Food Notes

  • The Premier’s annual pancake breakfast takes place at the Legislature grounds on July 22. Join him and the other MLAs for free food and entertainment between 7-9am.
  • The people behind Merriam-Webster Dictionary recently announced the list of new words to be added, including edamame and prosecco.
  • A great article this week from the NYT about the origin and current popularity of the “slider”. I had no idea the word was originally a derogatory term to describe the ease at which White Castle burgers (the original slider) were eaten.
  • Two shows I find myself watching whenever they’re on are Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, hosted by the tirelessly energetic Guy Fieri (a previous winner of The Next Food Network Star), and Food Safari, where the host introduces a specific cuisine through interviews and demonstrations with locals in Australia.
  • Mack was excited to try the Vivanno, the new smoothie that debuted at Starbucks this week. I had a sip of both the Banana Chocolate and Orange Mango Banana blends (each containing “one whole banana”), and though they weren’t undrinkable, I’m going to stick to my Iced Brewed Coffee.

 

Vivanno (they only come in Grande sizes, in their own special cup)

The Cooking Chronicles: Man-loaf

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.

It all began a fortnight ago when I was hungry for some Grade A Alberta beef.

I decided to consult the 8-ball which told me to check with Sharon. She said she wanted meatloaf. So off we went to the gleaming silver mecca known as “The Superstore”. I wanted to buy Coke but Sharon forced me to buy ground beef instead. We also purchased the other necessary ingredients.

When we got back home, Sharon decided to kill a tree by printing off the recipe. I learned how to chop and onion and was surprised to find out that it didn’t cause me any tears. Sharon did most of the work and I was given the most difficult job of all – mixing everything together in the big bowl with my bare hands (grr).

Next, we got an epic fail for not having a pan to cook the meatloaf in. So we plopped it awkwardly on a tin-foil covered cookie sheet. We spread ketchup on top of the loaf and put it in the oven.

One hour later…(ding!)

We took it out of the oven and it looked pretty bad but it tasted good so I was glad. Like every other meatloaf I’ve had in my entire life, all I could taste was beef. The vegetables inside seemed to disappear. I’m convinced you could cook meatloaf with plutonium and it would still taste like meatloaf.

I still owe Sharon a meal. Maybe I’ll make veal!

Meatloaf with mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes

Film: “The Dark Knight”

Mack has been talking about The Dark Knight for months now, so it wasn’t a surprise that he bought ticket to see it at 12:01am on the day of its release. Though I originally balked at the idea of a midnight showing followed by the struggle of getting through an eight-hour work day, I figured the experience of seeing the fanatical moviegoers on top of the movie itself was worth sacrificing one night’s sleep.

We joined the line outside of the second floor IMAX theatre at West Edmonton Mall at around 9:30pm. We had checked in on the line at 8pm, and though there were already twenty people outside the theatre, we opted for a mall stroll before commencing a lengthy stationary period. Looking around us, I wish we had been as prepared as our lineup counterparts – not with camping chairs as much as portable game systems, packs of cards, books, or magazines. Still, without entertainment, the time passed by fairly quickly, with the flaming dragon going off every twenty minutes, and my anticipation of costumed patrons. The final count at the end of the evening? Two Jokers, and an honourable mention for the guy downstairs who brought an inflatable Batman with him.

A motley crew

The dragon!

We were allowed into the theatre an hour before showtime, where the excitement continued to build. By the time the laser demonstration started, I was more than ready to see The Dark Knight.

Two and a half hours later, I felt like my nerves were shot and worn through. Between Heath Ledger’s terrifying portrayal of The Joker, Harvey Dent’s tragic disintegration into the villain Two Face, Christopher Nolan’s apparent need to fill a gunfight quota, and quick cuts resulting in brilliant-but-breathless moments of suspense, even a good night’s sleep wouldn’t have released the movie’s haunting grasp of my dreams.

As always, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine elevated scenes with their presence alone, while Maggie Gyllenhaal provided a seamless transition for a character that could have been played by any competent actress. Aaron Eckhart was perfectly cast as Dent, who was believably upstanding, and really, his chin and jaw should also be lauded simply for the number of times they have been mentioned in other reviews. Heath Ledger will undoubtedly build a cult following for his performance – like Viggo Mortensen, who I’ve read lives and breathes his character roles, Ledger nailed the eerily melodic voice, oddball gait, and facial ticks (his continuous tongue-flicking was genius) of this Joker.

Dually exhausting and exhilarating, I highly recommend The Dark Knight, a film with a rare payoff that actually matched its hype. Watch for Mack‘s review, where he will compare screenings of the film in IMAX and on the regular screen.

Going Through the Motions: The Blue Pear

I had heard a lot of good things about The Blue Pear (10643 123 Street) – a small boutique restaurant, their creative menu changed on a monthly basis to reflect seasonal ingredients. Of course, given that they only served four-course pre-fixe menus at $85 per person, it wasn’t the type of place I would pick for a spontaneous dinner. With July’s Fork Fest, however, the $35 three-course meal was a great opportunity to give The Blue Pear a try without breaking the bank.

Mack and I had a reservation for 6pm on Thursday. The restaurant offers seatings every half hour, but because it was still relatively early, I was surprised that there were already a few parties in the dining room. The friendly hostess seated us in a dim corner, and left us with the wine list and the food menu, which included the Fork Fest specials at the top. I ordered a Sangria ($7) to start – a blend of red wine, fruit juices, and orange brandy – while Mack opted for a glass of Stella ($6), and we both asked for the Fork Fest meal.

Through the course of the evening, we were served by four different people. This could have made us feel taken care of, but the opposite actually occurred – the service as a whole was less personal and attentive because of the number of hands involved.

At any rate, our appetizer arrived promptly with the verbal promise of bread to come. The layered salad of marinated summer vegetables and fresh mozzarella was finished with a dressing of sundried tomatoes, herbs, and balsamic and mustard oil. The cheese overwhelmed the carrot, eggplant, roasted red pepper and zucchini, but I didn’t mind this as much as Mack did. Our bread didn’t arrive until after we requested it when our entrees were brought to us.

Marinated summer vegetables, mozzarella cheese, sun-dried tomato, herbs balsamic and mustard oil

Thankfully, the grilled Alberta pike fillet made us forget temporarily about the need for any carbs. Perfectly seared, the fish was flaky and tender on the inside. Served with a Bobby Flay-esque corn and black bean salsa and a deliciously rich herb butter sauce, the dish showcased well what the chef was capable of.

Grilled Alberta pike fillet with prawn, corn and black bean salsa, horseradish mashed potato and herb butter sauce

Dessert was a flourless chocolate cake topped with whipped cream, fennel and slivers of basil and accompanied by rosewater almond cream, milk chocolate rosemary sauce and basil oil. We both found the shredded basil an interesting garnish, one that Mack would have preferred left off his last course. The cake itself was lovely – sweet and dense as a flourless cake should be, with an intense chocolate flavour.

Flourless chocolate cake, confit of fennel, rosewater almond cream, milk chocolate rosemary sauce and basil oil

At dinner’s end, Mack said it felt like something was missing, as if the staff were just “going through the motions”. I couldn’t disagree – compared with our recent visit to Characters, Blue Pear just didn’t offer us the experience we were looking for. The food was great, but I’m not sure I’d return for an $85 meal.

The Blue Pear
10643 123 Street, 780.482.7178
Dinner only, Wednesday to Sunday from 5pm

The Cooking Chronicles: Coconut-Oatmeal Bars with Chocolate Chips

Dickson gave me a cookbook as a part of my birthday present this year. Titled Food 2.0: Secrets from the Chef Who Fed Google, Charlie Ayers shares his secrets of harnessing fresh ingredients for healthy, delicious “brain food”.

I tried my first recipe from the book today: Coconut-Oatmeal Bars with Chocolate Chips, meant by Ayers to be a breakfast option on the run. As usual, poor planning on my part meant I rushed the melting/cooling process of the butter to room temperature, and actually ended up warming and cooling the butter several times because I left it so long it solidified again. I’m sure this was the main reason why the mixture ended up with a foamy substance on top as it baked in the oven, but it didn’t seem to affect the final product too much.

I was a little too eager to slice into it, and should have waited longer, as the crumbly triangles attested. Taste-wise, the coconut and oatmeal were the strongest flavours, and though the bar itself appears to be healthy with the addition of the latter ingredient, I’d be more likely to snack on this than have it for breakfast. It’s definitely something I’ll make again though!

Coconut-Oatmeal Bars with Chocolate Chips

Chinatown: Bakery Favourites

Aside from supermarket treats, another stalwart Chinatown tradition from my youth were trips to Chinese bakeries. For just a few dollars, a box of sweet or savoury pastries could be mixed and matched to your heart’s content.

They have fruit cakes too!

While the giant T & T Supermarket (#2580, 8882 170 Street) in West Edmonton Mall makes it convenient by individually wrapping buns, I have to admit my favourite bakery in the city is Garden Bakery (10019 106 Avenue) because of their self-serve set-up. With a tray in one hand and a pair of small tongs in the other, there’s nothing like having to fight the urge to stack just one more filled pastry on top of your already bursting portion.

A few of my family’s picks:

Chopstick Doughnuts, deep fried until they’re crispy on the outside but still soft and chewy on the inside, are great served with congee.

Mini Pork Dumplings, also deep fried, are best eaten on the same day they’re purchased. Felicia’s favourite, they’re also a popular item served at dim sum.

 

Sesame Red Bean Balls are death, if not only because I can never seem to stop after eating one. The creamy, sweet red bean paste in the centre is complimented by the savoury crispness of the exterior.

Amanda’s favourite Swiss Rolls are individually packaged to preserve the fresh sponge cake separating layers of light cream. The cake is also sold in larger rolls.

Mini Cocktail Buns are my Dad’s favourite because of their smooth coconut filling.

Mini Cream Buns, filled with a rich, illustrious pastry cream then dusted with coconut, are always a showstopper.

Steamed BBQ Pork Buns, shown here in a cooler and ready to be heated, are a dim sum favourite of mine. But should you not have time to sit down for a meal, are available at the bakery to grab-and-go.

 

Last but certainly not least – Egg Tarts. The creamy custard is worth a trip to the bakery alone.

Given that my office is just a few minutes away from the bakery, it’ll be too tempting not to just pop in now and then for an immediately satisfying treat.

Country Cuisine – TASTE! of Summer 2008

Sunday’s Taste! of Summer was like an event straight out of my dreams. Blue sky, bright sun, swift breeze, and in the shadow of two historic grain elevators, some of the freshest produce Alberta farmers had to offer, prepared by regional chefs with an understanding and appreciation for the local.

So picturesque

I bought my tickets for the annual event about two weeks prior just in case, and was relieved that I had done so when I saw the “sold out” sign tacked up near the entrance. Admission in advance was $15 per person (plus service charges), though we were each provided with $5 worth of food tickets upon entry.

Menus in hand, we perused our options. There were 12 vendors in total (roughly a quarter compared to a Taste of Edmonton) that offered about two dozen dishes or drinks. We started with Mexico Lindo‘s Lamb in Adobe and Lola Canola‘s Raspberry Sweetini.

The Lola Canola gals

Sweetini and Lamb in Adobe

We’re still not sure what was in the lamb sauce, but with our palettes, we detected a fair comparison to Indian cuisine. Still, with the sample’s tender, easily shredded meat, there were no complaints from either of us. The Sweetini had hints of basil and honey, and is a drink I could see served out on a patio on a warm day.

Stephen Tchir Trio provided some jazzy ambiance

Next up were two more meat dishes – Lily Lake Resort‘s Wild Boar Roasted on a Spit with Homemade Apple Chutney and CareIt Urban Deli’s Spring Creek Ranch Tip Sirloin stuffed in English Yorkshire Pudding (a mouthful, yes).

Slicing boar

Wild Boar with Apple Chutney

Sirloin stuffed in Yorkshire Pudding

The unfortunate result of roasting the boar for several hours was dry meat, though the apple chutney did help freshen up each bite somewhat. The charred bits of skin really were the best part, however. As for the Yorkshire Pudding? Mack and I could have spent our entire ticket fortune at that booth – the meat was juicy, the gravy was rich and oh-so-savoury, and though we first balked at the idea of a Yorkshire Pudding shell, the fluffy chewy exterior worked somehow. So good.

Mack enjoys the pudding

We weren’t too optimistic that any other dish could follow CareIt’s, but we tried to find one. Mack chose a Traditional Buckwheat Bread from Bricco Ristorante Italiano, while I had to have a plate of Sweet Herb Salad from Inspired Market Gardens.

Buckwheat Bread

Gwen prepares the salad

Mack likened the buckwheat, potato, onion and bacon-stuffed loaf to a perogy of sorts, and I couldn’t disagree. As for my salad, it tasted just like I remembered, and the black currant vinaigrette was a great pairing to bring out the sweet yet delicate flavours from the colorful flowers.

Using our last few tickets, Mack tried some beer from the Rough Neck Brewing Company, and we returned to the Inspired Market Gardens booth for two scoops of Herb & Flower Sorbet.

Raspberry-tarragon and Lavender Sorbet (a very generous serving)

The vendor indicated that the sorbet couldn’t be sold at the City Centre Market due to a lack of power to keep a freezer operating, and it really is a shame. The delicate dessert was refreshing, and so unique, and should be available for more people to try.

The entire experience was relaxing – the grass (as opposed to pavement) helped, as did the space to move around and ample seating areas. The menu also came rolled with a second sheet of paper titled “Our Chefs, Producers and Artisans”, and provides a detailed listing and contact information for all of the vendors present that day – this is something the Taste of Edmonton organizers should look at – actively promoting the restaurants as opposed to the one-shot food at the event itself.

I do think the limited number of people allowed into the site (capped at 350) and shorter time frame for the event meant that the vendors could focus on providing bigger portions of good food (for example, Mexico Lindo also has a booth at Taste of Edmonton, but have pupusas and fried ice cream on their menu instead of lamb).

To end off the evening, we decided to go on a short tour of the grain elevator.

Inside

Outside

It was such a lovely day overall. I encourage you to check out next year’s Taste of Summer event, or, if you can’t wait that long, Edmonton’s Countryside is running their 6th Annual Country Soul Stroll this weekend (July 19 & 20), where everyone is invited to visit farms and attractions in townships around the city.

Take it to the Streets: Old Strathcona Fashion Extravaganza, Street Sale & Art Walk

I remember having intentions to visit last summer’s Whyte Avenue Street Sale, but never got around to it. So this year, I jumped at the chance to kill three birds with one stone – namely, the Old Strathcona Art Walk, Fashion Extravaganza, and of course, the opportunity to shop on pavement.

The weather was perfectly glorious for outdoor activities of any kind on Sunday, including the open-air catwalk that greeted us at 82nd and Gateway Boulevard. As my sister predicted, the fashion show turned out to be rather “lame” – the DJ had a preference for one-hit dance tunes from the 90s, some of the models left the stage before the announcer was finished with their outfit label rundown, and tags on some items were clearly visible from the crowd. On the bright side, much improvement can and will happen should the event be repeated in the future (here’s a video clip courtesy of Mack’s Flip if you’re interested).

Crowded runway

Model

We continued down the street, pausing on occasion to peruse discounted wares in addition to displays set up by local artists participating in the Art Walk. Perhaps it’s too cliché or tourist-oriented, but I was expecting to see more pieces devoted to Edmonton’s land or cityscape for sale.

Street sale

A kayak, anyone?

How about a turtle?

Art Walk

More art for sale

Mack can never avoid the beckoning call of mini doughnuts

We also wandered into a number of stores. Notable was Ten Thousand Villages (10432 82 Avenue), where Mack found a visor that was perfect for him, and Eden Lilly (10416 82 Avenue), which carries a line of locally-designed cards that were too cheeky not to photographically commemorate.

Coke visor!

 

Double take? (Cards by Brulak Design Studio, available in 11 locations in Edmonton)

On our way back north, we noticed that the High Level Bridge waterfall was on as it had been earlier in the day (yesterday was also the Sourdough River Festival – it amazes me how many events took place on one day). We scrambled to park the car so we could take pictures (and a video!).

Beautiful

By late afternoon, we had built up quite the appetite. Thankfully, we had tickets to Edmonton’s Countryside Taste of Summer event.

Food Notes

  • The second of my FoodTV posts went live on the website today. I wrote it way back in May, just after Sobeys Urban Fresh opened. After I had some more time to think about the store, I drafted this post, which more accurately captures my feeling about the “urban fresh” concept.
  • Original Fare’s ForkFest started this week! To my surprise, the website has already uploaded most of the participants’ set menus. Though there will always be people wanting to eat out in restaurants, I do wonder why they decided to run their feature event so close (and next week, overlapping) with Taste of Edmonton and Capital Ex.
  • I don’t go to breakfast buffets often, just because I find I can’t eat that much first thing in the morning, but if you can, perhaps the Sunday Brunch at the River Cree Resort, as reviewed by Richard Helm, is worth checking out.
  • “Splash plugs”, which I mentioned back in April, have arrived at Starbucks locations in Edmonton (or at least, the 109th Street/Jasper Ave location). What a waste.
  • Congratulations to Bob Blumer of Food Network’s Glutton for Punishment who broke the Guinness World Record for most pancakes made in an hour in Calgary last Thursday. He made 559 pancakes in total, all of equal diameter and thickness without any burnt edges. The episode capturing his victory will air some time next spring.
  • I can’t wait to try this so-called “perfect” chocolate chip cookie recipe, cobbled together from the wisdom of many experts in the field.
  • Also from the New York Times, a story about an innovative program for juvenile delinquents to gain employable skills by refurbishing old diners. The community liaison likens the program to be the “Home Depot of the correctional system.” Hee.
  • Lastly, an update on our President’s Choice chip-off: the Buffalo Wings and Blue Cheese flavour taste like exactly that – spicy, with a blue cheese kick. My favourite (and Mack’s) ended up being General Tao Chicken.

The Cooking Chronicles: Cinnamon Sticky Biscuits

I originally saw Julie van Rosendaal’s recipe for Cinnamon Sticky Biscuits in a print magazine, but lucky enough, it was also available on her blog, Dinner with Julie (it was profiled in the Journal a few months ago). I felt like a sweet dessert on Friday, and it seemed like a good recipe to try on a cool summer evening.

Except for lining the pan with parchment, and attempting (and failing) to roll out the dough with a rolling pin instead of patting it into a rectangle, I followed all of the directions as listed. Twenty minutes later, the oven yielded a bubbling pan of golden cinnamon buns.

I was expecting a biscuit-like consistency from the buns, but it actually tasted more like a cross between a biscuit and a regular bread-dough cinnamon bun, meaning that it took some getting used to. I wasn’t a huge fan of the sticky brown sugar, honey, and butter topping – it hardened quite quickly into a crunchy, chewy candy-like confection that didn’t go well with the softer texture of the biscuits.

This would be a great go-to recipe to pull out for an afternoon tea, rainy-day activity with the kids (they can help mix the dough or help top the rolled-out dough), or when you’re looking for a quick after-dinner treat.

Cinnamon Sticky Biscuits