year.

Heritage Festival

On Sunday, we took the bus to Hawrelak Park and met up with our two fellow judges – former City Councillor Michael Phair and CTV News Director Glenn Kubish. Though I knew it would be logistically impossible for the four of us to review 63 pavilions representing 85 cultures, I wasn’t sure how the cull would be taking place.

With our fellow judges

It turned out that the Festival administration had conducted a preliminary round of judging the afternoon before, and had whittled the massive list down to seven or eight finalists in each of three categories: arts and crafts, entertainment and food.

Board Vice President Sue Ooraikul Thomas oriented the group and provided each of us with a binder outlining the judging guidelines, and sheets we would be using to record our scores and comments. We decided that by splitting into two teams, we would be able to cover more ground (particularly in the performance category, as shows are not continuously offered).

Michael and Glenn get ready to roll

One of the highlights was undoubtedly getting to use a golf cart for the duration of our judging duties. I was always envious, on those scorching hot afternoons, of the people who would zip nonchalantly by in their covered cart. Well, for a few hours, we got to experience the joys of such convenience ourselves!

The view from the golf cart

It was funny though – we were stopped by numerous people who assumed that we were staff or volunteers (which, I suppose, we were). We had to learn the lay of the land pretty quick in order to direct people to washrooms, ATMs, and specific pavilions.

Mack hearts the cart

It’s no surprise, really, but the judging criteria really made us more aware of certain things, aspects of pavilions that even after years of attending the festival, I had never really noticed. It was an interesting exercise, and as Mack agreed, made us look at all of the pavilions (after our judging duties were over) in a different way.

Chris cooks up a storm at the French pavilion

After about four hours, we met up with Michael and Glenn to compare notes. Though I thought it would be more of a challenge to come up with our top-three in each category, it wasn’t difficult at all:

Arts and Crafts

Iraq
Thailand
Scandinavia

Entertainment

China
Philippines
Thailand

Food

Borneo
Scandinavia
Arab

We both really enjoyed the experience – thanks again to the Festival Board for thinking of us!

Our judging duties over, we took our time and wandered through the grounds, stopping at pavilions we didn’t get a chance to see the first time around.

Dancers at the Thailand pavilion

Three tenors at the Italian pavilion

Lion dances on the Taiwanese stage (yes, we were hit by the lettuce)

Finger puppets at the Chilean tent

The Scandinavian pavilion in Lego!

Vuvuzelas at the Africa OYI pavilion

Creative marketing

Cooking up chicken skewers at the Japanese pavilion

So much corn

We were happy to hear that the Festival was “going green”, with Earth Friendly Distributors providing biodegradable plates, bowls, napkins and utensils, and Waste Management providing receptacles for biodegradable materials. Unfortunately, the system needed some improvements, as several pavilions we visited were doling out Styrofoam plates and plastic cutlery. Also – some of the bins could have definitely used emptying, in order to encourage the diversion from regular waste.

Overflow

Though many of our food tickets went toward drinks to keep us hydrated and cool, we were able to try some interesting items, including an arepa from the Venezuelan tent, and fried plantain from the Congolese tent (I thought Mack would like plantain, given his love of bananas…but ultimately, the starch was too much for him).

Shaved ice from the Hong Kong pavilion

Arepa

Fried plantain

My annual Heritage Festival treat – langos from the Hungarian pavilion

Mack’s annual treat – perogies from the Ukraine pavilion

The Heritage Festival is one of the those events that really represents the best of Edmonton – its diversity, its energy, its spirit. Richard LaSueur, Past President, indicated that they are at capacity at Hawrelak Park (with a limited number of outlets to connect power and water), and will need to expand in order to accommodate all of those who apply. I do hope they can achieve this in the coming years – the Heritage Festival is a vibrant celebration that shoots for the moon, and reaches it.

Capital Ex 2010

There’s something about Capital Ex that keeps me coming back. In spite of its inescapable associations with teenage excess, there I am, every summer, pounding the midway pavement like clockwork.

Round and round

It’s not any one thing – not the food or the exhibits, not the fireworks or the talent shows, and certainly not the rides – but the atmosphere, the energy, the collective joi de vivre that pulses through the fairground. It’s exhilarating being among a crowd that is living in the moment, searching out the next thrill.

Whee!

We had picked up our gate admission from Ticketmaster in advance (it actually only saves you $2, but between the two of us, that’s enough for mini doughnuts!), bypassed the ticket lines, and headed straight to the grounds.

We had big plans for deep-fried gluttony, but first, we were fortunate enough for a behind-the-scenes detour. A few weeks ago, Mack had been contacted by Sandra Pysklywyc, Public Relations Manager for Northlands, in order to arrange for a tour of the kitchen, as Mack had expressed interest in their promotional Monster Burger.

Sandra introduced us to Arlindo Gomes, Director of Hospitality and Client Services for Northlands, who actually conceived of Sip!, the Food and Wine Experience at Capital Ex. He said that from a merchandising point of view, most liquor trade shows don’t provide the opportunity for consumers to connect with both the sales representative and the product at eye level, and Sip!, with its bar-height counters, does. He also crafted the feel of the event, intimate and sophisticated, using floor lighting, table accents, and art displays to his advantage.

Sip!

One of my favourite aspects of Sip! has always been their demonstration stage – it was where I first met Sebastian Lysz two years ago at the inaugural Sip (who has since become an up-and-coming figure to watch in Edmonton’s food scene). This year, the rock stars of the schedule included internationally-renowned mixologists Gavin MacMillan and David Jennings.

Cocktail hour

Arlindo eventually led us into the basement of Northlands, where the kitchen is located. It had been recently renovated and expanded, with Arlindo ensuring that the design would allow for flexibility in equipment set-up as needed. As a result, all of the machines (flattops, grills, ovens) are on wheels, and save the fume hood, can be moved.

Hot kitchen

The prize of the kitchen was undoubtedly the combi ovens. The practical ability to cook with both steam and dry heat was demonstrated with some of the food being served at Sip upstairs – beef jerky and a whole roasted pig (which apparently takes only four hours in their oven). Mack and I thought the coolest thing about the oven was the fact that the same cart that holds pans of food can be wheeled out of the oven and directly into the blast chiller, or vice versa.

Blast chillers

Arlindo explained that for large-scale functions, this is exactly what happens – food is pre-cooked, plated, loaded up onto a cart (below), then cooled in the blast chiller. Just before the food is served, the entire cart is wheeled directly into the oven to finish cooking. Amazing!

Ready for the next event

Another fairly new feature of the kitchen was their Code Green initiative, seeking to recycle all organic material that comes through the kitchen. The plastic bins were everywhere in the kitchen, filled with everything from coffee grounds to boxes to vegetable peels, to end up in a composting pile. Arlindo said he would have numbers of how much waste has been diverted in November, exactly a year since the program began.

Code Green

In the cold kitchen area, we spotted racks of hibiscus flowers drying atop slices of lemon. Arlindo explained that a few years ago, he had ordered 200 jars of hibiscus flowers, thinking that they would be all the rage (at the time, they were a popular addition to cocktails and other drinks). Unfortunately, the hibiscus flowers didn’t take off as he had planned, and the kitchen is still working its way through his massive order, and remind him every day of his mistake (chefs at Sip were actually using them to make a floral-scented ice cream).

Hibiscus flowers

Of course, I had to take the opportunity to ask Arlindo what Northlands was doing to source products from local businesses and producers. On the subject of coffee (and buying from local roasters), he explained it was an economical decision – Starbucks provided and maintains all of their brewing equipment at no charge, and is able to service the machines quickly and efficiently.

Coffee equipment

On the subject of local producers, Northlands did just recently start using beef from Spring Creek Ranch. Arlindo said that the 20-30% mark-up on the premium beef does make it difficult for them to use it on a large scale (although they do utilize Alberta beef in all of their facilities), but they have been able to experiment with it upstairs in their Monster Burger outlet. Though the 1kg burger is a promotion specifically for Capital Ex, the outlet will be in operation during all conferences and events, and features not only a 7 oz. Spring Creek Ranch beef burger (priced at just $9.75, with fries), but the first premium Spring Creek Ranch hot dog (with no preservatives, hormone and antibiotic-free, in a natural casing). It was fortuitous that Bern Kotelko of Spring Creek Ranch was having a meal there during our tour.

Monster Burger

Bern and Arlindo

Next to Monster Burger is maspasta (“mas” means “more” in Latin). Another one of Arlindo’s initiatives, the pasta outlet is a fast but tasty option for conference and event attendees.

maspasta

Once the tour was over, we headed back into the hall to use our Sip! tickets (Sandra was generous enough to give us 50 tickets to use at our own pace). We were happy to see local breweries Alley Kat and Yellowhead present, but Mack ended up trying beer from Yukon Brewing Company for the first time (he gave the Yukon Gold a thumbs up). I steered clear of familiar wine brands and found Warrego Wines out of Australia. Their Half-Way Wine lived up to its promise of being semi-sweet.

Yukon Brewing Company

In terms of food, the selection this year of savoury dishes seemed better than in past years, and to add to things, Northlands even prepared recipe cards for patrons to take home if they wanted to recreate the dishes at home.

Recipe cards for pulled pork panini

The Alberta barley paella was a great way to start off, textured and satisfying, but my favourite was the Cuban-inspired pulled pork panini.

Huge paella pan

After seeing his (or her?) poor cousin in the combi oven downstairs, we also had to give the roasted pork a try. I have to say it was difficult to eat without a knife (I try to keep the savage table manners to a public minimum), but the meat was moist, albeit on the fatty side.

Some pig

Though I can see why beef jerky was on the menu (no need to keep it hot or cold, and keeps well to boot), it was a bit out of place in the elegant setting. That said, out of the three flavours, Mack liked the sweet and sour best.

Beef jerky

We ended our experience with a treat from the fun ice cream bar that not only featured fresh ice cream, but also a variety of candy toppings.

We all scream for ice cream

By the time we were ready to hit the midway, the heat of the evening sun had dissipated. In the dwindling light, we soaked up the fair.

Mack’s Capital Ex tradition

I could have watched the poor souls forever, but we were unfortunately positioned in the splash zone

On our walk through, we passed by the outdoor Monster Burger kiosk. For those who didn’t hear about it, it was a 1kg Spring Creek Ranch beef burger topped with 1/2 lb of bacon, onions, lettuce, cheese and tomatoes, and would cost $39.50…unless the person could finish it in one hour. I have to say I love that they took and posted photos of every person who successfully completed the challenge.

Monster Burger challenge

I really do hope it is something they continue in future years – I think it helps expose Spring Creek Ranch to a wider audience, and also benefits the Edmonton Food Bank (1kg of beef was donated to the Food Bank for every Monster Burger purchased).

We were really hoping for fireworks that night, but the skies threatened to open up, so we hustled to our other Capital Ex tradition – a bag of Those Little Doughnuts.

Looks like a vortex is about to open up, doesn’t it?

All I need are doughnuts

Thanks again to Sandra and Arlindo for their hospitality. We had a great time, and are looking forward to next year already!

“Macbeth” at the Freewill Shakespeare Festival

The Freewill Shakespeare Festival provides a great excuse to get out and enjoy one of the Bard’s plays in one of Edmonton’s most beautiful parks. I adore the Heritage Amphitheatre in Hawrelak Park, and love seeing how the tone of the production can change depending on the weather.

Shakespeare!

Mack and I were lucky enough to get tickets to attend the show this year, courtesy of Bottom Line Productions. This year, the Company is staging Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth (set in Cold War Eastern Europe) – the latter won out as my pick this year.

Mack and I at the Festival

Back in June, I had written about a “picnic in the park” promotion the Festival had organized, offering two tickets and a $100 Sunterra gift certificate to the creator of the best picnic basket using Sunterra goods. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to participate, with the deadline for submissions falling right around the time of our move.

So although I couldn’t enter the contest, I thought our trek out to Hawrelak Park would be a good opportunity to put a picnic basket together, and have an easy dinner at the Park prior to the show. We found out later that patrons can actually order a pre-assembled basket through Sunterra, which would be delivered to the show – how cool is that?

I met Mack at the Sunterra in Commerce Place after work last Friday, and though much of the deli inventory had been devastated by the lunch crowd, we were still able to pull together a nice warm-weather supper – a chicken, cucumber and tomato baguette sandwich for me, and a beef teriyaki wrap for Mack. We supplemented our mains with drinks, chips and a strawberry Napoleon from the bakery.

Pre-show dinner

The sandwiches were a bit disappointing – while there was a fair amount of chicken and vegetables, as a whole, mine wasn’t very tasty; Mack said the same thing about his wrap. They also exceeded our $5 limit for cold sandwiches.

We did better with dessert – between puff pastry, icing, pastry cream and fresh strawberries, we couldn’t lose. I am glad to have shared it with Mack though – as you can guess, it was pretty rich.

Strawberry Napoleon

By the time we finished our meal near the ticket tent, the line-up had tripled in size. The volunteers (who were all friendly and so helpful), said they had seen much worse, particularly on Tuesdays where the price of admission is pay-what-you-will (this past Tuesday, attendance was 1,200!).

Eager crowd

There were still plenty of good seat options by the time we were through the gates though, so our dawdling went unpunished. Settling in our seats, we got a good look at the stage: a stunning, tiered wood structure with metal accents, including a balcony, winding staircase and a fireman’s pole – talk about a modern set-up. We both also really liked the round feature at centre stage that acted as the Witches’ cauldron, and doubled as the banquet table in the scene where Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost.

Stage

As I mentioned, this production was set in Cold War Eastern Europe, which was a time period director John Kirkpatrick thought was very much in line with the original setting, rife with suspicion and corruption. While the execution didn’t work as well as we had hoped (without changing the place references – not that we are advocating doing so – the transposition seemed a bit strange), it did allow for some striking costumes, including Lady Macbeth’s dazzling black gown worn to celebrate her husband’s ascension, and ghost Banquo’s stark white dinner jacket, marred with blood (the haunting, Shining-like appearance of John Ullyatt’s Banquo is something I won’t soon forget).

Though none of the actors really blew us away (though I will always have a soft spot for Lady Macbeth, played well by Melissa MacPherson), the happiest surprise for me was to recognize Peter Fernandes up on stage in a supporting role. I had taught Peter back during my student teacher days at Louis St. Laurent (no, not in drama), and even caught one of his performances at the Citadel Theatre when he was a student in one of their development programs. It’s great to see that he has not only continued with his studies, but is also securing roles in top Edmonton productions – congrats, Peter!

The Festival is in its final weekend, with two matinees and two more evening performances. If you’re not yet ready to dive into the frenzied crowds at the Ex, Indy or Taste of Edmonton, this is a great summer alternative.

2nd Annual Al Fresco 104 Street Block Party

We had every intention of returning to 104 Street in the early evening to check out the Block Party festivities (including the wine tasting, fashion show, and yoga demonstration), but after our weekly trip to the City Market that morning and a few hours at the office, relaxing at home with a glass of wine before heading out for that night’s 10pm movie screening was just what I needed (both Chris and Sarah wrote about the Block Party happenings, so I was able to see what I missed).

Armed with our camping chairs, we reached 104 Street at around 9:30, which gave us enough time to wander before showtime. A DJ was on hand to add to the celebratory atmosphere, and yes, a few in the crowd were dancing in the street! Some of the vendors from the City Market were still open (Fridget and Sugar Soul hats, among them), and the patios that had been set up for the dinner hour were, not surprisingly, packed.

Vendors

Blue Plate Diner’s patio

In terms of food, Sabor Divino was grilling up a storm with their chicken piri piri, while Daniel Costa of Red Star had a crostini bar open for those seeking lighter fare.

Outdoor barbecue

Kerstin’s Chocolates had a table also, fitting as the movie being shown that night was Chocolat. In addition to their Chocophilia bars, they were also selling one of their hotly-anticipated bacon and chocolate truffles, featuring bacon peanut brittle (instead of Berkshire bacon, they are using a hickory-smoked bacon from Sandy Lane this year). Cyrus was kind enough to give me one to try – the peanut butter flavour was definitely the predominant one, and though I was hard pressed to locate the bacon flavour, I can’t say that was entirely a bad thing – I still haven’t been completely won over by the bacon + chocolate combo.

Kerstin’s Chocolates table

Bacon Brittle Peanut Butter Truffle covered in chopped peanuts

Nearing 10pm, we didn’t see any evidence of a screen being set up on 104 Street. We finally asked, and were directed to the small parking lot sandwiched between the Great West Saddlery Building and the Armstrong Block. Given our biggest quibble with last year’s screening was the distraction of revellers more interested in talking than watching, this was the perfect spot located away from the outdoor patios. As the Block Party was organized as a fundraiser, however (this year benefiting the Edmonton School Lunch Program), I wished someone was out deliberately collecting money. While the silent auction run by deVine’s continues for the next week, I would have rather have deposited cash in a box to support the cause.

Outdoor movie theatre

We did enjoy ourselves though. Chocolat is a great movie, and even more so in a novel setting on one of Edmonton’s most vibrant streets on a cool summer night.

Screen after dark

I really hope this becomes an annual tradition!

2010 Highlands Street Festival

I think street festivals – an event to highlight area businesses, to create a gathering space for neighbours and others, and to, in other words, celebrate a neighbourhood – are fantastic. Alberta Avenue’s Kaleido Festival (commemorating their fifth anniversary in 2010) and the East Meets West Festival (put on by Little Italy and Chinatown) are great examples of neighbourhood festivals.

When I stumbled upon details about the Highlands Street Festival (organized by the Highlands Community League) in a recent E-SAGE newsletter, I was surprised to read that this would be the fifth incarnation of the event. Centering at 112 Avenue and 65 Street, business, musicians and artists would be highlighted. Mack and I made plans to check it out after our weekly trip to the City Market on Saturday.

Between the abysmal weather, and an ETS bus completely passing us by at our stop, getting to Highlands was a bit harrowing. We eventually made it though, and found that thankfully, the festivities had continued in spite of the downpour.

Welcome to Highlands!

Festival central

Poor puppies

Most of the activities were relegated indoors. We started at Mandolin Books and Coffee Company, where a musician was entertaining a small crowd. We also happened to run into one of our old high school principals, who not only grew up in Highlands, but resides there still now. She’s been attending the festival since it began five years ago.

Inside Mandolin

We stopped in Sabrina Butterfly Designs and Chickies, a charming little antiques store. While we didn’t buy anything, it was the first time either of us had been inside these shops. The storekeepers were friendly, and very open to people just passing through to take a look.

Inside Sabrina Butterfly Designs and Chickies

Lovely connecting yard

I was most looking forward to visiting the retail location of Catfish Coffee, which just opened at the beginning of April (you can also buy their coffee every Saturday at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, and at Mandolin down the street). The shop is clean and spacious, with a full view of the roasting machine, and set up on that day with carafes of all of their coffee varieties available for patrons to sample (with collected donations going towards the 2011 Highlands Beautification Project).

Catfish Coffee

Roasting machine

Though the owners aren’t able to run a full-scale cafe in the space, it was set up that way on Saturday, complete with music provided by Kristilyn Robertson.

Enjoying the ambiance

It was great to chat with the staff (they’re hoping to extend their retail hours over the summer). Of course, we couldn’t leave without picking up a bag of coffee too – the Guatemalan Highlands variety seemed fitting.

Though I’ve been to Culina Highlands a few times, this was my first trek through its neighbouring businesses. I was glad to have the excuse of the Highlands Street Festival to do so! I’ll be sure to look for it next year.

Come One, Come All: Freewill Shakespeare Festival Picnic Contest

The Freewill Shakespeare Festival (formerly known as the River City Shakespeare Festival) is one of Edmonton’s most popular summer events, presenting live theatre at the Heritage Amphitheatre at Hawrelak Park. There’s nothing quite the same as taking in a play outdoors on a warm evening – between the story and the venue, I find I’m easily transported elsewhere, ushered away on a cloud of beautiful language and the calm of night.

The 2010 incarnation of the festival will see, as with every year, a comedy and a tragedy: Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth will be returning to the stage. It looks like Macbeth is getting a Cold War-era makeover, and with James MacDonald at the helm, it’s sure to be a powerful production.

This year, in an effort to reiterate the outdoor nature of the shows, the Festival has come up with a novel way of combining two of my favourite things: theatre and food.

FREEWILL Foodie Picnic Contest

Calling all foodies! The FREEWILL Shakespeare Festival is thrilled to partner with Sunterra Market in the search for the perfect picnic to bring down to the park this summer.

Post your perfect picnic details on the FREEWILL Facebook page, or include it in a post on your personal blog, to enter to win a great prize pack including: two Festival Passes, a $100 gift certificate to Sunterra Market, and reserved picnic seating on the date of your choice. Marianne Copithorne, Freewill Artistic Director, and John Kirkpartrick, Guest Director, will be judging the contest.

All entries must include the opening line:

“The FREEWILL Shakespeare Festival celebrates its 22nd season, June 29 – July 25 at the Heritage Amphitheatre in Hawrelak Park. My dream picnic from Sunterra Market…”

Entries must be posted to the FREEWILL Facebook page no later than 4:00 PM on June 28, 2010. If you are posting on a personal blog, please paste the URL link to the post on the FREEWILL Facebook page or email the link prior to the closing date.

I think this contest is a great way to remind people that the Freewill Shakespeare Festival is an opportunity to have a different night out – not only to take in wonderful productions in a beautiful setting, but also to make it a full experience with your favourite nibbles and snacks.

I look forward to seeing your picnic basket creations!

Ice on Whyte 2010

Mack and I finally attended Ice on Whyte today, twice in fact. We stopped by this afternoon on our way home, dutifully paying our $2 admission and joined a crowd of adults and young families at Festival Park in Old Strathcona.

At Festival Park

We took our time admiring the ice sculptures, all of which had already been adorned with prize ribbons in both artists’ and people’s choice categories. Mack and I both liked “stretched” – an adult and baby giraffe, complete with frosted spots on their clear ice flesh.

“aquarium”

“stretched”

We then walked over the ice bridge to the castle, which, unlike in previous years when I have visited, was complete with ice furnishings! The fountain was particularly neat, where patrons had moulded coins into its surface.

Would you like some ice?

Cooling his hands at the fireplace

Freezing coins into the fountain

The ice maze was probably better left to those under three feet. Though the entryway was accessible to anyone standing over five feet tall, the only through exit was via a small crawl-hole. It’s a kid’s world out there!

Inside the maze

The ice slide was the most popular attraction that afternoon, with adults and kids alike lining up to race each other down the frosty decline on a crazy carpet. It looked like fun, but after my clumsy mishap a few years ago, I avoided a potential repeat tumble.

Even though it was the last day of the festival, several ice carvers were still on site working on various sculptures. It was –19 with the windchill this afternoon, but the carvers did not look like the cold bothered them in the least.

Hard at work

Following dinner this evening, we returned to Festival Park to see the sculptures illuminated at nightfall. I’d never been to Ice on Whyte after dark before, but I was glad we took the time to do so – there was a different vibe on the grounds – it was more relaxed and peaceful somehow.

“aquarium” after dark

“branching out”

Ice bridge

Besides sculpture viewing and the ice slide, there was a blues concert going on in the small indoor venue. As with all festivals, it’s nice to see Ice on Whyte expanding and offering different events.

Whee!

Make sure to check out Ice on Whyte next year, or if you can’t wait that long – the next Winter Light event is Hearts of Fire on February 13 at the Boyle Street Park.

You can see Mack’s photoset here.

Mispon Winter Light Gala 2010

I was really excited to attend the kick-off event of this year’s Winter Light festival, Mispon Gala (mispon is “it’s snowing” in Cree). Based on last year’s evening of entertainment and food, I thought things could only get better, with Winter Light now in it’s second year.

Before entering City Hall, I walked past Churchill Square, expecting to find some outdoor activities similar to the previous year such as fire pits, light and lantern installations, or a snow maze. Unfortunately, the Square was bare.

All of the evening’s activity was concentrated at City Hall. Three fire pits had been set up around the ice rink, with some braving the cold playing around on the ice as we were leaving, but for the most part, everyone was indoors.

Outside City Hall

The ceremonies had just started when I arrived, with several festival event organizers taking their turn at the microphone to introduce their respective projects. After that, the audience was treated to a performance by Kristine Nutting’s Warm Up Burlesque – a cheeky, reverse burlesque that had the dancers pulling on layers of clothing. It was somewhat amusing, but not my cup of tea.

Krstine Nutting’s Warm Up Burlesque

To end off the night, Johnny Quazar and the Swingbots provided the musical backdrop as NAIT catering dished out comforting plates of food, including Big Rock Winter Spice Ale glazed meatballs and maple baked beans with sourdough crostini. Our favourite actually turned out to be the honey-scented bannock with Saskatoon marmalade – the bannock was sweet, with a lovely consistency similar to a scone.

Johnny Quazar and the Swingbogs

Bannock and Baked Beans

I was a little disappointed festival organizers didn’t go the route chosen last year – offering free hot chocolate to those who brought a reusable mug (I realize I should have brought a container for the food samples as well). I do think, however, that the more festivals remind us to bring containers with us, the better – it will eventually become habit.

In the City Room

As a whole, I was expecting more of the gala – more people, more excitement, more festivities. The tone seemed restrained this year, and as Mack noted, the lack of outdoor activities (for a festival that celebrates the cold season) was unfortunate. I am still looking forward to some of the upcoming events though, such as Ice on Whyte and the Silver Skate Festival. Check the website for more details.

Meet the Locals Food Festival

On Thursday night I headed out to Planet Organic in Old Strathcona to take in their first ever Meet the Locals Food Festival.

Meet the Locals Food Festival

Meet the Locals celebrates local food producers and manufacturers, and is deliberately set during a time when some believe local food production stops – the organizers wanted to draw attention to homegrown food that is available seasonally and year round. And as Planet Organic locations in Edmonton stock about three dozen products from area companies, they definitely have a strong base to draw from.

Grainworks display

The festival has two components: tasting tables and cooking demonstrations. On that night, six local companies were on hand providing customers with product samples. I had the chance to try some elk from Shooting Star Ranch (so incredibly tender), flatbreads made with wholesome and filling lentil, chickpea and whole wheat flour by Rio Vita, fresh bagels from Henderson Bagels, hummus and spanakopita (still warm) from Supreme Georgio’s Fine Foods, and chocolate from Kerstin’s Chocolates.

Rio Vita Flatbreads

I also had the chance to chat with Emily from Mighty Trio Organics, a company located near Redwater that produces cold-pressed, unrefined hemp, flaxseed and canola oils. I was particularly interested in the canola oil, which is made from GMO-free canola sourced from a farm twenty minutes away from them. Though I have heard the term “cold-pressed” before, I didn’t really know what it meant – Emily explained that when manufacturing the oil, cold-pressed oil is not heated to beyond 40 degrees Celsius, preserving the essential nutrients in the oil. She poured me a bit of oil to sample, and I was blown away by it – orange in colour, more viscous than conventionally-made oil, and possessing a slightly floral aroma, it tasted richer and unlike any canola oil I have tried before. I would imagine that like most high-quality products, I would end up using less of this oil in cooking. They didn’t have the oil in stock that day, but I will be heading back soon to pick up a bottle for myself.

I also stayed on for the first of two cooking demonstrations by Madison’s Grill Executive Chef Blair Lebsack.

Blair Lebsack

Blair’s commitment to supporting local farms was apparent throughout his forty-five minute class, as he talked about personally visiting all of the farms that supply products to Madison’s Grill. On the menu, besides the Sylvan Star Cheese gouda, apple-pear compote and crackers, were a spinach and radish salad with goat yogurt dressing and a bacon cassoulet topped with bison sirloin.

His meal utilized no less than eight local products, including Fairwinds Farm yogurt, Alley Kat Raspberry Mead, black eyed peas from Grainworks, bacon from TK Ranch and bison from Olson’s High Country Buffalo.

The dressing on the spinach salad was superb, and it was just a simple combination of vanilla goat yogurt and sherry vinegar. I also had to commend Blair on his attention to detail – prior to the start of the cooking class, he removed all of the stems from the baby spinach leaves. When an attendee asked why he was doing that, he explained that it made the salad easier to eat, and negated the potential hazard of a diner getting spinach stuck in their teeth. The restaurant would then use the stems for purees to ensure that nothing was wasted.

Spinach and Radish Salad with Goat Yogurt Dressing

He also incorporated what he believed to be under-utilized vegetables into the meal – radishes in the salad and celery root in the cassoulet. I have to say that my favourite part of the cassoulet wasn’t the vegetables or the beans, but the bison striploin that topped it. With a sprinkle of salt to finish, it was a perfect bite of steak.

Cassoulet with Bison Striploin

As Meet the Locals is taking place once a week for three months, you still have a chance to check it out in December and January. And until then, although farmers’ markets are great places to shop and interact directly with food producers every week, it’s hard to beat the convenience of a store like Planet Organic that offers local products seven days a week.

Meet the Locals Food Festival at Planet Organic, 7917-104 Street
Continues December 14-20 and January 11-17
Tasting Tables: Monday-Friday 3-6pm, Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday 12-4pm
Cooking Demonstrations: December 14 and January 11 at 6:30pm with Julianna Mimande, co-author of We Eat Together; December 17 and January 14 at 6:30pm and 7:30pm with Gail Hall of Seasoned Solutions; January 16 at 6:30pm and 7:30pm with Sebastian Lysz of Relish Culinary Consulting

October in Edmonton is for Halloween!

Dedmonton, Canada’s Halloween Festival, runs this month. I’ve mentioned some events included under the festival’s umbrella, but for more, check out the website for a great calendar of Halloween-related events.

The fifth edition of Pecha Kucha, Edmonton Next Gen’s popular series showcasing everything from design, art and sustainability will take place at the Myer Horowitz on October 2. Mack wrote about the last incarnation here.
On October 2-4, the fifth annual Pure Speculation Festival will celebrate science fiction and fantasy. Some of the sessions look like they will be fun, like a tongue-in-cheek session on zombie preparedness.
The Edmonton Film Society’s Fall 2009 series, Kings of Cool, continue on October 5. Screenings of these classic films are just $5, and run nearly every Monday at 8pm.
Edmonton commemorates 20 years of Read In October 5-9.
Did you miss the last Edmonton Tweetup in September? Not to worry, you have another opportunity on October 6 to meet up with other Twitter users, this time at Ceili’s.
A family friendly way to celebrate Oktoberfest is taking place on October 6 with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra – sing along with “Bavarian alpine music” and even learn how to yodel! With Robert Bernhardt as the conductor, it’s almost guaranteed to be a fun night.
Joining an Edmonton Ghost Tour is a great way to spend the evening, offered October 12-29 this month. I went on one years ago, and it was an entertaining ride, particularly around the Halloween season.
Music Wednesdays at Noon continue at the McDougall United Church on October 14, 21 and 28.
DedFest: Hellberta’s Horror Festival, showcases the best in independent horror cinema October 15-18.
The 17th annual Edmonton Scarecrow Festival rolls into Northlands Park October 16-18. All funds raised go to ABC Headstart.
The 2009 North of Nowhere Expo: Festival of Independent Media & Underground Art is a non-profit activist-arts festival and runs October 16-31 at the Edmonton Public Library and Metro Cinema.
ChangeCamp asks the question, “How do we re-imagine government and citizenship in the age of participation?” Join other engaged citizens at Lister Hall on October 17 to discuss answers to that question.
To mark the worldwide celebration of Home Movie Day on October 17, the Stanley Milner Library is hosting an event where you can chat with archivists about preserving your home movies, and stay for screenings.
A cool event is coming to Edmonton for the first time on October 17 – Timeraiser is a unique event that merges a volunteer fair with a silent art auction. As a means of enticing young people who are looking for a way to explore volunteer options, attendees are able to bid on artwork with their time instead of money. I’m eager to see this in action.
Need a reason to go for a stroll? How about the 124 Street Fall Gallery Walk? On October 17-18, at least seven galleries and area businesses participate in this biannual event that showcases local artists.
The Pop Culture Fair, featuring the “world’s most popular collectibles” is on October 18 at the Mayfield Inn Trade Centre.
LitFest, Canada’s only festival dedicated to creative nonfiction, runs October 21-25. Their theme this year is “Brain Food”, and though it has a more metaphorical meaning, they do have one event intertwined with food (Savouries pairs appetizers with readings).
After October 17, the Edmonton Corn Maze is transformed into the Farm of Fear. Check it out October 21-24 and 28-31. Though I’ve never been (I don’t think I could handle it), as it is “not recommended for young children”, I think it’s safe to say peeled-grapes-as-eyes are out of the picture.
It’s a play I’ve been waiting to be remounted for years – turns out, patience pays off. The Bone House, Marty Chan’s thriller revolving around the hunt for a serial killer, returns to the TransAlta Arts Barns October 22 –November 7. I’ve written about how that was the play that introduced me to the city’s theatre scene – I can’t wait to see it again.

Enjoy your October!

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