Culinary Highlights: 2008 Edition

Though I didn’t get away to far-flung food havens in 2008 (compared with my travel-filled 2007), I still had a great year, continuing to explore the culinary scene in Edmonton and beyond.

So again, in no particular order, here are a few of my culinary highlights from the past year.

 

My first experience with foie gras at Characters (in paté form, unfortunately)

 

I heart the brioche bread course at Wildflower

 

Warm Chocolate Cake from the Red Ox Inn

  • Continuing to be thoroughly impressed by the dining scenes in Calgary and Vancouver.

 

Duck Confit and Steak Sandwiches from Calgary’s JAROBlue

 

Montreal Smoked Meat Omelette from Calgary’s Galaxie Diner

 

Divine Butternut Squash Ravioli from Vancouver’s Cactus Club Bentall 5

Vancouver’s Vij’s famous Lamb Popsicles

 

Me and Amanda in The Cocoa Room

Roasting gradient example at Transcend

  • Experimenting in the kitchen much more than I expected, and throwing my first-ever dessert party in the spring and a housewarming party for Mack and Kim in the fall.

 

Melting Moments (one of the five desserts we served)

 

Apple-Cheddar Turkey Burgers (slider-versions served at the housewarming)

  • Contributing to FoodTV and to Vue Weekly, in the process getting the opportunity to meet some of Edmonton’s upstart chefs and restauranteurs.

Margherita Flatbread at Devlin’s (Executive Chef Sebastian Lysz, the focus of my first published piece)

 

TASTE! of Summer at St. Albert Grain Elevator Park

Here’s to an even better 2009!

Epicureous in Edmonton: 2008 Year in Review

I thought 2008 was a great year for Edmonton’s burgeoning culinary scene, and many in the community that I’ve talked to in the past few months have expressed the same opinion. Of course, with maintaining this blog, my bias is staying afloat of news and trends, and picking up on information that I would have ignored just as easily in the past.

That said, more local bloggers joined the online fray in 2008, the number of locally-owned and independent restaurants continue to rise, and farmer’s markets are not only mainstream, but the consumer thirst for seasonal, sustainable agriculture is stronger than ever.

Here are a few of the year’s notable occurrences:

  • Edmontonians flexed their culinary muscle this year – Chad Moss of Transcend Coffee placed fourth in October at the Canadian National Barista Competition, while the Culinary Team from NAIT brought home a total of five medals from the prestigious Culinary Olympics that took place in Germany.
  • Edmonton Journal readers bid adieu to longtime Bistro writer Judy Schultz at the end of 2007, and welcomed Liane Faulder to the section. She published her first series of articles in mid-May, and is continuing to dodge her predecessor’s still-looming shadow.
  • The city mourned the loss of a few beloved eateries, most notably Il Portico in October. Four Rooms, Nikita’s, and Bacon, among others, also called it quits.
  • On the upside, downtown Edmonton has been the recipient of quite a number of new and exciting endeavours: Kerstin Roos opened her fantastic chocolate shop The Cocoa Room in February; Sobeys piloted their new “Urban Fresh” concept on the rapidly-developing 104th Street in May; Century Hospitality swooped in on the vacant storefront in the historic McLeod Building for Hundred Bar & Kitchen in October; and a new incarnation of an Edmonton institution, renamed The Hat, began on October 24.
  • Other culinary pockets are popping up in our sprawling city, such as southwest Edmonton with Health Fare and Red Brick Pizza, and a trend of more upscale food alternatives on Whyte Avenue, like Devlin’s and Origin India.
  • Many locally-grown establishments also branched out this year, including Sorrentino’s, with Bistecca, an Italian steakhouse, and a second Culina, nestled in Highlands.

I have a feeling 2009 will be even better, as citizens continue to become more aware of where their food is coming from, and the food community grows in presence and vocalization.

On that note, look forward to a meetup of local foodies in the new year, spearheaded by Hanne from Supper in Stereo and I. Keep an eye out on the wiki for details.

The Cooking Chronicles: Eggnog Pancakes

I am a bit of a fridge nazi. Nothing makes me happier than being able to piece together a meal with neglected ingredients slightly past their prime. It is likely tied also to the fact that by purchasing groceries now on a regular basis, I actually know firsthand how expensive food really is.

Though frugality shouldn’t have played a part in Mack’s birthday meal, it did somewhat – a 2L carton of eggnog was fast approaching its expiry date in his fridge, and though I can’t stand to drink the stuff, I find it slightly more bearable when diluted in recipes.

Mack’s opinion on the seasonal drink is quite opposite of mine, though if he had his way, eggnog would become a popular flavouring in more than just his favourite cookies. So after printing off a recipe for Eggnog Pancakes, I was ready to prepare a breakfast starring his beloved drink.

The recipe is perfect for doubling (which I did, so he could have pancakes the next day as well), and used common ingredients most would have on hand. The instructions advised to leave the batter for five minutes, which allowed the baking soda to react, creating an airy, voluminous batter I’ve never before seen with pancakes.

I probably should also not have scooped such heaping spoonfuls onto the griddle, as the puffy batter retained its fluffy shape on the pan, and did not have time to cook through before the sides burned. I dressed up a stack of the pancakes with icing sugar, a handful of blueberries, and two candles, though in hindsight the sugar was a bad idea (ending up as a casualty of blowing out the candles).

Eggnog Birthday Pancakes (it’s a kind of “cake”, right?)

Mack enjoyed his birthday breakfast though, primarily because the eggnog flavour was not overpowering. The pancakes themselves were also wonderfully fluffy – the tell of a from-scratch vs. Bisquick batter.

Seeing as he still had about half a carton remaining, more recipes that make use of eggnog may be on the horizon.

The Cooking Chronicles: Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Affogato

While I can’t take credit for making Christmas dinner, I did plant the idea into my Mum’s head of using the slow cooker this year. A recipe for Pulled Pork Sandwiches in the most recent edition of Inspired by Compliments magazine caught my eye; I loved the idea of minimal effort to produce the evening meal.

As we didn’t have the recommended smoky applewood sauce on hand, my Mum substituted a bottle of barbeque sauce, which worked just as well. To accompany the meat, she made buns with the dough left over from the batch of breadsticks she had made the night prior – yum! Though the meat was a touch on the dry side, a heaping tablespoon of the generated onion-laced sauce flavoured the sandwich nicely. She served the sandwiches with roasted squash and sautéed mushrooms, but any type of roasted vegetables or even tossed salad would have made a fine side dish.

Pulled Pork Sandwich on a Homemade Bun

My Mum asked me to take care of dessert, but due to my lack of pre-planning, we didn’t have any cream in the fridge necessary to make crème brulee, which she was craving. We did, however, have ice cream she had been meaning to get rid of for some time, and after surfing around on the Food Network site, I came across Ina Garten’s simple Affogato recipe.

Easy as pie, I substituted the espresso ingredient for two strong cups of Starbucks’ Christmas Blend (which I figured was as close to espresso as we were going to get that night). Poured over a scoop of vanilla, I was done.

Affogato

There was something about the interaction of the hot coffee and cold ice cream that worked beautifully. And though I was afraid that the coffee would vaporize the ice cream too quickly, it wouldn’t have mattered if it did, as the melding of both in liquid form made a lovely, drinkable dessert.

Who says Christmas dinner has to be something to sweat over?

Food Notes

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas! I took a bit of an unplanned break from blogging, and while it was relaxing, it’s nice to be writing again. I’ll be catching up on quite a few posts over the next few days.

  • I could not help but laugh and relate to Marty Chan’s account of attempting to demonstrate his dim sum prowess to friends, published this week in the Journal.
  • Well-known Edmonton blogger Lex Culinaria wrote that she has relocated to Langley, BC. Her posts will also begin to focus more on recipes, as she raises her second child. Best of luck Lyn!
  • Via Brulee Blog, a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa is using garlic salt to de-ice their roads.
  • There are a ton of year-end roundups out there, but I like the scope of Chow’s Year in Food 2008.
  • Mack, being the thoughtful person that he is, made me a customized calendar for Christmas, featuring sixty of the food photos that we have taken over the last two years, food-related quotes, and important dates to remember. It will hang proudly in my office at work! He posted about his experience making the calendar here.

June 2009

  • As is tradition in our family, Christmas Eve meant a potluck with family friends. My Mum made her famous breadsticks, honed from a recipe she now has memorized. There was turkey, and then some.

My Mum’s fabulous breadsticks

The spread

My plate

Amanda’s plate

Happy New Year everyone!

Stunning Interior: The Hat

May and I met up for a pre-Christmas dinner at The Hat (10251 Jasper Avenue NW), the newest incarnation of Edmonton’s beloved diner. As I never set foot in any of its predecessors, I can’t comment on how the interior has changed, but I will say that the décor floored me.

Bar

Ceiling

Pictures really don’t do The Hat justice, particularly because my camera is weak in dim settings. But between the dark wood bar that takes advantage of the long and narrow space (lined with a colorful liquor display and LCD television screens displaying the night’s sports offerings) and the absolutely gorgeous pressed-tin ceiling, the interior wowed me. The rear of the restaurant had a different feel than the front – better lit, with large tables to accommodate groups, those looking for a more restaurant setting could happily settle down there. All in all, the space was dressed for the after-work crowd, enticing for those looking for a stylish but comfortable spot for a drink.

The menu also reflected this, with a crowd-pleasing overtone, featuring share plates common for casual upscale eateries and updated pub favourites. Diner standbys have been eliminated, giving way to a multitude of burgers, including a $20 surf and turf version, coupling a beef patty with a lobster tail.

It turned out that May and I picked a great day of the week to visit, as all burgers were priced at $3 off on Tuesdays. I immediately went for the Canadian ($13.25), an 8oz. patty topped with cheddar, white cheddar, maple bacon, and “all the groceries”. May opted for something lighter that day, and ordered the Portobello Mushroom Burger ($12.25), served with red pepper cream cheese, fresh red peppers and spinach. I was glad that one side was included with the burger; it just feels wrong when fries are priced separately.

Service, particularly because it seemed a single waitress was serving the entire restaurant, was good. And though I’m not sure why we both expected the kitchen to be slow, before we knew it, our dishes appeared in front of us. The generous serving of crispy shoestring fries could barely stay atop the plate, while my burger waited patiently to be dressed with the provided condiments. The menu also didn’t lie about the fixings, as it was absolutely stacked. Though in my opinion, the groceries attacked my burger to the point where I could no longer taste the cheese and bacon, and the patty was a little too charred for my liking. May rated her burger average, but she did enjoy the dressing drizzled on her side salad – a nice roasted red pepper vinaigrette.

Canadian Burger

Portobello Mushroom Burger

Based on our inaugural visit, I’d return not to The Hat for the food, but to drink in the lovely atmosphere and its stunning interior.

The Hat
10251 Jasper Avenue NW
(780) 429-4471
Appetizers $4-15, Entrees $12.25-20, Desserts $4.25

Fast and Filling: Mucho Burrito

A day off from work became my errand day, and I was finally able to finish my Christmas shopping (too late in the year for me, particularly because I am the type to stockpile presents throughout the year). At any rate, the weekday freedom meant I could meet Mack for lunch, so we decided to take the time to try out Mucho Burrito (10124 109 Street NW), a relatively new addition to the 109th Street complex.

I was expecting a similar meal experience to the one I had at Taco del Mar a few months back, a franchised chain that started popping up all over the city in the last two years. On the outset, the two eateries didn’t seem to be too different – a long ordering counter took up half of the space, while basic metal-framed tables meant not for lingering filled up the rest of the area. Mucho Burrito was decidedly less kitschy décor-wise (no tiki-bar or neon signs to be had here), but the playful posters (one featuring an oversized burrito on a forklift) reminded me very much of Famoso’s early wall coverings. Their overhead LCD screens, though notable, were unfortunately out of focus as they cycled through in-house advertisements.

We joined the line – which didn’t let-up through our brief stay, even though it was after 1pm – and were greeted by indifferent but amazingly efficient staff. They had their assembly line roles down pat, and whisked us through the ordering process in minutes.

This new breed of taco stand separates itself from their fast food cousins by offering choice at every turn – from the white or whole-wheat tortilla, to brown or black beans, to chicken, beef, or vegetarian filling, to supplementary sauces and toppings, the price reflects the approach to a custom order. My small burrito, Burrito Pequeno, was priced at $6.99, while Mack’s namesake Mucho Burrito was $10.99 – we were definitely out of value menu territory.

Down the assembly line we went – I chose a white tortilla, brown beans, beef and cilantro to accompany the lime rice, cheese and salsa base. We each ended up with a perfectly wrapped burrito in an aluminium pizza pan, a practical alternative to plastic trays, as Mack’s bottle of pop was better restricted from rolling off onto the floor.

Aluminium tray alternative

We sat down at a table and dug in. The combination of all flavours together – the smoky chipotle sauce, the tang of the lime rice, the juicy, savoury shards of braised beef, and the freshness of the cilantro – really sold the burrito for me. Mack could barely get his mouth around his burrito (easily double the size of mine), but gave it a thumbs up as well – he was full for hours afterwards. Of course, for $11, his hunger should have definitely been addressed.

Mack takes a bite out of his burrito

Mucho Burrito

Burrito Pequeno

In all, Mucho Burrito provided a satisfying lunch, and a meal that was much better than one we had obtained at Taco del Mar. Ideal for take-out or a quick stop, while not inexpensive, Mucho Burrito was both fast and filling.

Mucho Burrito
10124 109 Street NW (2 more locations in Edmonton coming soon)
(780) 429-4220
Daily 11am-9pm

The Cooking Chronicles: Roasted Salmon with Roasted Tomatoes

I had my eye on Dave Lieberman’s recipe for Roasted Salmon with Roasted Tomatoes for some time, but forgot about it after a bout with a bad cold. I was finally organized enough to buy the ingredients needed earlier this week, and pulled it together in no time at all.

The salmon was flavoured with nothing more than salt, pepper, fresh dill, and a squeeze of lemon, and the roasted tomatoes with olive oil, dried oregano (instead of fresh thyme) and salt and pepper to taste.

For such a simple recipe, the fish tasted great – perfectly cooked, and complemented the sweet roma tomatoes well. I served the fish with some creamy rice to round out a weekday meal, but the recipe would translate well for entertaining as well, jazzed up with some risotto. It’s definitely a keeper!

Roasted Salmon with Roasted Tomatoes

Food Notes

  • My latest Vue Weekly article, a profile on the man behind Origin India, Arvind Sawhney, was published last week. It’s also important to know that the restaurant offers wine pairings with their food. I reviewed the restaurant (albeit the buffet and not the recommended a la carte) back in October.
  • Courtney of Take it and Like it reviewed her recent experience at the fairly new Kai Asian Grill – it seems to be on par with other casual upscale chains in the city.
  • From Mack: Wildflower Grill made it onto Where Magazine’s annual tally of the 10 best new restaurants in Canada. See the entire list here.
  • The “oldest wine festival in Calgary” is coming to Edmonton – Winefest, on February 28 at the Shaw Conference Centre.
  • Walter Schwabe, one of Mack’s colleagues, launched the fusedlogic Food Bank Challenge last week. The goal is to have one million pictures of one million Food Bank donations by next December.
  • Information about the Food Security Conference on January 29-31, organized by the Edmonton Food Security Network, was released this week – the schedule of sessions looks great!
  • On a related note, the theme of International Week 2009 is food: “Hungry for change: Transcending Feast, Famine and Frenzy”. It should be a good event, as usual.
  • According to Canwest, the latest incarnation of Family Restaurant, a reality-show that focuses on a family-run establishment, will debut on January 8. As I mentioned a few months back, the family behind The Lingnan and Chicken for Lunch will be showcased.
  • On the topic of Food Network, I have to say that the cheesy Food Network Holiday Special, that saw a number of Canada’s celebrity chefs “get together” to cook got to me. It was staged, but still cool to see them interact. Also, I may finally be jumping on the Top Chef bandwagon. Foodie Suz wrote about her love for the show earlier this week; I’ve caught a few episodes of the season here and there (my interest being more on the side of the NY location than the competition itself), but the individual personalities involved, and the cooking challenges have been quite enthralling.
  • Starbucks will be debuting a new line of tea lattes in January. What happened to the coffee focus?
  • For all the accolades given for positive accomplishments, how about a negative one: Eater just rounded up its search for the worst food porn on the internet. Take a look and judge for yourself.
  • If you’ve ever called someone “beefy”, here’s the perfect gift for them – meat-scented spray from Burger King.
  • I bought a cute little jar of Chicken Curry spice mixture from a coworker last week, with all proceeds going to an orphanage near Mumbai. Using the mixture, I of course decided to deviate from the recipe attached and use rotisserie chicken (instead of uncooked meat) to cut down on the cooking time, and added a can of diced tomatoes. As a result, the curry flavour was weaker than it was probably supposed to be, and the chicken was unfortunately dry. Guess I need to be reminded to follow instructions closely.

 

Mrs. Susannah John’s Chicken Curry mixture 

  • I raided my emergency food drawer at work, on a particularly hungry afternoon. This ended up in my first encounter with microwavable Kraft Dinner in a cup. Thankfully, the sauce thickened up a bit after the following photo was taken, but I’m not sure I will buy it again – the styrofoam-like cup didn’t seem to be able to stand the heat of the microwave.

 

Microwavable Kraft Dinner

  • The franchised Sbarro replaced the family-run Italian fast food  outlet (whose name escapes me) in Edmonton City Centre a few months ago. I tried their lasagna ($4.79), but it just wasn’t the same (or as inexpensive) as what I had been used to.

 

Lasagna from Sbarro

Short but Sweet: The Bison Restaurant & Lounge

This guest post was written by Mack, an Edmonton-based geek who fancies himself a part-time foodie. You can find him online at his blog, and on Twitter.

A little over a month ago, I was in Banff, AB for CanUX 2008. I had a great time and learned a lot. One of the best parts about the event was that all expenses were included – registration, lodging, and meals. We ate our meals at the restaurant at The Banff Centre except dinner on the last day, which was not included. I decided to take advantage of that and stopped The Bison Restaurant & Lounge on my way out of town. Sharon had recommended it to me in case I had time to visit a local establishment.

The restaurant is located on the second floor of the building, with the Mountain Bistro General Store underneath. Much of the building was closed for renovations at the time, but fortunately the restaurant was still open. I climbed the wooden staircase and was warmly greeted and immediately seated in the nearly empty restaurant (there were a handful of people in the lounge).

My waiter was attentive during my short stay, but not overly so. He answered all of my questions, but mostly left me to scope out the coppered kitchen and surf on my iPod touch (there was open wireless nearby). I would describe the interior of the dining room as sophisticated, with dark wooden tables and chairs, wine glasses at every table, and funky dim lighting.

I looked through the menu, including the “local for locals” insert, and eventually decided upon one of the wood fired pizzas. I chose the Smoked Bison, Caramelized Onions, Edamame, and Fresh Mozzarella pizza for $17. I wasn’t overly hungry, but the waiter assured me that the pizza was a good size for one person. He was right.

I didn’t have to wait long for my pizza to arrive. It tasted just as good as it looked! I thought the smoked bison together with the fresh mozzarella was the best part. The caramelized onions seemed to disappear in comparison, and the firm edamame beans didn’t quite fit with the rest of the pizza though they tasted fine. I thoroughly enjoyed the dish.

I’d love to take Sharon to The Bison to try one of their more interesting dishes next time! I think she’d really like it. If you’re looking for something unique in Banff, give The Bison a try.

Bison Restaurant & Lounge
The Bison Courtyard 213
211 Bear Street, Banff, AB
(403) 762-5550
Monday-Friday, 5pm-10pm, Saturday-Sunday, 10am-10pm