The Cooking Chronicles: Savoury Pies

I’ve been enjoying Karlynn’s series of spotlighting a pie a week, and was happy to see a savoury version in her most recent post. One of our favourite go-to recipes in our rotation is this chicken pot pie, but the truth is, Mack and I love most savoury concoctions. What’s not to love? With a bit of meat, some vegetables, and usually, some sort of starchy crust, a pie is the perfect comfort meal. We tried out two recipes in recent weeks with success.

Cottage Pie

Julie Van Rosendaal called this a cottage pie (instead of a shepherd’s pie) because she used ground beef instead of lamb, but whatever the name, it was easy and delicious.

It was easy to incorporate local ingredients into this recipe – we used Sunshine Organic beef, Peas on Earth carrots, Kuhlmann’s onions and potatoes, in addition to the grocery store frozen peas. We also ~~fattened up~~ smoothed out the potatoes with some butter and cream – totally unnecessary, but worth the extra calories in our mind.

Cottage pie

The recipe made a ton of leftovers to boot that reheated well – always a welcome bonus in our book!

Sausage, Cauliflower and Swiss Chard Potpie

This recipe caught my eye when I was flipping through the latest issue of Real Simple. The original recipe calls for kale, but the leafy greens were out at the grocery store, so we substituted swiss chard instead.

We cooked some Little Italy Foods Italian sausage with onions and the swiss chard, added some stock and flour, then combined it with chopped cauliflower. The mixture was poured into a dish then topped with puff pastry and baked.

Sausage, cauliflower and swiss chard potpie

The resulting dish was great – the cauliflower steamed up perfectly, and each bite contained a bit of sausage, chard, and gravy. Of course, the buttery crust didn’t hurt either!

We may be moving out of the season of savoury pies, but I think I’ll still be sneaking in a pie or two now and again, which will likely include both of these recipes.

Our New Local: Cask & Barrel

104 Street will soon be bookended by two upscale pubs – the Mercer Tavern at 104 Avenue is set to open this summer, while the newest addition to the Promenade, Cask & Barrel, opened last week.

This soft opening has allowed the kitchen and wait staff to work out initial kinks, but they’re leading up to their grand opening party on March 30 and 31, 2012. Mack and I were invited to a sneak peek on Wednesday night, and walked down the block after work to check out our new local. Owners Wayne Jones (of the Starlite Room and Brixx Bar & Grill) and Susan Forsey also live just down the street, so in many ways, this is simply a parlour they wanted to see in their neighbourhood as much as it is a business venture.

Susan Forsey of Cask & Barrel

Tucked on the southeast end of the Jaffer Building, and still without external signage, Cask & Barrel doesn’t quite have street presence yet, but in the summer, they hope to extend their seating on a sidewalk patio. Once inside, however, the interior makes an impression. It reminded me of what Local Public Eatery set out to be when it first opened in Edmonton – if it were less corporate, more intimate, and not situated in South Edmonton Common.

Interior

The colours are quite muted, with shades of textured blue and grey on the floor and walls. But they work well with the large windows and multitude of natural accents in the room, including raw wood above the sunken bar, tree stumps as lounge tables, and perhaps my favourite – Vinoture up-cycled bar stools constructed from discarded wine barrels. The theme of re-using and re-purposing items also shows itself in the light fixtures as well – overturned salad bowls became light shades, and dated chandeliers destined for the trash bin found new life once given a makeover. Though there will be a few more additions to the decor (such as locally-produced art), the room felt comfortable and pleasing aesthetically.

Wine barrel to bar stool!

Chef Mikael Charlton, who worked in Victoria prior to relocating to Edmonton, has created a casual menu featuring his twists on pub favourites priced at $8.50-$12.50, including eight different sandwiches. Susan treated us to two entrees and drinks during our visit, and after careful deliberation, we chose to sample their versions of mac ‘n’ cheese and chicken pot pie.

Mack enjoyed the farafelle baked with three cheeses and cream, but I would have preferred a slightly saucier base (our favourite mac ‘n’ cheeses are enveloped in the sauce). The chicken savoury, a butter chicken pot pie topped with layered pastry was excellent – nice heat, tender meat, and a well-seasoned gravy. The side of beef barley soup could have used some more salt and a lighter hand with the cornstarch, but the Chef acknowledged that it was a recipe he was working on. As a whole, however, Mack and I agreed that the portion sizes were good – not overwhelming but filling.

Farafelle

Chicken savoury

In the weeks to come, Chef Charlton will continue to make some adjustments to the menu. In the summer, Cask & Barrel is planning to open for weekend brunches, and will hope to incorporate ingredients gleaned from the City Market in those meals. Susan also mentioned that she’d like to offer “connoisseur” events in the future as well, which will encourage both new and experienced beer and whisky drinkers the opportunity to taste and learn more.

We had a great first experience at Cask & Barrel, and best of all, we know it’s not our last. It’s a great addition to our neighbourhood, and one we will be returning to soon!

Cask & Barrel (Twitter: @caskNbarrel)
10041 104 Street
(780) 498-1224

Not Quite There Yet: Afghan Chopan Kebab House

A few of my coworkers and I hosted an Afghan colleague from a Fort McMurray office two weeks ago, and we thought it was an appropriate occasion to try out a new Afghan restaurant within walking distance of our building.

Afghan Chopan Kebab House

Afghan Chopan Kebab House (10756 101 Street) opened up a few weeks ago on 101 Street next to Padmanadi. Although it is located on a major thoroughfare, it is inset on the street and thus easy to miss, which partly explained how quiet the restaurant was that Tuesday afternoon.

The décor was dated but clean, and brightened up by the ample natural light in the space. There is a large take-out counter, but plenty of eat-in space as well. We seated ourselves in a booth next to a window.

Service was surprisingly slow, especially given we were the only party in the restaurant (our request for waters was fulfilled about halfway through our meal). We were provided menus, but when we tried to order off of them, were encouraged to eat from the $9.99 per person buffet instead. The server indicated that the dishes served would be the same – namely, kebabs.

Although there were a number of buffet selections, that wasn’t actually the case – there wasn’t a kebab in sight! That said, there were a nice mix of vegetarian and meat dishes, including some pulse-based stews, pasta, shredded chicken curry and clove-scented rice. Dessert options included rice pudding and fruit.

Savoury buffet options

There’s no doubt that the buffet was value-driven, but the dishes were a mixed bag. The chickpea and bean stew and pasta (sampled on the second go-around) were the best of the lot, prepared and seasoned well. The lentil dish was noticeably undercooked, and perhaps worst of all, the chicken curry was strewn with tiny bone fragments – not appealing to eat at all. We fared better with dessert; the rice pudding had a nice rounded flavour and good texture. For the record, our Afghan colleague enjoyed the food, but noted that he was likely biased, given his homesickness for this cuisine narrowed his judgment.

My first plate

We all agreed, however, that their naan, delivered to our table freshly baked and imbued the unmistakable smokiness from a Tandoori oven, was some of the best we’d tasted in the city. Fluffy and light, it was delicious, even without any drizzle of oil or butter. The bread alone would be worth returning for.

Naan bread

Given Afghan Chopan Kebab House is a small, family-run business, I would hope it does well, particularly in light of the dearth of restaurants specializing in Afghani cuisine in Edmonton. Still, to foster repeat business, they have some kinks to work out with regards to service and consistency.

Afghan Chopan Kebabhouse
10756 101 Street
(780) 756-3191

Calgary Steak-Out: Rouge

In addition to commemorating the Stampede’s 100th Anniversary this year, Calgary also co-holds the title of Cultural Capital of Canada in 2012. As a result, Tourism Calgary is seeking different ways of marketing their city, including how to highlight their burgeoning food scene. So for two days in February, Tourism Calgary invited several food bloggers to join them for “a new take on steak”, showcasing how five local restaurants are interpreting the old standard of meat and potatoes. Mack and I were fortunate enough to be a part of this group (which included Calgary bloggers Julie van Rosendaal, Gwendolyn Richards and Dan Clapson), and took part in a junket that saw our accommodations and meals covered. It was a first for both of us, and while we acknowledge that we no doubt received special treatment (which colours the experience in a way that no average dinner could live up to), the trade-off in access to the chefs and behind-the-scenes exposure made it worthwhile. Thanks to Tourism Calgary for the opportunity!

We ended the YYCSteak Tour at the most formal of the restaurants we dined in that weekend, Rouge. Located in a historic house in the central neighbourhood of Inglewood, Rouge is known for its celebration of seasonal ingredients and exquisite wine pairings. In fact, two years ago, it was named one of the S. Pellegrino World’s 100 Best Restaurants.

Chef Paul Rogalski’s French-style cooking techniques and commitment to local producers reminded me very much of Chef Blair Lebsack. Both have such deep respect for farmers that a conversation with them reminds you that sourcing locally can be the norm and not the exception. We were fortunate that Chef Rogalski was able to sit down and join us for the entire dinner that night and share some of his insights (and of course, introduce each course!).

It was clear that Chef Rogalski had put a lot of thought into his take on steak, so much so that we weren’t getting just one interpretation, but four. The first was a steak tartar, dressed with Rouge’s signature beet paint and an incredible accent of creamy, thick egg yolk that had been cooked in an immersion circulator. Mack thought there could have been more crostini, however.

Steak tartar

Before the second dish arrived, we were told that we would be having shabu-shabu. I really wasn’t expecting the slice of shaved beef, horseradish agar gel and mushroom terrine with an herb-infused elk consommé that we were presented with. I didn’t enjoy the texture of the terrine, and the beef was actually quite difficult to eat in that shallow bowl, so it was not my favourite course. That said, it was easily the most elegant take on shabu-shabu I’ve ever had!

Shabu-shabu

My favourite course was the lamb two ways: a cut of sirloin and braised lamb bound together with lentils. The latter was particularly memorable, with perfectly prepared lentils enriched with bites of tender, shredded lamb.

Lamb two ways

Then, perhaps the most elegant plate of steak that weekend, served with a foie gras and bone marrow spring roll and a salsify bean puree. Not captured in the picture below was the most delicious rosti – it only made sense that their potato component would be equally compact but delicious.

Steak and spring roll

It should be said that Manager Andy MacDonald did an amazing job pairing wines with each course, but because we were departing for Edmonton immediately after that dinner, we didn’t really indulge all that much. On another occasion, we would have been happy to fully partake, but we know from Gwen that the pairings were enjoyable!

A thumbs up from Gwen!

The kitchen even had something sweet for us to end with – a bee pollen macaron with lemon cream.

Macaron

Although we appreciated the experience at Rouge, it was actually our least favourite of the YYCSteak visits. I still can’t quite put my finger on it, but it probably had to do in part with the relative formality of the restaurant compared with the others (I’m finding that I am definitely gravitating more to the casual upscale form of dining as of late). So although there is a time and place for such proper meals, I will admit that Rouge wouldn’t be our first choice on future trips to Calgary.

Still, many thanks to Chef Rogalski and the rest of the staff at Rouge for their generosity and hospitality – it did help round out our perspective of the Calgary steak scene.

Rouge
1240 8 Avenue SE, Calgary
(403) 531-2767

Food Notes for March 26, 2012

Another pop-up dinner for Edmonton: Chef Blair Lebsack has organized a Rge Rd pop-up at Chai Pani to take place on March 31, 2012.
I can’t wait to check out the Roots on Whyte complex (102 Street & Whyte Avenue) that opened last week, which features Jennifer Ogle’s new restaurant, Under the High Wheel, and Blush Lane, an organic grocer.
From Mack: Underground Tap and Grill is under construction in the basement space beneath The Treasury. Let’s hope the 72 on-tap beers will be a better draw than the ill-fated Parkallen that occupied the level prior.
We’re sorry to have missed Karlynn’s Culinary Cook-off, but were happy to get a glimpse of the mac and cheese samples on Valerie’s blog. We’ll definitely have to partake next year!
Maki had a great photo spread of the latest Chef in Residence lunch at NAIT. It looks like Chef Massimo Capra and the culinary students cooked up quite a feast!
Courtenay covered her experience of New Level Pizza, an underground supper club. Love that Chad’s advice was that she “wasn’t allowed to think about blogging while [she] was eating.”
I missed including these posts last week, but they were important: Carmen and Phil spent an evening cooking for a good cause. They got together with some friends to feed families staying at the Ronald McDonald House, a residence for children and their families while they are seeking medical treatment.
Kevin posted a second video in his series focusing on backyard chickens.
Interesting piece about pop-ups, which has some truth in Edmonton as well: some restaurants are using it as a starting tool before reaching the brick and mortar stage.
Mack and I had a lunch meeting at Three Bananas on Saturday. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been there for lunch, but we weren’t too impressed with the service. Our food took quite some time, and for $10.95, I expected a better sandwich – the chicken was dry, and the bread a little too crusty to enjoy.

Tuscan chicken sandwich

Mack and I volunteered for part of the day at the City Market on Saturday to help spread the word about Eat Alberta. We’re three weeks away, with less than two dozen tickets left. We hope you’ll consider joining us on April 14 at NAIT!

Counting down to Eat Alberta!

The Cooking Chronicles: Pasta Cravings

When I crave pasta, I can think of having nothing else. I’m not sure what it is – the carb lover in me, the association of comfort – but when it hits me, there’s no question what we’re having for dinner.

This week, we tried out two new pasta recipes which were quite different from one another. But they both hit the spot, and satisfied my craving.

One-Pot Macaroni and Cheese

Alberta Milk’s recipe for a one-pot macaroni and cheese stretches the truth, because in reality, it calls for at least an additional bowl or vessel used to blend the sauce. But it didn’t matter that night because after staring me in the face for twenty days (since flipping to “March” on our fridge calendar), I was making that mac and cheese one way or another.

We used a food processor to combine the milk, old cheddar, flour, mustard and seasonings, which we added to the prepared pasta. Heated for a few minutes, the sauce thickened up nicely, and dinner was done!

One-pot macaroni and cheese

Mack even commented that this was better than KD – and it didn’t take that much more time to prepare, either!

Pasta Primavera

I was flipping through Giada De Laurentiis’ very first cookbook, Everyday Italian, the other day, and her recipe for pasta primavera grabbed me. Yesterday, anyway, it did resemble spring outside, and a bowl bursting with sweet, roasted vegetables seemed like a good way to commemorate it.

Sliced August Organics onions, Peas on Earth carrots, zucchini and bell peppers were tossed with olive oil and herbs, then roasted in a hot oven for over twenty minutes. I actually ended up leaving the vegetables in the warm oven longer while I prepared the rest of the ingredients, and it just helped matters, intensifying the flavours even more.

Roasted vegetables

I cooked up some Sunshine Organic chicken to add some protein to the dish (given it was intended to be a meal and not a side), and instead of cherry tomatoes, just used some whole Doef’s tomatoes we had on hand. Tossed together with some of the pasta liquid, plus some chicken stock that I had deglazed the cooking pan with, it was one of the best pasta dishes I have made in some time.

Pasta Primavera

The caramelized vegetables were so sweet – the onions had nearly melted away, while the zucchini, carrots and peppers were soft and tender. It was a light meal, but still quite satisfying.

One of the pasta dishes I can’t wait to make is seasonal in nature (and depends on access to fresh, ripe tomatoes), but summer’s just around the corner – I can’t wait! Are there any pasta dishes you crave?

Recap: Blink, a Pedway Pop-up

Last June, I remember writing that the first What the Truck?! very much unfolded in the way I had envisioned. I am very happy to say that Blink, the February 26, 2012 pop-up restaurant that Mack and I helped organize also held true to what I hoped the event would look and feel like. In this instance, a lot of that was attributed to our partner, who understood from the get-go what we wanted to achieve.

Pedway from street level

Blink had been inspired by Diner en Blanc and the spontaneous community those gatherings facilitate. As I mentioned in my introduction to Blink, I knew it was too late for an outdoor meal, but we knew of several underutilized indoor spaces in Edmonton just waiting to be colonized with good food and new friends. Mack and I centred on closing a pedway, and as he has already so aptly described, set about garnering the right support and permissions from the Downtown Business Association (DBA) and building managers.

I had initially approached Chef Tony Le of Lux Steakhouse (part of the Century Hospitality Group) about this concept back in December. Lux’s proximity to our desired pedway overlooking 101 Street was ideal, but more than that, CHG had a penchant for forward-thinking initiatives (alley burger and CHG Top Chef being two of them). And true to form, Tony embraced the idea even before we had all of the details ironed out – I really appreciated his trust in our collaboration and faith that we could pull this off. Though Tony took charge of designing the six-course menu, CHG VP Culinary/Managing Partner Paul Shufelt got involved in securing the necessary health and liquor permits for Blink. Paul’s knowledge and existing relationships and contacts really made this easy on Mack and I – Lux was able to get a caterer’s extension to stage a kitchen adjacent to the pedway (thought he majority of the preparation and cooking would still be done in Lux proper), and after a fire inspection, the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission granted us permission to offer alcohol with dinner.

Chefs Paul, Tony and Matt Phillips hard at work plating dessert

To create the dining room itself, Paul was adamant about using proper chairs, to ensure it felt more like a restaurant as opposed to a banquet. That meant carting sixty heavy leather-backed chairs up one floor. Props to the Lux staff who did this over the course of many trips – I wish I could say I helped! The tables were dressed with linens from Lux; overhead costs were definitely reduced because we could borrow and poach from Lux, especially since they are closed Sundays anyway.

Table setting, with custom Blink menus prepared by CHG

That left the lighting to Mack and I. Commerce Place, who controlled the pedway lighting, agreed to turn off the fluorescents, allowing us to add appropriate lighting to contribute to the mood. A friend of mine was nice enough to lend us two hundred feet of white lights she had purchased in advance of her wedding, saving us from having to rent them. With some money we had been granted for the event from the DBA, we could afford to purchase some battery-powered paper lanterns. Strung in the centre of the pedway with fishing line, I thought the room was tasteful but didn’t take away from the street view inherent from the location.

Pedway in daylight

We were lucky Blink sold out quickly – twelve hours, in fact – but I know we failed in setting up an official waiting list (or a proper cancellation policy), something we will improve upon in the future. Still, we appreciate the patience afforded to us by ticket buyers as we worked through the learning curve.

Something else we’d change for next time is also allowing dining room access earlier. We used Scotia Place as a closed lounge area for the cocktail hour, in order to hold off the pedway “reveal”, but given the number of drink orders taken at the table, it would have been wise to have had guests seated at least twenty minutes prior to serving the first course.

The cocktail “lounge”

Mack and I were very lucky that we didn’t have to work during the actual dinner – along with sixty other strangers, we got to experience the communal table firsthand, which of course, included all six of the exquisitely planned dishes.

Chef Cowan prepares his amuse

Busy staging area

Never does everything work out perfectly, and in our case, we had some trouble with the lights – the fluorescents came back on just after the first course had been served, half of our string lights shut off on one side of the pedway, and the kitchen staging area went dark. We actually didn’t get to “run through” the shut off with Commerce Place prior to that night, and without a maintenance worker on-site, it was touch-and-go as to whether or not the problem would be fixed. With some scrambling, the pedway lights were shut off soon after, but we weren’t able to rectify the two other issues.

Fluorescents on

Fluorescents off

Thankfully, nothing else major cropped up that evening, and we were able to enjoy ourselves.

Sweetbread terrine amuse

Bread & butter – focaccia, lardo, pink peppercorns, Himalayan sea salt, brown sugar, fresh rosemary, ciabatta, bacon butter, peach chipotle jam, fresh thyme, rye crostini, quails egg, fried sage, sriracha ketchup

Fish – Alberta pickerel, sesame oil, fresh chili, fried shallots, pea shoots, smoked sea salt (one of my favourites that night)

Ravioli – roasted beet and Smoky Valley goat cheese stuffed, fennel marmalade, micro arugula, chili-mandarin beurre blanc, toasted walnuts (the beet and goat cheese worked incredibly well together)

Rabbit – confit rabbit pot pie, braised bacon, fresh arugula, Yukon Gold chips, northwest truffle (only Tony could get me to eat rabbit, or as he said, “the cuter the animal, the better it tastes)

Cow – Heritage Angus striploin, lobster croquette, bernaise, cabernet demi-glace, sauteed peas

Sweet – macaron, oreo terroir, micro greens, cinnamon chocolate truffles (I loved the “potted plant” presentation!)

As I mentioned above, Blink couldn’t have happened without the support of a number of parties. We cannot thank GWL Realty Advisors and Morguard enough for allowing us to use the pedway, the DBA and the Downtown Edmonton Community League for sponsoring us, and last but not least, Paul, Tony and the rest of the staff of Lux for helping us make Blink a reality.

We hope those who took part enjoyed themselves! We really appreciate that people embraced this idea, and were willing to try something a little unique. Based on the response, we know there is an appetite for dinners in unexpected places, so we are working on another Blink – stay tuned!

Check out what Paul, Liane and Linda had to say about Blink!

Culinary Q & A with Twyla Campbell

Occupation: Food and Travel Writer, CBC Edmonton AM Restaurant Reviewer

What did you eat today?

Liberté strawberry yogurt for breakfast, beef satay Bánh mì from V’s Sandwiches. Supper is going to be nasi goreng with five spice duck breasts using Greens Eggs & Ham duck.

What do you never eat?

Brain.

What is your personal specialty?

I’m a wicked soup-maker—a skill I got from my mama.

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

olives in a jar; you never know when there’ll be a martini emergency you need to tend to or an antipasto platter that needs to be whipped up.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Steak. Usually yak/beef cross from Real Deal Meats.

What is your favourite kitchen item?

A hand forged Masakage chef knife from Knifewear in Calgary, but I also love my onion goggles.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

First off, my husband would probably be having his own “last meal” with Charlize Theron, so the fact that a semi-nude Adam Levine would be serving me has to be taken in that context. That being said, Adam would serve up a Dusty dry Victora Gin martini to go with an amuse bouche of sea urchin (uni). After that it would be a starter of charred octopus from Stamatis Greek Restaurant in Queens, NY, followed by a 24 ounce Bone In Rib Eye steak from Vic & Anthony’s in Las Vegas with some juicy Tuscan tomatoes drizzled with Poranino olive oil from Chianti. For dessert, Adam would (obviously) spoon feed me Callebaut Chocolate Mousse from Narayanni’s in Edmonton. All of this would be washed down with a bottle of Night, a cab sauv/cab franc/merlot blend from my favourite Okanagan winery, Ex Nihilo. If the world is going to end, I’m going down in a blaze of protein and alcohol—with a side of Levine.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Pho & Bun in Forest Heights. Best peach shrimp in the city.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

Tres Carnales. Fantastic food and a great vibe. A hug from Daniel makes all things right in the world, Chris has the corniest humour ever, and Edgar—who my daughter calls Saint Edgar—is a wizard in the kitchen.

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

I’d return to Italy, specifically to Susan McKenna-Grant’s agriturismo, La Petraia, outside of Radda in Chianti. Anything Susan makes is spectacular and the constant aroma of rosemary and lavender is balm for the weary soul.

Twyla blogs at It’s a Weird, Wild and Wonderful Life.

Food Notes for March 19, 2012

My sister Amanda is telling me that Toronto’s boasting temperatures in the mid-20s this week, but I’m still feeling pretty good about the weather here. It’s hard not to love a March where we’re not trudging through knee-deep snow! On to this week’s food notes:

Liane posted about a pop-up tea house taking place in McCauley on March 24, 2012, organized by the Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative, the Edmonton City Centre Church Corporation (E4C) and a team of volunteers. The menu will celebrate a variety of cultures and has been designed by immigrant women. Sounds like a great idea!
Mark your calendar: this year’s Indulgence is taking place on June 11, 2012.
It was a sad week for Edmonton’s food scene: both Kerstin’s Chocolates and D’Lish announced that they would be closing their doors. They will both be missed.
Looks like Tres Carnales has a new neighbour: Crepe Symphony! Check them out at 10115 100A Street.
The Bothy will be opening up a second location on 124 Street! Mack is excited that their chicken and leek pies will be only a hop, skip and jump away from our condo.
Five Guys has announced another Edmonton location in South Common (to join their forthcoming outlet in Windermere). They really are a suburban chain – where’s the love for downtown?
Graham Hicks paid a visit to Murrietta’s, with Chef Shane Chartrand now at the kitchen’s helm. Although the menu hasn’t yet been changed over, he still gives the restaurant a thumbs up.
Kevin’s newest KevinTV episode highlights backyard chickens. Speaking of backyard chickens, the River City Chickens Co-op is meeting on March 24, 2012.
There were many rumours about what would be going into the space on 104 Street vacated by Fiji Tan, but wonder no more: Evoolution, offering olive oils, vinegars and a tasting bar is coming soon.

Evoolution

A new bubble tea and banh mi place just opened up on March 16, 2012 near Kingsway Mall called Fresh Bubble Tea & Sandwich Bar (10611 Kingsway Avenue) Although it’s on a main thoroughfare, with all the construction in the area, it’s easy to miss – but the photos posted on Facebook make it seem worth the effort to find.

Fresh Bubble Tea

Is this space cursed? Sports bars and piano bars have come and gone – maybe The Marquee (10304 111 Street) can make it work?

The Marquee

At the City Market this weekend, we came upon the Fruits of Sherbrooke for the first time. They sound very similar to Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton, in terms of “rescuing fruit”, except they are based in just one neighbourhood. They were selling preserves made from some of the fruit they picked this year. We bought a jar of raspberry rhubarb jam to try.

Fruits of Sherbrooke

Mack and I were at Ikea this weekend to pick up some things, and ended up staying for lunch. Though we typically just grab something at the kiosk on the way out, we decided to visit the cafeteria this time around. It’s been a while since we’ve had a “full” meal there, but perhaps there’s a good reason for that. The dining area was in need of a good cleaning, and Mack used the word “slop” to describe his food. Guess we can’t be picky when we’re choosing to eat at a furniture store, but is it just us or has it gone downhill?

Ikea food

Chef Connie DeSousa at Appliances Unlimited

Just in time to launch the second season of Top Chef Canada, Calgary-based Chef Connie DeSousa of CHARCUT was in Edmonton last Sunday to help promote the kick-off, as well as one of the show’s major sponsors. Appliances Unlimited, one of two vendors in the city that offer the GE Monogram line of appliances, hosted the appearance. The hour-long session saw Connie demo not one, but two dishes.

Chef Connie DeSousa

The Edmonton Journal’s Liane Faulder did a wonderful job of mc-ing the morning, asking Connie a variety of questions spanning her career, time on Top Chef, and home cooking habits.

Liane Faulder on the mic!

Five things I learned about Connie that I didn’t know:

She has a background in ballet.
If she had a choice, she would take on Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America.
Hot chocolate is her vice.
Her favourite home appliance is her immersion blender and stand mixer (plus all of its attachments).
She has dined at both D’Lish and Corso 32 in Edmonton.

Connie demoed two applications of her recipe for homemade goat cheese. The first was a goat cheese-topped roasted beet salad. This dish really showcased CHARCUT’s philosophy of “evolving simple ingredients” – trying to highlight the best of what quality, local ingredients have to offer.

Roasted beet salad with goat cheese and lemon-infused olive oil

I particularly liked her second dish, a no-bake cheesecake that layered preserved cherries and graham crackers between the whipped goat cheese. At CHARCUT, these desserts are served in half-cup mason jars, but whatever the vessel, I could see myself making this at home!

No-bake goat cheese cheesecake with cherry preserves

Edmontonians might be seeing more of Connie in the near future. We asked her about rumours that Charpop (CHARCUT’s wildly successful pop-up restaurant concept that took Calgary by storm) would be setting up shop in Edmonton, and though she wouldn’t confirm (or deny), I’d like to think it’s a safe bet with the number of fans she has in this city.

Connie with two of her fans

Thanks again to the event organizers for the invitation!

You can take a look at my full photoset here. Liane and Chris recapped the demos as well.

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