One Last Hurrah: Old Strathcona Truck Stop

Our final Truck Stop in Old Strathcona took place last Wednesday. Mack and I nervously watched the skies all day, as it had started off rainy and overcast, but thankfully, the grey mostly cleared by the time the trucks pulled up at McIntyre Park.

The sun was shining!

The crowds weren’t as robust as those that were seen towards the end of May, but a fair number (including many young families) came out to enjoy a casual picnic in the park. A band, Yikes, were also on hand to lend some music to the event (we were told that music programming will be consistent on Wednesdays throughout the summer).

Lounging in the grass

We recognize that the June series of Truck Stops weren’t as successful as the preceding May dates. Weather played a big factor, and because McIntyre had been booked by another group on June 20, we weren’t able to make it known that “every Wednesday in June” would play host to the event.

Mack’s calzone from Battista’s

That said, as a whole, we think the venture of What the Truck?! across the river had been very well received! Though we suspected the appetite for food trucks in Edmonton wasn’t just confined to downtown, the response to these Truck Stops proved that. It was also wonderful working with Stephen Liley of the Old Strathcona Business Association and Kathy Stanley, the City’s Vending Coordinator, who helped make this series happen.

Great day for food trucks

As for the rest of the summer, we’ll be retiring Truck Stops for at least a month. Many events in Edmonton’s packed festival calendar will feature members of our local brigade (including Curb Your Hunger at Taste of Edmonton), not to mention the outdoor farmers’ markets where trucks have become a staple to feed hungry shoppers (124 Street Grand Market and the City Market, just to name a few). And don’t forget – many trucks are out and about every day – just check their Twitter feeds for details!

Mack and I are in the process of organizing two big What the Truck?! events to take place before the close of summer, however. We will announce the dates and locations when they are confirmed. In the meantime, keep on truckin’!

Canada Day Crab Boil

Boy, do Jill and Chris know how to throw a party! On Friday, Mack and I were fortunate to be among a small group invited to their home for their annual Canada Day crab boil, a celebration of good food and great company.

In many ways, it was an extreme family-style meal. It all began with a massive pot outdoors over a burner, into which Jill and Chris added carrots, corn, asparagus and potatoes, and a whole whack of seafood, including three different kinds of crab, shrimp and scallops. Jill timed each addition perfectly so none of the delicate seafood would overcook (Mack wanted to mention that it actually didn’t begin with a pot, but with a vicious crab killing).

Jill and Chris tend to the pot

When ready to be served, a porous bag that lined the pot was lifted out of the water and brought directly to the dining table. Then, as the expectant (and hungry) guests watched, the bag was cut open, contents spilling in a gloriously rustic heap onto the paper-wrapped table.

Out it tumbles

Almost too pretty to eat

We each had been thoughtfully supplied a plastic bib to signal that dinner would be a messy affair, but it really was the only way I could think of eating this type of meal, where your hands are your cutlery, and butter the only accompaniment.

Mack suits up

It was a meal I won’t soon forget – between the crab and the conversation, it was easy to get carried away!

The remnants

Thanks again to Jill and Chris for your hospitality!

Food Notes for July 2, 2012

The Green and Gold Community Garden opens for the season on July 3, 2012. Hours are 7-8:30pm on Tuesdays and 11am-1pm on Saturdays.
I love the idea of a “pork crawl” – the Passion for Pork folks have organized their first ever Swine and Dine dinner taking place on July 3, 2012 that will introduce eaters to three different interpretations of pork.
On the heels of Latitude 53’s summer patio parties, the Art Gallery of Alberta has started their own series of al fresco parties – Tuesdays on the Terrace begins on July 3, and runs through to the end of August. From 4-8pm, a complimentary art-inspired cocktail from Zinc will be included with the price of admission.
Blue Plate Diner is hosting another Farm to Fork dinner on July 8, 2012.
Jerry Aulenbach, Edmonton’s bacon man about town, is hosting his annual #yeghelp function on July 11, 2012 at Lux. Expect a great meal finished off by a sunset ride on the High Level Bridge streetcar.
Mark your calendars – Live Local’s Fork Fest runs July 15-19 and 22-26, 2012.
Did you know there is a Co-op wine store in Edmonton?
Two food truck reads: one an overview of the current scene in Vue, and a guide in the July issue of Avenue Edmonton.
Loved the reasoning in this Serious Eats write-up in favour of street eats.
Mack and I took in an Eskimos game on Saturday with his Dad. It was such a beautiful evening for a football game, and all the better that the Esks won!

Touchdown!

To celebrate Canada Day, Mack and I trekked down to Mill Woods on the bus for their fireworks show. It’s been a few years since I’ve been down there, and I have missed it – I think it’s a bit more laid-back and community-oriented than the fireworks show downtown. Hope you had a good one too!

Mack was impressed by the crowds and music

Fireworks!

City Market Report: Week 7

After a late night Friday, Mack and I couldn’t get ourselves out of bed until late this afternoon. That translated into only basic choices of product at the City Market, but enough to get us mostly through the week.

Overhead

On the other side

I had mistakenly noted that the week prior would be the last week for asparagus, when in fact, Edgar Farms was still selling it today. We of course missed out, but will look forward to the return of the snappy green spears next year!

You will be missed, asparagus

Beets from Riverbend Gardens

See you next week!

Cooking Chronicles: Perfect for Summer

Meals that are easy to throw together are a welcome addition to our kitchen any time of year, but it seems especially valuable in the summer, when we’re trying to make the most of those warm weather nights. Here are two recipes we tried recently that helped us do that.

Mini Quinoa Cups

Thanks to Courtenay, I was exposed to the idea of incorporating quinoa into a basic frittata recipe popularized by Iowa Girl Eats. Though I’ve been making mini frittatas for quite some time (in fact, it was the first ever “Cooking Chronicle” I posted all those years ago), I never thought to punch up the protein factor by stirring in some cooked quinoa.

Mini quinoa cups

We used diced ham, Sundog Organic spinach, aged cheddar and chives from our balcony garden as fillings, but should have followed the recipe more closely when it came to using non-stick spray (I didn’t have any, and probably didn’t do as thorough of a job brushing the oil inside the individual baking cups). That said, other than some of the quinoa cups not detaching perfectly, the recipe itself worked out very well! Mack loved the crunch from the quinoa, and served over Sundog Organic greens, didn’t even complain that he was eating a salad!

Over salad

We had a few quinoa cups left over the next day, and found that they also made a quick, tasty breakfast, heated briefly in the microwave.

Lemon Pasta Salad with Asparagus and Tomato

Mack was in charge of dinner a few nights ago, and had selected a pasta recipe that made use of tender crisp asparagus from Edgar Farms and sweet cherry tomatoes from Gull Valley Greenhouses.

He substituted the stelline we had on hand for the orzo, added some Dreamin’ Green Farm chicken and balcony basil, and tossed it all together with garlic, lemon and olive oil from Evoolution.

Lemon pasta salad with asparagus and tomato

It’s probably the sort of thing many wouldn’t require a recipe for, but we appreciated the guidelines. It was a very light dish, with varied textures that really celebrated the fresh produce. Mack especially liked the prominent lemon flavour.

We’ll be on the lookout for even more such recipes this summer!

Culinary Q & A with Foodie McPoon

Occupation: Administration at Alberta Education

What did you eat today?

Banana and a nut bar for breakfast, an apple and Greek yogurt for a mid-morning snack and salad with leftover Singapore noodles from dinner last night for lunch (if you’re wondering where it’s from, it’s from Panda Hut Express).

What do you never eat?

Raisins if I can help it. I hate raisins in muffins, cookies, etc but I eat raisin toast…Weird, I know. I don’t have a good explanation either.

What is your personal specialty?

I don’t really have a specialty dish because I cook many different foods, but I do an awesome cold shrimp salad appetizer, as well as well-seasoned potato wedges.

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you will always find: Greek yogurt, eggs, milk, cilantro, green onions, proscuitto and pickled asparagus.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Lemon baked chicken, panko breaded pork chops or noodles & soup.

What is your favourite kitchen item?

My Cuisinart food processor (next in line is my KitchenAid stand mixer).

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

A large, piping hot bowl of noodle soup, preferably pho with loads of white and green onions thinly sliced with medium-rare beef, also sliced thinly. This is making me hungry!

Where do you eat out most frequently?

I try not to eat out too often, but on occasion my default options are pho usually at Pho Hoa on 97 Street (or whatever restaurant is closest), Kyoto for sushi or Double Greeting Wonton House for their wonton and beef brisket noodle soup.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

Two places — For dinner, definitely The Dish Bistro. I love their food and their portion sizes are quite substantial considering their prices are very, very decent. The atmosphere is also very cozy and unpretentious! For dessert and coffee, there’s no other than Duchess Bake Shop. I am now truly obsessed with French pastries, especially ‘le macaron’. What did I do without them?!

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

There is this wonderful cafe called The Dunes in Prince Edward Island and I am head over heels for their summer lobster salad. I would also love to eat an authentic bowl of spicy pho in Vietnam, or fresh sashimi/sushi in Japan.

Check out Foodie McPoon’s blog here.

City Market Report: Week 6

Mack and I made sure we picked up our week’s worth of groceries at the City Market on Saturday morning before ducking out of town, but it did mean I didn’t have a chance to post about the market until now. It was a glorious start to the weekend, though we can’t say it was the same in Calgary (quite the opposite, actually). Still, it did kick off our Saturday in a really positive way!

Gorgeous weather

We were out pretty early for our standards (especially when compared with last week), but still missed out on what carrots Sundog Organic had on hand. Next week!

Radishes from Sundog Organic

Beets from Kuhlmann’s

Last week for Edgar Farms asparagus!

It was also great to see the first BC strawberries and cherries of the season out in full force!

Strawberries from Steve & Dan’s

Cherries from Steve & Dan’s

Though we couldn’t stay long enough to take in the festivities, the Alley of Light folks had organized a Street Art Festival for that day. We were able to check out some of the light-themed dumpster wraps. Who says garbage can’t be beautiful?

Piece by Andrea Kuchera

See you back on the street this Saturday!

Food Notes for June 25, 2012

I can’t believe how fast the summer is just flying by – it’s July next week! Hope you’re out enjoying the outdoors when you can! On to this week’s food notes:

I’m looking forward to participating in next week’s DIYalogue Talks Food, a “cultural mix-and-mingle” with people involved in the local food scene. Join us at the Blackdog Freehouse (10425 Whyte Avenue) on July 4, 2012 from 6:30-8:30pm! Filistix will be providing the catering. Get your tickets here.
Savour Strathcona County is a good reason as any to head over to Sherwood Park to sample food prepared by local restaurants. Advance tickets to the July 15, 2012 event are available now.
Drift has won their appeal, and can remain in their spot on 108 Street. In other food truck-related news, Councillor Don Iveson filed an inquiry with administration to look further into what the City can do to further refine the street vending policy. Expect a report in the fall.
The You Gotta Eat Here segment on Tres Carnales was amazing! I think it showcased so well what Chef Edgar and the restaurant is doing for Mexican cuisine in Edmonton. It sounds like the show will be back for more filming in Edmonton this summer, with The Dish on tap.
You can now satisfy your sweet tooth before leaving for your destination: Mack sent me a link about Coney Island Candy’s new shop in the Departures wing of the Edmonton International Airport. It’s great to see local businesses infiltrating EIA!
Although I’m in favour of reducing the amount of bottled water served at restaurants, for a city like Edmonton with such a top notch water filtration system, I think the investment into Q Water by Hardware Grill isn’t necessary. Maybe it isn’t fair to expect Hardware Grill to be the cheerleaders behind our local water system, but wouldn’t it be ideal if one of Edmonton’s most respected restaurants took a stand and told the world that yes, our tap water is as good if not better than the bottled stuff?
Metro axed its weekly review column, with the last write-up by Christopher Thrall appearing this week.
Both Valerie and Liane filed great reports about this year’s Okanagan Food and Wine Writers Workshop, put on by Jennifer Cockrall-King. Looks like some great eats!
Valerie announced that she and several others are putting together a Cheesepalooza Project, a 9 to 10 month Artisan Cheesemaking adventure where they will use Mary Karlin’s Artisan Cheese Making at Home as a guide and all make the same cheeses to a specific schedule. If this is something you’re interested in, leave a comment on Valerie’s post.
On Friday, Mack and I joined a good crowd on Manasc Issac’s new rooftop patio for an after work drink. We need more of these in Edmonton!

On the roof at Manasc Issac

Mack and I headed to Calgary this weekend for a bit of a birthday getaway. We were able to hit up quite a few restaurants I had on my list, but they deserve a separate post. A few bits and bobs:

Loved this map of the Calgary Farmers’ Market – I recognize that this is a permanent, year-round market, but it definitely helps customers navigate through the aisles. Could the City Market consider printing copies of their maps housed online?

At the Kingsland Farmers’ Market, we spotted the parked (and sadly, closed) Naaco Truck. We loved its bright colouring, and even more, the edible garden on its roof!

We also had to make an obligatory Phil & Sebastian’s stop – this time at the Chinook Centre location (love that they’re doing an outdoor pop-up cafe this summer).

Join us for our last Truck Stop in Old Strathcona this Wednesday, June 27, from 5-8pm in McIntyre Park. Check out the menu here.

Nomad’s pulled pork sandwich from the June 20 Truck Stop

Go for the Samosas: Guru

Every time Mack’s Dad rolls into town solo, usually en route to a conference somewhere, it means we’re in store for dinner at an Indian restaurant. Mack’s Mom lacks an affinity for curries, so Martin takes advantage of any opportunity he can to satisfy his cravings (it is similar to Mack’s love of Greek).

Last Thursday, Mack and I suggested that we give Guru a try. Origin India had been our go-to place for previous occasions, but we’ve been meaning to head over to Chef Deependra Singh’s restaurant for quite some time, and this was the perfect excuse. We were also told Guru had a good gluten-free menu, which was needed for one in our party as well.

Located between 100 Avenue and 170 Street, Guru is highly visible to traffic, but in some ways, this is also a drawback. We were seated by a window, which would normally be ideal for access to natural light and green, but all I had in my line of sight was a constant stream of cars. For that reason, a table in the heart of Guru is more desirable.

The interior is tasteful, with dark wood throughout with some glass accents. A small bar and private room round out the dining area, and the kitchen offers a windowed peek into the work of the naan artist.

Interior

Buffets aren’t offered at Guru, which in some ways was freeing because of our knee-jerk tendency to choose buffets by default. This way, we had to be more selective about what dishes we wanted to try. Mack and I missed the initial spiel from the server, but he apparently recommended that each of us order our own dish. This surprised me a bit, because apart from buffets, I usually correlate Indian food with family-style service.

This wasn’t the first time I would be a little taken aback by the server. Though I wouldn’t consider Guru a fine dining establishment on the same level as Hardware Grill, I would still hold it to a standard higher than casual upscale eateries like Earls or Joey’s. As a result, the informal demeanour of the server was unanticipated – his mention of using the samosas to pick up girls at Moxie’s, or “spending all his money at bars and having nothing to show for it”. Some may have found his candid nature refreshing, but I thought it was out of place, and cheapened the experience somewhat.

That said, we thoroughly enjoyed the food. The butter chicken samosas (4 for $12) were hot and crispy, the flaky shells enhanced by a sweet tamarind sauce. The chicken could have been a touch more moist, but it was impressive just how much meat they packed in each samosa. Mack loved these, and commented that he’d return just for the samosas.

Butter chicken samosas

Entrees ranged in price from $18-24 (rice and naan separate), so I figured the servings would be quite large. When the bowls arrived, it didn’t quite meet those expectations. After struggling to finish the dish, however, I realized it was quite deceiving, especially for such rich, flavour-packed curries.

The paneer butter masala ($18) essentially substituted the dense Indian cheese for chicken, so Mack and I got the best of both worlds – his favourite sauce, my favourite protein. We were told the heat level would be a three on a scale of ten, but for me it was probably closer to a one. The fish moilee ($24) was a nice surprise, tender fish in a coconut-based sauce. This was particularly tasty paired with the saffron rice and coconut naan.

Paneer butter masala

Fish moilee

There were other nods of approval around the table – Martin and Thom ordered the Guru Rajasthani lamb curry ($21), Shane the chicken vindaloo ($19) and Kim the butter chicken ($19).

Chicken vindaloo

At the end of our meal Chef Singh did come to check on us, which was a nice touch. And though we now have two good options where we can gather the next time Martin is in town, I have to say I’d lean towards returning to Origin India. Guru would be a close second on that list, especially if we were craving those butter chicken samosas.

Guru
17021 – 100 Avenue
(780) 484-4300

2012 Taste of Edmonton Launch

I was able to spend my lunch hour at the Taste of Edmonton media launch on Wednesday at the Citadel Theatre, fortuitously scheduled in between meetings I had nearby. Daytime events are always a challenge for me (and I would imagine for other bloggers as well), and though I appreciate that the invitation was extended to us online folk this year, the timing really was aimed at the mainstream media.

Caprese salad from Lit

This was no more evident than when Mack and I arrived around the advertised start time of 11:30, but discovered that the food wouldn’t be served until about forty-five minutes later; by that time, we needed to leave to get back to work.

Giuseppe Albi, General Manager of Events Edmonton

That said, it was a nice opportunity to catch up with some people I hadn’t seen in a while. The mood was light (helped no doubt by pours of Alley Kat), and the weather outside seemed to mirror the optimism organizers had about some of the new elements they have put together for this year’s festival. Those include:

7 new restaurants (including Guru, Share and TZiN )
65% new menu items
a feature food truck area called Curb Your Hunger (which will include Drift, Molly’s Eats, Smokehouse BBQ and The Act)
a return to live cooking demonstrations, which this year will involve a competition between food bloggers
a partnership with Race Week Edmonton to expand family-friendly programming with activities on Centennial Plaza

I have been very critical of Taste of Edmonton in the past, and will not fully pass judgment on their 2012 incarnation until we’ve had a chance to experience it firsthand. That said, the core of any event with “taste” in their name should be good food. Unfortunately, our brief sampling that day didn’t showcase some of the restaurants in the best light –forty-five minutes in an unheated chafing dish ruined many plates that needed to be served hot, notably, the bacon maple poutine from Hudson’s and the butter chicken samosa from Guru.

Poutine from Hudson’s

As expected, Mack and I are most curious about Curb Your Hunger. We are really happy for the vendors that have been permitted to participate, as this will hopefully expose even more Edmontonians to the wonderful fare that trucks can offer. That said, it will be interesting to see how the trucks will manage with the twelve hour service days. Relief staff isn’t a given with trucks, and unlike the restaurant booths with room for plug-in coolers, there is a limit to the amount of food that can be contained in a vehicle. We’ll see whether or not the festival can accommodate the unique challenges faced by food trucks, or if they will be adhering to a one-size-fits-all model for all vendors.

Susan from Molly’s Eats

Thanks again to the Taste of Edmonton staff for the invitation. We look forward to checking out some of the new features this year!

Taste of Edmonton runs July 19-28, 2012. Discounted tickets are on sale at Tix on the Square until July 18, 2012.

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