Citadel Theatre: “Extinction Song”

When I heard last year that Ron Pederson would be gracing the Citadel Theatre stage in the spring, that was all the information I needed to buy tickets to Extinction Song, the final play in the Rice Season Series. One of my Teatro la Quindicina favourites (even though he doesn’t reside in Edmonton any longer, and hasn’t for quite some time), I was interested in seeing Pederson in a very different role. He didn’t disappoint. From the website:

“Meet James. Seven years old, he has escaped to a fantasy world where he is being raised by wolves. Every day is a new adventure until, frightened they are on the verge of becoming extinct, James and the wolves concoct a plan to save themselves. Extinction Song is a funny, tender and heartbreaking account of a child’s way of coping with the troubled world around him.”

I was totally taken into James’ world – at times terrifying, at times mystical. I was especially captivated at the point in the play when the character sees himself soaring through the air with his wolf pack, and with the help of lighting and sound, was able to imagine his flight and freedom. That moment was so pure that I desperately hoped, alongside James, that the magical innocence of childhood could be real.

I typically do not enjoy one-man shows (particularly when they lean towards drama and not comedy), but this was a well-paced production, with a fine balance between the lighthearted and more serious moments (James had literal names for many things, such as the “ding-dong-Avon-calling-lady”). Pederson had excellent timing, a dead-on stern tone for the father, and maintained a near frenetic energy throughout the ninety minute play without intermission.

The set was notable as well – the bedroom – from the furniture to the door frame – was set to scale to allow the audience to see Pederson as a small boy. The overhanging tree branches that lined his bedroom walls were an ethereal touch.

Extinction Song runs until April 19. See it while you can.

Food Notes for April 7, 2009

A little late this week, as was tied up attending the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts last night. But here we go:

  • Kerstin’s Chocolates launched their first ever Easter Egg hunt on Monday, in partnership (and to promote) other local businesses. Find 3 or 6 eggs and be awarded a prize for your efforts! Also of note, Kerstin’s is now on Twitter!
  • Original Fare introduced a new website called Eat Local First, which will strive to be a resource for those seeking locally-grown and made products.
  • “Four slender young things, sheathed in what appear to be black silk sausage casings, break off their conversation and bat their eyelashes our way as we approach the reservation desk.” Yes, that is a quote taken from a review of Kai Asian Grill penned by the Journal’s Richard Helm. Was it just me, or did he seem to overemphasize the desirability of the restaurant’s waitresses?
  • Liane Faulder wrote a short piece about the new Spinelli’s Bar Italia attached to the downtown location of the Italian Centre.
  • Vue Weekly released their annual Golden Forks ballot this past week – vote for your favourite restaurants before May 5 to be eligible for prizes!
  • It makes me think of the River City Chicken Collective, but Castledowns Library installed a webcam in their chicken coop to allow patrons to see chicks hatch. It’s called the “chicken cam.” Cute.
  • I had to laugh (and simultaneously admire) the New Yorkers petitioning in an effort to get their resident food critic Frank Bruni on Twitter (and with some “flattery”, no less: “we’re pretty sure that you could top @ruthreichl, @edlevine and @roccodispirito and maybe even @emeril with your follower count in less time than it takes for you to put away a porterhouse for two.”). I can’t think this would ever happen in Edmonton with Liane Faulder.
  • Last one on the subject of Twitter: Transcend pulled an April Fool’s Day prank on its blog readers with a post about a future drive-thru espresso bar that would allow customers to Tweet their orders on the way. Of course the culture of coffee Transcend cultivates would never allow this to happen (Poul Mark says, “we want to see our customers, know them, and preferably, have them come in, sit down and stay a while”), but was I the only one who got excited in the idea of a local food/beverage establishment utilizing Twitter?
  • I haven’t caught an episode of the new Food Network show 100 Mile Challenge yet, but I’m intrigued about their focus on families attempting to eat locally. I like that the website ties in the potential for viewers to search for local vendors, but it could do better and link to already existing aggregates (e.g. 2009 Approved Farmers’ Market map).
  • Charcuterie may not be a trend that can endure tough regulations, says the Globe. I’m still waiting for a charcuterie bar in Edmonton.
  • The results of the 2009 Urban Diner Awards, which celebrate the best in Vancouver’s cuisine, were released today. I think I’m going to have to check out Fuel the next time I’m out west.
  • It was bound to happen – Disney is trying to make money off the ‘buy local’ movement by partnering with Orlando for an initiative which calls McDonald’s “local”.
  • Mack and I had supper at The Lingnan last week before a show at the Citadel. We ordered an entire plate of Amy’s Chicken (aka Hot and Dry), which Mack claimed was worth every deep fried calorie. Marty ended up being our server that night, and we took the opportunity to ask if the Quons had been asked back to do a second season – he said no, and that Miles was not keen on it. He, on the other hand, was, insisting it would be subtitled, “The Rise of Marty”. Heh.

 

Hot and Dry Chicken

 

Shredded Aristocratic Greens

  • At a Slow Food Meeting on Sunday, I was able to try Aprikat, a fruity brew by Alley Kat. I rarely drink beer (and by rarely, I mean never), but I was surprised at how mild and refreshing the apricot-scented Aprikat was. I would consider drinking it outside on a hot summer’s night.

 

Glass of Aprikat

  • Annie and I caught up over coffee and dessert at Vi’s for Pies (13408 Stony Plain Road NW) on Friday. It was probably not the easiest place to converse – their high ceilings and harsh surfaces resulted in acoustics Frank Bruni would detest. Food-wise, however, we were satisfied: though I’ve never met a pie I couldn’t conquer, their Peanut Butter Mousse Pie ($6.25) defeated me. Dense with peanut-ty richness, I probably could have done with a slice half the size.

 

Peanut Butter Mousse Pie

 

Annie’s Chocolate Cheesecake

2009 Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts

Last night, Mack and I attended the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts for the second year in a row. This time we were lucky enough to snag two tickets (thanks to Bryan Cox of Molson, one of the evening’s sponsors) to the swanky pre-reception held on the second floor of the Citadel’s Tucker Amphitheatre.

Lovely waterfall

I loved the setting – still early enough to catch the late afternoon sun filtering through the greenhouse windows, surrounded by greenery, and accented by a lovely water feature, both of us had never known that this oasis existed (it’s the closest thing we have to Calgary’s Devonian Gardens). We were probably slightly underdressed (the number of suits and 3-inch heels were blinding), but we had a good time spotting local “celebrities” (City Councilors, MLAs, members of the arts community) and noshing on the Northlands-catered food.

Kabob, naan and fish (the kabobs were surprisingly tender)

Lettuce and fruit wrap (lovely idea, tied with a chive shard, but the fruit was non-existent)

Popcorn gnocchi with smoked salt (deep-fried, but you wouldn’t know it – a bit disappointing)

Watermelon sorbet and Espresso Cups (the latter was my favorite dish of the event – the crisp lemon mousse was a sweet finish)

We were also treated to a lively African drumming performance, and I had to wonder why the concrete stage (albeit small) isn’t utilized for more performances on a regular basis. I’m sure a Fringe-like show could easily make the most of the light and fantastic backdrop for a memorable production.

 

African drumming (I didn’t catch the name of the group, unfortunately)

Just before 7pm, we crossed the street over to the Winspear Centre for the show. Hosted again by CBC’s Peter Brown and CTV’s Carrie Doll, they were just as charming as last year, and I can share that Mack reacted with glee to Doll’s onstage Twitter reference.

I really appreciated the range of performances we were treated to, including the witty and entertaining blend of spoken words and music by The Raving Poets, the hilariously talented “ukulele cover band” known as The Be Arthurs, and a clever and spirited scene from Nathan Cuckow and Chris Craddock’s gay rap opera, Bash’d. I felt fortunate to be privy to some of the best Edmonton’s arts community has to offer, all in one evening. Of course, there were a few less interesting performances – the penguin-inspired number by the KO Dance Project went about five minutes too long – and no single entertainer captured my imagination quite like Samantha Schultz did last year. Also, though the closing Latin band Bomba! eventually did get people dancing up on stage (a Celebration of the Arts tradition), it was touch and go for a bit until the lead singer took it upon himself to teach some basic steps. Still, it was a great show overall.

Show-ending dancing on stage

Though the celebration had award presentations sprinkled throughout, they seemed secondary to the performances and almost like a necessary evil. I was happy to see that Tim Ryan (the man behind the musicals at Grant MacEwan) was recognized with an Outstanding Lifetime Achievement prize.

For just $25 each (with all proceeds going to the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers and the African Centre this year), the Celebration was a great opportunity to watch up-and-coming performers and help recognize some of the stellar contributions made by members of the local arts community.

You can read Mack’s post about the event here, and see the photoset here.

The Cooking Chronicles: Danny Kaye’s Lemon Pasta

The recipe I had in mind for our fresh fettuccini noodles was one I had come across in Ruth Reichl’s memoir Comfort Me with Apples some moons ago. Like every aspiring cook, I had photocopied the recipe for “Danny Kaye’s Lemon Pasta” and tucked it away to be used on just such an occasion.

It wasn’t difficult  – the cream and lemon-based sauce with just a touch of pasta water was quick to pull together, though I questioned the amount of lemon zest and juice called for in the recipe. In the end, it was much too tart for my liking (I should have trusted my instincts), though we thought it would make a good side for a roast chicken or salmon main. We probably should have also added additional pasta water – the congealed cream as the dish cooled reminded us of the heavy carbonara we tried last year. Better luck next time!

Danny Kaye’s Lemon Pasta

There’s a First Time for Everything: KitchenAid Pasta Maker

Last month, a marketing company promoting KitchenAid products contacted me to ask if I was interested in giving their Pasta Maker a try. Always up for experimentation, I said yes, and shortly after, received a large box with my name on it.

All smiles with my Pasta Kit

Mack laughed at me when I told him I expected a package tied up in a red bow with a label, “To: Sharon, Love: KitchenAid,” but it was a little like the Cooking Fairy had decided to pay me a visit. The Kit contained two stainless steel stand mixer attachments – a pasta roller and fettuccini pasta cutter – as well as a brush for cleaning and a slotted spoon and pasta server. Lastly, two boxes of Ecco La Pasta mixes were included to simplify initial attempts.

KitchenAid Pasta Kit

Contents

We started with the egg pasta dry mix, added water, and let the stand mixer do the work. Once the dough came together, I relied heavily on the manual, particularly because I needed as much guidance as possible, having never made pasta from scratch before. It wasn’t entirely clear to me how the lump of dough we now had in front of us should be divided to be fed into the pasta roller (better illustrations or pictures would have helped matters), but we eventually figured out that thicker clumps of dough yielded the desired yard of pasta that would eventually be cut into individual noodles.

Dough coming together

Mack working the pasta roller

Cutting the pasta into recognizable fettuccini noodles was the best part, gratifying the work we had done up until that point.

Go Mack go!

Making fettuccini

Finished noodles

I think we were surprised at how quickly everything came together. Even if we hadn’t used the pasta mix, it still wouldn’t have taken much longer, as the stand mixer does most of the grunt work. As with most store-bought products as well, we liked that the pasta maker would give us control over the ingredients used in the dough (I wonder how duck eggs would fare in pasta?).

We both acknowledged, however, that despite how straightforward it was, we likely wouldn’t put in the extra effort to make something that could easily be picked up at the store. That said, I’m eager to look for recipes that involve different colour or flavour additives to the pasta – something unique that would wow guests at a dinner party, or would somehow spice up a fairly mundane dish.

I’m looking forward to our future pasta experiments!

Variety to Spare: Habesha

Mack tolerates my slight fixation with killing several birds with one stone. Borne out of my reliance on public transportation and walking as my main modes of travel, I do my best to make the most of my trips to areas of the city outside of my usual commute.

Following our jaunt to Seedy Sunday at the Alberta Avenue Community Hall, Mack didn’t flinch when I said there would be a planned stop at the nearby Habesha for lunch. I had read a review last year in the Journal about this new restaurant, and Liane Faulder has made mention of it several times over the last few months (Habesha now offers a vegetarian/vegan buffet on Wednesday nights). Though I’ve sampled Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine before (at the Heritage Festival, for example), I’ve never before had a sit-down meal, so was eager to be exposed to a greater variety of food.

The interior of Habesha was larger than we expected from our external assessment. A long room was divided into a reception/coffee ceremony area, a second section dominated by the bar, and a third area functioned as the main dining room populated with a few tables. For a restaurant with many windows, the interior was surprisingly dim, so I was glad that our self-directed table hugged a window, with the option of being enclosed by a curtain fashioned on a curved bar that reminded me of a shower rod. There were two other parties present – and both embodied the relaxed, comfortable vibe of a restaurant that invited diners to stay awhile.

Mack looking relaxed and comfortable, and Twittering, of course

The owner (and sole waitress) brought us glasses of water and menus. We looked over the pages, divided into vegetarian, chicken and beef sections, and didn’t know where to begin. When she returned to take our order, we asked for her recommendations. She pointed us to the “combination” plates ($14.99 per person), and we decided to sample one beef and one vegetarian combination.

We weren’t sure how long our food would take, as it wasn’t clear whether or not our lone server was also the restaurant’s lone staff member, but thankfully, our dish arrived not too long after our order was placed. A circular platter lined with injera and dotted with multicolored meat, lentil and vegetable dishes was placed before us, accompanied by another small basket of injera. The soft, spongy bread is the main utensil in Ethiopian/Eritrean cuisine (similar in use to Indian chapatti), and explained the lack of forks and knives on our table.

Combination beef and vegetarian plate for two

Having tried injera several times now, I have to say I’m still not used to the sour taste of the bread, or to the fact that it is served cold. On the other hand, I immensely enjoyed the dishes themselves – the shiro wat (sun dried peas) were fantastic, with just a hint of spice, but so satisfying, and the fosolia – string bean and carrot mixture – was simple yet tasty. Mack liked the kei wot (prime beef stewed in spicy red sauce), though I know we both found most of the cubed meat rather tough. The spice level varied in the dishes (for example, the red lentil misser wot packed much more zing than the mellower yellow version), so the entire sample provided a nice spectrum of heat. In all, we found the combination plate was a great way to sample over ten different dishes, and with such a large portion size, ended up with enough food to take for lunch the next day.

When our server came back to check on us, she was taken aback by the food that remained. I couldn’t tell if she took the quantity of leftovers personally, but she mock-threatened not to pack it up for us unless we promised to eat it all. We did, but her guilt really wasn’t necessary, and left our experience a bit off because we hadn’t developed the necessary rapport for that kind of exchange.

Regardless of our end note, I would recommend Habesha as a good venue to experiment with Ethiopian/Eritrean cuisine, and like The Dawg Father before it, I am glad that there is one more restaurant to add to the “destination Alberta Avenue” list.

Habesha
9511 118 Avenue NW
(780) 474-2206
Monday-Thursday 4-10pm, Friday 4pm-2am, Saturday 12pm-2am, Sunday 12-11pm

April in Edmonton is for Variety

  • Edmonton Fashion Week returns with its spring 2009 shows and sample sales April 2-9. I’m glad the venue was changed to the TransAlta Arts Barns – more easily accessible by public transit than the Hangar.
  • To launch it’s 2009-10 season, the Winspear Centre is offering a free concert on April 2 at noon.
  • 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy, and to celebrate, the Strathcona Wilderness Centre is hosting a 100 hour Astronomy Marathon, April 2-5.
  • The plethora of craft shows continues with the kickoff of a new monthly show called Handmade Mafia. Happening on the first Saturday of every month, their first is scheduled for April 4 at Savoy and Orange Hall. You could easily make a day of it – brunch, Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, then craft shopping.
  • I have a soft spot for the MacEwan Centre for the Arts music concerts – they’re inexpensive, and for the most part they’re feel-good shows. They wrap up their Month of Music on April 4 & 5, with their always showstopping Big Band Concert taking place on April 6.
  • The Mayor’s 22nd annual Celebration for the Arts takes place on April 6 at the Winspear Centre. I went last year and found it a great way to sample some of the city’s up-and-coming artists.
  • Want to meet the city’s Twitterati? Consider coming to Edmonton’s fourth Tweetup, planned for April 7 at Vintage Lounge.
  • Comedian Rick Mercer will be stopping by Grant MacEwan on April 8 for what will likely be a very entertaining evening. Tickets are $20.
  • It’s not the Westminster version, but the Edmonton Kennel Club is holding their biannual show and trials on April 17-19.
  • What better way to explore an area of the city than by foot? Swing on by to High Street for their Spring Gallery Walk, April 18 & 19, where eight member galleries will be participating.
  • The Edmonton Poetry Festival runs April 23-26. They have quite a variety of events scheduled – worth a look.
  • The Kiwanis Music Festival starts on April 20. This is their 101st year!
  • The City decided to do away with the more formal annual “community conference” and will be offering an Edmonton Transit System Community Fair in its place on April 25. The event focuses on the grand opening of the Belgravia/McKernan LRT station, but there will also be tours, presentations and activities throughout the day.
  • The Prince of Wales Armouries, which has been closed for renovations for the better part of a year, will be hosting an open house on April 25. I’ve passed by the venue almost every day during my afternoon walks, so I’m curious to see what it looks like.
  • The wiser, older brother of Earth Hour, Earth Day celebrations hit Hawrelak Park on April 26. Performances, exhibits, and family-friendly activities will abound.

Seedy Sunday

On a blustery, snowy, slushy day, when Old Man Winter decided to remind the city that we were still firmly in his grasp, Mack and I headed to an event optimistic about the forthcoming spring called Seedy Sunday.

This annual event was mentioned so often at the Food: Today, Tomorrow Together conference that my curiosity was beyond piqued. Having never grown anything in my life beyond those “life cycle” pots in the window of my elementary school portable, it was intriguing to me that passionate gardeners would gather together every year to exchange seeds and wax poetic about everything germination.

Seedy Sunday

Walking into the Alberta Avenue Community Hall, we were greeted by a volunteer and table full of resources, including two guides advertising heritage variety seeds available for purchase (one of which is Heritage Harvest Seeds). The atmosphere inside the hall was lively and warm, and we immediately forgot about the wintry conditions outside. Information booths from a wide range of gardening-related organizations were present (City Farm, Community Garden Network, Edmonton Horticultural Society – celebrating its centennial this year!), along with Ron Berezan’s Urban Farmer (he was away delivering one of the three lectures organized for the day). Producers were also present, including Patti Milligan (aka Lola Canola) and Gwen Simpson of Inspired Market Gardens. Gwen is definitely doing her best to branch out her business, and in April is launching cooking and gardening classes at her site in Carvel.

USC Canada was also there, where I picked up a free poster illustrating the centres of food origin along with details about the dire situation of decreasing crop and livestock diversity. Some facts:

  • 1 unique livestock breed disappears every month
  • 90% of US fruit and vegetable varieties have disappeared in the last century
  • 75% of India’s rice crop is planted with a dozen varieties. Once there were 30,000.
  • 10 companies control more than 55% of the world’s seed market

(You can read more about this topic on the USC website.)

Seed map

Of course, the main purpose of visiting Seedy Sunday was for the seeds. Jennifer from Edible Prairie mentioned the lack of seed vendors this year, but I wasn’t looking beyond herbs. As I am new to gardening in every sense of the word, I thought it best to start small with a modest container garden, so I didn’t miss the variety. I picked up a packet each of sweet basil and Italian parsley from Bedrock Seed Bank and will be heading to a hardware store to furnish the rest of my (hopefully) budding experiment. I must mention the $14 gift packs Bedrock was selling (containing six seed packets, containers, and starter soil) – I was so tempted to buy one just to have in my gift giving closet.

Shopping for seeds

Kudos to the ladies behind Seedy Sunday for organizing such a great event!

The Cooking Chronicles: Thai Chicken Curry

After getting a positive result from the Pad Thai recipe in Trish Magwood’s Dish Entertains, my next marked page to try was the Thai Chicken Curry. I like that Magwood’s recipes are straightforward – Westernized, yes, but almost in a way that provide training wheels to facilitate eventually tackling a more authentic version.

This particular recipe called for six chicken breasts, which was way too much meat for the two of us even if both Mack and I intended on having the dish for lunch the next day. I cut down the quantity of chicken to four, and it worked out perfectly. I loved the smell of the simmering curry and coconut milk mixture; I’m sure coconut rice would have been a great pairing instead of the plain basmati that we had.

In the end, the teaspoon and a bit of curry paste wasn’t enough heat, and we could have done with a bit more onions, but those were our only complaints. This is a great one pot meal that is both quick and easy!

Thai Chicken Curry

Food Notes for March 30, 2009

  • The April edition of Avenue Edmonton has a few good reads, including an interview with Ron Berezan, the Urban Farmer, a tour of some of the city’s multicultural gems (May pointed out that the article lacks specific addresses for the locations listed; a fair point), and a short feature about Courtney and Brooke’s blog Take it and Like it. Congrats, ladies!
  • My latest article in Vue Weekly about TZiN Wine and Tapas Bar was published this week. Two things that didn’t fit in my piece which I wanted to share – Kelsey said that malbecs have been really popular over the past six weeks for no reason that she could gather, and when asked about her favourite drink, she responded: “Bubbles are always my favourite. Champagne is gorgeous, love it, it’s not always in my budget to do though. So there’s a lot of great proseccos and cavas. I find that often people will wait for an occasion or birthday or celebration of some sort. Random Tuesday for me. Bubbles make me happy.”
  • First Manor Cafe and now The Blue Pear: Brulee Blog mentioned another “recession special”  – The Blue Pear will be offering a “Baby Blue Pear” menu – $35 3-course menu for 5-6pm and Sunday reservations. No further details on their website yet.
  • An interesting story about some local restaurant groups like Original Joe’s expanding in spite of the recession.
  • The Dasee Group (which apparently owns Plaid Giraffe, among other businesses) will be opening a cafe featuring gelato and espresso at their 8004 Gateway Boulevard location in March. Keep an eye on their website for grand opening information.
  • Sorrentino’s kicks off their 18th annual Garlic Festival tomorrow. I know some in the city get excited for the event, but I’m not one of them.
  • Liane Faulder wrote an article about a study showing increased consumer spending at farmers’ markets over the past four years – up to $45 per visit in 2008 compared with $35 in 2004, while annual spending went up to $449 from $317. I just wish the study broke down where the funds were being spent, given that everything from jewellery to produce is sold at local markets.
  • If the Urban Spoon app for your iPhone wasn’t cool enough, how about Locavore 1.0? Find not only the farmers’ market nearest you (using GPS), but also what’s in season. Someone with an iPhone will have to tell me if it works in Canadian cities.
  • Speaking of eating locally, the Edible Prairie Online posted an “Alberta food inventory”, along with links to some helpful resources.
  • Andree over at Are You Gonna Eat That? reviewed some PC Blue Menu products, and showcases a nifty little slideshow gadget on her blog.