Category: food

One-on-One with Chef Rob Feenie

Thanks to the Communications department at NAIT (and particularly to Diane Begin), I had the opportunity to sit down with Chef Rob Feenie last week during his whirlwind three days as the NAIT Culinary School of Hospitality’s first ever Chef in Residence. He will be back in the spring to open an Edmonton branch of Cactus Club Cafe in West Edmonton Mall around April 24.

I arrived about an hour and a half prior to our scheduled interview time, and was able to watch Chef Feenie conduct a few cooking demonstrations with a group of pastry students. In between starting recipes for an apple galette, white chocolate creme brulee, and ice cream, he actively sought out questions from students. In my opinion, it was rather unfortunate that Chef Feenie wasn’t able to choose the recipes he would create, as he made it clear it had been a few years since he had made ice cream. The NAIT instructional team behind him was great, and ensured, as on well-oiled cooking shows, that he had the needed ingredients and tools behind him, as well as finished products ready to dole out.

Putting the galette together

Students

Most of the questions centered around his Iron Chef America win against Chef Morimoto, and Chef Feenie was more than happy to talk about his experience on the show. During his demo, however, he was clearly flustered, and continued to reference how much more stressful this was than his Iron Chef experience. Still, he was able to impart several nuggets of information to the rapt crowd in front of him – that the students must love cooking, the customer is always right, minimize wastage. Throughout the session as well, he mentioned the names of so many other chefs that it made my head spin – I hope the students knew who he was referring to.

Chef Feenie’s constant media circus

At the end of the demonstration, the students were given some apple galette and creme brulee to taste, and Chef Feenie made sure to point out the texture they were to look for. He also handed out $20 Cactus Club gift cards to all of the students, and offered to give any of them a tour of the kitchen if they were to drop by in April.

Handing out gift cards

As is standard for me, I recorded my interview with Chef Feenie. I thought about putting it together in a coherent article, but as the majority of my readers likely already know his backstory, I thought it better to let his words speak for themselves.

On competing with Edmonton’s chain-happy market:

“The effort that we put into Cactus the last few years has been great. If you look at our design – how our restaurants look, the food, the service, the vibe in our room, it’s not any one particular thing. In regards to how we see coming into this particular market, I know I don’t know Edmonton that well, but in regards to Cactus and what we do – we do what we do well, and people in Edmonton will be surprised and impressed. Our company is about giving a little bit of everything to everyone and creating a great experience. Don’t forget, the company has been around for over twenty years, and over the last twenty years there’s been a long time to think about who we are. We’re feeling really good about being here, and if we didn’t, we wouldn’t have come. We’re not coming with the sense of being overconfident, but we feel good about what we can offer.”

On the failure of Edmonton’s Cactus Club in the 90s:

“In that point in time, a lot happened really quickly. It’s a different thought process now. And the restaurants look completely different now. The restaurants we had ten, fifteen years ago – there’s no comparison. We’re hanging unbelievable artwork in our restaurants. Not just that – the decor looks different, it’s completely revamped in terms of where we were ten, fifteen years ago. A completely different look, completely different feel. For anyone who’s ever been [to the former Edmonton location], they will be shocked and will be in for a different treat.”

On the potential of sourcing ingredients locally:

“With us, when you look at the primary proteins – fish, meat – because of consistency, have to be sourced out through our big supplier. But having said that, yeah, for myself, obviously in our two Calgary locations, we sell a lot of meat. Here, we’ll have to wait and see and look at our sales. Richard [Jaffray, Cactus Club President and Founder] and I talked about this when I started – we’re definitely getting into a scenario where some of the stores may be promoting local product. Right now is obviously not the time of the year for produce [in Edmonton], but when the produce starts in the summer, I’ll be out checking out who’s there because it’s a big part of what I do and a big part of the people I work with in the test kitchen. For example, if there’s a tomato supplier in Edmonton that can supply me with tomatoes for a month, we might do something on the menu that will go on our feature sheet. It’s a big part of what we do and important for us.”

On food bloggers:

“The thing that I’ve loved about the evolution over the last few years of food and wine…something I was telling the students this morning or this afternoon – whether it’s an opinion or a comment about food – it’s subjective. Whether its bloggers or writers, everyone should understand that people have the right to their opinion and the right to talk. The importance of it is getting the voice out, and it’s the extended part of the media of any kind of city. Bloggers in some cases are just giving their two cents worth and sometimes you’ll have bloggers making comments that make more sense than some of the food writers. It’s important for everyone to have an opinion.” [And yes, Chef Feenie does read blogs, courtesy of a media company that supplies him with daily reports.]

On photography in restaurants:

“You’re not going to stop them. If you’re not going to stop them I don’t think you should worry about them. It doesn’t bother me. It’s one of those things you ask…but why, what are you going to do? Go home and copy it?”

On food trends:

“I don’t think anyone is going to look at their prices and downgrade their prices, but I think you are going to see people streamlining things and making menus that are a bit more approachable for people. I think you’re still going to see those high ticket items, but I think you’re not going to see as many of them – more mid-price range. It gets back to Cactus – this is what we do. We really offer a wide-range of products – I’d like to think that we are leading that.”

And an abridged Culinary Q & A –

What did you eat today?

“I ate here. Cioppino for lunch. Ice cream for dessert. Three pieces of my galette, which I shouldn’t have. Three little chunks. And tonight, we’re going to Hardware Grill.”

What do you never eat?

“Things that are moving before you put them in your mouth. There has been the odd things that I’ve had. I won’t be specific, but I eat what I’m familiar with, and what I’m not familiar with I try to avoid.”

Where have you dined out in Edmonton?

“Sorrentino’s, which I thought was good; that was last time I was here. Hardware Grill tonight. I would imagine that between now and the end of April I will have gone to every single restaurant that I’ve been told to try out. I’ve been asking everyone to get an idea. I’ll definitely be getting to know the restaurants.”

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

“Wine. Mushrooms. Lettuces – romaine, red leaf, green leaf, iceberg – tomatoes, cucumbers. Free range eggs. We shop almost every day so we don’t keep a lot of stuff in there. That’s the bulk of what we keep, nothing overly exciting.”

What is your family’s favourite dish that you prepare?

“Carbonara and roast chicken.”

What is the one ingredient you cannot live without?

“Olive oil. Good for you – but only a tablespoon a day.”

My small photoset from the day is here. You can be sure that as soon as CCC opens, I’ll be there.

Food Notes for February 17, 2009

  • If you missed it, I’m organizing a meetup for Edmonton foodies. Join us at the Blue Plate Diner on February 26 at 6:30pm if you’re interested in meeting some of the people behind the city’s food blogs! Just remember to include your name on the wiki before February 22.
  • The list of participating restaurants in Edmonton’s 6th annual Downtown Dining Week, which runs March 6-15,  is up, though menus have yet to be posted. Calgary’s event, which runs March 9-15, will be making their list public on Thursday. I have to say I am way more excited for the latter.
  • Thanks to a comment from Jim and Loosen Your Belt and Eat Around Edmonton, I now know that the Whyte Avenue cupcake store just east of Gateway Boulevard, Flirt Cupcakes, is now open. They charge, for the record, $2.95 a cupcake. Apparently the one next to Funky Pickle is also open – anyone know what it is called?
  • Liane Faulder had the opportunity to interview New York Times columnist Mark Bittman last week about his new book, Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating. I’m interested in the recipes included – apparently over 75 of them.
  • New labelling regulations for organic products sold in Canada will commence June 30: “under the new federal regulations, only products with organic content greater than 95 per cent can be labelled organic, and use the new logo from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Foodstuffs with at least 70 per cent organic content can call themselves ‘organic products,’ but cannot use the logo.”
  • Max Satanove, of “Max’s Food Basket” fame (a weekly instalment that compared common grocery products) passed away on January 27. Foodie Suz wrote about his contributions here.
  • Todd Babiak wrote an interesting article about the ubiquitous presence of television screens in the city’s restaurants. I know I don’t mind them, but then again, it definitely marks the establishment as one that’s less than formal.
  • Dickson’s on vacation in Asia, and among other things, has stumbled upon some erm, interesting theme restaurants in Taiwan. One was a hospital-themed one, with waitresses dressed in nursing uniforms serving mystery concoctions to guests from plastic syringes. No, you read that correctly.
  • Starbucks’ latest cash grab: instant coffee called VIA Ready Brew. Why, Howard Schultz, why?
  • Eater’s series called “To Catch a Critic” (which strives to obtain photographs of New York’s top restaurant reviewers) makes me laugh. It makes me wonder if any Edmonton establishments ever had a photo of Judy Schultz posted up in their kitchen, heh.
  • I had a quick lunch at Caffe Sorrentino (10665 109 Street) last week. Talk about fast food – by the time I sat down, my slice of mostly hot lasagne ($8.50) was brought to me – it made me wonder if they microwaved it. They scrimped on the cheese, and tried to hide this by doling out extra sauce, but it was definitely noticeable. With the large windows and coffee bar, the cafe provides a nice atmosphere, but food-wise, they’re a bit weak.

 

Lasagne from Caffe Sorrentino

An Elegant Brunch: Wildflower Grill

Brunch is my favourite meal – not only does it offer the best things to eat (breakfast foods, in my opinion), but at a time that accommodates sleeping in. I typically prefer my brunches casual, but sometimes, an elegant version is a nice change.

I met May at Wildflower Grill (10009 107 Street) on Sunday for brunch last weekend, and we were both interested to see if their afternoon service would rise to the same level as their superb evening standard. I made a reservation on Open Table, so wasn’t expecting a follow-up call to confirm my reservation, but I received one anyway. As such, I anticipated a busy restaurant.

I entered, greeted by the host, and led to what may be my favourite table in the restaurant – windowside. I was, however, seated directly next to a party of six in a nearly-empty restaurant. Thankfully, the group had already paid their bill, and were on their way out, so May and I would have a relatively quiet corner to catch up.

I put in an order for coffee ($5, unlisted on the menu), with milk and sugar on the side, a little before May arrived. While my server brought me a mug and a French press filled with coffee right away, I had to wait a little for the accompaniments. It turned out they steam the milk on order – a small but thoughtful action that definitely elevated the coffee service above a pedestrian level.

 

Coffee service

After May arrived, we perused the menu together.  Because of my love of their brioche bread, I had to give their Brioche Bread Pudding French Toast ($13) a try. May, a lover of eggs benedict, decided to order their Eggs Benedict Two Ways ($14) – one a red wine poached egg with maple-glazed back bacon and bernaise, and the other a saffron poached egg with chicken breast and roasted red pepper charon.

We didn’t expect bread service at this hour, so were surprised when our server delivered corn bread muffins to start. Naturally sweetened with dried fruit, it was a nice (albeit unnecessary) way to start off our meal. We found though that the muffin negatively impacted our way to finish off our entree.

 

Cornbread Muffins

When our server reappeared with our dishes, he made a joke about having to play “Bob the Builder” – his effort to try to juggle the plate placements to ensure everything fit comfortably on the small tabletop. The plates, as always at Wildflower, were gorgeously assembled, and mine in particular was lovingly garnished with bursts of mango, pineapple, lychee and strawberries. May and I also each had a tiny pot of potato risotto to enjoy – a savoury mixture of perfectly cooked potato and parmesan. The French Toast wasn’t overly sweet, though as someone accustomed to drizzling too much maple syrup over my toast, I did wish for a dash more liquid sugar to add. May enjoyed her dish as well, though preferred the red wine poached egg benedict over the saffron version.

 

Brioche Bread Pudding French Toast

 

Eggs Benedict Two Ways

We were both wholly satisfied with our meal at Wildflower – they consistently deliver good food and exceptional service in a refined atmosphere. They have rapidly become my current favourite in Edmonton’s restaurant scene.

Wildflower Grill
10009 107 Street
(780) 990-1938
Lunch: Monday – Friday 11am-2pm; Dinner: Sunday – Thursday 5-9pm, Friday – Saturday 5-10pm; Brunch: Sunday 11am-2pm

The Cooking Chronicles: Pad Thai

It seems after years of holding out and not buying cookbooks (instead, choosing to rely on printed recipes gleaned from the internet), the floodgates have opened. I mentioned buying Diners, Drive Ins and Dives a few weeks ago, and along with that, also ordered Trish Magwood’s James Beard Award-winning Dish Entertains. I especially like the book because of its beautiful pictures, which not only provide satiating shots of food, but also really great serving and presentation ideas.

I’d been eyeing the recipe for Vegetarian Pad Thai for some time (a Food Network version, similar, but not the same is here), and finally got around to purchasing the needed “Thai essentials”, as she calls them. Of course, not being able to live without some protein in the meal, I decided to add shrimp to the mix.

I put Mack in charge of making the sauce, while I washed and prepared the vegetables and began heating up the noodles. Our only missing ingredient was chili flakes, so we were forced to substitute chili powder. As expected, this impacted the desired flavour and resulted in more sweetness than heat in the final product.

When we finally poured the sauce into the wok, it looked like an overwhelming amount of liquid to be incorporating. Surprisingly, the noodles soaked up most of it, and we ended up with a dish that wasn’t too wet or dry. I made sure to be overly generous with the amount of chopped peanuts I included on my finished portion (as I find some restaurants tend to scrimp on them), and for the most part, our pad thai was satisfying. It didn’t pack enough heat for reasons mentioned above, and for Mack, was too sweet for him. Done again, we’d make sure to have chili flakes on hand, and reduce the amount of sugar added.

Pad Thai

As this was our first try at a Thai dish (and one that looked remarkably easier than Chez Pim’s more authentic, but time consuming version), we were very happy with the result. I’m sure this is just the beginning of many happy returns to the pages of Dish Entertains.

Edmonton Twestival was a success!

Thanks to everyone who came out to Edmonton Twestival tonight! Mack and I were hoping 50 people would come out, and we came pretty close with a final tally of 45. Best of all, we managed to raise a total of $1000 for charity:water – definitely a great showing from the city for a great cause.

Following the #yeg hashtag live

This was actually my first time at Vintage Lounge (formerly Mangiamos), and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Jenn, the Event Coordinator for Vintage was great – accommodating (allowing us to set up a projector and screen at the front of the space), and made sure to check in with us throughout the night to make sure we were well taken care of.

My Passion of Brazil Cocktail

We ended up ordering some small plates to share, as we didn’t get a chance to have dinner before heading out to set up, and I was pretty happy with the food. The Grilled Cheese Bites ($10), made with provolone, havarti and cheddar were fantastic, and paired with the roasted tomato soup was a comforting bite on a cold day. The Duck Spring Rolls ($14) were a little less successful, probably because I”m used to vermicelli in my spring rolls. The house plum sauce was also a tad too spicy for my taste. When we went to pay our bill, however, it turned out that 5-8pm was happy hour, so all of the food and drink we ordered was actually 50% off – a steal!

Grilled Cheese Bites

Duck Spring Rolls

I think Edmonton Twestival was a great success – thanks to Mack for spearheading the Edmonton event! Thanks also to everyone who donated door prizes: @sassycakes, @transcendcoffee, @bruceclarke, @NAIT, @thechadj, @Out_Inc, @cmscritic, and @tonyratcliffe. I’m not sure which was the most coveted prize, but the car starter and cupcakes seemed pretty popular!

We did our best to try and take photos throughout, but they didn’t turn out as nice as @bruceclarke’s (of Moments in Digital)!

Chatting (photo by momentsindigital)

Mack trying to convert Eric and Amanda to Twitter (photo by momentsindigital)

Waiting for the door prizes to be drawn (photo by momentsindigital)

It was good to see some familiar faces, and some new ones as well. Onto the next Tweetup!

Culinary Q & A with Brooke Jensen

Occupation:  Insurance Adjuster

What did you eat today? 

Breakfast: Muesli Scone & Earl Grey tea

Lunch: Strawberry yogurt with red grapes & a banana

Dinner: Planning on making katsudon (rice bowl with breaded pork cutlet).

What do you never eat? 

There really isn’t much I NEVER eat. I don’t eat chicken that often, and I only eat packaged baked goods under duress. They just taste like chemicals to me.

What is your personal specialty? 

I’m not sure I have one – maybe cakes?

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

margarine, cheese (parmesan & 1 other kind), eggs, plain yogurt, water, sake, Pimm’s, nori, maple syrup, dijon & wholegrain mustard, jam/marmalade, dashi granules, curry paste, natural peanut butter, tomato paste, pesto, spinach or lettuce, pickles, onions, carrots, apples, and usually an open bottle of white wine.

What is your weekday meal standby? 

I don’t really have a stand-by. If I don’t feel like cooking, I’ll take some leftovers from the freezer or have toast for dinner (healthy, haha). I usually plan my meals in advance and they vary a lot week-to-week because I hate eating the same thing all the time.  

What is your favorite kitchen item? 

Rice cooker, hands down.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

I would either like to go to a 3 michelin star restaurant and have a super long, many course meal… or it would be a ridiculous combination of all my favourite foods – yorkshire pudding & tuna sashimi & butter chicken & french beans & custard & bacon & chevre salad & miso soup & veal & greek salad & fried rice with tons of ginger… I could go on.

Where do you eat out most frequently? 

There’s not really one place – there are so many restaurants I’ve never tried so I like to switch things up. For convenience, I suppose I go to the Free Press Bistro or I Heart Sushi most often, as they’re both only a few blocks from my place.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton? 

I am definitely no authority on best places in Edmonton. The best place I’ve been recently is Characters, but I’ve never tried Red Ox Inn and there seems to be a consensus on it being one of the best.

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

I would go to Japan and try all the meals I’ve only read about; I particularly want to try basashi (horse meat). And if I could afford it would go for kaiseki-ryori (a multi-course meal in a traditional restaurant).

Brooke blogs at Take it and Like it.

Nice Packaging, Small Portion: d’Lish

This guest post was written by Mack, an Edmonton-based geek who fancies himself a part-time foodie. You can find him online at his blog, and on Twitter.

A little over a month ago, Sharon and I were in need of a relatively quick dinner before heading out into the cold for the Winter Light 2009 opening ceremonies. Fortunately she’s a better planner than I am and had picked up a prepared meal from d’Lish, Edmonton’s newest meal assembly studio (Sharon wrote about them in Vue Weekly). We decided to give it a shot.

Our meal was called “Don’t You Wanna Enchilada” – enchiladas with Cumin Crème fraiche ($19). All of the items on the menu have clever names. My favorite this month is “Fantabulous Flatbread Pizza – BBQ Beef-tastic”. I thought the plastic bag and ribbon was a nice touch on the packaging.

After preheating the oven to 375 F, we stuck them in for the prescribed 20-25 minutes and waited. Though they came out nice and hot, I have to admit the enchiladas didn’t look incredibly appetizing.

The enchiladas, which contained potato, beans, and corn, tasted pretty good even without the cumin crème sauce (Sharon liked it more than I did). They weren’t as crisp as I’d have liked however, and that made them quite messy to eat.

I think my least favorite part about the meal was the portion size. I wasn’t really full after eating my half of the dinner. Perhaps it’s not a fair comparison, but I kept thinking about Mucho Burrito – much more food for about the same price. Buying local and organic (which d’Lish prides itself on) has its price, I guess (and probably the packaging too).

I’d be willing to give d’Lish another shot, but I think I’d go the meal assembly route instead of trying another prepared meal.

d’Lish
10418 124 Street NW
(780) 482-2242

Edmonton Foodie Meetup!

If you’ve been reading this blog regularly, I’m sure that you are aware that Edmonton has quite an active online food community. The number of culinary bloggers has increased significantly over the last year, and I’m sure there are many blogs I still haven’t come across.

Hanne of Supper in Stereo and I talked about the idea of an Edmonton foodie meetup in December, and after a series of e-mails with her and Courtney of Take it and Like it, we now have details of our first meeting to share!

Who: Local food bloggers and any interested foodies

What: Edmonton Foodie Meetup

When: February 26, 2009 at 6:30pm

Where: Blue Plate Diner, 10145 104 Street NW

Why: To put a face to a blog, and of course, to discuss everything food!

Mack helped me set up a wiki so people can sign up. We were only able to secure a reservation for 14 people total, so if we receive an overwhelming response, we may shift the venue over to a lounge that will be able to accommodate a larger group. If you are interested in coming, please add your name (and blog!) to the wiki by February 22.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for another way to connect with others from the local online community, consider coming out to Edmonton Twestival, in support of charity:water, which I blogged about last week. It’s taking place at Vintage Lounge on Thursday, February 12. Here’s an updated list of the prizes that online registrants will be eligible to win. Hope to see you there!

Food Notes for February 9, 2009

  • Late reporting on a number of restaurant closures, from Chowhound – The Mill (8109 101 Street) is now Maki-Maki, which is offering 10% off for the month of February, La Tapa (10523 99 Avenue) closed at the end of last year, and Grandma D’s BBQ Cookhouse (16336 111 Avenue) early in January. Churros King (10152A 82 Avenue) also closed, to be replaced by a cupcake store (see below).
  • Speaking of cupcakes, Whimsical Cupcakes will be offering cupcake and cake decorating classes.
  • The Journal reviewed Savour Divino on Saturday, and gave it a positive rating. The restaurant is hosting an open house and gala on February 10 at 5:30pm.
  • The Globe awarded Daniel Boulud’s incarnation of Lumiere in Vancouver a glowing review last week.
  • If anyone were to make me Twitter more, it would be Ruth Reichl.
  • This site will either make you hungry or want to hurl.
  • And onto thoughtfully-prepared food, via Urban Diner, AnnaTheRed’s beautiful bento boxes, including my favourite – a Wall-E inspired sandwich and a farm scene.
  • This is a cute way of seeing what to eat that’s in season in New York – a local foods wheel. Alberta has a Savour Regional Flavour Seasonal Fresh Food Guide, but it’s really not the same.
  • On a dinner break at the food security conference a week ago, I headed to Quan’s Cafe (11148 142 Street NW) across the street for a bite to eat. It turns out they are only open for take-out from 4-6pm, so I had to grab my pho and eat, inconspicuously in a coffee shop. It was to determine from styrofoam containers whether or not the soup is worth returning for (particularly because their hours of operation are so tight), but I do like the interior at the very least.

 

Quan’s Cafe interior

  • Has anyone else ever had the fruit flan from Sunterra? I heart the chocolate-coated shortbread crust so light, it almost tastes like a meringue.

 

Fruit Flan from Sunterra

  • Very Eater of us, but we couldn’t resist taking a photo of the exterior of the “CUPCAKES coming soon” sign (in the location that formerly housed Churros King in Old Strathcona). It’s really about time a cupcakes store made it to Whyte Avenue – Calgary’s 17th Avenue equivalent has two, maybe more. Mack’s photo even made it onto Cupcakes Takes the Cake!

 

Coming soon!

Inexpensive Stopover: Kim Tuyet

I’ve mentioned in the past that an unintended benefit of changing office locations is being able to explore a new culinary neighbourhood. In my current case, that neighbourhood is the nearby Chinatown.

I crossed the street from my usual banh mi place, Nhon Hoa 2 on 97th Street and found myself at Kim Tuyet (10645 97 Street NW), another tiny little Vietnamese sub shop. Unlike Nhon Hoa (and really, more ideal for me, particularly in the winter), Kim Tuyet is equipped with two tables for those wanting to eat in. The glass-topped tables and Ikea-like chairs reminded me of the furnishings at The Dawg Father, though slightly less stable. They did serve their purpose though.

I scrutinized their menu for just a second before deciding on the Beef Sub ($4.25), as they did not have the shredded pork version that I typically order at Nhon Hoa. The friendly lady microwaved a bowl of sliced beef, and layered it, along with pickled carrots, cucumber, and cilantro onto a warmed baguette.

The cucumber unfortunately looked like it had been sitting out for quite some time, but other than that, the sliced sub looked perfectly good to eat. The beef, which had been lovingly slow-roasted, was tender and complemented the fixings quite well. The culmination of flavours – the slightly tangy carrots, savoury beef, and fresh punch of cilantro, was, as usual, satisfyingly tasty.

 

Banh mi with beef

Less than a dollar more than my usual sub at Nhon Hoa, I’d be willing to make the switch, particularly on days when take-out is a less desirable option.

Kim Tuyet
10645 97 Street NW
(780) 990-9600
Monday-Saturday 8:30am-7pm, Sunday 10am-6pm