Office Party at Sutton Place

As per tradition, my colleagues and I gathered at the Sutton Place Hotel downtown for our annual Christmas party.

I remember having fond memories of last year’s luncheon, but that was likely because I didn’t have a hand in it and was allowed to simply enjoy the experience. This year, I volunteered to be on the planning committee, as I thought it would provide me with an opportunity to take a break from day-to-day work life. As it turned out, due to many seemingly last-minute adjustments, the party planning took on a life of its own.

The majority of my stress was associated with the holiday game my workmate Meghan and I were in charge of creating. A hybrid of Jeopardy and Cranium (Jeonium?), we did our best to escape the points model by awarding pieces of a puzzle instead. Thus, “Operation Rudolph” was born, with two groups of winners chosen – the team who could first obtain all twenty pieces, and the team who could most quickly put the puzzle together. While the competition was fierce, it seemed everyone ultimately enjoyed themselves, and our efforts were appreciated.

As for the buffet – the price per head increased to $28.50, but it was still well worth it. The roast beef in particular was very good this year, as was the salmon drenched in saffron butter sauce.

While I am relieved that the party (and the planning) is over, I am sure that in hindsight, I will appreciate the experience as a whole.

My first and only plate

One of the completed Rudolph puzzles

The Cooking Chronicles: Barbecue Duck Salad Rolls

Cooking for potlucks to be held at work always pose a bit of a challenge. Without access to an oven, and the added fun of transporting a dish across town on public transportation, I’ve found that a well thought out choice necessary. Up this time: Barbecue Duck Salad Rolls.

Things I learned:

  • I cannot julienne carrots.
  • Duck is a really, really fatty meat.
  • Softening rice papers works best in super-hot (near boiling) water.
  • Soy paste is a decent substitute for hoisin sauce.

I grossly underestimated the amount of time it would take me to assemble the rolls. If my Mum hadn’t helped me prepare the vegetables and vermicelli beforehand, I would have ended up listening to The Bounce‘s high rotation list a third time.

I kept a wet paper towel over the rolls overnight, and to my surprise, they didn’t crack much by lunch time this afternoon. Most of my coworkers liked the dish (I was down to one by the end!), with one even commenting about the very “refreshing” citrus burst of flavor as provided by the lime juice. I myself liked the inclusion of fresh cilantro – this would be a great appetizer for a summer patio party.

Barbecue Duck Salad Rolls

Food Notes

  • Caffe Sorrentino is now open in Edmonton City Centre. It’s definitely a more open space than the previous Polka Cafe, and I’m sure it’ll be bustling with business every lunch hour.
  • A second T & T Supermarket is coming to town! Dickson said a sign is now up in front of the space in Northgate Mall left vacant by Save on Foods. If Calgary can sustain two of these giant Asian grocery stores, I think we in Edmonton can as well.
  • Sutton Place Hotel‘s annual Christmas buffet will be offered starting next week. I’m not sure how many seats are left, but take a look at the extensive menu, and decide for yourself if it’s worth fighting for.
  • It appears the restaurants of Original Fare will be the the first Canadian group to join the PowerCard Rewards program. Somewhat similar to the points-accumulation system of Open Table, dollars spent at individual merchants are converted into rewards points that can be redeemed for cash. No indication of what “coming soon” actually translates to, date wise.
  • Christopher Thrall, one of the food writers for Vue Weekly (and contributor to Edmonton Dining), started a new column in this week’s issue which answers reader questions about restaurant suggestions. Good idea.
  • Nestle’s coffee machine, aptly named Nespresso, is trying to break into the U.S. market. They just recently opened a second specialty cafe in New York, but the article points out that Americans have a different view of coffee than Europeans – many consider it an “experience” that really cannot be duplicated at home. If I happen to pass by Bloomingdale’s, perhaps I’ll check it out.

Roxy Theatre Performance Series: “BitchSlap!”

After reading numerous interviews with the stars of BitchSlap!, I was more excited than ever to see the show. So on Saturday night, Dickson and I joined a near full house at the Roxy Theatre for a remount of the 2005 Fringe hit. From the website:

“Joan Crawford (The Movie Star) and Bette Davis (The Actress): the ultimate Screen Goddesses. Too bad they hated each other so much! In this real-life showbiz feud, Crawford and Davis battle royally (like Queens) over roles, top billing, Oscars and MEN.”

Reading the brief history of the women as told in the program before the show began really helped anchor the story for me, but I’m certain I would have understood even more of the references if I was actually familiar with the actresses and their work (I kept wondering whether Davis actually spoke with such punctuated silences, or if Crawford was so appreciative of her fans). Still, a lack of prior background knowledge didn’t infringe on a general enjoyment of the play, as there were enough puns and zingers (Trevor Schmidt, as Davis, got to deliver most of them, “[Crawford]’s slept with every man at MGM except Lassie” or “You can lead a whore to culture but cannot teach them to think”) among other comedic funniness to keep me entertained.

The acting was first rate – there was an undeniable chemistry between Schmidt and Darrin Hagen (as Crawford), but more than that, the two actors seemed to be having the time of their lives sparring and one-upping the other. Their scenes together were undoubtedly the most enjoyable. Even though the Whatever Happened to Baby Jane filming sequences felt a bit long, they provided some of the best moments of the play – Crawford’s deliberate hunch while wheelchair bound, and Davis’s building fury in a climactic confrontation between their screen characters.

The closing dialogue tracing the death of both stars’ careers (appropriately delivered by the reporter, Hedda Hopper, played by the always reliable Davina Stewart) was ultimately melancholic in tone, but necessary. No matter how popular or respected they were, in the end, it didn’t matter – as female entertainers, they were treated as disposable commodities – easily replaced once past their prime by the next new up and comer.

Despite the good acting, the laughs, and the story of a feud between two legends of the silver screen, there was something missing from BitchSlap! I have no doubt why it was a hit during the Fringe, but as a full-length, theatre season play, I was expecting more.

“The Hills” are still alive

Before the third season of The Hills began, it seemed that this would indeed be the final season. Lauren’s clothing line launched a few months ago, and she vehemently claimed that her reality series was merely a stepping stone to her fashion career.

But as the finale approached, no one ever referred to the episode as a “series” finale. Today, we found out why – In Touch announced that The Hills has been renewed for a fourth season! As for Lauren’s coy quote, “I have some friends [on the show], some friends off,” we’ll have to see if The After Show‘s reported rumors are true – that Whitney will be replaced by Spencer’s sister, Stephanie Pratt as a “character”.

Other news from Hollywood:

  • Good timing: Kiefer Sutherland’s 48 day jail sentence for drunk driving couldn’t have begun at a better time. As the Writer’s Guild of America strike continues, filming for 24 has already ceased for several weeks. Smarten up, Kiefer. We may lovingly refer to you as a “man child”, but we certainly don’t expect you to act like one.
  • Eeee! The first teaser trailer for the upcoming Sex & the City movie was released today!

2008 Fringe: The Big Kahuna

As reported in Tuesday’s Edmonton Journal, the annual theatre festival is going without the word “Fringe” in their name. The 2008 theme is “The Big Kahuna”, and will legitimize, at least for two weeks next summer, shopping in one of the many surfing-label clothing shops, which continue to curiously proliferate in this landlocked city (Hollister, Quicksilver, etc.).

In her article, Liz Nicholls hints at Festival Director Julian Mayne’s desire to signify a change. But with last year’s stalwart camps of those against the new ticketing system and those more willing to embrace change, it seems Mayne will be bending a little to tradition, as dependent on financing, “all sales are happening at the door,” with the assistance of computer technology at each venue.

The complete list of production companies selected through the lottery system has yet to be uploaded onto the official Fringe website, but after it is, I will be eagerly combing through it to check if any of my recognizable favorites made the cut.

Random Notes

  • The Silk Hat is not dead! (Though it will be minus a few antique jukeboxes.)
  • I watched the Holiday Dessert special of Iron Chef America this weekend. Though there are dissenting opinions on this episode, I loved it! For once, the competitors (Cat Cora/Paula Deen vs. Robert Irvine/Tyler Florence) were less than serious, and had fun goading each other on.
  • TiVo is coming to Canada. I’d love to get a PVR of some kind; it would be much more convenient than asking my computer-savvy friends to download missed television episodes for me.
  • Clever gifts: a foot in the door, for those who like to throw money around, and an amazing two-in-one cake stand and punch bowl for the host/ess in your family.
  • The Broadway strike is over, thankfully, meaning we’ll actually be able to use our tickets to Wicked. That said, I’m now so tempted to buy tickets for The Farnsworth Invention, a new stage play by Mr. West Wing himself, Aaron Sorkin.
  • Have you heard Emma Clarke’s spoofs of the London Underground announcements? She’s widely known as the “voice” behind most lines of the Tube, and besides having a reassuring delivery, she has a sense of humor too. Example: “Would passengers filling in answers on the Sudokus please accept that they’re just crosswords for the unimaginative and are not in any way more impressive just because they contain numbers.” I hope she’s reinstated after being fired for what she claims is a misunderstanding of her comments about traveling on the Tube.
  • I got a new phone last week – the LG Shine. It’s sleek, but wider and heavier than my previous LG, and the battery life leaves much to be desired. While I’m still getting used to the differences, I don’t like the placement of the CLR button above SEND. It’s a mis-key waiting to happen.

Christmas in Edmonton

I’m sure everyone has more than enough to keep themselves occupied during the holidays, but in case you wanted to escape the mall madness, or similarly harrowing family situations, here are a few ideas.

A Surprisingly Good Brunch: Moxie’s

After discovering that a chain like Milestone’s could serve a pretty mean brunch, I went hunting for similar restaurants competing for diners on weekend afternoons. While Earls and Joey’s didn’t offer separate brunch menus, I found that Moxie’s did. So after a brief shopping trip this morning, Annie and I headed to Moxie’s on the south side (4790 Calgary Trail NW), hoping their non-reservation policy wouldn’t result in a lengthy wait.

Turns out we didn’t need to worry, as there were more than enough seats to accommodate us in the dining room. The menu was not extensive, with just nine breakfast selections (and their regular lunch features), but I actually preferred it this way – it usually meant faster kitchen prep. I was momentarily swayed by the French Toast, but ultimately decided on the Bacon & Cheddar Omelette ($10.99) – smoky bacon, sauteed onion, aged white and Canadian cheddars in a three egg omelette served with rosti potatoes and twelve-grain toast. Annie chose the more interesting Crab Cake Benedict ($12.99) – Moxie’s classic crab cakes, two poached eggs and hollandaise, with rosti potatoes and fresh fruit.

Plied with coffee, we would have waited patiently for our dishes, but in no time, our plates arrived. My omelette was huge, and I am happy to report that they did not scrimp on the cheese. They could have included more bacon (what meat that was folded in was overpowered by cheesy goodness), but that was a minor nitpick. Between the toast and crab cakes, Annie found her dish unfortunately dry, and would have liked more hollandaise sauce.

With great service throughout (our waitress constantly offered to top up our coffees) and a decent brunch menu, I would consider coming back.

Bacon & Cheddar Omelette

Crab Cake Benedict

Festival of Trees 2007

After attending the Festival of Trees in 2006, and finding it nice but not worth returning to, I was surprised that I found myself looking forward to it this year. May and I made a date to tour the decorated halls, and headed there after supper on Friday.

May smiles by the hall entrance

Beautiful welcome display

Like last year, there were a lot of kids, trees, and lights. While the trees are undoubtedly pretty, after a while, they all start to look the same. It’s an unfortunate result of proximity and quantity – alone in a home, the individual trees would be unquestionably stunning and festive, but together, all but the really unusual or unique stand out. There seemed to be several “streams” of trees – those that used flowers, those that used fruit, and those that embraced stuffed animals as accents. My favorite on the floor was the “Good Words for Africa” tree, that hung ornaments of words made using Scrabble tiles, in addition to photos of families and children.

Mirrored table setting

Arctic display

Hockey tree (note the plastic Stanley Cup on top!)

Snowman tree

Polar bear tree

Orange tree

Flower tree

“Good Words for Africa” tree

The festival’s Gingerbread Village actually took us thirty minutes to get through – half of that spent waiting in line to view the handmade creations. The “houses” were much more creative this year, I found, with a number of memorable submissions. Many cartoon and fictional characters (including Shrek, Calvin & Hobbes and Charlotte’s Web) were represented, but my vote went to the detailed “Santa’s Western Wonderland”, featuring Mrs. Clause as a vocal performer with Santa taking a bath upstairs.

“Calvin and Hobbes: Snowman House of Horror” – too cute.

Charlotte’s Web farm

Closeup of “Some Pig”

“Santa’s Western Wonderland” front

Back (amazing, isn’t it?)

With jazz wafting in the background (provided by the Grant MacEwan Arts Outreach band), it was a lovely way to spend a pre-holiday evening. Perhaps this will become a yearly tradition after all (the rest of my pictures are available to view on Flickr).