Category: food

Taste of Edmonton 2007

Though I know I said I would cut out the “extras,” at least until returning to my pre-Europe weight, I couldn’t resist a trip to the annual Taste of Edmonton festival on Monday.

I had previewed the menu somewhat on the website before heading down to Churchill Square, so it wasn’t as much of a shock to me that tickets were astronomically priced at $1 each. When taking into consideration portion sizes, and the questionable quality of food cooked en masse in an outdoor tent, this summer tradition has really become an expensive one.

Thus, Dickson and I decided to sample just a few dishes, with the intent on filling up on more reasonably priced fare elsewhere. Out of habit, I chose Hong Kong Bakery’s green onion cakes and was pleasantly surprised that they were tastier than last year’s version – more flaky and crispy this time around. Dickson scruputously redeemed his tickets on stuffed mushrooms from the Gas Pump and Beijing Beijing’s ginger beef. He much preferred the former dish, if not only for its smaller grease rating (and no pictures…just two days back from Europe, I wanted to step away from the camera for a while).

I’m not sure I’ll go back to the Taste of Edmonton next year, especially if it is similarly priced. I’d be more likely to skip down south to give Taste of Calgary a try, simply because most of the particpating restaurants are new to me.

Taste of Edmonton runs until Saturday.

The Cooking Chronicles: An Evening of Food and Wine

Since beginning this (food) blog last year, my interest in the culinary arts has not been contained to cooking and eating out alone. Due to repetitive exposure to Giada de Laurentiis and Ina Garten’s entertaining strategies, I had embraced the notion of hosting my own dinner party for some time. I had purchased paper invitations on sale at the end of last year, but didn’t yet have a large enough repetoire of recipes under my belt to really build a menu from. Over the last six months, however, I’ve experimented with enough dishes to put together a coherent meal, from appetizer to dessert. And though I knew June would be a busy month, I also acknowledged that if I didn’t throw the party before I left for Europe, it would likely not happen at all, at least not in the immediate future.

So the planning began about three weeks earlier, with “save the date” e-mails to four of my friends (plus Mack, who had agreed to host the party at his house). A week after that, I mailed out the invitations, following rather formal conventions gleaned from the web, including, for example, in place of the standard “RSVP,” the phrase “Favour of reply is requested.” As well, to mark this as a special occasion, I specified a semiformal dress code (in my post-party research, I stumbled upon a great website that offers free, printable invitation templates, most with a whimsical theme – worth checking out if you’re in a creative pinch).

As for the menu, as I am of the belief that I was Italian in a previous life, planned to cook several of Giada’s recipes. I was really interested in making individual servings of dishes wherever possible, not only to make the food easier to serve, but for presentation purposes. And with the dessert, for example, its ‘make-in-advance’ nature is perfect for such an occasion.

Panna Cotta with Fresh Bertries

So on Sunday, at Mack’s house, with the vinaigrette and panna cotta made the day before, we got to work cleaning, decorating, and preparing the majority of the food. With careful planning and a well-stocked fridge, it wasn’t as taxing as I had anticipated.

Table set-up

Toasting the almonds for the salad was a straightforward procedure, and really brought out the flavour of the nuts. Also, I cheated this time around in using canned orange pieces, but I promise to learn how to segment an orange next time. We did have a bit of trouble with moulding the parmesan frico cups at first, but with Mack’s “ingenious” idea of using a plastic water bottle in place of a glass, we were able to move on to the tomatoes.

Mixed Greens with a Citrus Vinaigrette served in a Parmesan Frico Cup

The inclusion of a splash of tomato juice and decrease in the amount of breadcrumbs (as observed on my first try) made a noticeable difference to the spinach-stuffed tomatoes – the side as a whole was more moist and tasted better.

Spinach Stuffed Tomatoes (before baking)

Individual gratin dishes (from Dollarama!) made the penne with four cheeses easy to serve, and though we didn’t miss the gorgonzola we left out, it probably would have thickened the sauce just that little bit. I did, however, like the hint of tomato mixed in with the cream (and yes, Mack even offered each of the guests “fresh ground pepper” to go with their pasta).

Penne with Four Cheeses

As for the “fire-raising” moment of the night – in hindsight, I should have warmed the focaccia round with the tomatoes in the 375 degree oven and not alongside the pasta in the 500 degree oven. My apologies to my friends who were too polite to not consume burnt bread…

Overall, the timing of the dishes worked out quite well. A wonder what planning ahead can do when setting up a multiple-course meal. Also, Mack’s wine picks did much to set a more mature tone to the evening – a Naked Grape Chardonnay and a bottle of White Zinfandel. I didn’t get to try the Zinfandel myself, but from what I heard, it accompanied our pasta nicely. Lastly, though the table was a bit small for six people, meaning that we had to serve each person individually instead of utilizing a shared platter, it may have been better as each of the guests then felt taken care of.

Ready for dessert!

I had planned for an early 5:30pm start to accommodate one of the guests, so the sun was still quite bright when we began to eat. As the night progressed, however, there was a moment while we were having dessert, close to dusk, candles flickering, with jazz playing softly in the background that I really appreciated the moment and the small accomplishment that (Mack and) I had completed.

Mini Linzer Cookies with Organic Strawberry Jam

But to give credit where credit’s due – I could not have pulled this off without Mack’s help – not only gracious enough to lend me his home, but a hand in everything from music selection to table setting to food to clean up.

Whew!

I found that cooking for six was manageable, with perhaps eight being the upper limit to maintain sanity. I would do it again, but in a different form – backyard BBQ bash, dessert night, wine and cheese evening – but likely not for a while. I’m happy to check off “throw a dinner party” off my list of 43 Things.

Group shot

Tidbits: Notes from Edmonton’s Epicurean Scene

  • St. Albert’s outdoor farmer’s market kicks off for the season on Saturday, July 7. Though the City Centre market takes first place in my books, St. Albert runs a close second.
  • On the heels of Moon Garden, another Vietnamese restaurant has opened up in town. Phobulous (yes, that really is the name) has set up shop at 8701 109 Street. The text underneath their sign claims “authentic” cuisine, but really, with a name like that, who will take them seriously?
  • Watch out for Essence Organic Tea Bar (10011 102 Avenue). Though still under construction, I’d be curious to see what their conception of a “tea bar” is (the idea in my head is an amalgamation of Steeps and an Asian bubble tea shop).
  • Arts on the Ave Edmonton Society is a grassroots initiative with a goal of revitalizing the Alberta Avenue area. One of their major projects – a coffeehouse – will have its grand opening this Friday. Named The Carrot, after a quote by Paul Cezanne (“The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution.”), the cafe will showcase art, music and other performances. Definitely a cause to get behind – bravo for this achievement!

Waiting out the Rain: Flavours Modern Bistro

My sister and I ducked into Flavours Modern Bistro (10354-82 Avenue) for a late lunch this afternoon in part to refuel but to also wait out the rain. And wait we did.

I haven’t been back to Flavours since a bad experience a few years ago with a very rude waiter. It was a shame too, as their applewood smoked chicken was divine, but couldn’t override the bad taste left in my mouth from horrible service.

On this rainy grey Sunday, however, I was willing to put aside past grievances and give the bistro another shot. Their lunch menu looked inviting, and with plates ranging from $8-12, the prices were reasonable. The interior hadn’t changed since my last visit – creaky hardwood floors, dark furniture and banquets, sleek mirror-lined walls and classy chandeliers. With sultry jazz music playing in the background, it really was a shame that the restaurant was nearly empty – perfect dining atmosphere cannot be devoid of tinkering wine glasses and hushed conversations.

My sister ordered the feature BLT sandwich and a caesar salad. I opted for the succulent-sounding breast of chicken sandwich (with pancetta bacon, lettuce, tomato and smoked provolone) and a bowl of Brazilian spiced black bean soup. Despite a table of four being our only other company, the food took over twenty minutes to arrive. Perhaps moderately acceptable if we had ordered well done steaks, it was inexcusable in this instance. My sister was also rather miffed that they didn’t offer freshly ground pepper or refill our water glasses once throughout our meal. The sandwiches themselves were on the small side, but I found the chicken tender as it should have been. The soup turned out to be the unexpected better deal – slightly spicy and chock full of beef, vegetables, and lentils, I would have gladly given up my sandwich for another bowl of soup.

Though not as negatively memorable as my last experience, our lunch at Flavours didn’t stand out as particularly good either.

Restaurant interior
Breast of Chicken Sandwich with Brazilian Spiced Black Bean Soup
BLT with Caesar Salad

Picnic in the Park with The Copper Pot

Doug had a great idea for his farewell lunch at work – instead of the standard sit-down meal at a nearby restaurant, he wanted us to take advantage of having the beautiful Ezio Farone Park just across the street from our building by having a picnic together. So ordering sandwiches from The Copper Pot (101, 9707-110 Street), we gathered on the grass under absolutely perfect weather.

Besides their regular lunch menu (which can be viewed on their revamped website), The Copper Pot also offers three sandwiches, one wrap, and a soup & salad combo available for take-out only. Priced at $8 each (sides extra), the selections are on the steep side, but considering its downtown office building location, the expense is understandable. I ordered the Ham & Cheese Panini (blackforest ham and brie on grilled French bread) and fries. As I enjoyed my sandwich with good company and for a special occasion, I didn’t mind incurring the cost for something easily duplicated at home for much less, but on a regular day, I doubt I’d order it again.
So – thanks Doug for a great Friday afternoon, and all the best with your future endeavours!
Ham & Cheese Panini and fries
Doug shows off his Pulled BBQ Beef Sandwich
Violet does the same
Evania and Michael pose with their respective Ham & Cheese Panini and Greek Salad Wrap (this is starting to feel like a Copper Pot advertisement)
Doug’s turn to give a speech as Anna looks on
Group shot

The Globe & Food

I am not sure how this degenerated into a food blog, but I can’t stem the tide, so it continues…

Globe & Mail’s “Globe Life” section is dedicated to the culinary arts every Wednesday, featuring recipes from Canadian celebrity chefs such as Rob Feenie and Michael Smith, food trends, and national restaurant profiles (albeit with a bias towards the big three – Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver).

Today’s edition had two juicy stories:

  • Canadian cheese – Canada’s first ever production of di buffala mozzarella (cheese made from the milk of a buffalo) began recently. I’ve personally never tried it, but given the tastiness of its bocconcini relative, I’m sure its freshness can’t be beat.
  • Iron Chef, live – inspired by the popular television show, a new restaurant in Montreal will aspire to replicate the creativity and tension of Iron Chef right in front of customers. In Duel, diners will be asked to select a dish prepared by one of the two competing chefs, and vote on their favorites at the end of the evening. It’s an inspired concept.

There was also mention of a new “u-pick” farm. Traditionally reserved for fruits and vegetables, this concept has now lent itself to beef! That’s right, for about $3 a pound, a farm in Saskatchewan will let customers browse their cattle, select one of their liking, and have the meat butchered and sent over within a few weeks. Having never spent any time on a farm, I don’t know if I could deal with the process of actually choosing a cow to have it slaughtered. I’m not a vegetarian, but it’s definitely easier when you don’t have to look into the eyes of what you’ll be eating.

Whimsical Cupcakes: the Store

This really doesn’t deserve an entire post on its own, but I don’t think I can hold onto this announcement until I have enough material for a “Tidbits” entry.

Whimsical Cake Studio, of Downtown Farmer’s Market fame, is opening up its store on Friday, June 15! Located at 14910-45 Avenue, grand opening festivities will be taking place some time in mid-July. Having sampled cupcakes from Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver, I can confidently say that Whimsical offers some of the best treats available in both Alberta and BC.

Needless to say, I’m craving a cupcake right now…

Food-Related Notes

  • See Magazine released their “Best of” results for 2007. The results are skewed towards independent eateries, as expected, but I’m a bit sad to see that Blue Plate Diner didn’t make the top three of any category. I disagree with the voting of Garage Burger and Barb & Ernie’s as Best Burger and Best Breakfast, respectively, but I had to laugh with the inclusion of “Tuxedo Cake” in the Best Dessert category (I guess it wasn’t clear to voters that editors were looking for a place noun and not a thing…)
  • Speaking of things, how cool is this modified-typewriter-turned-waffle-iron?
  • On that note, as seen in the Globe & Mail, how about a glass that literally leaves flowers in its place? (Not worth $30US each though, in my humble opinion.)
  • Via Eat Drink One Woman, I found out about the upcoming Gourmet Institute New York weekend retreat – two days of informative seminars, professional demonstrations, and of course, amazing food! Two sessions that caught my eye: “Eat the Web: Blogging’s Effect on the Food World” and “The Restaurateur Versus the Critic.”
  • Second Cup must have recently revamped their menu – their non-fat drinks are now prefaced with the word “skinny.” Really. I wonder how many guys would be caught dead asking for such a girly-sounding modification?

Tidbits: Notes from Edmonton’s Epicurean Scene

  • One of the city’s oldest continuously operating restaurants has closed. The Silk Hat, established in 1912, has shut down due to the planned demolition of the building in favor of a new tower.
  • Vue Weekly printed a retraction last week for writing an incorrect story that El Rancho was closing. Mistakes happen, but I hope El Rancho doesn’t lose any business from that unfounded rumor, especially since they are tucked and hidden away from the sight of a main thoroughfare.
  • There’s a new cafe on the block: Axis Cafe (10349 Jasper Avenue) just had their grand opening on June 1. With positive press already, and a storefront that opens up onto the sidewalk, it may be worth a visit when you’re looking for a cup of joe on a warm summer night.
  • CBC Centre Stage in Edmonton City Centre is presenting a series titled “Food Fight: Local vs Global” this week. Events of interest include restaurant cooking demos from 3:30-4PM with local chefs (June 12 – Home Fire Grill; June 13 – Wild Tangerine; June 14 – Bacon), and a celebrity taste off on June 15 to determine whether local, organic, or supermarket produce is tastier. Drop by if you’re in the area!

The Cooking Chronicles: Quesadillas

Guided in part by a recipe I picked up at Save-On Foods a long time ago, Mack and I made Quesadillas for supper yesterday.

We decided to try Maple Leaf’s Fully Cooked Chicken Breast Strips, though after opening the package, I wouldn’t recommend it. It was just enough for two quesadillas, and when an entire rotisserie chicken could be purchased for a few dollars more, even the ease of thirty-second preparation wasn’t worth the expense. In addition to the meat (salami was our other base), we added provolone and marble cheeses, tomatoes, green pepper, green onion, and (for Mack) sour cream. After a light brushing of olive oil and 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven, they were done.

Crispy, filling, and a great way to use up leftover meat and raw vegetables, the quesadillas are a quick lunch or supper idea that’s definitely worth a try.

Quesadilla (cool shot by Mack)