The Cooking Chronicles: Mother’s Day Duck Confit

Between Media Camp and volunteering for Homeless Connect over Mother’s Day weekend, Mack and I didn’t have the time or energy to prepare a special meal for my Mum. So instead, we promised her supper the following Sunday – great timing not only because my parents were fresh from a short holiday to Vancouver, but also because it allowed us to finish up our ingredient shopping at the City Market.

Though I didn’t set out to cook a meal made up almost entirely of local ingredients, it ended up that way – being more conscious about where your food comes from tends to do that. On the menu: braised lentils with confit of duck (from Grainworks and Greens, Eggs and Ham); roasted root vegetables (from Kuhlmann’s, Sundog Organics, Greens, Eggs and Ham); and mixed heritage greens (from Greens, Eggs and Ham).

Knowing that the confit of duck would take the longest (the recipe indicated 45 minutes), we started with that. Of course, with Murphy’s Law, the entire dinner took about two hours to complete – I always seem to overestimate my adeptness in the kitchen.

The recipe is printed in The Food Lover’s Grail Guide to Alberta, by Mary Bailey & Judy Schultz, and is courtesy of Chef Kelly Strutt, who worked at the Deer Lodge at the time of the book’s printing. The instructions directed us to cover the duck legs with fresh thyme, rosemary and salt and refrigerate for 48 hours. To cook the duck legs, we rinsed off the salt and herbs, then simmered them in duck fat (also from Greens, Eggs and Ham) for thirty minutes. It was my first time cooking confit-style, and for whatever reason, I thought the fat would retain its solid consistency, but instead, it melted into a thin yellow oil.

In the meantime, we had prepped the carrots, parsnips and baby potatoes, tossed with some dried herbs, salt, pepper, honey and Mighty Trio Organics canola oil, and had put them into the oven. I also started on the braised red and green lentils, cooked with sautéed shallots and chicken stock.

To toss with the mixed heritage greens (our first bag of the year!), I whisked up my favourite vinaigrette – lemon juice, olive oil, grainy mustard (from The Bison in Banff), honey, salt and pepper.

The last task was the most difficult – to “flake” the duck meat from the bone. The recipe made it sound easier than it actually was – Mack and I fought tooth and nail to separate the meat from both skin and bone. I actually resorted to tearing with my fingers instead of using a knife and fork. In the end though, we were able to wrench a fair amount of meat from the pair of duck legs, and definitely enough to feed the six of us, with accompaniments.

Braised lentils and duck confit

I am happy to report that my mom enjoyed the meal. The duck meat was tender and flavourful, and though the lentils probably could have used another ten minutes on the stove, I didn’t mind that they still had a little bite to them.

Plated with roasted vegetables and mixed heritage greens

For dessert, we purchased the show stopping Duchess from the eponymous bakery. I’d been looking for an excuse to try it, and a meal for my Mum seemed like the perfect occasion.

The Duchess

Chiffon cake layered with pastry cream and raspberry, then topped with a dome of vanilla bean whipped cream and encased in a marzipan shell, it is no doubt a dessert made with skill and care. My favourite part was the light and airy chiffon and the delicate raspberry filling.

Inside the Duchess

Family and good food – what more could you ask for?

City Centre Market Report: Week 2

What a difference one week can make at the City Centre Market – thirty degrees and several thousand people, to be exact.

Market Day

Three degrees, spitting rain and the first long weekend of spring meant many less patrons than last week’s blockbuster opening day with an estimated attendance of 20, 000.

No crowds this week

Today was probably a more typical shopping day for us – by the time we made it to the market by foot, it was already near noon. Because of the smaller crowds and the exceptional weather earlier in the week though, the selection of fresh produce was still pretty good when we arrived.

Radishes at Riverbend Gardens

Spinach at Green Valley Farms

Rhubarb at Sundog Organics (they also had pea shoots!)

On Wednesday, Edgar Farms sent out an e-mail saying that they would have a healthy quantity of asparagus available, as they were harvesting the crops every day. They weren’t kidding.

Crates of asparagus!

There was no need to fight over the stalks this week. Besides not having to wait in line, I think Edgar Farms had enough to last until 3pm – not always possible with Edmonton’s voracious appetite for spring vegetables.

Buying asparagus

In addition to asparagus, I also picked up some tomatoes and bell peppers from Doef’s Greenhouses, onions from Green Valley Farms, quick-cook barley and mushrooms from Mo-Na Foods and eggs from Sunshine Organic.

I’m really looking forward to getting back into the routine of weekly visits to the market. See you there next week!

Fun Fusion: Wild Tangerine

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

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

Interior

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

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

Butter masala chicken po’boy

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

Shrimp lollipops

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

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

A Family Farm: Greens, Eggs and Ham

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

Green, Eggs and Ham farm

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

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

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

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

Andreas finishing up with watering duties

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

Ducks!

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

Whatcha lookin’ at?

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

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

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

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

Too cute parrot

Yukon looking fully satisfied after his dip in the pond

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

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

This van gets things done

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

Turkey stew

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

Chocolate cake

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

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

Food Notes for May 17, 2010

It’s that time of year again – nope, I’m not talking about seeding your garden or scheduling long weekend plans – but I am talking about season finales! (Or in some cases, series finales.) The writers of House really know how to pull on my heartstrings (and churn out one of the best episodes I’ve seen in a while), and I almost can’t bear to watch 24 next week, with the anticipated showdown between my two favourite characters. Onto this week’s photo-filled food notes:

Madison’s Grill has scheduled another Farmers’ Market Dinner for June 25, 2010. I attended one back in January, and though I love hearty, cold weather food, I can imagine the kitchen will be having a field day with warm weather produce. Call 780-423-3600 for tickets.
I finally purchased my Indulgence tickets last week over the phone (through the Junior League of Edmonton, 780-433-9739). They are also available online, but for an additional $2 surcharge.
Looks like there is a new craft brewer in town: Yellowhead Brewery will be situated in the space formerly occupied by Maverick on 105 Street and 102 Avenue.
Something to look forward to: a downtown location of Transcend. In related news, Transcend coffee is now being served in place of Intellegensia at Three Bananas.
Liane shared some news this week: changes afoot at Koutouki (looks like the only restaurant that remains unaltered is the 124 Street location), and a new organic and gluten-free shop to open on May 21 in the north side called Dutch Treats and Farm Fresh Meats (12769 50 Street).
Lots of great stuff in this week’s Vue Weekly – including the 2010 Golden Forks Awards (I thought it interesting that readers voted for local restaurants with multiple locations like Doan’s and Sicilian Pasta Kitchen in the “chain” category) and Jason Foster and Mel Priestly’s pairings of beer and wine with exotic meats.
See also published the results of their 15th annual Best of Edmonton poll (I know I’m out of touch when I don’t recognize 2/3 names in the “Sexiest Edmonton female” category).
The Journal reviewed Salvatores, an overhauled Sorrentino’s outpost in Sherwood Park this weekend. It’s quite the cheeky write-up.
You may remember that the series Endless Feast filmed an episode in Edmonton last year, featuring an idyllic dinner served at the Peas on Earth farm. Gail Hall isn’t yet sure if the episode will air in Canada yet, but in the meantime, check out this clip.
Great news – it looks like Toby Young may be gone from the next Top Chef judging panel (with Eric Riepert and Gail Simmons alternating in his place).

Speaking of coffee, Catfish Coffee opened up their retail location next to Culina Highlands (6507 112 Avenue) on April 4. They have limited operating hours (Tuesday to Thursday), but I’d be interested in checking it out sometime!

Catfish Coffee

After Linda Hughes’ talk at the AGA last week, we wandered around the gallery (unfortunately, the Karsh portrait we took didn’t turn out). I was able to snap a picture of the now-installed Terrace Cafe.

Terrace Cafe

Mack told me about a new cafe that opened on 97 Street, so we wandered over to check it out. Only open for breakfast and lunch, from the outside anyway, Early Bird Cafe (10221 97 Street, 780-420-6826) looks like a cute little diner. See their menu here, here and here.

Early Bird Cafe

We ended that evening with a lovely latte from Credo. I wonder how long it would take me to learn how to pour such beautiful designs?

Vanilla latte from Credo

Next door to Credo, LIT Wine Bar has had an “opening soon” sign tacked up since August 2009 – I didn’t think they’d ever open. On Saturday, they took advantage of the large City Centre Market crowds with an open house, complete with cannoli and orange juice. We didn’t get any really great shots of the interior, but it’s swank, with lots of leather, a floor-to-ceiling wine display, and a second level of seating. They open this Thursday, May 20.

Cannoli from LIT (they were a bit too hard)

Lastly, coming soon – Far East Sandwiches, on the corner of 109 Street and 103 Avenue. It’s a bright and open loft space, so I’m interesting to see what they do with the place.

Far East Sandwiches

While at Southgate last week, I checked out the Canstruction sculptures at Centre Court – all made entirely out of canned goods.

A CAN-oe man, by Williams Engineering

To accompany my shopping, I indulged in my first iced brewed Starbucks coffee of the year. Here’s to many more!

Iced brewed coffee

Music and More: Blue Chair Cafe

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

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

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

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

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

Interior

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

A cozy two-top

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

Cool menu

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

Pad Thai

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

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

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

City Market Opening Day 2010

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

Market Day!

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

The calm before the storm

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

Mack twitters on the patio

Pancake breakfast

Mack’s breakfast special – an Italian scramble

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

Ring, ring!

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

In the storm

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

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

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

Lion dance

Great crowd on hand for the festivities

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

Chinese beer and wine

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

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

Ben & Jerry’s: We Are Waffling

With summer finally looking like it’s on the horizon in our city, Mack and I are more consistently stocking up on ice cream. While our favourites usually involve chocolate additions, we are always willing to try new variations (I remember Mack’s dad telling me that when he used to work for Palm Dairies, the entire staff would have the opportunity to participate in quality control tests, with everything from sour cream to ice cream. Can you imagine?).

It seems customer-driven product names are all the rage these days (Doritos and Mountain Dew, among others), and Ben & Jerry’s is doing something similar with their newest ice cream flavour in Canada, currently named “We Are Waffling”. Canadians are encouraged to visit their Facebook site to pitch their ideas, which will eventually be whittled down to a select few to be voted on in July. The winner will receive a year’s supply of ice cream (I wonder how they define that? Some people could eat their weight in ice cream…).

As CBC Food Bytes noted, many of the submitted names so far make no mention of the specific flavour, and instead, are an attempt to represent Canadian pastimes like hockey or play on Canadian nicknames. My favourites so far are “Oh Cone-ada!” and “One Less Lonely Waffle” (heh).

The ice cream itself, sold in the pint-sized container everyone knows and loves, combines two of my favourite things. I am not a tidy eater on the best of days, and as a result, have never had positive experiences with ice cream cones. So, in spite of my love of the waffle cone, I have always had to forego it for that ever-efficient cup. We Are Waffling lets me enjoy the chewy-sweet cookie-like pieces without the mess.

I was lucky enough to receive a full value coupon from the marketing company working with Ben & Jerry’s, so brought a pint home with us last week. Though the ice cream was definitely not as creamy or smooth as Breyers Double Churn, the ripples of fudge and intermittent waffle pieces made up for it somewhat. Mack said he had hoped for more waffle pieces, but enjoyed it all the same.

We Are Waffling

And if you’re wondering if we came up with a name suggestion of our own – we didn’t. We were too busy savouring our ice cream to think constructively. Yum.

Cozy Retreat: The Bothy

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

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

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

Interior

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

Loved the detailed description of the wine offerings

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

Chicken & leek pie

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

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

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

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

Mini apple pie with Hercule De Charlevoix

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

The Bothy after dark

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

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

Food Notes for May 10, 2010

Last week, Paula Simons wrote about the campaign to rename 104 Street. I think it’s a great time to talk about it, with the City Centre Market kicking off this Saturday, May 15. It should be a great day, with a Chinese-themed festival (the first of many this year) complete with lion and dragon dancers bringing an even more celebratory atmosphere to the street. See you there! On to this week’s food notes:

Want to learn more about urban beekeeping? Look no further than Lola Canola (aka Patty Milligan)’s Bust into Beekeeping, May 15-16. E-mail Patty for more information.
Liane reports that Food Network is currently recruiting Canadian chefs for Top Chef Canada. I’m willing to see how host Mark McEwan works out, but he’s no Tom Colicchio.
So happy we have Transcend here, not only for brewing superb coffee, but for asking questions like this about the difference between “direct trade” and “relationship coffee” that make me think.
Something on the horizon – the Health Hub, which will have space for a spa, cafe, bakery, and Hole’s Greenhouses.
Cool addition to the Edmonton Christian School, a solar-powered greenhouse!
Following up on her awesome post on Borough Market, Valerie wrote another must-read (preferably not on an empty stomach) on Neal’s Yard Dairy, with seemingly every cheese available on the planet. I love how each cheese is labelled with the name of the cheesemaker!
I’m not sure this upscale trend will ever hit our city, but who knows, if the demand is there: New York restaurants that cater to tots – everything from stroller parking to complimentary cookies.
Co Co Di, snug in their new location in Oliver (11454 Jasper Avenue, 780-425-1717), look about ready to open. I was a bit sceptical about the space, but from the outside, they’ve done much with curtains and paint to enliven the interior.

Co Co Di

Thanks to The Edmontonian, I found out that Fatburger is coming to Edmonton City Centre Mall (next to Carlton Cards). I’ll hold out judgement until they open, but can a diner atmosphere be captured in a mall?