Day 6 in San Francisco: Food Truck Harbour

Given the wealth of City Guide tour options available, we had wanted to fit at least one more in – I was hoping the second go-around might erase the disappointment of our Chinatown experience. We ended up choosing the City Scapes and Public Places tour, mostly because the meeting location was only a few blocks away from our hotel.

Thankfully, our guide Paul seemed better informed than our previous escort, but as a whole, the tour still seemed less packed with information than the walks we partook in both New York and DC.

It was really interesting to learn about POPOS, however: privately-owned, public open spaces. It is specified in San Francisco’s building code that the trade-off for the construction of a high-rise building is the creation of some sort of usable public space on the land – whether that is a square, a balcony, or park.

Atop the Crocker Galleria

In the two hours, we toured nearly a dozen of the spaces (there are sixty all together in San Francisco). Some of them, such as the one located on the fifteenth floor of a building, were like little hidden gems, that only those “in the know” would be cognizant of (you can check out a map here).

The gem at 343 Sansome Street

The view

There were others – such as the redwood park (which was my personal favourite of the bunch), that could easily be mistaken to simply be a green space amidst towers.

Redwood Park

Water feature

Life imitates art

Some of the POPOS, such as the greenhouse in Citigroup Centre, featured seating, as well as food service – fantastic for the business crowd at lunch.

The only downside to the open spaces, however, is that the regulations specify that POPOS only need to be accessible during weekday business hours – so anyone wishing to take advantage of them in the evenings or weekends are out of luck (we tried to access Citigroup Centre on a Saturday, but the gates were locked up tight).

During the tour, we had passed by the San Buena Taco Truck parked on the street. Given that it was the first food truck we had stumbled upon in San Francisco, we made sure to remember where it was so we could hit it up for lunch.

San Buena Taco Truck

The line was steady, and given it was made up mostly of the area’s office workers, we knew we had probably made a good choice. The menu included burritos, tacos and tortas, but from the orders made around us, we knew a burrito was the way to go.

Mack hearts burritos

For just $7, each of us received a wrap absolutely packed with chicken (though carnitas and beef were meat options as well). It had been expertly bound – the perfect kind of street food – and with moist, flavourful chicken interspersed with beans, rice and heat to taste – it was without a doubt the best thing we ate in San Francisco.

The only thing I really remember from my previous visit to San Francisco was walking across the Golden Gate Bridge with my family, but it isn’t exactly a pleasant memory. It had been one of those drizzly, blustery days, cold and miserable for any tourist, but particularly for us, given the night before, we had been in the +40 climes of Asia. Fortunately, the weather on the day that Mack and I chose to visit the bridge was perfect, and did much to ensure my future associations with the Golden Gate were positive ones.

Misty, but bright

A quick bus ride got us to the San Francisco side of the bridge. The forty-minute windswept walk across yielded unparalleled views of the city and the activities in the bay.

Mack and the city

Queen of the bridge

The barges just kept on cominng

The traffic on the bridge was also a little unbelievable – the cars did not stop flowing. It was on that day that we christened our version of Punch Buggy – Punch Prius! At some point we had to stop counting because it was getting ridiculous.

The bridge

A reminder

We walked the length back to the San Francisco side, and hopped on a bus that took us closer to the city centre. The line terminated at Fort Mason, where we were directed by the driver to transfer to a different bus. Given it was already the dinner hour, the fact that there was a Safeway at the terminal seemed to be a blessing. We picked up some food and headed to the park for a picnic supper, a relaxing way to refuel and rest our weary feet.

Dinner of champions

Residents were out in full force, enjoying the setting sun as we were. And like so many other parts of the city, it was picturesque without even trying.

The marina

Satisfied, before heading back to the hotel, we thought we should explore the area. Peeking over the hill side drop, we encountered a gaggle of people down below in the Fort Mason parking lot – what was going on?

So many people!

It turned out we had stumbled upon the first Off the Grid, a “roaming mobile food extravaganza.” This was the largest of their weekly events, and sees thirty food trucks gather alongside a full-service bar and music.

Music amongst the madness

That night, the twenty food trucks offered food ranging from cupcakes to empanadas to ramen. But it was challenging to even browse the offerings – the line-ups were massive (and really, too large for the space), with the longest gathering centered around Chairman Bao, a truck offering, among other things, pork belly buns.

Just some of the food trucks

Empanada stand

The line at Chairman Bao

It was really unfortunate that we had already eaten our meal – what better way to sample food trucks than at such an event? We made room for a few things though – a trio of dumplings we purchased for $2 were hand-rolled in the tent, and were very tasty.

Dumplings!

I was also swayed into buying a dulce de leche creme brulee. It was okay, but not worth the $5.

Creme brulee

Though we didn’t eat much, Off the Grid was amazing to see. Everyone there was just so darn excited about food, and that energy was contagious. It’s crazy to imagine that something like that happens on a weekly basis, but in a city like San Francisco, food trucks aren’t a fad, but a core of their food culture. Look for it if you’re travelling to SF!

Off the Grid

We ended our evening back on a bus, ready for a good night’s sleep at the hotel. Gearing up for a Saturday trip to the Ferry Market, we would need it.

The Cooking Chronicles: Meat-ful Recipes

I really like the current trend of “meatless Mondays” – though Mack and I don’t subscribe to a specific day of the week substitution of meat, I think the campaign does help raise awareness of the health and planetary benefits of reducing our collective meat intake.

Of course, our current cooking rotation does include a fair amount of meat. I know a part of it has to do with recipes that appeal to us because they’re what we’re used to, but I’m hoping we’ll continue to expand our vegetarian repertoire. If Ellen can do it, we can too! Anyway, here are a few meat-ful recipes in the meantime!

Potato-topped Lamb Pies

Donna Hay’s potato-topped lamb pies from No Time to Cook is a variation on shepherd’s pie, featuring a scalloped crust instead of a mashed one. I had picked up a package of ground lamb from the Italian Bakery one day, knowing I wouldn’t be able to get to the farmers’ market that weekend (they now sell lamb and veal, among other proteins in their freezer section).

It wasn’t a difficult recipe to pull together, and from it, we were able to make a nine inch pie, and two individual ramekin pies.

Potato-topped lamb pies

Although the potato topping didn’t get as crispy as we would have liked, we were more off-put by how fatty the meat ended up being. I probably should have drained the fat, but I really wasn’t expecting it.

Pie filling

More than anything, Mack was reminded that he again doesn’t really care for lamb. I’m not giving up on lamb though – we’ll just have to find a different recipe to try!

Turkey Meatball Subs

I don’t know why I was so excited to make meatball subs, using Mario Batali’s recipe for turkey meatballs, but I was. We used ground turkey from Greens, Eggs and Ham, and pork sausages and prosciutto from the Italian Centre as proteins.

After assembling the meatballs, we had to let them rest in the fridge for an hour.

During that time, I made a basic tomato sauce.

Then, came browning of the meatballs.

Next, I baked them with some of the sauce and wine.

Lastly came assembly of the sandwiches, topped with provolone, then broiled. This is where we made the mistake – the bread ended up scorched from being placed too close to the element in the oven.

Don’t cry over burnt bread

I will admit to being upset, partly because of my anticipation for the finished product, but also because of the lengthy process involved. We cut off the burnt ends, and while both Mack and I did enjoy the sandwiches, it ultimately didn’t seem worth the effort.

The saving grace was the amount of leftovers we had, which made subsequent meals quick and easy – meatballs served with a side salad, or tossed with pasta and the remaining cups of tomato sauce (which, I should mention, is something I will make again – I loved the texture of the sauce, emboldened with sautéed onions and grated carrots).

Hopefully the vegetarian recipes I’ve bookmarked will go better than these two did!

Food Notes for May 16, 2011

Doesn’t it feel like summer just arrived without a real transition from spring? The trees are struggling to green up to match the sunny skies! Hope you’re out making the most of it too! On to this week’s food notes:

Less than 100 tickets are left for this year’s Indulgence. Get yours soon if you plan on attending!
Make sure you go and pick up an issue of Vue Weekly: it features the recipients of the 2011 Golden Fork Awards (how great is it that Transcend and Credo took best chain coffee shop and best indie?!). There is also a great spread on “Food: A Day in the Life” with snapshots of Bon Ton Bakery, The Wired Cup, MRKT and Hardware Grill.
See Magazine released their Best of Edmonton winners this past week as well. The same issue features a profile on Josh Hockin and Ben Put of Transcend Coffee.
Press’d Sandwiches is expanding: look for their second location at 11214 Jasper Avenue in mid-June.
I’m a little late to the party, but congrats to Edo Japan, which just opened their 10oth store last week. I had no idea they were an Alberta-based company.
Valerie and Liv both wrote about week 1 in the Century Hospitality Group’s Top Chef competition. Mack and I are on deck for judging on Saturday, and looking forward to it!
The next Live Local dinner will take place at Accent European Lounge on May 25, 2011. To keep up to date on all Live Local initiatives, sign up for their newsletter.
You may have read that Culina will be taking over the concession at the Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market in June, but in case that isn’t soon enough for you, they will also be catering the Royal Bison on May 28-29, 2011.
Sure, you may be familiar with vegetable-based CSAs, but how about fruit-based? Companies like Tree-Mendus Fruit in Michigan are renting out apple trees.
Are cell phones killing bees? The answer is: maybe.
Top Chef Canada was in the news last week for their episode tonight, which saw horse on the menu.
Mack and I attended the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation fundraising breakfast on Tuesday morning, partly as an excuse to visit McNally (our old high school) again. At the breakfast, we learned more about the Foundation’s fundraising efforts towards implementing full-day kindergarten programs in 14 distressed communities. The event was so well done, and got all the little details right, down to the noisemakers and bubble blowers at the table, to remind us all of our inner child.

Our table

Look for another Greek take out spot just down from Opa on Whyte and 103 Street, called Greek to Go.

Greek to Go

I met up with May at the Whyte Ave location of Daawat for dinner last week. It was pretty good, and for both of us, it was our first encounter with their sweet coconut naan. It was interesting, but we prefer our savoury breads as a dinner accompaniment!

Daawat

The weather was so gorgeous, the City Market at City Hall moved outdoors on Saturday! Let’s hope the weather holds up when the market returns to 104 Street on May 21 – see you there!

It was windy, but sunny!

Kuhlmann’s had fiddlehead ferns

Kuhlmann’s also had convenient salad bowls, already sprouting and good to go!

Eva Sweet has a brand new trailer! It was parked at Churchill Square this afternoon, but they’ve been trying out some other locations downtown, including Rice Howard Way and 104 Street during the week. Follow them on Twitter to keep up to date on where you can get your waffle fix!

Eva Sweet

Pedestrian-friendly Snack: Crepeworks

When group discount site Good News burst onto the scene back in January, their initial deal couldn’t be beat. Crepeworks had sponsored an introductory offer that would allow shoppers to snag one of the crepes (retail value $5-8) for just $1. And best of all, in keeping with the Good News policy of donating at least some of the funds to a local charity, all of the money collected would actually go towards the Edmonton Food Bank. Talk about win-win.

Unfortunately, Good News announced their withdrawal from Edmonton a short time after (one would imagine operating with the current landscape of multiple deal sites would be a very competitive one), but coupons purchased would still be honoured.

After the Jane’s Walk on Saturday, I ducked into Crepeworks for a break, hungry after the tour and a trip through the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market.

Though Crepeworks has been in Edmonton since 2002 with an outlet inside West Edmonton Mall, this was my first experience with them. The same carnival-esque, plastic crepe display graces this location as well, and for whatever reason, it’s hard not to like the whimsy of it. It reminded me very much of the “food” I cooked up as a child in those pint-sized play kitchens.

Display

The benefit, of course, is that customers know exactly what they are getting, down to the plastic drizzle of sauce. Based on the display, I opted for a chicken Caesar crepe.

Made to order

My crepe was made and assembled to order, the employee skilfully using a flat spatula to artfully fold the crepe so it fit perfectly inside a paper cone. In this way, Crepeworks is an especially great addition for Whyte, which can now add crepes to its portfolio of portable foods including pizza, hot dogs and ice cream, all meant to be consumed on the street.

Portable crepe

The crepe, containing chicken, romaine, Caesar salad dressing, parmesan and a dusting of “bacon” bits, was actually not bad. The crepe itself had a slightly chewy texture, and was fairly neutral in taste – I could see how it would work equally well with sweet and savoury flavours.

Chicken Caesar crepe

If not for the coupon though, I’m not sure I would have found value in the crepe. At nearly $7, I would expect it to fill the void of a meal, instead of just a snack, as I was hungry a few hours later. On future trips, I’d much rather indulge in a dessert crepe, preferably outside, while walking down Whyte.

Crepeworks
10352 82 Avenue
(780) 484-7975
Monday-Thursday 10am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 10am-11pm, Sunday 11am-7pm

Century Hospitality Group’s “Top Chef”

It seems reality cooking competition shows are all the rage as of late, and with Top Chef Canada currently airing on Food Network, there is no doubt the profile of some of our nation’s chefs will definitely be raised in the process.

But did you know that Edmonton will soon be crowning a “Top Chef” of its very own? For a second year running, Century Hospitality Group (which runs Century Grill, Delux, Hundred and Lux, as well as a catering business) is showcasing its kitchen talent through an in-house culinary competition, dubbed “CHG Top Chef”.

This year though, the cooking throwdown is bigger and better. Not only will the finale be open to the public, but members of the external food community have been asked to help with judging duties. Mack and I were thrilled (and humbled) to be asked to be a part of a group of judges that includes Valerie of A Canadian Foodie, Mary Bailey of The Tomato, Liane Faulder of the Journal, and Chefs Blair Lebsack and Andrew Fung. It should be fun!

For some more background about why Century Hospitality decided to host such a tournament, I asked CHG Corporate Chef Paul Shufelt a few questions:

1. Why the “Top Chef” format?

We used the term “Top Chef” for the tournament, but, perhaps, it’s a hybrid of the Top Chef style challenges and the head to head competition of Iron Chef, or similar style cooking contests. We are holding a single elimination tournament, where 16 of our top young chefs are competing head to head, with the winner of each bracket going through to the next round. Each week the challenges will become more involved, with Top Chef style twists coming as the weeks go by.

2. What do you think are the qualities of a “CHG Top Chef” champion?

A CHG Top Chef, will be the person who best exemplifies the skills of a great chef. Often on cooking shows, it’s all about the dish they make and that’s it. Little value is given to other keys that make a chef great. Throughout the challenges we will be testing the chefs abilities to “sell” their dish, their ability to pair it with wine, and in the final challenge 20% of the total score will involve their ability to lead a team, which will include a competitor that they beat along the way, and a guest judge, who may know a lot about food, but little about the expectations of cooking a 3 course dinner for 50+ people. They will also be judged on organization of their time, use/waste of ingredients, cleanliness of work environment, etc. So the goal with this challenge is to determine who can not only prepare a great meal, but handle leading a team, manage a kitchen, and successfully feed 50 happy people. A little more involved than making dinner for four judges. The successful chef will have to be creative, passionate about food, organized, poised, and possess strong leadership skills to win this competition.

3. Given we’re now in spring, and Lux’s recent foray into farmers’ market dinners, will seasonal ingredients be incorporated into the challenges?

The simple answer is Yes! Last week, we kept things very simple, because the time was limited and I was more concerned with seeing quality cooking, rather than overly complicated failures, but this week we will be adding a little something picked up from the downtown market before things get started. For next week, we will be incorporating even more ingredients from the market, and the secret ingredient for the dessert course in the Finale will be from the market, not to mention a foray of other great springtime ingredients picked fresh the day of. To take it a step further we have decided to provide the finalists with a $100 budget and an extra 30 minutes to peruse the downtown market to find complimentary ingredients for their dishes.

4. What can people expect from the finale on May 28? Why should they buy tickets?

People can expect a fantastic six course meal prepared by two of our most talented upcoming chefs, plated right before their eyes, in the company of other great food lovers. I can’t share with you what the secret ingredients are, but I can tell you they will be incredible. This will really be a foodie’s night! They will also get to be an active part of the decision process, as each guest will have one vote for their favourite chef. The total judges’ score will only be 100, so with 50 guests, and each one of their votes counting for one bonus point, they can really sway the decision. This will be a great evening of not just great food, but some fantastic entertainment, topped off with the crowning of Century Hospitality Group’s Top Chef.

I think this tournament will help to not only raise the profile of young chefs in Edmonton, but also help diners further understand and appreciate what goes into every plate at a restaurant. A girl can dream, but perhaps this will set the stage for a city-wide Top Chef competition to take place…

You can read more about the CHG Top Chef tournament on their blog. And if you want to buy tickets to the showdown, you’ll have to act fast – there are only 5 remaining as I write this!

Food Notes for May 9, 2011

The 30th edition of the Edmonton Fringe Festival has a name – Fringeopolis, celebrating the mini-municipality formed in Old Strathcona every August. I love the idea of becoming a “citizen” of the Fringe (or better yet, becoming a “builder”). Looking forward to it already! On to this week’s food notes:

Twyla filed a review of the new Prairie Bistro (situated inside the Enjoy Centre). Looks like it is worth a special trip out!
Courtenay wrote about the “preview” tacos cooked up by the folks behind Tres Carnales. They were served up to a hungry crowd at Red Star last week for Cinco de Mayo.
I passed by Yakitori Grill (10524 101 St, 780-760-0900) last week, and it now looks open. Anyone been yet?
I had heard rumours, but I wasn’t sure if it was true – a new waffle truck from a Victoria-based company called Wannawafel will be on Edmonton streets this month.
The Journal started a series on neighbourhood bakeries last week. First up, a shop I often frequent – the Italian Bakery.
Want to learn more about local Community Supported Agriculture you can support? Read on here.
I’m always interested in learning how farmers’ markets (and the politics of them) work in other cities – this is an interesting primer on the situation in Calgary, and specifically, about their lack of a central food policy.
Overflow for Hudson’s on Whyte: The Pint will be opening up soon in the former Purple Onion location (8032 – 104 Street).

The Pint

Now I know how to sneak fruit into Mack’s lunch – disguise it as chips! The Plaid Giraffe has fabric “chip” bags for sale.

What will they think of next?

I wandered into Wild Earth Foods last week, and found that they stock Steve & Dan’s BC Fruit on the shelves! It always helps when grocery stores can carry local product, and keep regular hours – it helps discount the “inconvenience” factor some have about farmers’ markets.

Steve & Dan’s at Wild Earth Foods (yeah, the signage is faint – hope that’s something they work on)

There’s something about seeing Edgar Farms at the farmers’ market (even without their bunches of asparagus) that gives me so much joy. Speaking of Edgar Farms – mark your calendars – their annual Asparagus Festival will be taking place on May 28 & 29, 2011.

Edgar Farms

When I asked my Mum what she wanted for Mother’s Day, she answered, “Biscuit sandwiches.” We did our best to deliver! Hope you had a great Mother’s Day as well!

Buttermilk biscuit sandwiches with cheddar, Irvings back bacon and Sunworks egg

Culinary Q & A with Allan Suddaby

Occupation: Cook at Jack’s Grill.

What did you eat today?

Breakfast: black coffee, a stalk of rhubarb, smoked gouda. Lunch: wheat and bean salad.

What do you never eat?

I don’t understand the question.

What is your personal specialty?

Fresh sausages.

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

Preserves: jam, pickles, mustard, and the like.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Depends on the time of year, but vegetables from Tipi Creek Farm and fried potatoes are usually involved.

What is your favourite kitchen item?

A sharp knife. Specifically a 10” French knife. Other items that deserve mention: stainless steel pans, food mill, stand mixer.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

Hot dogs with mustard and relish. I can’t decided whether the buns would be toasted or steamed. Served with braised cabbage and a glass of whole milk.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

A collection of pizza places around the university. Notably Campus Pizza, Avenue Pizza, and the Garneau Pub.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

It’s a toss up between Corso 32 and The Bauernschmaus.

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat? Kevin Kossowan’s house. I would order pork, mushrooms, apple wine, and charcuterie from his cellar. Also I change my answer to the previous question to Kevin Kossowan’s house.

Allan blogs at Button Soup.

Fourth Time’s the Charm: The Cheese Factory

Back in December, I needed to secure a reservation for one of my teams (20 staff in all) for a Christmas lunch. One of my colleagues recommended The Cheese Factory, and it worked out beautifully. Our entire group pre-ordered so our food arrived almost immediately after we were seated. As a result, we were able to enjoy our meal but still return to the office in a timely fashion.

It was at that lunch that I first encountered their poutine. Given the affiliation Mack and I have for cheesy, gravy-strapped fries, I know it is quite inexcusable that we had overlooked The Cheese Factory for so long. That said, after one bite into their delightfully squeaky cheese (I honestly had no idea cheese could actually squeak!), I knew I’d be returning, with Mack in tow.

Four months later, we finally made it back together (and not for lack of trying – this was our forth attempt after being thwarted by their hours, a holiday closure, and an illness…we were almost ready to give up!). Those unable to get to the restaurant during the daytime should note that they only extend service into the evening on Friday and Saturday. But calling ahead is recommended – sporadic and extended holiday closures are not uncommon, as we encountered.

We dined on a Saturday evening, among two other parties already in the restaurant. It was quiet, in a pleasant sort of way, where the space provided by the server made it seem all the more intimate (and really, in our world, poutine is our Lady and the Tramp spaghetti equivalent). Our server was great though – she was friendly, prompt and made us feel like regulars.

Interior

We split an order of burek ($7.99), a dish made of phyllo pastry stuffed with spiced ground beef (though a vegetarian feta and spinach version can also be had). I have been told that The Cheese Factory makes their phyllo from scratch, and that attention to quality helps make this a savoury, flaky, perfectly seasoned marvel.

Burek

But of course, the main reason for our visit: poutine! The Cheese Factory offers five different kinds, all topped with their fresh, house-made cheese curds (if you come early enough in the day, you can watch the cheesemakers at their craft from behind the glass). The varieties include ground beef, chicken and galvaude (chicken and green peas). We opted to share a small regular poutine ($5.99), and a small Italian poutine ($6.99).

Boy, does The Cheese Factory honour their name – the curds were piled high (with a fry to curd ratio of 2:1), and stood up, in all its squeaky glory, to the poutine sauce. The fries were hot and fried to order too. Mack’s only quibble was a personal preference for a thicker gravy.

Poutine

The Italian poutine was interesting. We both liked the tomato sauce – not too tart, with a thick, chunky consistency. It was also thick enough that it clung and did not steep into the fries, ensuring every bite to the last was crispy. Still, we did prefer the classic poutine – there’s something about the salt that’s a necessary part of the experience!

Italian poutine

On our way out, we saw a couple making a beeline back home with their take-out poutine bounty. I can imagine that might be in the cards for us as well, given it might be a more solid bet than trying to have a sit-down dinner in the restaurant. But next up, in the poutine line of things, will be La Poutine.

The Cheese Factory
8943 82 Avenue
(780) 450-2143
Monday-Thursday 11am-4pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm, closed Sunday

The Cooking Chronicles: Saturday Eats

We had a recent Saturday pass that didn’t involve any errands besides our weekly trip to the City Market to complete, or any events to attend that would have had us running out the door. It was refreshing, actually – being able to cook several meals at home in a single day, and taking my sweet time to do so.

Portobello Mushroom and Ham Eggs Benedict

While perusing the menu at Wake Bistro in Calgary, we came upon their gluten-free version of eggs benedict, which featured a portobello mushroom base instead of the traditional English muffin. Though neither of us ordered it, it was hard not to think it was a great idea; it is a seamless way of adding a meaty punch.

That Saturday, having picked up some beautiful mushrooms from MoNa earlier in the day, I wanted to put together a similar eggs benedict for lunch. While the portobellos were roasting in the oven, I whipped up some yogurt hollandaise and poached two eggs from Sunworks Farm. We had some ham in the fridge, so I layered it on for even more flavour.

Portobello mushroom and ham eggs benedict

Though Mack would have preferred some sort of bread in addition to the mushroom, I really liked it (isn’t a runny egg yolk one of life’s simple pleasures?). Some spinach would have been great as well, for colour and texture.

I heart soft poached eggs

Sort-of Classic Meatloaf

Though I’ve been meaning to try one of Valerie’s recipes for some time, I just haven’t gotten around to it. We finally did, though to be fair, we modified her Mom’s classic meatloaf to the point where we probably didn’t do it justice.

The adaptations were made mostly because we didn’t have the right ingredients on hand – we only had Four Whistle Farm ground beef and Irvings ground pork on hand (no veal), and instead of side bacon, only Irvings bacon ends. We also substituted panko bread crumbs for ground crackers.

Other than that, we stayed true to the instructions, compensating quantities for the fact that we were only using 2 pounds of meat. We were able to make two medium loaves.

Sort-of classic meatloaf, served with a cucumber-carrot salad and garlic toast (note to self: use a serrated knife next time)

We loved the salty surprise of bacon in every other bite, and the texture of the meatloaf itself – it had stayed very moist, in spite of the fact that it had stayed in the oven for close to an hour.

Thanks, Valerie, for a winning recipe. We will be making it again and hopefully to the letter of your directions next time!

Food Notes for May 2, 2011

I think I’m still recovering from Eat Alberta on Saturday (something I hope to write more about this week), but for the moment, I just want to thank everyone who participated, presented, and volunteered. On to this week’s food notes:

The McCauley community is celebrating their second annual garden event, called Primavera on May 15, 2011 from 9am-3pm. It will offer tastes of Italy, including olive and bread sampling, but will also see sales of flowers and tomato plants. Check out the fun at the Santa Maria Goretti Centre (11050 90 Street).
On a related note – the Muttart Conservatory’s popular bedding plant sale is scheduled for May 14 and 15.
Telus has teamed up with Avenue Edmonton to offer some restaurant deals on Tuesdays in May at Murietta’s, Sabor Divino, Jack’s Grill and Parkallen. With the purchase of an entree, your appetizer and dessert are on the house!
One of the most anticipated restaurants in Edmonton, La Poutine, finally opened today! Chris blogged about it here and Marianne here.
I missed an article in last week’s Vue about one of my favourite places in Edmonton – Battista’s Calzones.
The Callingwood Farmers’ Market kicked off their 2011 season on May 1! They are open rain or shine from May to October on Wednesdays from 2p.m. – 7p.m. and Sundays from 10a.m. – 3p.m.
Did you know that EnSante is rebranding? Look for their wine under the label Fruit Salad in the weeks to come.
On my hit list the next time I’m in Calgary: Jelly Modern Doughnuts. Maple bacon doughnuts? Made with local ingredients? Yes, please.
Could it be? Should it be? Eater has rumors about Top Chef: The Musical.
This is a pretty cool project in NY – with the help of volunteers, the New York Public Library has undertaken transcribing historical menus. Check out their work at What’s on the Menu?
Before a meeting nearby, a few colleagues and I took a walk through Borden Park at lunch this afternoon. It looks like spring is just around the corner!

Borden Park

I hope you can get out and enjoy the beautiful weather as well!

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