Homeless Connect 5

The fifth Homeless Connect took place this past Sunday at the Shaw Conference Centre. We were afraid we would be late for the morning orientation, but when we arrived, we found an absolute logjam of people at the registration tables.

It turned out that the computer systems were down, and as a result, volunteers had to be checked in on paper, a time-consuming task given that volunteer lists were not grouped in alphabetical order, but by shift length and post.

Thankfully, we both knew which area we had been assigned to, so our check-in time once we reached the front of the line was quick, but it undoubtedly meant orientation times were pushed back, and in our case, was cut drastically short.

Dave and Mack

The doors were to open at 10am, and by the time we reached our stations, we had just a few minutes to get our bearings at the registration desks. The set up had been flipped around this year, with the entrance to the hall having been moved to the west side. Unfortunately, there wasn’t time to orient ourselves to the services available this year, and the paper map that was provided to us wasn’t detailed enough – neither Mack or I were able to locate the Bissell Centre identification station or clothing depot on the map, among two of the most requested services by guests (on our way out, we did notice a great addition – the offer of ice cream to those who took the time to do an exit interview).

At our station

Unlike May’s Homeless Connect, the line did not let up that morning at all. We were scheduled to work until 1pm, and the crowd had petered out somewhat by then, but there was still a line. Mack and I both registered 39 people (not including children), and noticed a few trends at least from the guests we talked to: more families seem to attend this time around, and this was the first Homeless Connect for many of the guests. Mack also noticed that many more guests than last time indicated that they were renting their own place (which would make sense given the 900+ people that have been housed through the Housing First program in the last year).

Stroller parking

I know bureaucracy prevents government from being more coordinated than it could be, but I was frustrated on behalf of the guests who talked about their need for official identification. I was excited when I read about the pilot being done by the government to allow individuals to use the address of a shelter to obtain an ID card, and though I know it isn’t realistic for them to have set up shop at the event so quickly, how great would it have been if they had, especially with the fantastic turnout at Sunday’s event?

At the end of the day, approximately 1500 guests had used their services, an increase from six months ago. Bravo to Homeward Trust for coordinating another successful event!

LitFest 2010: All About Food!

One of my favourite presentations from the most recent Pecha Kucha was from Carol Neuman, a Litfest board member. In previous events, presentations from members of organizations were so advertorial in nature that Pecha Kucha started to feel like an evening of commercials, but Carol did an excellent job – skilfully addressing the themes of this year’s festival without overtly promoting it.

LitFest: Edmonton’s nonfiction festival is Canada’s only nonfiction festival, having rebranded itself in 2010 by tightening its focus. And though invited guests will address a variety of topics at this year’s incarnation, including energy, Canadian history, and bees, a definite thread of food can be found in their events.

Savouries on October 22, a fundraiser for LitFest, will see food readings served alongside a four-course brunch by Chef Gail Osbeck at Kids in the Hall. Featured authors this year include Brian Brett, author of Trauma Farm (Brett’s tale of small mixed farming on Salt Spring Island), Amy Jo Ehman, author of Prairie Feast (which chronicles her journey of eating locally), and Julianna Mimande, local author of the popular cookbook We Eat Together. Maki attended the event last year, and had great things to say.
Genu-wine on October 23 will mix a panel discussion on global issues with wine (the best way to get genuine discussion flowing, I say). Mack and I will be attending (we received one free ticket for the event); I am most interested in what Andrew Potter (author of The Authenticity Hoax and a blogger for Maclean’s) has to say, while Mack is looking forward to hearing Alice Major speak again (she’s a great presenter!).
Last but not least, A Brunch of Writers on October 24 will see “stories of personal tragedy, delight and courage combine with live music and an elegant brunch buffet at the Sutton Place Grande Hotel.” Sounds like a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

LitFest runs October 15-24, 2010. Tickets available from Tix on the Square.

Food Notes for October 18, 2010

I know many people probably know about Mack’s site, ShareEdmonton already, but if you haven’t checked it out for the election results, make sure you do! He’s been working really hard on it in the last few weeks, but especially in the last few days, to make sure it was ready for election night. I think he did a great job! Anyway, on to this week’s food notes:

The U of A’s Office of Sustainability is hosting a Sustainability Awareness Week from October 18-23, featuring a mini farmers’ market on campus, an elk burger BBQ and more!
Patty Milligan (aka Lola Canola) is organizing an event with Candace Savage, author of Bees: Nature’s Little Wonders taking place on October 24. Proceeds will go to the Canadian Bee Research Fund.
Far East Sandwiches is now open, located at 10301 109 Street (780-756-3278).
Cora’s has added two locations of their popular breakfast and lunch spots to the Edmonton market: one in the northwest (12520 137 Avenue) that opened today, and another in the west end (9977 178 Street), slated to open next week. And even more expansion for next year: “Cora plans on opening four more restaurants in the Edmonton area in 2011. A restaurant is coming to Sherwood Park and Cora is also looking at sites in St. Albert, the Oliver area near downtown Edmonton, Whyte Avenue and Leduc.”
Erin e-mailed me earlier in the week and said that in addition to Cora’s, she’s also seen a few other eateries open up in the northwest, including Mt. Fuji at 9635 167 Avenue) – great news for those that live in the area!
Foodie McPoon blogged about Rockford Grill, the new restaurant in the Sandman Hotel in southwest Edmonton (10011 Ellerslie Road SW).
D’Lish has been getting positive reviews in the blogosphere – from Raoul, May Contain Nuts, and Chris.
Urban Diner’s southside location (in the old Fiore’s spot) is shooting for an October 25 opening, shares Liane.
The NYT had an article this week about Wal-Mart setting targets to source produce locally (defined as purchasing from the same state). It’s interesting that their goals in Canada are far higher than their American counterpart – by 2013, to source 30% of the produce for Canadian stores locally, and when available, to source 100% locally.
It’s unfortunate on some level that the first cupcakery in the core is a franchise, but I’m still excited to have one close to home. Expect Big City Cupcakes to open later this year in City Centre Mall.

Big City Cupcakes

Mack and I were fortunate to get a quick impromptu tour of the soon-to-be retail location and cafe of Queen of Tarts, located in the basement of the Armstrong Block on 104 Street. Proprietor Linda Kearney was especially excited about the artisan breads they will be offering – her husband Paul recently attended a course in San Francisco to perfect his skills. I’m looking forward to their late November opening already!

Queen of Tarts – coming soon!

Olde Time Fair on the Square 2010

Mack and I managed to catch the tail end of the Olde Time Fair on the Square at Churchill Square on Saturday afternoon, just before ducking off to Jane & Yi-Li’s wedding reception.

Churchill Square

The set-up seemed similar to last year, though it seemed most of the family-oriented activities had wrapped up for the day, with the exception of the always-popular petting zoo and hay rides. There were several food vendors were on-site (including Eva Sweet, Fat Franks and the Fork and Spoon Brigade) and even live entertainment.

Entertainment

Test your strength

Horses!

The big draw for us, of course, was being able to pick up some produce from the City Market vendors. As expected, the proportion of craft to food vendors was higher than during the regular season, but there were many familiar faces from the Market, including Medicine Man Bison, Green Valley Farm, Sunhill Gardens, Coal Lake Honey and Prairie Mill.

Inside the tent

Kuhlmann’s had the largest display by far, and probably the most inviting, if not only because most of the other vendors were in enclosed tents with much less natural light.

Kuhlmann’s

While I’m excited that the City Market is continuing until mid December in this way on Churchill Square, the limited number of food vendors would make it difficult to do the majority of my shopping. Moreover, as no list is published to let the public know who will be attending which market, heading to the Old Stratchcona Farmers’ Market just seems like the more efficient choice – at least until the City Market finds an official indoor home for the winter months!

Vendors

Regardless, I’m glad we were able take in the event – it’s always great to see a bustling downtown!

People’s Food Policy Project: Kitchen Table Talk

Last night, I attended an event at the Central Lions Seniors Centre put on by Just Food Edmonton and Growing Food Security in Alberta that was seeking input from citizens around the People’s Food Policy Project (PFPP).

Welcome table

The PFPP is a grassroots project that hopes to, in April 2011, submit policy papers for consideration by the federal government. The ten current papers can be accessed here, and will be revised several more times as input is received at these so-called “kitchen table talks” as well as at an upcoming conference in Montreal.

Local food was served, of course, including BC apples and grapes, bread donated from Bon Ton Bakery, and some amazing homemade jam

The first part of the event saw individuals self-select one of the ten papers they were interested in having an in-depth discussion about. With perhaps 30 people in attendance, it wasn’t possible to have every topic covered, but it seemed to work well. I should also note that election candidates were invited to attend, but as the discussions were supposed to be based upon the ideas presented in the papers, I can imagine it would be difficult for someone who hasn’t given food-related issues much thought to jump in (and as a result, only one of the candidates, Brent Schaffrick, ended up staying the entire evening).

Discussion paper topics

I know I felt a bit selfish being there, feeling like I didn’t have much to contribute, but having a thirst to learn. The discussion I chose to participate in was “Access to food in urban communities”, touching on issues of personal food security, accessibility and affordability.

The discussion in the group was rich – touching on food deserts, vertical farming, and the need for small abattoirs, among other things – and perhaps even more so because the passion around the circle was palpable. And like some other events I’ve attended, the networking opportunity was more valuable than the content learned (Maryann Borch for instance, has a farm called Good Note southeast of Edmonton that I’d never heard of before – she participated in the On Borrowed Ground CSA this year). I do think more time could have been given for this part of the discussion, however. By the time we were given our two-minute warning, we had barely scratched the surface of the topic, and scrambled to write something down on our notes sheet.

The second part of the evening was done in an open space format, which allows individuals to start a discussion, and for participants to “vote with their feet” and change groups if they become disinterested with the dialogue.

I sat in at Perry Phillips’ table, where he talked about a new initiative by the Leduc-Nisku Economic Development Association, which has received a loan from Community Futures, to establish a local food value chain. This chain intends on growing the Alberta agriculture and food processing sector by connecting farmers and entrepreneurs with the right resources and expertise they need to succeed (e.g. sourcing products, locating processors, marketing to retail). It sounded like the chain was still in the beginning stages (they are hosting a facilitated discussion in November for the purposes of a needs assessment), but he did mention two things of note: first, the Leduc Food Processing Development Centre sounds like a great facility, a sparkly new incubator for food companies that provide, for a fee, access to state of the art equipment, staff, and assistance in the development of products, among other things. Second, he mentioned that the Executive Royal Inn in Leduc offers a 100-mile menu option for local-conscious folks organizing events and conferences – I had no idea, but will be looking into it.

Sharing our open space key points

Susan Roberts, the host of the event who works for Growing Food Security in Alberta, was asked at the end of the evening if Food: Today, Tomorrow, Together would be holding a conference next year (I attended the first conference she helped put on in 2009). Though the focus will be beyond food, Growing Food Security in Alberta has partnered with Pathways 2 Sustainability to host Food, Fuel and Finance in Red Deer next year, from February 23-25, 2011. Though food will be one of the angles covered, all speakers, she said, will be ready to address issues from all three sides.

Susan Roberts

The talk was worth attending, as I was able to find out more about the People’s Food Policy Project, and met some others in the city passionate about food! Thanks to Just Food Edmonton and Growing Food Security in Alberta for organizing the event.

Culinary Q & A with Kevin Kossowan

Occupation: Business Owner/Certified Financial Planner

What did you eat today?

Organic coffee, home-made organic stone-ground whole wheat bread, home-made apricot jam, goat cheese [Holly’s Valencay], vegetable soup [was harvesting veg from the back yard today – leek, beet, carrot, celery, kale, baby cabbage, swiss chard], pickled carrots [from my yard], a chocolate croissant from the Dutch Delicious Bakery, 2008 Chateau Pesquié Terasses.

What do you never eat?

I’d pass on Hakarl next time, but I still ate it, so doesn’t qualify as ‘never’. I may give it another go though over overcooked/burned/dried out processed foods from M&M Meat Shop. I remember going in there years ago thinking ‘cool, a meat shop!’. Not so much.

What is your personal specialty?

Game veal & yard food. I hunt moose and elk calves that are largely milk-fed and just starting to feed on grasses – much like Nature’s Green Acres’ Nouveau Beef which I’m a huge fan of. Yard food because I love to serve menus based on fruit, veg, wild mushrooms, and wines grown & made on my central/downtown city lot.

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

Butter, rendered pork fat, home-made jams/syrups, eggs, organic cold-pressed canola oil, various yeasts [wine and bread], play dough. There’d also be a meat of some kind, and seasonal veg and fruit. Lately it also contains a diverse collection of artisan goat cheeses.

What is your weekday meal standby?

I don’t have one. Because I work from home, anything is fair game, any day of the week.

What is your favourite kitchen item?

A sharp knife. I avoid kitchen gadgets something fierce.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

I’d start by doing a tasting of every bottle in my wine cellar, then base a menu around the wines. I’d also want to tie into the two large wheels of goat cheese in my cellar. With some good saucisson sec, rustic bread, fresh fruit and simply prepared veg – I’d be pretty happy. Until I got to the heavier reds – in which case I’d likely be motivated to do some herbed-up long-and-slow rotisserie meats over a wood fire. I’d pass on dessert and have more wine instead.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

For the once every month or two that we do, it would roughly be a tie: Leon’s Wonton & Noodle, and the Than Than [on 101st St]. I tend to value DIY, and eating out is rather DNY [Do Nothing Yourself], so eating out and I don’t get along very well most of the time.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

In one’s kitchen.

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

I used to think geography was a barrier to my culinary happiness – but don’t feel that way anymore. It took me 10 years of traveling and cooking in foreign countries to figure that out.

So I’m going to go with: at home, braised beef shoulder, mashed French fingerling potatoes w lots of chevre and butter, and a nice bottle of right-bank Bordeaux. Yum.

Check out Kevin’s blog here, but in particular, make sure to check out his fantastic From Local Farms series of videos.

Wok and Roll: Shanghai 456

One place you wouldn’t think to find Mack in Edmonton? The City Centre Airport. But that’s where we were recently, in the canteen of the Edmonton Flying Club, also known as Shanghai 456.

You’ve come to the right place

Though the restaurant exists mostly to feed those who use and pass through the airport, it seems Jane’s parents had stumbled upon an ad for the establishment in a local Chinese newspaper. So they introduced Jane to the place, which actually turned out to serve some pretty good food. We congregated there two weeks ago so Mack could learn more about his MC duties at Jane and Yi-Li’s upcoming wedding.

The happy couple!

I’m glad Jane and her other friends, all fluent in Chinese, took care of the ordering (it also amuses me that there are often two versions of the menu at Chinese restaurants – a shorter one in English for people like me, and another in Chinese for those able to order more authentic cuisine).

The xiao long bao (soup dumplings), were among the best I’ve had in the city. The soup was hot and savoury, and it was difficult to keep to decorum and not scarf down the entire basket in front of me. Best of all, they’re fun to eat in a group – one member in particular failed spectacularly several times, piercing the skin and releasing the prized soup before the dumpling reached his bowl.

Xiao long bao

Also very good were the potstickers. The skin on the dumplings were particularly good – thin and light – unlike those typically found at Chinese restaurants.

Potstickers

Mack was a bit hesitant about trying the red bean cakes, but he was easily swayed once he took his first bite. Of course, it’s hard not to love anything deep-fried, but in this case, the sweet and salty combination of the red bean filling and crispy exterior won him over. I know my Mum (a huge fan of red bean cakes) would love this version.

Red bean cakes

Other dishes we sampled included a hot and sour soup (not for the faint of heart – it definitely was more hot than sour) and sherry-braised chicken . The only disappointing dish we ordered was the fish – it had been deep-fried to an unfortunately chewy and hard crisp, then coated with a sickly-sweet sauce.

Chicken and fish

Service was good – we didn’t have to wait long for food or hot water refills on our tea – and though the interior wasn’t visually appealing, it was clean and functional.

Interior

If the airport is closed once and for all, I do hope the owners of Shanghai 456 find another home – their food would otherwise be missed.

Shanghai 456
49 Airport Road (Municipal Airport Building 18)
(780) 451-8333

Food Notes for October 11, 2010

LitFest, Edmonton’s nonfiction festival, runs October 14 – 24, 2010. They have a few food events this year, including Savouries (readings and a four-course meal) and Genu-wine (a panel discussion and wine tastings).
Bistro Praha has finally found a new home only a stone’s throw away from their previous location on Rice Howard Way. They are set to open on December 1 in the Empire Building.
The Dish will be starting dinner and a movie this month (similar to 4th and Vine’s offering).
Talk on C2E says that OPM will be shutting down on October 19, and will open after being rebranded into a sports bar.
Mack posted a link to the response to the RFP so far to develop kiosks at several downtown LRT stations. Included on the list are Good Earth and Press’d Sandwiches.
Sounds like Edmontonians are chomping at the bit for southern BBQ: in the days after the review of Bubba’s BBQ and Smoke House, the truck was inundated with business.
Heading to Rexall Place hungry? Check out City and Dale’s Food Finder.
The Little Red Kitchen is now gluten-free!
Allan of Button Soup crunched the numbers of the produce they received from their $600 share in Tipi Creek (a Community Supported Agriculture), comparing it to the relative cost of produce from a grocery store and the farmers’ market. The verdict? The CSA was much, much cheaper than shopping at a farmers’ market.
Check out Valerie’s post on picking high bush cranberries and her subsequent jam making adventures – brilliant outing and photos.
A good piece in the NYT about seed savers preserving heirloom varieties that thrive in that specific region.
A Village Voice writer braved Fatty ‘Cue’s whole pig head (the serving is accompanied by surgical gloves). Not sure I could stomach the process, but good to see how it can be done.
Starbucks was handing out free VIA samples last week, having launched their flavoured versions. The caramel flavour I tried at the cafe with a splash of milk was pretty tasty for instant coffee.

Flavoured VIA

The storefront that used to house Viet Huong on 107 Avenue and 101 Street will be reopening on October 11 as Lau Viet Huong, offering hot pot.

Lau Viet Huong

Battista’s Calzone Company opened on Friday on 118 Avenue and 84 Street (they’re also on Twitter). Great to see new businesses constantly popping up on Alberta Avenue!

Battista’s inviting purple exterior

A few coworkers and I popped into El Rancho (11810 87 Street) after a training session nearby. It’s been far too long since my last meal there, as it was delicious as always. The steak in my burrito had just the right amount of seasoning and char, and though I could have done with more beans, it was a great lunch.

Burrito el Carbon at El Rancho

Pupusas and plantains, oh my!

Maria introduced us to whoopie pies from Lilyola Vintage Baking at the City Market on Saturday. I had the chocolate peanut butter version, while Mack had the carrot cake. It received rave reviews from both of us! Lilyola will be at the Olde Time Fair on the Square on October 16, 2010.

Lilyola Vintage Baking

We were fortunate to have a few Thanksgiving meals this weekend, including one at my parents’ house. It is such a cliché, but there’s nothing like home cooking!

Thanksgiving spread

Kim also invited us over for dinner tonight. We were tasked with bringing a dessert, which had to be gluten-free. I’m not that familiar with gluten-free recipes, but some searching led me to a NYT recipe for a gluten-free apple crumble, which asked for quinoa flour instead of wheat flour. It turned out really well, with the inclusion of oats ensuring the crumble had that necessary crunchy texture. We served it with vanilla Pinocchio ice cream – simple but tasty.

Apple crumble

Where’s the Beef: Rodeo Burger

Before Pecha Kucha 8, Mack and I met up with Brittney and Shauna for dinner at Rodeo Burger. I had been looking for an excuse to hit up the campus burger joint, and an event at the U of A was the perfect justification.

The bold signage, declaring the restaurant’s commitment to using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, and dedication to from-scratch goods (including their bread, patties and toppings) was eye-catching. But the red and black colour dynamic and hokey “Western”-themed font lost me, but then again, I’m much more attuned with the diner sensibilities of Fatburger, probably the closest burger joint comparison.

Interior

Service was friendly, and the cashier was quite patient with us as we waded through the options we had available to customize our burger (19 included in the basic burger price of $4.69). I ended up with a burger topped with bacon and cheese (at $1 more) and caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato and ketchup (included). Mack chose the Western burger ($5.69) topped with mustard, southwest sauce, sautéed mushrooms, bacon, guacamole, green chillies and caramelized onions, and we both upsized with fries and a drink.

Our order didn’t take long at all, our meals ready for pick up at the front counter in no time. I loved the presentation of the shoestring fries, spilling over the paper cup into the basket below. Mack had chosen the “seasoned” variety, which, unfortunately, needed more seasoning. My sea salt version was tasty, but under salted for my taste.

Burger and fries

As for the burger? The patty was thin with not much inherent flavour, surprising because they are custom-made for them, a claim that usually signals the expectation of something more substantial. Brittney’s complaint was that her patty did not fit the bun at all, again puzzling since they bake their own bread as well.

Mack digs in

My grievance was the composition of the burger – typically, ketchup is used as a “binder” of sorts underneath the top of the bun. Here, the ketchup was underneath the patty, resulting in slippery lettuce that would not stay put.

My burger

Rodeo Burger recently had a “free burger day” in support of the Salvation Army, and I do respect the fact that they, unlike other fast food chains, support area producers. And though I would return to Rodeo Burger if I was in the neighbourhood, I’m not sure I would go out of my way for a visit.

Rodeo Burger
8525A 112 Street
(780) 436-4375
Monday-Friday 11am-11pm, Saturday-Sunday 11am-10pm

City Market Report: Week 22

It’s hard to believe that another City Market season has come to a close – I remarked to Mack today that it is difficult to remember what we did on Saturday mornings when the market wasn’t in session.

Beautiful way to end the season

It has become a weekly ritual we look forward to not only for the purposes of stocking our fridge, but also to visit with producers and other market shoppers. More than in previous years, the market really felt like a community gathering place.

Kyla and friends

Unlike the chilly way the City Market ended last year, we were blessed with sunny skies and gloriously warm weather today. At the very least, it meant buskers were able to further enliven the atmosphere.

Martin Kerr

Though the City Market hasn’t yet found a permanent winter space, they have already planned to extend their season somewhat by hosting markets on Churchill Square in heated tents. Dates include:

October 16, 1-5pm @ the Olde Time Fair on the Square
November 13, 3-7pm @ the Holiday Light Up
December 4, 11, 18, 11am-3pm for special winter markets

The hard working City Market staff and volunteers

I really enjoyed documenting the market this year. It made me hyper-aware of our growing season, as I paid attention to when certain items started to become available. It also helped connect me with producers, all of whom were great about my picture taking habit.

So instead of produce photos this time around, I wanted to showcase some of the hard working farmers themselves. I respect and admire all of you for sharing your skills and talents with us, and helping to feed our city.

Jennifer of Sundog Organic

Mary Ellen from Greens, Eggs and Ham (in addition to their drop-off locations for Futures members, they will also be selling at the Alberta Avenue farmers’ market starting next week)

Rick and Amy of Barr Estate Wines (they will be participating in some of the winter market dates)

Pat of Ocean Odyssey Inland (fish available year-round at their retail location, 10027 167 Street, 780-930-1901)

Ed and Sherry of Sunshine Organic (their products can be found year-round at Ocean Odyssey, but they also offer a winter pick-up option)

Michael of Mo-Na Food (he said they are still in the process of determining their winter sales plan)

Patty of Lola Canola (she has started selling soaps made with honey!)

Alan and Sarah of Irvings Farm Fresh (they also sell at Old Strathcona and Salisbury farmers’ markets year-round)

Mathias and Gerda of Green Valley Farm

The City Market returns to 104 Street next May. Thanks for a great season!

The countdown begins…

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