Calgary Steak-Out: Anju

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!

It was a pleasant surprise to find an Edmonton ex-pat at the helm of Anju, the second stop on our steak tour. Roy Oh moved to Calgary from Edmonton nine years ago after completing his study in visual communications, with the hopes of furthering his career. But he started to find that he was drawn not to the studio, but to the kitchen. While Oh isn’t formally trained in the culinary arts, he grew up learning to cook, and as a proud second generation Korean-Canadian, food was a way to connect with his roots.

Go, Edmonton!

In 2008, Oh and his wife opened Anju in a refurbished house on the western edge of downtown Calgary. Their take on Korean cuisine is fresh and modern, inspired by the fact that he has a foot in two cultures. As a result, he doesn’t view “fusion” in a negative way; in fact, he embraces it as the outcome of living as a hyphenated Korean-Canadian. And Calgary is taking note as well – Anju won the award for “best small plates” from Avenue Calgary last year.

Anju translates to “tapas or a dish eaten with alcohol” – at our tasting, we learned first hand about this philosophy as our group was introduced to soju. Distilled from rice instead of wheat, soju is the Korean equivalent of vodka. It was quite smooth, and much less abrasive than vodka, though we were also provided with Sprite and aloe juice if any of us needed to take the edge off.

To enjoy with the soju, we were served a number of plates to be shared around the table, many highlighting Oh’s fusion philosophy. Malpec oysters were accompanied by a kimchi mignonette, which enhanced each bite with additional texture and a bit of heat. Braised oxtail tortellini were dressed with soy, grana padano and truffle oil – incredibly fragrant, with scallions providing a fresh pop. Anju’s version of crispy tofu was perfectly fried on the outside but silky on the inside, highlighted with sauteed kimchi and a citrus aioli.

Malpec oysters with a kimchi mignonette

Braised oxtail tortellini

Crispy tofu

Then came the chicken wings. Our Calgarian tablemates had been vocal in expressing their hopes that one of Anju’s signature dishes would be served that night, so naturally, a cheer erupted when they appeared at our table. Sunworks chicken had been lightly fried, then tossed with a potent Korean hot sauce. The wings had a nice crunch, and the sauce was definitely uncensored – we joked that it was the culinary equivalent to Botox, a natural way to plumper lips.

Chicken wings

But this was the steak tour after all, so Anju’s grand finale was a rib eye that had been marinated in a simple mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, lime, garlic, ginger and sugar. The result was tender meat that had a slightly sweet finish. And Anju’s twist on potatoes? Roasted fingerling potatoes were accompanied by a tangy sesame aioli.

Marinated rib eye with fingerling potatoes

It was great to experience Anju’s take on steak and Korean-influenced cuisine as a whole – more than any of the other meals that weekend, it felt like the most personal. I loved that Oh has been able to merge Prairie inspirations with culinary traditions that honour his heritage. Perhaps we could convince him to move back to Edmonton one day, too.

Anju
507 – 10 Street SW, Calgary
(403) 532-9419

To T.O.: The Rest

When I look back at our Toronto trip, it seemed like all we did was eat! So though I’ve already recapped some of the best meals during our visit, I wanted to capture all of the other great restaurants and food-related experiences we had that week.

Crown Princess

For whatever reason, I was really intent on having dim sum in Toronto. Though Chinatown or Markham might have been the ideal neighbourhoods to locate a suitable restaurant, because of our activities to follow brunch that day, Amanda and I tried to stick to the downtown area. After some digging on Chowhound, we decided on Crown Princess.

Is this just the lobby?

While we didn’t expect it to be busy on a random Tuesday morning, we didn’t anticipate having the restaurant to ourselves either. It was all the more odd because Crown Princess is perhaps the most sumptuous Asian restaurant I’ve ever dined in – from the plush velvet chairs, chandeliers and marble wall coverings to the embroidered tablecloths and patterned china, it felt like we were in store for a very lavish private tasting.

Interior

Not your typical Chinese teapot

Prices were on the high side ($3-6), but not outrageous. Between the two of us, we decided to share four plates. My favourite was the har gao, easily some of the best dumplings I’ve had in some time – the shrimp was plump, and the wrapper was nice and thick. The rice noodle roll was also quite good – the greens added some dimension to the dish, while the pork inside had been diced with uniform consistency – it was clear that these dishes had been made with care.

Har gao

Rice noodle roll

The barbecue pork buns were great as well, with springy, fresh dough. The final dish was interesting, though the English translation of “fried shrimp” probably needed more detail – we expected battered shrimp, but instead, were presented with shrimp and fruit in a cream sauce wrapped and fried.

BBQ pork buns

Fried shrimp

Service was attentive (difficult not to be for the only table in the restaurant), and it was enjoyable for a light lunch. I’m sure the experience as a whole would have been much different had we been amongst other diners though.

LCBO

Ontario still hasn’t moved to a private liquor retailing system, and I’m sure there are pros and cons about this. Walking through an LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) store, however, there seemed to be one big advantage to having a provincially-controlled chain: better marketing of homegrown products.

Go local

It was great to see shelves of Ontario product proudly displayed under a “go local” banner. While many liquor stores in Edmonton do make it easy to locate Canadian wines, this seemed to be one step further.

Local beer

Nathan Phillips Square Farmers’ Market

Farmers’ markets in Edmonton are confined to late afternoon, evening and weekend hours. However, the trend in other large Canadian municipalities seems to be opening up markets during the day, especially in high density areas. Calgary has experimented with their Downtown Green Market on Stephen Avenue, and in Toronto, we encountered a vibrant, well-stocked farmers’ market in front of their City Hall in Nathan Phillips Square.

Nathan Phillips Square

Farmers’ market

In the shadow of City Hall

It wasn’t ideal conditions for a farmers’ market – although tents sheltered the vegetables from the sun, nothing could stop them from wilting in the +40 degree humidity. The heat just radiated from the pavement, and on a day like that, the shade from trees would have been a welcome respite.

Zucchini blossoms

Beans

Berries

Asparagus

Corn

Basil

Meat truck

A hive!

Still, it was great to see so many people out picking up fresh produce on their lunch break, all while enjoying live entertainment.

Fresh Wednesdays

Amanda and I had a lunch reservation that afternoon, but I couldn’t resist buying a basket of raspberries in an effort to cool off. It was definitely handy to have the water truck on-site so we could wash the berries!

Water truck!

Berries

Rosedale Diner and Nadege

While in Toronto, I was able to meet up with Maria for lunch one day. Originally from Sarnia, she had been living in Edmonton for the past few years, but returned to Toronto for a work contract. She steered us to Rosedale Diner, a charming restaurant in Summer Hill.

The menu was made up of comforting dishes, and as soon as I saw the duck confit poutine ($17) on the menu, I knew I would pass up their prix fixe Summerlicious courses. I was disappointed that the Quebec cheese curds didn’t squeak, and that the fries were over-dressed, given they were saturated by the time I started to dig in, but I enjoyed the duck. Maria had ordered the lamb burger and surprisingly, was asked how she wanted it cooked!

Duck confit poutine

Lamb burger

The service was slow (and probably seemed even more so to us because we made the mistake of choosing to sit by the window on the hottest day of the year), but I was glad Maria had chosen Rosedale in part for its location.

After lunch, we wandered over to a quaint row of specialty shops – a high-end grocer, a butcher, a bakery, and a dessert shop. Nadege specializes in the venerable macaron, and though I was beyond full, I had to try one.

Beautiful works of art (love the mini macarons on the Marie Antoinette!)

I bought a salted caramel macaron ($2.10), and while the salty-sweet flavour was spot on, the meringue shell was not – it crumbled almost immediately when I bit into it.

Macarons

Smoke’s Poutinerie

My sampling of poutine in Toronto wasn’t confined only to Summer Hill. After taking in Wishful Drinking at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Mack and I wandered over, hungry, to Smoke’s Poutinerie.

I ordered the Montreal poutine (shaved Montreal smoked meat, dill pickle, mustard, $6.99), to see how it would stack up against my favourite dish at La Poutine. I think Edmonton wins this round – I again encountered cheese curds that didn’t squeak in the least – it had to be more than coincidence at this point, right? I also preferred the meat diced – easier to ensure a bit of the smoky meat in every bite.

Montreal poutine

Mack’s Hogtown poutine ($6.99), with double-smoked bacon, Italian sausage, sautéed mushrooms and caramalized onions was much better, consistency-wise.

Hogtown poutine

Le Petit Dejeuner

When travelling, Mack and I always try to seek out a local diner for brunch. On this occasion, it was a little more difficult – because of time constraints, we had to find one within walking distance of our hotel, as we had to depart for the airport in the early afternoon hours.

Le Petit Dejeuner was our destination, and it seemed to be the right choice as a line-up formed outside the restaurant soon after we were seated. The interior was a bit of a mash-up, with warm wall colours that clashed with the aquamarine vinyl booths, but for brunch, the disharmony worked.

Interior

I ordered Gal, two eggs, toast, potato rosti, apple coleslaw and bacon ($9.75). The scrambled eggs were particularly creamy, and I loved the crunchy rosti, which would have been perfect with just a little more salt. Mack also enjoyed his eggs benedict with peameal bacon ($12.95) well enough.

The Hungry Gal

Eggs benedict with peameal bacon

Because we saw it on the menu, we had to try their liege waffle as well, made with red fife wheat. It was served cold, which we weren’t used to (Eva Sweet had made sure of that), but it was dense and crunchy with pearl sugar throughout.

Liege waffle

In all, I had a great time in Toronto. And I’m happy to say, I’ll be back there very soon – next week, in fact, for a work conference. I’m already looking forward to the food!

Metropolis: A Tough Sell

At the formal reveal of Metropolis back in October 2011, it was clear that this new festival was an ambitious one. Their list of sponsors was long, but necessary given the $1.2 million dollar price tag, with only $215,000 of that amount being covered by civic funds.

Events Edmonton General Manager Giuseppe Albi explains his vision

At the time, Events Edmonton revealed mock-ups of the six pavilions they had planned, snow-white structures stemming from the snow-covered Square. These heated tents would encourage the public to venture out into the cold every weekend from the end of December to mid-February to enjoy programs regardless of the weather. It sounded like Metropolis would have a little bit of everything – a children’s tent, pub, food services, information technology, media – plus a space where the community would have a chance to make their mark on the festival. But what would it look like in reality? Would Edmontonians embrace this new winter event?

Scaffolding

First Impressions

Metropolis had its official debut on New Year’s Eve, one of the busiest days in the downtown Edmonton calendar. Not a bad way to guarantee loads of foot traffic to a new event, but on the downside, we found that the pavilions (now down to four) weren’t able to comfortably accommodate the large crowds. As a result, we felt a little like cattle, being herded in lines from one tent to the next, barely able to take in any of the displays.

That said, the first show in the community pavilion was less than inspiring – a collection of art that could have been mistaken for a holiday gift market.

Night of Artists on December 31

The Taste of Winter pavilion was unfortunately no better. Although most of the restaurants present were independent establishments, with the sheer numbers crowding the aisles, perusing the options and indulging in a meal seemed more like chores than leisurely activities.

Taste of Winter on December 31

Mack and I knew that it wasn’t quite fair to judge the festival on first impressions alone, especially on a day that featured abnormally large crowds. So we made sure to visit periodically over the next seven weekends to see what else Metropolis would have to offer.

Programming

Without a doubt, the biggest criticism of Metropolis has been its lack of programming. Metropolis organizers appeared to rely heavily on partners to program both activity-based children’s and community pavilions, without seeming to provide them with much support.

Children’s pavilion on February 18

For Metropolis to have attracted its desired attendance of over 30,000 visitors every weekend, the programs needed to be interesting and unique. However, the vast majority of activities in the community pavilion had been duplicated elsewhere. The best example of this was the Chinese New Year weekend, where performers shuttled between a stage inside Edmonton City Centre and a smaller one that had been set up in the pavilion on the same afternoon.

Community pavilion on January 21

I can only imagine how difficult it would have been for the partners to have been asked to program an unfamiliar space (particularly challenging for the artists’ collective that first weekend). On the bright side, as the weeks progressed, it seemed that groups were learning how to best use the scaffolding to their advantage.

Scaffolding makes decorating easier

In the end, the biggest hurdle was the pavilion itself – besides the raw, industrial interior, the space was simply an empty hall indistinguishable from a community league, theatre lobby, classroom or any other venue in need of animation.

Handmade Mafia on February 18

The only group that really utilized the potential of the raw space was Firefly Theatre. Aerial specialists, their experimental show Sky Life was reminiscent of last year’s Illuminations with Circus Orange. The audience was asked to move around the tent with the performers in a mostly wordless show, with an interpretation of the ugly duckling fable told through movement and music.

Sky Life

The scaffolding became part of the sky in which personified stars danced and twirled, while the lights helped define the stage for the circus performers.

Acrobats

Metropolis was lucky to have them; we heard that Firefly had to turn people away because the shows were so popular. It was unfortunate in many respects that there were only five performances of Sky Life given it was really the only program that highlighted what Metropolis could be.

Stilt walkers

Metropolis organizers admitted that developing adequate programming would be their priority should the festival continue. Although I agree, I think there are other things that Metropolis could improve upon as well.

Taste of Winter

Although the Taste of Edmonton is far from my favourite festival (for a multitude of reasons), there is no doubt it is a summer tradition for many. So a Taste of Winter seemed like a good idea in principle, trying to build on the familiarity and recognition of a seasoned event.

As mentioned, the first impressions on New Year’s Eve weren’t positive, with attendees packed in like sardines. But even worse was the bleak reality of the following weeks – the crowds vendors had been promised just didn’t materialize.

Taste of Winter on January 7

This was clear the Saturday night we had dinner there – at 7pm, several of the vendors had already shut down for the night, because not a single customer had passed through the doors in the two hours prior. The chicken-egg argument stands – without vendors open for business, would patrons visit? But without customers, how could vendors survive?

The bacon mac and cheese from Molly’s Eats – delicious!

I wouldn’t disagree that Taste of Winter was a good opportunity for food trucks like Molly’s Eats and Eva Sweet to set up shop in the off-season. But the pavilion was essentially just a tented food court, and with a few exceptions, like the programming, there was nothing unique about the food.

Coordination with Ongoing Events

Manning the Downtown Edmonton Community League membership table at the City Market one Saturday in January, we ended up being the de facto information booth because we were situated at the entrance of City Hall. Quite a few people asked us what the hours of Metropolis were – one would only assume that they would try to capture the potential foot traffic from market shoppers, right?

That wasn’t the case – on Saturdays, when the market begins at 10am, Metropolis didn’t open its doors until noon.

Use of Outdoor Space

For a winter festival, Metropolis really didn’t make use of the space surrounding the pavilions. I suppose it wasn’t really their focus, given their already severe lack of programming inside the tents, but it would have better connected the pavilions together, and more importantly, give life to the area.

With visitors shuttered inside the opaque pavilions, a passerby would assume Churchill Square was void of activity. Even small things would have made a difference – skaters performing in front of City Hall for instance (as they did at the kick-off for the WinterCity Symposium), or, as they started to do towards the end of the festival, placing carvers on the Square for the M.A.D.E. snow furniture competition, and inviting ice sculptors to carve right on-site.

WinterCity skaters

Carvers in action on February 11

What’s Next?

It’ll be interesting to see what organizers decide to do next, and what Metropolis might look like should the festival return again. Although I am glad Events Edmonton took a risk, I hope they are able to learn from this initial run and improve in the future.

Food Notes for February 20, 2012

I hope you all had a great Family Day! After Sunday’s snow day, I wasn’t sure what the weather would be like, but it ended up being a pretty great day to spend outdoors. On to this week’s food notes:

Liane stoked the rumours about a possible Whole Foods in Edmonton.
The truck-to-brick-and-mortar trend continues with Nomad’s tweet that they will be opening a take-out window in Oliver Square in May.
Fans of David Adjey should look into La Pisana’s charity dinner, in support of the Leduc Food Bank. $100 will get you a five-course Italian dinner, and the opportunity to rub shoulders with the Food Network star on March 10.
Vue Weekly had a great coffee feature last week, sitting down with the proprietors of Transcend, Credo, Elm Cafe, Cafe Haven on their coffee philosophies and what they think of their chain competition.
Chef Chuck Hughes was in Alberta earlier this week, awarding a $25,000 Real Food grant to an elementary school in Red Deer. Valerie was able to take part in the day, and also had the opportunity to speak with a Hellmann’s representative and Chef Hughes about the company’s “real food” philosophy. Worth a read.
When we visited Bles Wold back in 2010, Tinie had talked about wanting to start a line of yogurt drinks. I noticed them on the shelves at the Italian Centre this weekend, and we bought a few to try – they were thicker than Yop, but less sweet. Bles Wold has also started selling Greek-style yogurt – great for them, since the market for Greek yogurt seems to be on the rise.

Bles Wold’s Sip

Bles Wold’s Greek yogurt

Mack and I stopped by Remedy’s new downtown location on an evening stroll last week. We’re hoping the fluorescents are replaced with warmer lights that match the wall colours, but other than that, it’s a comfortable addition to the neighbourhood. We enjoyed the chai as well!

Chai from Remedy

We headed to Latitude 53’s first ever patio parka party on Saturday night, taking advantage of the mild winter night. With mulled wine and heat lamps, plus the wind-sheltered patio, it actually wasn’t bad! We hope Latitude continues the series!

Partying on the patio!

We loved the branch and light-filled tunnel that connected the indoors with the outdoors

Sobeys’ Apple Challenge at NAIT

Though apples are generally most associated with the fall, the time of harvest and going back to school, in the Prairies, their cellar longevity means they are one of the few fruits we can consider “seasonal” throughout our long winter. As a result, the BC Tree Fruits Association wants to bring apples top of mind at this time of year, and has declared February to be Apple Month.

To help celebrate this, Sobeys worked with a number of local institutions to help spread the word, which included a donation of 1500 apples to Prince Charles School to ensure students would have access to healthy snacks. Sobeys also partnered with the culinary school at NAIT for an Iron Chef-style challenge that invited students to contribute their most creative uses for the fruit basket staple. On the line: $1,000 in prizes.

Busy kitchen

A total of thirteen students in their first and second year of studies submitted recipes to NAIT Instructors for consideration, and out of that, eight students were chosen to compete. On February 11, 2012, students were given one hour each to prepare their dish which would be judged by a panel of food writers. I was lucky enough to be asked to join this panel, alongside Liane Faulder and Valerie Lugonja.

With Liane and Valerie

Prior to the tastings, we were allowed to interact with the students while they were creating their signature dishes. We were told that they were permitted to prepare some things ahead of time, such as sausage or pastry dough, but that most of the cooking would be done that day.

Paulina Klassen focused on her rugelash

Surprisingly, nearly all of the students had chosen to make savoury dishes, smashing my preconceived notion that we would be sampling a variety of pies and crisps.

Pan finishes up her soup vessels

Christina Schell tosses some brussels sprouts

Of course, I should have given the students more credit than that – after talking to a few of them, it was clear that the versatility of the apple was what drew most of them to the competition.

Ren Ping Pui works on his cheesecake filling

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to watch most of the students finish and plate their dishes, as we had to begin the judging process. Rapid-fire, we would be tasting eight dishes in forty minutes – the three of us were definitely up to the challenge!

Ashley Broad starts to plate her dishes

We were provided with a score sheet that would enable us to award each dish with up to 20 points: up to 10 points for taste, 5 points for presentation and 5 points for creativity. Valerie commented that other categories could have been added – such as awarding points for their verbal presentations – for some students, their ability to clearly articulate their cooking philosophy and inspiration provided a better background and context for the dish.

First up was Ashley Broad, who prepared a roast duck and apple tart. I appreciated the combination of the two flavours, which worked really well together. The pastry itself was a little too firm for my preference, but the apples were cooked really well.

Roast duck and apple tart

Second was Pan Pan, who happens to be Miles Quon’s wife. She presented a charming curried apple soup (served inside a cored granny smith!) alongside a grilled apple salad. The soup itself was a bit on the sweet side, but had a nice smouldering back heat. I found the salad to be overwhelmed by the prosciutto, but Valerie really adored the vinaigrette it had been tossed with.

Curried apple soup with grilled apple salad

Christina Schell’s apple stuffed pork tenderloin with an apple parsnip mash was a plate with many components. All of us really enjoyed the apple balsamic puree, but found the pork to have been overcooked. We also thought the dish could have used more focus on the apple and less on extraneous ingredients.

Apple stuffed pork tenderloin

Next up was a pork in apples with herbed chevre, cremini mushrooms and apple and peach puree from Chloe Lomas. Out of all of the students, Chloe was the most eloquent in terms of verbalizing how she was able to translate her vision onto the plate (she had wanted to represent an apple in nature, so replicated the “soil” using mushrooms). Her creation was incredibly layered, in terms of both flavours and textures.

Pork in apples with herbed chevre, mushrooms and apple and peach puree

Terry McNeil presented apple sausage with apple slaw, cheese crisps and cranberry apple compote. Terry had made the sausage herself (having arrived at Culinary Arts through the meat cutting program), but we found it to be a bit dry, and in need of more fat. That said, the slaw was quite refreshing, and I loved the crumbled cheese crisps on top.

Apple sausage with apple slaw

With the only pure dessert of the competition, Ren Ping Pui’s crispy pancetta cheesecake filling with apple compote, apple crumble, apple sorbet and berry kissel sauce was a welcome taste. Calvados (apple brandy) had been cleverly incorporated throughout the dish – in the sorbet, the filling and the compote, but it wasn’t evident, taste-wise. Without a doubt, the cheesecake filling was heavenly, whipped to a mousse-like consistency, though Liane and Valerie found that the pancetta overpowered the delicate flavour. Ren’s plate was the instructor’s favourite, because of the intricate technique that had been used.

Crispy pancetta cheesecake filling with apple compote, apple crumble, apple sorbet and berry kissel sauce

Krystle Duquette flexed her skills with molecular gastronomy by making apple caviar to serve with her glazed apple and frisee salad. Apple juice, maple syrup and agar were dissolved then dripped into freezing cold canola oil, to produce delicate pearls. They didn’t work as well as she had hoped, but it wasn’t the main component of her plate. Her cinnamon heart-candied apple absolutely popped (definitely appropriate for the forthcoming Valentine’s Day), and we loved the crisp frisee salad, brightened with a vinaigrette made with cider vinegar and honey.

Glazed apple and frisee salad

Last but not least was Paulina Klassen’s savoury apple rugelash. The pastry was amazing, buttery and melt-in-your-mouth, with a richness from bacon fat that had been added to the dough. The sweet, caramelized apples and an underlying layer of jam paired with the rugelash perfectly, though the addition of candied bacon didn’t hurt either.

Savoury apple rugelash

In the end, though our scores didn’t match, our ranking of the dishes was consistent. We awarded first prize to Paulina’s rugelash, second to Krystle’s glazed apple and frisee salad, and third to Pan’s curried apple soup and grilled apple salad. The winning recipes will likely be printed in a Sobeys publication in the future, such as the fall issue of Compliments.

Thank you again to Sobeys for the invitation to be a part of this competition! It was the richest breakfast that I’ve had in some time, and the most enjoyable, too. Best of luck to all of the students in their studies – their creativity and energy was inspirational and contagious. Long live the apple!

You can see the rest of the photo set here.

The Cooking Chronicles: Cooking with Bulgur

Amy Pennington, in Urban Pantry, describes bulgur as the “gateway drug for whole grains” due to its ease of preparation and wide availability. I have to admit that bulgur wasn’t really on my radar until recently, after I bookmarked a few recipes that featured bulgur in the ingredients list. I picked up a bag from the bulk section of Save-On, and have been working my way through the recipes with varied success.

Quickly Stewed Tomatoes and Sausage with Bulgur

Mark Bittman rarely lets me down, but he did with this recipe. Part of it had to do with my expectations – I was anticipating a less soupy consistency, hoping that the bulgur would plump up and absorb most of the liquid.

Stewed tomatoes and sausage with bulgur

That wasn’t the case, and the result was a stew containing bulgur that didn’t really add anything to the dish.

Meat-and-Grain Loaf

Bittman made up for the disappointment with the next recipe we tried, one for a meat-and-grain loaf (I considered it a major victory when Mack asked for a meatloaf that was lighter on the meat).

We had a pound of Nature’s Green Acres ground beef, and mixed it with some reheated chopped, frozen spinach, diced onion, garlic, egg, cooked bulgur and seasonings. I knew my proportions were off, as I had added way too much spinach and bulgur, but I thought it would work out in the end.

Meat-and-grain loaf, with cabbage and lemon salad

The loaf came out fine, but because of its size, required over an hour and a half to cook in the oven. It was undoubtedly the healthiest meatloaf we had ever made, and with the grains and vegetables in each bite, could have been a meal all on its own. I also liked the use of bulgur in this way, adding some additional nutrients in place of breadcrumbs.

Bulgur & Citrus Salad

I’ve mentioned in the past that I do my best to prepare vegetarian dishes for potlucks at work (because many of my coworkers have meat-related dietary restrictions), so I was eager to try a recipe for bulgur & citrus salad in Urban Pantry for this purpose.

Bulgur was without a doubt the star ingredient, livened with the inclusion of pine nuts, parsley, mint, dried currants, orange zest, orange juice, red wine vinegar and some olive oil. I found, however, that to get the “sweet-citrusy pop” that Pennington described, I had to double the amount of zest and juice. It resulted in a fragrant salad, but perhaps not the most ideal consistency, as the bulgur was almost mushy.

Citrus & bulgur salad

After sitting overnight in the fridge, the sweetness intensified, but it didn’t help the bulgur. More herbs, added to freshen up the salad at the last moment would have been a good idea, too.

I haven’t given up on bulgur yet – what are your favourite uses for the grain?

Calgary Steak-Out: Ox & Angela

Established in July 2011, Ox & Angela is the second venture from Kelly Black and Jayme MacFayden of Una Pizza fame. Had it not been pointed out to us, however, I’m pretty sure we would have walked right past it. The plain white exterior does not at all connote the warmth and chic comfort that awaits inside.

Ox & Angela

Ox & Angela is divided into two personified rooms: the “Ox” lounge is all dark wood and unfussy, and with the large flat screen on one end, could be mistaken for a high-end pub. “Angela” was explained to us as Ox’s companion was complete with classy, feminine touches such as a wall of framed mirrors. We were seated in Angela, without the distraction of the streaming Superbowl coverage and with a view into the kitchen. I loved that the dining areas had a story – it suggested that the food would be made with just as much care and thoughtfulness.

Angela

Given the intention of this tour was to turn the stereotype of a typical plate of steak and potatoes on its head, Ox & Angela was the perfect place to start because diners aren’t presented with just one dish. Purporting the tapas style of sharing small plates, our meal consisted of steak, accompaniments and a number of side dishes.

I really enjoy this way of eating, as it enabled us to sample a wide variety of tastes, and in many ways, felt more like a night out as opposed to just having dinner. As well, in the context of our motley crew, sharing food helped facilitate conversation and familiarity.

Family style

The Spring Creek Ranch flat iron steak was front and centre, served with a mojo verde and a lemon aioli. The meat itself was moist and full of flavour on its own, but it was great to be able to dress up our steak in whatever way we wanted.

Flat iron steak

Mojo verde and lemon aioli

Without a doubt the patatas bravas (which translates to “fierce potatoes”) was the all-around favourite, creamy with the inclusion of the lemon aioli, and finished with a smoked paprika ketchup.

Patatas bravas

For me, the close second was the kale, braised with sherry vinegar, sultanas and toasted panko. Kale is already one of my favourite vegetables, but the preparation made me fall in love with it all over again – the bit of sweetness and crunch livened up the greens. Mack really enjoyed the tomato bread, which was simply grilled sourdough rubbed with garlic and tomato (something we were told that the Spanish typically eat with steak). Scallions were given a similarly straightforward treatment, grilled, tossed with sea salt, and topped with a salsa romesco. Like most of the menu, the sides featured simple ingredients executed brilliantly.

Braised kale with sultanas and toasted panko

Tomato bread

Grilled green onions with a salsa romanesco

No one could pass up dessert, especially because churros were involved. Deep fried to a crisp, but still doughy on the inside, the churros were served with dipping chocolate, and were as fun to eat as the dinner that preceded them. Mack ate more than his fair share!

Churros!

Ox & Angela was such a delight. Even though it is barely six months old, it was clear that the restaurant has a strong identity and holds true to its Latin inspirations. Without hesitation, I would return to Ox & Angela again – for the food and for the experience.

Ox & Angela
528 17 Avenue SW, Calgary
(403) 457-1432 (ext.#1)

Food Notes for February 13, 2012

Thanks to everyone who has expressed interest in Blink! We had no idea the response would be so overwhelming (we sold out in twelve hours), but I think it bodes well for future pop-up initiatives. On to this week’s food notes:

Still looking for Valentine’s Day ideas? City and Dale had a great list last week.
Latitude 53’s first annual Patio Parka Party should be a blast! It is being catered by Elm Cafe, Upper Crust and The Bothy.
Winefest is back, on February 17-18 at the Shaw Conference Centre.
Remedy’s new location downtown (10279 Jasper Avenue) is now open! One of the best things is they are open until midnight – great to have more casual late night options in the area.
Chef Shane Chartrand left L2 Grill and is now cooking at Murietta’s.
Liane revealed today that NAIT’s 2012 Chef in Residence is another Food Network alum, Massimo Capra, of Restaurant Makeover fame.
Liane also posted that Come Dine With Me Canada will be filming in Edmonton this year. I find it an odd choice for Edmonton Tourism to woo, as it doesn’t necessarily highlight the city in the same way as a show like Eat St., and actually, never seems to paint the amateur chefs in a very good light.
It’ll be interesting to see how Edmonton’s Food and Agricultural Strategy shapes up – also from Liane, a short interview with Aaron Falkenberg, the man who is in charge of the project.
Mack and I checked out the new Lucky Supermarket (I want to call it “Lucky 127” for old times sake) that recently opened up at 13851 127 Street. It’s a beautiful store, with a lot more room than the Chinatown location (they even have a eating area). They also have a large halal meat and product section – it will be interesting to see how it will affect the neighbouring Superstore’s business.

Lucky Supermarket

Interior

We were also uncharacteristically in the suburbs on the weekend, checking out the Currents of Windermere (and we thought Creekside Chapelle was on the edge). We ended up stopping at the Tim Horton’s/Cold Stone Creamery there, which has been open for about a month. I know there are other dual outlets in the city, but this was our first visit to one. The sizes were much smaller than Marble Slab, seemed much more expensive (a small was $2.89), and there were less mix-in options. I had my usual vanilla and cookie dough combination, and I have to say I prefer Marble Slab’s ice cream. That said, Mack’s Tim Horton’s double-double flavour was the clear winner – it tasted exactly like coffee with a cream finish. Short of satisfying a coffee ice cream craving, however, I think we’ll be back at Marble Slab more often.

Cold Stone Creamery at Tim Horton’s

Ice cream

Happy Valentine’s Day – hope you have a great one with your loved one!

The Cooking Chronicles: More with Legumes

As I have mentioned in the past, I’ve been trying to incorporate more legumes in our diet. The biggest difference this year is that I am actively trying to lessen my reliance on canned beans. Although we will likely still keep a few on hand (they’re great in a pinch), dried beans are cheaper, I can then control what goes into them, and they are free from the BPA that is present in the lining of cans.

I think I only cooked dried legumes twice all last year, but so far in 2012, I’ve already made three batches. With some planning, I’ve found it not to be a burden at all – I soak them before leaving for work, cook them that evening, and then have them ready to go for the following day. I’ve been freezing the leftovers in small bags, so they’re handy for future meals. We’ll see how long I am able to continue this, but in the meantime, I am still determined to try new recipes that feature legumes.

Mexican Fried Rice

Our go-to fried rice involves eggs and barbecue pork, but the Mexican version in Julie van Rosendaal and Sue Duncan’s Spilling the Beans with chorizo, black beans, tomatoes and cheddar seemed like it was worth a try.

The black beans definitely fortified the dish, but even with the chorizo, it wasn’t quite interesting enough. I think it would have made a difference if I had a cast iron pan that was large enough to accommodate all of the rice (charring it would have added a lot of flavour). As well, the rice would have also benefited from other spices – cumin was the dominant (and only) fragrance.

Mexican fried rice

Moroccan Chickpea Stew

The fruit in the ingredients list drew me to this Moroccan chickpea stew – with both apples and dried apricots, I wasn’t sure if the final product would end up much too sweet.

Thankfully, the answer was no. In addition, the apricots cooked down to the point where they more closely resembled the other softened vegetables, and with the chickpeas, it made for a light but satisfying supper.

Moroccan chickpea stew

Dumpling and Chickpea Stew

Our last attempt at dumplings failed miserably, but I did want to try another recipe at some point. Given the previous dumplings lacked flavour, Daphne Oz’s inclusion of cornmeal in the batter of her recipe piqued my interest. She also chose to highlight this recipe as a dish she would include in her “last supper”, so it had to be good, right?

We learned from our previous experience that the size of the dumplings matter, so we made sure to form smaller ones in the simmering soup. The cornmeal did add some interesting texture, and as a whole, I think they were a success – moist and light as they were – and most importantly, they cooked all the way through! The dumplings also helped thicken the broth somewhat, which, paired with the chickpeas, made it a heartier dish.

Dumpling and chickpea stew

I’m just not sure it would be last supper material, at least not for me.

To T.O.: Summerlicious Adventures

Summerlicious, Toronto’s bi-annual prix fixe dining event and warm weather counterpoint to Winterlicious, puts Edmonton’s Fork Fest and Downtown Dining Week to shame. I realize it’s not exactly fair to compare our mid-size city’s efforts with those of Canada’s largest municipality, but the sheer number of restaurants (150 restaurants, all told), at every price point, in each quadrant of Toronto, that participate in the festival was mind-boggling.

My experience of Summerlicious made me consider planning my future travels around the event; it encouraged us to sample restaurants that I likely would not have otherwise – both in terms of high-end dining and in choosing lesser-known establishments.

In all, I sampled four Summerlicious menus (notably, Lee Lounge did not participate, cheekily naming their menu that week “Susurlicious”). We did have to make reservations in advance, though we did luck out with at least one known cancellation.

Jump

Jump was my entry point into the Oliver & Bonacini empire in Toronto. With the exception of Olive & Bonacini Cafe Grill, all of the O & B establishments are distinct in name and menu, and vary in level of formality and price, from the cafeteria-style O & B Canteen to the casual upscale Bannock to Canoe, their five-star crown jewel.

Nestled in the financial district, Jump was definitely a business lunch paradise – we were among only a few tables not in office attire. That said, we weren’t treated any differently, and after we arrived, were promptly led to a cozy wooden booth in the heart of the restaurant.

Jump

I loved the open concept kitchen, which seemed to give the restaurant a continuous sense of movement, with servers streaming in and out of the space with ease. The dining room also felt very warm, helped by the score of windows and skylights – it would be interesting to see how the atmosphere would change after nightfall.

Interior

The 3-course, $25 prix fixe menu provided quite a few options – our choice of four appetizers, four entrees and three desserts. My wild & tame mushroom soup, with no less than six kinds of mushrooms, had good depth and texture. And though they made do without butter or cream, a dollop would have gone a long way. Amanda’s watermelon and goat’s milk feta salad was gorgeous, summery and fresh.

Wild & tame mushroom soup

Watermelon and goat’s milk feta salad

We both couldn’t pass up the pulled pork for our main. It wasn’t the most elegant dish to eat, but then again, we weren’t on a business lunch! It was damn delicious, with flavourful mesquite barbecue sauce and pork that nearly melted in our mouths. The side of bagged kettle chips cheapened it a bit, however.

Pulled barbecue pork

It’s been a while since I’ve had panna cotta as smooth and silky as Jump’s. Their butterscotch version with salted caramel was just perfect, subtly sweet with a salty finish. Amanda also enjoyed her amaretto chocolate marquise cake – it was her favourite dessert that week, and even now, months later, is something she still thinks about.

Butterscotch panna cotta

Amaretto chocolate marquise cake

Jump was a great introduction to O & B. And it wouldn’t be long before we experienced them again.

Canoe

That same day, we had called Canoe (the most recommended Summerlicious restaurant on Chowhound) on a whim to see if we could get a last-minute reservation, as they were completely booked up on Open Table. Lucky for us, they had a cancellation, and we were able to snag a table early that evening. Sure, it meant we had to eat supper only two hours after completing our lunch, but Amanda and I were up for the challenge.

Located on the fifty-forth floor of the TD Tower, Canoe had an absolutely amazing view – we spent the first few minutes agog at the sights outside the window, including the CN Tower, Rogers Centre, Billy Bishop Airport and of course, Lake Ontario.

The view

Service was professional and friendly, and matched the sleek but understated room. At first, we thought we’d be in the minority ordering off the $45 prix fixe menu, but seeing the same dishes coming out of the kitchen, we knew others were also taking advantage of the great deal. We had the choice of three appetizers, three entrees and three desserts.

My deconstructed salad featured Ontario bufala mozzarella, and it was a revelation: creamy, with so much inherent richness. It contrasted the fresh pops of peas and celery very well – I didn’t even mind the crab! Amanda wasn’t sure about the cold smoked whitefish and chilled potato puree, but she liked it in the end. It was also her first brush with edible flowers.

Ontario bufala mozzarella salad

Purdy’s smoked whitefish

Although I enjoyed my pan-roasted Great Lakes pickerel, the sides on my plate were the real star of the show – I loved the sweet corn and corn puree underneath. Amanda’s dish had mine beat, however – her slow-cooked Ontario pork loin was so tender, and even better, the Israeli couscous made us rethink that grain. Apparently, it had simply been cooked with mirepoix and stock, but tasted like so much more.

Pan roasted Great Lakes pickerel

Slow-cooked Ontario pork loin

Our dessert was a bittersweet chocolate terrine was made up of vanilla marshmallow, Barrie Hill Farms strawberries and basil crème anglaise. I wasn’t a huge fan of the divergent textures, from the spongy top to the sorbet-like layer underneath.

Chocolate terrine

As a whole, Canoe provided us with a great evening out – the view alone was worth the price of dinner, but at just $45, it was without a doubt our best deal in Toronto that week.

Trevor Bar & Kitchen

Many of my friends have relocated to Toronto in the past few years – I met up with two of them at Trevor Bar & Kitchen to catch up over dinner. Janice’s coworker had recommended this restaurant, though at first glance, it wasn’t the ideal location on a muggy evening, with no air conditioning and too many lit candles to boot. On any other trip, the dinner at Trevor would have been near the top of my list, but because we dined at so many exceptional restaurants that week, it ended up in the middle.

My favourite thing about my mozzarella and tomato risotto were the bits of melty cheese inside. The rice had been cooked well, and I liked the tomato flavour throughout.

Mozzarella and tomato risotto

The second course, a barbecue duck ravioli was a good fusion offering – the sauce, a thin broth, was a welcome, if unexpected, surprise. Presentation-wise, it didn’t seem to have been plated with much care.

Barbeque duck ravioli

I ordered the sorbet for dessert primarily because I wanted something cool, but it turned to a soup almost immediately. It was still refreshing, though less pleasurable to eat.

Sorbet

Though I imagine Trevor Bar & Kitchen would be a great spot to grab a post-work cocktail and a casual nibble, with the breadth of restaurants Toronto has to offer, I doubt I’d return straightaway.

The Drake – “Summer School”

Chef Anthony Rose’s restaurant, located in The Drake Hotel, was my favourite restaurant experience of the entire trip. The Drake, a hipster boutique hotel in West Queen West, had created a lot of buzz about their pop-up restaurant series, which rotated concepts every few months. In many ways, because Rose is the in-house chef, I’m not sure it would really qualify as a pop-up, but I loved the idea that some of the decor would at least change with each incarnation.

Interior

In July, The Drake was transformed into a “Summer School”, complete with kitschy accessories that I was unabashedly giddy over. Everything from the duotang menus, scantrons and Rubik’s cube salt shakers on the table. Offering a menu of 3 courses for $35, a taste of their retro dishes also didn’t break the bank.

Giddy

No matter what though, Mack and I agreed that we had to indulge in their too-cool “juice box cocktails”, which were actually served in tetra paks. Who knew drinking from a straw could be so much fun?

Cheers!

Amanda and I both chose dishes off the prix fixe list, but Mack decided to select from the regular menu, and opted not to order either an appetizer or a dessert. Amanda thoroughly enjoyed her creamy salad, not hard to do when two of her favourite things – shrimp and avocado – were stars of the dish. I also loved my alphabet soup, thicker than I anticipated, but slightly sweet and rife with perfectly cooked pasta.

Salad

Alphabet soup

Amanda and I both ordered the fried chicken for our main – it was the best choice we could have made. The chicken had been de-boned, making it easy to eat (bonus!), but was still moist on the inside with a crispy shell on the outside. It was further enhanced with a dollop of wildflower honey on top. The side of cabbage slaw was light and refreshing, and although Amanda was full, nothing would stop her from finishing the rustic mashed potatoes on the plate, as buttery as they were.

Fried chicken

Mack’s entree was comprised of an absolutely massive lobster roll ($27), which contained one pound of lobster! While the first few bites were good, Mack said it was much too heavy for one person. Besides that, the dish came with four sides. His favourite was the macaroni and cheese, with the pickled cucumbers and red onions a close second.

Conquer that!

All through dinner, I was most looking forward to dessert. Passion Flakie (sold in the same section as Twinkies, I realize), was one of my favourite childhood treats, and I was excited to see how Chef Rose would elevate it. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to expectations – Amanda’s was underbaked, and mine was overdone. I would have also preferred the whipped cream and fruit layers to have been more silky smooth.

Passion Flakie

As a whole though, we had a great time that night. The setting, the service (our waiter seemed to genuinely love his job), and the food helped create something special.

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