Category: food

The Cooking Chronicles: Mother’s Day Barbeque

My Mum requested a barbeque for her Mother’s Day supper, so of course we complied. I decided to make apple cheddar turkey burgers (which I’ve made before) and a side of grilled fiesta stuffed peppers, with Mack’s help.

Fiesta Stuffed Peppers

It really was a family affair – my dad helped out on the grill, and I enlisted my sisters to round out the meal: Amanda contributed a salad (with a citrus vinaigrette made from scratch, a first for her) and Felicia and Jeff made dessert – strawberry chocolate crepes.

Full plate

Dessert

We probably should be pampering my Mum more often than once a year, because she does more for us than we often realize. Thanks Mum for everything!

Raising Awareness: Eat Local First

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

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

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

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

Signage

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

Products from Highwood Crossing

Pinocchio ice creams and sorbets

Bread from Italian Bakery

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

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

Read more about the campaign here.

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

Sweets on Whyte: Fuss Cupcakes and Coney Island Candy

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

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

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

Fuss Cupcakes interior

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

“Legalize Frostitution!”

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

Order counter

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

Cupcakes

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

Our cupcakes

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

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

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

Coney Island Candy

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

Interior

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

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

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

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

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

The Ovens Have Landed: Starbucks Breakfast Sandwich Report

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

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

All at $3.95, we had the choice of:

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

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

Seal of Starbucks’ approval

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

Sausage, Egg and Cheddar Sandwich

Peppered Bacon, Egg and Cheddar Sandwich

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

Food Notes for May 4, 2009

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

 

Grilled Chicken and Baked Brie Ciabatta

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

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

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

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

Interior

Kim with mascots

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

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

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

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

BBQ Beef Brisket

Mediterranean Goat Cheese Chicken

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

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

Coffee Refills are a Deal Breaker: Two Rooms

After a too-early weekend wake up call to witness the official opening of the new McKernan/Belgravia and South Campus LRT stations, Mack and I were on the lookout for a hot lunch on Whyte. We had swung by the Just Food Edmonton launch (where the poor gals had to bundle up tight in the wind) and picked up a few things at the Old Strathcona Market, but my fingers still hadn’t quite regained their feeling from forty five minutes outside in the chill.

I remembered the quaint Two Rooms from a visit about two years ago, and Mack, as always, ceded to my suggestion. Though our initial table was at the rear of the restaurant, as soon as the party departed from the prime and only window seat, we snagged it, freeing ourselves from the dark, dungeon-like quality of the rest of the space. The stone accents and dark furniture likely plays better in the evening, where the spot lamps would have more of an affect.

We were given breakfast menus, though in hindsight, I would have appreciated the option of the lunch menu as well, though our waiter didn’t proactively offer it to us. I was ultimately happy with my choice of the Mexican Breakfast Burrito ($10) though, while Mack opted for the scrambled eggs, cheddar and green onion sandwich ($10). We also ordered two cups of coffee ($2 each), and were agog when we found that Two Rooms charges $1 for refills – I couldn’t remember if this had been on the menu during my previous visit, but it is definitely something that would hinder future breakfast calls. One of the treats, in my opinion, of dining out for brunch is the unlimited access to coffee, facilitating the lazy, leisurely mornings that are so few and far between.

The restaurant started to fill up after we entered, and we counted ourselves lucky, having put our order in just before the crowd arrived. Felicia and Jeff joined us a little later, and found themselves having to wait quite a bit longer for their food.

Presentation isn’t a strong suit of Two Rooms – there was not a garnish to be found on either of our plates, and a bit too much white space to be seen. The portion size was also a little on the small side, though it may not have been a bad change from our usual gluttonous breakfasts. I found my burrito wonderfully crisp on the outside, and wrapped tightly enough to prevent any need for a bib. The chorizo sausage surprised me with a spicy kick, and accompanied with the egg, was a lovely meal. I couldn’t taste any black bean, however, but wasn’t sure I missed it anyway.

Mexican Breakfast Burrito

Mack found his sandwich to be all right – I tried a bite and found that the avocado spread wasn’t as overpowering as I had anticipated.

Scrambled Egg Sandwich

We made sure to be frugal with our coffee, and drank it slowly. As a result, I think our experience wasn’t as enjoyable as it could have been, and we didn’t end up lingering as long as we usually do at brunch. Though the food and service was fine for the most part (the server’s humour was a little too dry for our taste), Two Rooms wouldn’t be a brunch destination for me in the future – free coffee refills are a deal breaker.

Two Rooms
101-10324 82 Avenue NW
(780) 439-8386

Food Notes for April 27, 2009

  • Indulgence, a Canadian Epic of Food and Wine, is taking place on June 8. It is an event put on by Slow Food Edmonton as a fundraiser for the Junior League of Edmonton. Tickets are $60, and available now by calling 780-433-9739.
  • The Journal interviewed Richard Jaffray, president and owner of Cactus Club Cafe this week – the new West Edmonton Mall outpost was pegged with a price tag “north of $7 million”. They’re also looking at opening three more locations by 2010.
  • Baskin Robbins is offering 31 cents scoops on Wednesday, April 29 from 5-9pm in honor of the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
  • I had to laugh – the week the Journal gets on the banh mi bandwagon, the New York bloggers ask when the banh mi craze jumped the shark (yes, we’re really that behind).
  • The Italian Centre finally has a new website! Also, a few local food establishments are now on Twitter, including what is possibly Edmonton’s first restaurant – the Golden Rice Bowl – and first catering/market mainstay Marinas Cuisine. I’ll be interested in seeing how they use Twitter – from the looks of it, not much so far.
  • Food Network conducted an experiment to see if they could taste the difference between organic and non-organic produce.
  • Pizza Hut is hiring a Twintern for the summer to help build their brand on Twitter.
  • It was inevitable – the New York Post had an article this week about “gourmonsters” – the extreme tendencies of some of the culinary world’s celebrities that read to some like food policing. I think the voice of moderation is lost sometimes, which scares the average consumer.
  • Mack was lucky enough to get a Starbucks 8-cup Bodum coffee press for his birthday back in December. We finally cracked open the box a few weeks ago, and have found pros and cons to it. Being used to the one-touch drip coffee maker, we find it takes a little extra effort having to boil water, transfer it into the press, then wait the necessary four minutes. On the other hand, the flavour of the coffee is definitely more robust out of the press. Perhaps we’ll have to just get used to this different way of making our morning cup of java.

 

Bodum and Mack’s favorite Starbucks mug

  • Mack’s dad was in town over the weekend, and needing a casual place to get together for supper, we suggested Urban Diner. I ordered the Diner Mac ‘N Cheese. Super-cheesy, it really hit the spot, and my chosen breakfast sausage additive was well worth the additional calories.

 

Diner Mac ‘N Cheese

 

Mack’s Club Sandwich

  • I feel like it could be a drinking game now – every time I come across another soon-to-be location of Taco del Mar, I should be taking a shot from a flask. This time, the spot couldn’t be more surprising – the ground floor of the Icon Tower on 104th Street, of all places. Classy.

 

Taco del Mar in the Icon Tower

  • The second location of Fuss Cupcakes (10441 82 Avenue) is coming soon, likely around 3 weeks away.

 

Fuss Cupcakes – coming soon

  • Mack and I stopped at Flirt Cupcakes on Saturday. I used the handy online ordering form the night before, and when I entered the shop, found my box of six cupcakes ready to go, dressed in a lovely yellow ribbon. I have to say the Wild on Whyte (vanilla with strawberry icing) is still my favorite). I’m also happy to see Flirt on Twitter, and that they’re using it pretty effectively, by announcing feature flavours and offering special deals. Keep it up, Michelle!

 

Half dozen cupcakes from Flirt

Better on the Outside: Fantasia Noodle House

“Elusive” is the word that best describes Fantasia Noodle House. The charming red door and cheery blue window and awning beckoned me to visit, but only open from 11am-2pm on weekdays, its limited hours and closed sign taunted me.

Exterior

Finally, on a day where I was nearby for a daylong training session, I was able to make it through the open doors. I managed to snag the last table, a two-seater near the kitchen at the rear of the restaurant. Fantasia was absolutely buzzing, with a crowd that looked to me like mostly regulars. I glanced at the menu briefly, which contained a mix of the usual suspects of Westernized Chinese rice and noodle dishes, along with some Vietnamese favourites, including vermicelli bowls. Although the small voice in my head pushed me towards the day’s special (a vermicelli bowl with grilled chicken, spring roll and soup), as soon as I saw the words “beef noodle soup” ($7), I knew that’s what I wanted.

I was given a small pot of tea, which was a great accompaniment to the book I had brought along, particularly when my food hadn’t arrived at the twenty minute mark. When my pho was finally delivered, I counted myself lucky, as the pair next to me had to wait around thirty five minutes for their food.

Beef Noodle Soup

I have to say I was disappointed with my dish – the raggedy shards of beef were not bad, but what I had hoped would be a flavourful soup base was unfortunately bland. Though I knew what I was getting into – pho isn’t Fantasia’s specialty – it was definitely a below average meal.

Because I’m not in the neighbourhood often enough to make the trek to Fantasia to catch their limited hours, I can’t say I’ll be back. But based on my sub-par experience, I’m not sure it’d be worth the effort anyway.

Fantasia Noodle House
10518 Jasper Avenue
(780) 428-0943
Monday-Friday 11am-2pm

Edmonton’s Best Kept Secret: Fo Guang Tea House

One of my strictly vegan coworkers was raving about a great lunch she had had recently. I asked her about the restaurant, and it turned out not to be a restaurant, but a temple. Another coworker had taken her to the Fo Guang Tea House, located in the basement of the International Buddhist Progress Society temple on the Boardwalk downtown. Since February, the temple has been offering a vegetarian lunch service on Tuesdays to Fridays that is open to the public in an effort to introduce the community to healthy, flavourful, non-meat cuisine. All of their seventeen entrees are priced at just $5, a price I can’t believe in these times. The temple actually doesn’t make a profit, and relies on volunteers to prepare and serve the food.

A group from my office made the trek to the temple on a blustery spring day. We entered the building, paid for a meal ticket, and headed down to the basement dining area. The room was already spotless (as one would expect it to be), but awash in cream table dressings, it looked even more immaculate. Flowing music blended in with the background, and among good company, it resulted in one of the most relaxing lunch hours I have experienced in a long time.

We were welcomed by a handful of staff, and directed to a long table that had been set up in anticipation of our group. To ensure we would be finished our meal in the allotted one hour time, we had preordered so that the kitchen would have our meals ready shortly after our arrival. The rice dishes came with soup, which today, was a warming broth that tasted like winter melon. I had decided on the braised tofu and vegetables on rice, though the laksa was recommended to me as well. A mixture of stir-fried Chinese vegetables accompanied the tofu, which had been cooked perfectly, retaining its moisture.

Braised Tofu and Vegetables

I’m not sure what else I need to say about the Fo Guang Tea House except that it is the best kept secret in the city – where else can you find a nutritious, tasty meal for $5 in the downtown core? The temple is also hosting a vegetarian food fair on June 8, featuring over 50 dishes.

Fo Guang Tea House (in the International Buddhist Progress Society temple)
10232 103 Street
(780) 424-9744
Lunch offered Tuesdays to Fridays, 11am-2pm