A Warm Welcome: Cafe Amore

Quite a few different sources had been pointing us to Cafe Amore over the last few months – friends, associates, the blogosphere – it seemed everyone was raving about this small Italian eatery’s food and atmosphere. We finally gave it a try ourselves recently, to celebrate Mack’s birthday.

The trickiest thing about Cafe Amore is that reservations aren’t permitted for groups smaller than 6. When I called to confirm this, I also asked about the best time to avoid a long wait, but unfortunately, staff couldn’t commit to any particular time or day. So we took our chances on a Friday after work.

Cafe Amore is a small space to be sure – it resembled more of a small neighbourhood pub than a restaurant. The room was anchored by an 80s style wooden bar (with a glaringly fluorescent soda cooler), with several flat screen televisions adorning the walls. A handful of tables occupied the adjacent space, though as Mack noted, many of them looked to be comfortable four tops to which several more chairs had been added.

Because of the tight space, there wasn’t much room for a lobby. Later on, as more people piled in for the dinner rush, this became more apparent given we felt like the waiting parties were watching us eat. When we entered, there wasn’t a sign directing us to wait, so we weren’t sure if we were to hunt for a space ourselves. After a few minutes, a gregarious staff member greeted us, and told us he could squeeze us in at the bar (and eventually were fortunate enough to be moved to a table; the next couple who walked in wasn’t so lucky, and had to wait about 45 minutes).

As soon as he found out it was our first time at the restaurant, he shook our hands and introduced himself. Mack remarked later that although we weren’t impressed with the initial welcome or the close quarters, these misgivings were negated by the effort staff made to personally connect with diners (later, the patriarch of the restaurant not only made the rounds to check how our meal was going, but also thanked us on our way out).

Happy birthday, Mack!

We were told how the menu worked (no paper menus, just the chalkboard equivalent) – entree options included seven different pastas (with the pasta falling on that particular day offered at a discounted rate), prawns, and several specials. Appetizers changed on an almost daily basis. I settled on one of the pasta dishes ($14, plus $3 for chicken), while Mack opted for the crowning special of pasta pescatore ($25).

Though the server had promised our food would be delivered promptly, the swiftness exceeded both of expectations. The portion sizes also blew our minds – each of our plates could have easily fed two people. My sambucca rose was nothing special, though I enjoyed the slight sweetness of the sauce. In hindsight, I would have added the rapini ($4) for a bit of texture.

Sambucca rose

Mack’s pescatore, however, was the crown jewel at our table. Linguine and a generous amount of king crab, baby clams, mussels, jumbo prawns and baby shrimp had been tossed with a white wine sauce. Light and fresh, with perfectly prepared seafood, Mack could not be happier with his birthday dinner.

Pasta pescatore

Though we did enjoy our food, our dinner really highlighted for us an instance where service can really make a meal. While we will be returning in the future, the lure of Cafe Amore is its staff, and their ability to make you feel welcomed and appreciated.

Before we left, we were told that the owners are hunting for a second location. Given the Delton storefront is bursting at the seams, this couldn’t come at a better time. But with the expansion, we do hope that they can maintain their personal touch, which sets Cafe Amore apart from other restaurants.

Cafe Amore
12118 90 Street
(780) 477-7896
Sunday 12-6pm, Monday-Saturday 11am-12am

Star Wars Identities at the Telus World of Science

Mack made it easy on me to plan his birthday outing this year – he’d said from the beginning that all he wanted to do was check out the Star Wars Identities exhibit at the Telus World of Science. We’re both fans of the films, and had heard that there were quite a number of props and costumes worth seeing.

The bikini heard ’round the world

What we didn’t know too much about was the “identities” portion of the exhibit. We knew we’d come out with some sort of character, but weren’t sure how this would happen. Turns out, it was quite seamless, and well-integrated with the displays.

We chose to head to TWoS early last Saturday afternoon, probably a mistake in hindsight. Parking was a nightmare, and the facility itself was quite busy (though not as busy as later that day; rule of thumb: the earlier, the better!). We had to queue up for at least twenty minutes before we were permitted inside the exhibit, located in the newest wing of the building. While waiting, we were given a rubber bracelet and an audio set.

The bracelet enabled us to create our character by choosing from different options at ten stations located throughout the displays. From mentors and personality to values, we would help define our Star Wars self. The creators also made sure the selections were placed at a height accessible to young children – everything proved to be deliberate and well thought-out.

Make your choice, padawan

The audio sets worked within certain ranges of displays or video screens, helping to keep the noise level to a minimum. Mack and I wondered why more galleries haven’t adopted systems like this – I have to say I much prefer listening to a narrative clip to reading a placard.

As expected, the costumes, models and sketches on display would make any Star Wars fan excited. I particularly loved seeing several of Padme’s costumes, while Mack jumped at the chance to pose with Darth Vader.

Gorgeous costumes

Darth Vader

Anakin’s podracer!

Millenium Falcon model

Han in carbonite

The highlight for me was actually watching the brief videos detailing how the two Skywalker men, Anakin and Luke, could veer off into such different paths in spite of their similar roots and trajectories. I guess I never really thought about their characters in such an in-depth way, especially about how the their parenting influenced each of them so profoundly.

Watching one of the videos

The last identity option participants could choose from was whether or not to accept The Emperor’s offer to join the dark side. Mack chose to succumb, while I held out.

The final part of the exhibit allowed us to project our character onto a screen, and e-mail the character to ourselves for online sharing.

Our Star Wars selves!

Before heading out, we checked out the newly renovated environment gallery. The spherical projection screen was pretty cool, and the aquariums added some visual appeal. But as a whole, I was disappointed at the amount of text screens versus hands on displays. It doesn’t help that we were exposed to Calgary’s Spark last year, which features a wonderfully interactive environment gallery.

Spherical projection screen

Too many words!

If you’re a Star Wars fan (or even just a fan of filmmaking in general), make sure you head to the Telus World of Science before the Identities exhibit closes April 1, 2013.

The Cooking Chronicles: Everyday Dinners

Though we’ve been eating some rather elaborate meals, as is typical for the holidays, not every day during the season sees such extravagance. Most evenings for us have seen more low-key dishes. And though I’m sad at having to bid adieu to my favourite time of year, it will be nice to return to some semblance of routine again. Here are a few of the recipes we tried more recently.

Mulligatawny Soup

This mulligatawny soup from Spilling the Beans was not your typical chicken soup. Chickpeas, coconut milk, and a tart apple helped distinguish this from other recipes, and with the help of a deli chicken and boxed stock (we skipped the first step), made it quick to pull together.

Mulligatawny soup

The creaminess reminded me of a chicken and wild rice soup I’ve made in the past, but without the heaviness lent by cream (and instead, added a bit of sweetness). We left the apples too crisp for our liking, but for lunch the next day, they had absorbed more of the broth and blended in with the soup much better. Another one pot dinner for the win!

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are not something I grew up with, and actually, I only had a vague idea of what it was. Turns out, at its core, it is simply a mixture of ground beef simmered in a tomato sauce, served over toasted buns. Mack was craving this over the holidays, so dug up a Rachael Ray recipe to make for dinner one night, garnished with some cheddar.

Sloppy Joes

This recipe was much too sweet for my taste, and between the ripe Doef’s tomatoes and bell pepper, I think the brown sugar could have been significantly reduced.

As a whole, the dish left me thinking about another recipe with a similar name, the New “New Joe’s Special”, which also uses ground beef as a base for a mixture to be consumed over toast, but has so much more inherent flavour. I think that will be the dish I turn to the next time this craving hits.

Culinary Highlights: 2012 Edition

Though I didn’t necessarily travel far from Edmonton this year (remaining on the North American continent), many of my food memories from 2012 revolved around the trips I took. I was fortunate enough to visit Toronto twice, spent over a week in the Okanagan, and in the fall, explored the food and hipster mecca of Portland (which, of course, I have yet to blog about).

The mac and cheese at Bannock, one of my favourite spots in Toronto

Amanda at the Toronto Underground Market

It was absolutely beautiful by the lake at Quail’s Gate in Kelowna

The farmers’ market at Portland State University was unreal

The best salami I’ve ever had, courtesy of Olympic Provisions in Portland

The YouCanHasCheeseburger (two grilled cheese sandwiches in place of a regular bun) from Brunch Box in Portland was worth every calorie

I also had many memorable meals closer to home, including an incredible multi-course dinner at the Slow Food Canada gala in May, a Canada Day crab boil, a farm to table feast like we’ve never experienced, multiple meals at our favourite new restaurant, Three Boars, and innumerable bowls of beef noodle soup at Pho Tau Bay.

My favourite dish at the Slow Food gala: a celebration of grains and pulses with the most delectable pea puree

The spread at an indulgent Canada Day crab boil

R GE RD 135 farm dinner at Nature’s Green Acres

They may be better known for their creative uses of lesser cuts of meat, but Three Boars’ simple dessert of lemon curd, blueberry compote and granola was one of the best desserts I ate this year

I’m pretty sure I consumed more pho than anything else in 2012

Mack and I were also very lucky to work with some amazing partners on several food events we helped organize, including two pop-up dinners, a food conference and more than ten What the Truck?! events.

We had a blast organizing Blink: Pedway Pop-Up with the Century Hospitality Group, which took place in February in the pedway between Scotia and Commerce Place

Similarly, we loved working with Drift to pull off Pedway: Urban Picnic at Louise McKinney Park in August (photo by Hugh Lee)

Eat Alberta 2.0 doubled in size, and took place inside the kitchens of NAIT

After a series of successful Truck Stops in Old Strathcona, we hosted our first ever Throwdown Edition in August, featuring pulled pork

We ended the What the Truck?! season with our biggest event ever, colonizing Churchill Square in September

Here’s to another year of good food!

After ringing the opening bell at the City Market

Epicureous in Edmonton: 2012 in Review

I wish we could say 2012 was the year City Council declared that having access to locally-grown food was important enough to protect, but alas, that was not the case. In November, Council voted to accept the toothless, vague Fresh, the Food and Agriculture Strategy that certainly did not live up to its name. By doing so, although some good was accomplished (including a directive to set up an Edmonton Food Council), Fresh did not make preserving the city’s peripheral agricultural land a priority.

Farm stand at Riverbend Gardens

This was in spite of the fact that the appetite and interest in local food continues to grow. The 124 Street Grand Market was a huge hit, while the number of restaurants and vendors highlighting area producers, like Three Boars and Drift, are gaining huge followings.

Here are some other notable food happenings in 2012:

It was a big year for local establishments on the small screen, when Food Network rolled into town. You Gotta Eat Here profiled Tres Carnales, Highlands Kitchen and The Sugarbowl, while Eat St. shot features on Drift, Molly’s Eats and The Act Out & About.
It was great to be a chocoholic in Edmonton: this year saw Jacek and Cococo Chocolatiers open boutiques, we saw the rebirth of Kerstin’s Chocolates, and the debut of two small-batch lines of chocolate, The Violet Chocolate Company and The Jones Chocolate Company.
I have to wonder if 2012 saw the ramifications of Corso 32’s runaway success, with a seeming renaissance of Italian eateries. Cafe Amore may have opened in the fall of 2011, but it was one of the most talked about restaurants this year. Cibo Bistro gained a following of its own since it entered the scene in late 2011. Most recently, St. Albert-based Nello’s added a second location in Edmonton with Antonil’s, and the Italian Centre added Massimo’s Cucina Italiana to its holdings. The Century Hospitality Group also jumped in the fray with the announcement of its forthcoming Parlour Italian Kitchen & Bar.
124 Street became a district of dining destinations with many notable openings this year, including a second location of The Bothy, The Makk on 124, Canteen, and the announcement of Rge Rd, coming in spring 2013.
Nineteen, Chef Andrew Fung’s upscale addition to the city’s outer ring, has perhaps ushered in an era where fine dining and suburbia are not mutually exclusive.
The success of Sloppy Hogs Roed Hus and Smokehouse BBQ (the tragedy of the fire at their Edmonton location notwithstanding) speaks to the local appetite for southern barbecue.
Frozen yogurt seemed poised to take over the city, with the touchdown of Pinkberry at last, and the expansion of Tutti Frutti to both WEM and Southgate.
It wasn’t all positive though: we lost two local favourites this year – Highlands Kitchen shuttered in the fall, while The Blue Pear announced their last meal would be served in December.
With the transformation of The Bank to Public House and Iron Horse to MKT, it was a signal that pubs were deemed to be more versatile and lucrative than nightclubs. We’ve still yet to see a true gastropub land in Edmonton though.
Along the same lines, beer markets are on the rise, with the opening of MKT and The Underground Tap and Grill this year, and Craft Beer Market in 2013.

We can only guess what 2013 will bring – looking forward to it!

You can take a look at my previous year in review posts here.

Food Notes for December 31, 2012

I hope you all had a restful Christmas, and are all geared up for the New Year. Isn’t it crazy how time flies? At least the weather is co-operating for our transition into 2013. May it be a good year for you! On to this week’s food notes:

Mark your calendars: Fork Fest will be taking place January 20-24 and 27-31, 2013.
Century Hospitality Group has announced their next venture, The Parlour Italian Kitchen & Bar, to open in Spring 2013 at 10334 108 Street.
The Journal featured a roundup of their writers’ favourite meals in 2012. Cafe Amore was a prominent pick.
Huffington Post crowd-sourced their “Best New Restaurants in Canada 2012” list by looking at peer-review sites like UrbanSpoon, Chowhound and Yelp and also local bloggers and newspapers. Congrats to local restaurants Three Boars and Sloppy Hogs who made the list!
Vue Weekly has a great snapshot of local bakers in the city in their own words – how it all began, their approach to baking, and trends for the next year.
Liv shared what she hopes won’t be on the menu, food-wise, for 2013.
Huffington Post wrote about 20 food and health trends they expect to see in 2013.
I was remiss in not linking to the NYT/Pete Wells epic takedown of Guy Fieri’s Times Square restaurant, Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar, earlier. Given people are still talking about, seems its better late than never.
Massimo’s Cucina Italiana, the Italian Centre’s venture into the restaurant world, opened in December. It is located next to the south side Italian Centre, at 5012 104A Street.

Massimo’s Cucina Italiana

Working between Christmas and New Year’s, I resolved to reward myself a bit by not packing brown bag lunches. Instead, I used it as an excuse to warm up with pho.

Pho from Mama Pizza/Pho Huang

A Refined Retreat: The Makk on 124

The 124 Street area in Edmonton is one to watch, given the number of exciting restaurant happenings over the past three months, something that will continue into the new year. The Makk on 124, Chef Simin’s first solo offering, opened in November, injecting life back into the space vacated by D’Lish. Canteen, lovingly known as Red Ox Inn’s “little sister”, opened in mid-December. And of course, the biggest news of all – Chef Blair Lebsack’s Rge Rd is set to open in the spring of 2013 in place of The Blue Pear.

Last week, May and I decided to meet up at The Makk for a pre-Christmas dinner. Neither of us had been to the restaurant yet, so I wasn’t able to gauge how busy it might be, and made a reservation just to be safe. It turned out to be a rather quiet evening, with just a few other tables by the end of our visit, which ended up being a blessing, given the last-minute shopping frenzy I had participated in that morning.

A post-Christmas shopping cocktail

The interior remains similar to D’Lish, with the eye-catching tiled bar anchoring the space, but the palette has changed to a rich grey and red. The room has a very sophisticated feel, suitable for a drink with the girls or date night.

Interior

We perused the menu, which included the selections available at lunch. Many of the daytime items caught my eye (warm tomato tartlet, beef cheek), which I wished were available on the dinner menu. May and I ended up ordering the smoked duck breast ($29) and lamb loin ($30) to share.

I have to commend Chef Simin on his excellent memory. Before our meal he came out of the kitchen to say he remembered cooking for my family two years ago when we had dined at ZINC to celebrate my parents’ anniversary. He had said he was busy in the kitchen, otherwise, would have offered well wishes personally. Particularly because I had never met Chef Simin in person, I was astounded that he remembered our meal!

The duck was our favourite of the two plates. The fat had been rendered out, and though the skin wasn’t crisp, the meat was cooked to a perfect medium, retaining much of its moisture. We also enjoyed the sweet cassis jus.

Smoked duck breast

Although the lamb had been prepared to its promised medium rare, both May and I weren’t fans of its thyme bread casing – the crunchy texture distracted from the lamb, if anything.

Lamb loin

What most impressed us about both dishes were the sides. Instead of the standard mashed potato and roasted vegetables, we found variations on these preparations that rivalled the proteins on the plates. The macaire potatoes served alongside the duck were tasty potato cakes, while the gnocchi accompaniment to the lamb were light and fluffy. Similarly, the ratatouille was a burst of summer next to the lamb, while the braised red cabbage underneath the duck made me rethink a dish I’ve typically avoided – this version was sweet and almost melted away on my tongue.

We were pretty content with our meal (knowing the Christmas indulgence to come), but Chef Simin wanted to end our experience on a sweet note, and generously provided us with a sampling of dessert. I was glad he did, because otherwise, we would have left without trying the chocolate flourless cake. Served with a red coulis and sorbet, it was even more rich and dense than we expected. Packed with chocolate flavour, it was a memorable way to finish the evening.

Chocolate flourless cake

Service was attentive but friendly, professional without being too formal. As a result, I’d feel comfortable returning to The Makk again for dinner, lunch, or brunch. It’s a great addition to the burgeoning neighbourhood, and a welcome one to Edmonton’s food scene overall.

The Makk
10418 124 Street
(780) 705-3710

An Afternoon of Nibbles and Sweets: Cally’s Teas

Cally’s Teas is Grandma Male’s favourite place to purchase tea in the city, but since moving to their expanded digs on Whyte Avenue, they have been able to sell much more than just tea. With a kitchen, Cally’s is now equipped to sell baked goods, and even better, offer a full lunch service, including the option of high tea! Mack, Thom and I took Grandma Male to Cally’s just before Christmas to give their expanded menu a try.

Ready for high tea!

The shop itself is charming, shelves brimming with lovely handmade gifts (we spotted Veekee Workshop’s tea towels, for instance), and of course, their show stopping wall of teas. The dining area takes its place at the rear of the shop, anchored by a counter that resembled a wet bar for tea. Because there isn’t a distinct break between the shop and the dining space, we weren’t sure if it would be a bit awkward holding a conversation while those around us browsed for last-minute Christmas gifts, but it turned out we needn’t have worried. With seating comprised of mismatched vintage furniture, it felt a bit like we were having lunch in a friend’s warm and funky kitchen.

Tea bar

I will say that it was a bit odd that we weren’t actually given a menu to peruse after we were seated, but instead were asked as we were removing our winter gear which of the two afternoon tea options we wanted to choose. Given this was our first time, we would have appreciated some time to acquaint ourselves with the menu, but perhaps the staff were just cognizant of time and wanted to ensure the kitchen was prepared to expedite our order. Based on the recommendation of the server, we opted for the $25/person high tea option, which added a savoury quiche or bread pudding to round out the small bites and scones offered through the $20/person afternoon tea. Though we did enjoy our experience, it is worth noting that we did think it was a bit on the pricey side, given our bill registered over $100.

We started off the meal by each choosing a tea from the aforementioned tea wall. A server was available to provide guidance, helpful given the overwhelming number of choices. Grandma Male decided on Formosa oolong, while I stuck with a traditional earl grey, and Mack and Thom shared a pot of seasonal egg nog tea.

Perusing the “Great Wall of Tea”

As expected, the china at Cally’s is absolutely beautiful, radiant pieces almost too pretty to use. The tiered servers were dainty but functional, a sturdy handle at the top more than capable of supporting the buttery heft at each level.

My gorgeous and festive tea cup

As we nibbled our way through the food, we were reminded of how social high tea is, because of the sharing (and passing) of communal trays of small bites.

The homemade crackers with goat cheese were a hit around the table, the mild spread melding nicely with its buttery base. Mack and I aren’t usual fans of cucumber sandwiches, but Cally’s version featured the inclusion of fragrant lemon zest, which added a zip of freshness to the tea staple. The quiche was meant to be a savoury item, but it could have almost passed for dessert – the onions had been caramelized into submission, while the tomato added another layer of sweetness. The pastry was also very well prepared, crispy and flaky.

Savoury bites

Without a doubt, the scones were the standout. Oh so buttery and slightly sweet, they were consumed as a dessert, served with jam and whipped cream. We were all plum full by this time, but didn’t let the last few bites of scone go to waste. Mack and I agreed that we would be back for these. The dessert tray also featured some tea-studded shortbread cookies. We packed them up for later, and enjoyed them at home. The tea aroma was noticeable on the nose, but less so on the palate.

Sweet bites

Service throughout our meal was quite attentive, though we probably interacted with four different staff/servers that afternoon. In that way it felt a little less formal than high tea services at other establishments in Edmonton, which suited us just fine.

If you’re looking for a different kind of lunch experience, or, just feel like nibbling your way through an afternoon, I’d highly recommend high tea at Cally’s!

Cally’s Teas
10151 Whyte Avenue
(780) 757-8944

Korean Cuisine in Chinatown: Won Jung Gak

When Won Jung Gak took over the storefront vacated by Basil Leaf in August at 10023 107 Avenue, it finally added a Korean option to the panoply of Asian restaurants in Chinatown. Up until then, to satisfy Korean cravings, diners had to head to the south side, where the vast majority of Korean establishments are located in the city. In addition, given Won Jung Gak has quite a popular following already from their industrial site at 9655 62 Avenue (they can count my Mum as a fan), it was great that they chose the area of central Edmonton for expansion. I met Jill there for lunch last week, ready to see if Won Jung Gak lived up to such expectations.

The restaurant was empty when I entered, though a handful of parties joined us by the end of our stay. I had to wonder if their location, just off of the beaten path of 101 Street, had anything to do with that. That said, it is a very pleasant place for lunch – with a large bank of windows, the flood of natural light made it a relaxing midday retreat. The new owners retained the periphery of wooden booths inherited from Basil Leaf, but they replaced the loose furniture with elaborately carved tables and chairs, adding some interesting visuals and intricacies to the space. Jill and I also noticed that each table had access to electronic service buzzers – instead of flagging down a server visually or verbally, diners could simply push a button to notify staff that their attention was needed at the table. This was the first time I had ever encountered such a system, though given the few tables occupied at the restaurant that afternoon, we didn’t need to use it.

Interior

The menu was huge, and on top of familiar (and unfamiliar) Korean dishes, also featured some Chinese items. Jill and I both ordered the dolsot bibimbap ($13.50), which we agreed was our “benchmark” dish – the one that could make or break our opinion of a Korean restaurant. To start, we also ordered steamed kimchi dumplings ($8.99), which intrigued us.

The spread

All of our food arrived simultaneously in a timely fashion, steaming hot. Unfortunately, the dishes were surprisingly bland. For advertising a kimchi filling, we couldn’t detect much heat, and instead, tasted more of the pork inside the dumplings.

Steamed kimchi dumplings

As for the dolsot bibimbap, the stone bowl did help the rice form the crunchy layer of rice the dish is known for, but in terms of flavour, it lacked any discernable pizzazz. Neither the pickled vegetables or seasoned meat stood out from the bed of rice – both Jill and I had to add flavour to our bowls with the supplied chili and vinegar condiments, something I’ve never had to do with bibimbap in my previous experiences.

Dolsot bibimbap

We didn’t have any complaints about service, but based on our benchmark dish, we both could think of several other Korean restaurants that we would likely return to over Won Jung Gak. That said, given the raves I have heard about its other location, I have to wonder if the kitchen was simply having an off day. With the lack of Korean options in this part of the city, I would like to give them another chance, and hope Korean cuisine is here to stay in Chinatown.

Won Jung Gak
10023 107 Avenue
(780) 705-9953
Lunch daily: 11am-3pm; Dinner: Sunday-Thursday 5-10pm, Friday-Saturday 5-11pm

The Cooking Chronicles: Sugar Cookies

I remember baking sugar cookies with my Mum when I was younger, my sisters and I delighted by the wide collection of cookie cutters she had assembled (as children, we gravitated towards animal shapes and spelling out our names using alphabet cut-outs). We’d lovingly sprinkle our cookies with coloured sugar, sometimes adding a dollop of icing, and that was that (well, besides consuming the saccharine treats).

Maybe it was my naiveté around how difficult it really was to pull the dough together, or perhaps techniques to ensure the “perfect” sugar cookie have been refined and are now better articulated, but a simple Google search resulted in a barrage of tips of what to do, what not to do, and a list of baking supplies that I would need for this procedure that I did not have. When did a simple sugar cookie become so complicated?

All of this came about in that scramble that always happens the last week before Christmas when I probably took on a little too much. On top of baking for family and a work function, I also wanted to show my appreciation to some of my colleagues with a homemade treat from the kitchen.

Sugar cookies

Mack wryly joked that these cookies were a multi-day project, and in fact, they were, but only because I realized in the end that I didn’t have the chops to follow through with my original plan (and didn’t have enough time to experiment and learn). I made this recipe for sugar cookies, and with a vision of icing and decorating them on the days following. What I didn’t know was that this would require three different types of icing – two consistencies of royal icing for the base (for piping and filling), and another for decorating. I tried my hand with this recipe for piping, but just couldn’t get the consistency right. And with time ticking down, I ended up with a simple frosting recipe not unlike the one I grew up with, and sprinkled the final product with what else? Coloured sugar.

Individually packaged

I know part of the lesson here is that I shouldn’t have assumed I could carry out an ambitious recipe on the eve of Christmas, without attempting anything similar in the months prior. But I think the even bigger lesson is not to mess with tradition, and as long as things are done from the heart, we are being true to the things that are really important this season.

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