“Homeless”

Mack and I saw the play Homeless put on at Alberta College on Monday night, an event sponsored by Grant MacEwan. The price of admission was donations of food or clothing, small offerings in exchange for the opportunity to watch a show that has struck a chord with audiences at the Fringe and Kaleido Festivals, among others.

Homeless is a deeply honest play, chronicling Jeremy Bauming’s journey as he struggled to understand those that do not have a place to call home. It was a journey that inspired him to take on a position at the George Spady Centre, an overnight shelter in Edmonton that focuses on harm reduction, and will, unlike other shelters, accept clients who are intoxicated or high.

In expressing his own history and experiences that led to his personal misunderstanding and fear of the homeless population, he shines a light on the greater societal prejudice that exists. At the Spady, Jeremy encountered many memorable clients, each with their own wrenching story of trauma, abuse and pain.

Bauming doesn’t try to neatly tie up loose ends with a happy ending – more befitting of the reality faced by the homeless, given the complexity of the challenges that may include mental health and addictions. That said, I felt more hopeful than helpless at the play’s conclusion, buoyed by the strength of the clients Jeremy described, people who are able to make it through another day in spite of unspeakable hardship. The audience was silent – the emotion was palpable, and there were more than a few tears in the audience.

Following the play was a panel discussion, featuring a few members in our community supporting those on the streets as well as those working towards ending homelessness. What stayed with me was a comment by Julian Daly, Executive Director of Boyle Street Community Services, who talked about the negative perceptions of homeless people, resulting in a push for segregation, a NIMBY-ism, their exclusion from public spaces: “There is a silent apartheid in Edmonton.”

Especially on days like today – think about our neighbours, and what it might be like not to have a warm home to return to at the end of the day.

Deep Freeze 2011

After writing off Saturday as a snow day, Mack and I put on our boots this afternoon, hopped on public transit, and headed to Alberta Avenue to take in the fourth annual Deep Freeze: A Byzantine Winter Festival.

Follow the path

It was our first time at the festival, as previous intentions to visit never panned out. After this experience, however, it’s safe to say it will easily become an event to look forward to every year.

There were so many things going on for kids and adults alike – both indoors and outside (great planning, given it was –20C with the windchill today). 118 Avenue was closed from 90 to 95 Street to accommodate festivities, which included many roaring warming fires, a street hockey tournament, outdoor performances and cabane a sucre (sugar house)!

Mummers theatre

On the Avenue

To partake in the Quebecois tradition, I bought a popsicle stick for $2, and waited for a volunteer to pour hot maple syrup onto the snow patted down in raised boxes. It was my first time at this, and pulling and wrapping the maple taffy around the stick in a uniform manner was more difficult than I expected (I’m pretty sure the two kids next to me did a better job). It was a sweet treat!

Pouring the syrup

C’mon taffy!

With my finished product

I was perhaps most excited to check out the mini Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market, set up inside the Old Cycle Building.

Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market

Though not all of the vendors were available for this special market, several of the regulars were on hand, including Shooting Star Ranch and The Chocolate Doctors. Johnson Family Farms, a new vendor to Alberta Avenue (they also sell at Salisbury), was also present. They sell eggs, chicken, turkey, pork and beef, and perhaps the most unique – farm fresh butter and cream.

Sharon Johnson of Johnson Family Farms

The Alberta Avenue market resumes its weekly Thursday schedule on January 13, 2011, with new hours: 5-8pm.

The rest of the space was filled with a variety of arts and crafts vendors – everything from photographs, to prints, to mittens made from old sweaters. I was charmed by the monster/city print designs of Whiteout Workshop, and picked up a cute pink coin purse as a result.

Arts market

Though there were a fair number of people outside (especially given the weather), it was busiest inside the Alberta Avenue Community Centre.

Alberta Avenue Community Centre

There was live music, courtesy of Allez Ouest & Friends, and French Canadian cuisine available from the kitchen. We opted to try their poutine ($6). It hit the spot, and yes, did feature squeaky cheese!

Allez Ouest & Friends

Poutine

Warmed, we wandered back outside through the Enchanted Forest (bravo to festival organizers for clear signage, by the way), we took in ice sculptures and olde tyme curling, among other things. There was also a hot dog/marshmallow roast available, family snow sculpture carving and outdoor ice skating with free skate rentals.

Mack’s favourite sculpture (check out those teeth!)

Curling

We finished our day with a wagon ride (I’m not sure what it is about horses and wagons, but I can’t help myself). We ended up sitting with Marianne and Charles, who were just beginning their visit to Deep Freeze!

Cold, but happy

Whee!

Deep Freeze was the first Winter Light event on the calendar – next up is Ice on Whyte, which runs January 13-23, 2011. See you there!

A Great Escape: Padmanadi

My officemates and I are very fortunate to work in Central McDougall, which grants us easy access to Somali, Eritrean, Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine and well, fast food, all within a few blocks of our door (and that doesn’t even include the assortment that is Chinatown!).

Sometimes though, what we crave in a restaurant isn’t necessarily the food, but the atmosphere. And there doesn’t seem to be a better office escape than Padmanadi.

Though I was first introduced to the vegetarian and vegan sensibilities of the restaurant at their original 97 Street location, I have to say I didn’t fall in love until I had a meal in the bright, calming interior of their new digs on 101 Street (it also happens to be a five minute walk away from our office).

I think the natural light helps, as do their neutral wall colours and appealingly modern furnishings (check out those funky chairs!). But perhaps what is most reassuring is how personal the room feels – the walls of taped snapshots of regular customers at the first location has been replaced by framed professional photographs. Even cooler, some of the regulars even have personalized, carved reservation placards! Padmanadi ultimately feels more like a community than a restaurant (similar in many ways to Elm Café and Duchess) – and there’s something wonderful about that feeling of being a part of something bigger than the physical walls.

The menu is a vegetarian one, leaning heavily on the use of soy and gluten-based meat substitutes (their brunch, Ellen tells me, is particularly good). Though I still mourn the termination of their lunch specials, Ellen and I decided to give their combo meals a try at lunch just before the Christmas break – a “dinner for two” priced at a very reasonable $32.

I thoroughly enjoyed the soup, a very tasty hot and sour. The texture was surprisingly thick (as in, if it had time to cool, it probably would have become an aspic), but it worked.

Hot and sour soup

The spring rolls were, as usual, pretty good, especially considering they only contained vermicelli and cabbage – no meat.

Spring rolls

Two entrees accompanied two petite bowls of rice. The lo-han vegetable was unfortunately bland, but the curried mutton was fantastic – the creamy, coconut milk-based sauce could make many worldly ills disappear. The “mutton” had a well-simulated texture, chewy and very much like bean curd. My only nitpick was that the potatoes and cauliflower in the curry were still quite hard, and would have benefited from a longer stewing time.

Lo-han vegetable

Curried mutton

Dessert was individual servings of rice pudding, garnished with cinnamon and a slice of apple, but reminded me of cold congee more than I would have liked. It was probably the healthiest dessert I’ve had in some time however, though a heavier hand with the mango syrup would have been appreciated.

Rice pudding

Even if the food was a bit hit or miss this instance, I’ve been to Padmanadi enough times to know they can do better. See you again soon, neighbour!

Padmanadi
10740 101 Street
(780) 428 – 8899
Monday-Sunday: Lunch 11am-2pm, Dinner 4pm-10pm; vegan brunch Saturday/Sunday 10am-2pm

Chinatown Addition: Emperor’s Palace

Emperor’s Palace, the newest addition to Chinatown, mirrors Urban China in many ways. Clean and modern, they are both a part of a movement towards the kind of restaurants Vancouver (and Calgary, to some extent) already have down pat. We’re always looking for new dim sum places, so it made sense that my first two meals there were for just that: I checked out the restaurant once during the lunch rush on a weekday before Christmas with Dickson, and again a few weeks later for brunch with Mack and my family to celebrate Felicia’s birthday.

Interior

The restaurant is gorgeous, with bright yellow and red tones. The crystal chandeliers help lend the room a touch of elegance, though what really captured my attention was the stunning floor-to-ceiling glass wine case facing the dining room. As with Indian restaurants such as Origin India trying to encourage diners to pair wine (instead of the requisite beer) with their cuisine, perhaps Emperor’s Palace is trying to do the same with Chinese fare? (something that others are attempting elsewhere in the world.)

Wine case

The high-backed chairs were visually appealing, and comfortable to boot, but unfortunately, did take up a lot of space, which prevented carts from going between some tables. This wasn’t a problem when dining with my family, but at a small table with Dickson at the rear of the restaurant, two tables stood between us and the aisle. As a result, the verbal exchanges between us and the waitress were a bit comical – we were nearly shouting to be heard above the lunchtime din.

The only other notable occurrence with regards to service happened with my family – a server leaned into our table, and in Cantonese, offered us a plate of fried shrimp wontons – “a dish that white people like.”

Shrimp wontons

The food was a mixed bag on both occasions, with portion sizes far from generous. The shrimp dumplings were all right, but they had paper-thin skins; my preference is a thicker shell. The pork dumplings, another dim sum staple, were disappointing – too chewy. The BBQ pork buns were perfectly shaped and browned, but the bread was dry and unappealing.

Shrimp dumplings

Pork dumplings

BBQ pork buns

The temperature of the dishes also varied (albeit better at brunch than at lunch) – the rice wrap with BBQ pork, for example, was served to us lukewarm.

Rice wrap

But we were surprised by other dishes – the spring rolls, for example, contained no filler, only shrimp. Hot and crispy, the skin was decidedly light in colour, and not the deep brown characteristic of a bath of old oil. A dumpling with pork, peanuts and chives had great texture. Rolls made of dough and sticky rice were new to me, delightfully garnished with what we took to be greens and egg. I also thoroughly enjoyed their custard tarts – but then again, I’m a sucker for warm custard tarts!

More dumplings

Pretty rolls

Custard tarts

My sister and I both have a bit of a Chinese restaurant restroom fetish, but I’m sure I’m not alone in having a negative connotation of dive-bar restrooms in association with Chinese restaurants. Emperor’s Palace joins Urban China on the short list of nice washrooms, with lovely azure bowl sinks.

Women’s restroom

As a whole, though the décor is fabulous, the dim sum was only average. That said, flipping through their dinner menu (a huge, cardboard book), I think it would be worth a try, with options like squab and geoduck available.

Dinner menu

So go for the decor, but as far as dim sum is concerned, don’t expect to be blown away.

Emperor’s Palace
10638 100 Street
(780) 757-2288

Epicurious in Edmonton: 2010 in Review

It’s become a bit of a tradition for me to look back on Edmonton’s food scene after the year has wrapped (read 2009 here and 2008 here).

I think one of the most notable food happenings in 2010 was the growth of the blogosphere. More than a dozen local food bloggers joined the fray this year, and though some of them haven’t stuck, restaurants and media alike really started to recognize the fact that some diners do gather information from online food writers. Menu launches like the one that took place in November at ZINC will likely be more commonplace in the future.

As a result, however, I think readers will have to be more vigilant about what they read. Besides comped meals, it is inevitable that bloggers, like journalists, will develop relationships with chefs and restaurateurs. Edmonton may not have the critical mass of food bloggers as other cities do (yet), but I foresee more discussions about food blogging ethics on the horizon in our online community.

Other notable trends and events:

Local chains are continuing to increase their foothold in the local dining scene, including a second Transcend, a second Delux, a third outpost of Culina (in the Muttart Conservatory), a fourth location of Oodle Noodle, and another Cafe de Ville in Sherwood Park.
Of course, there’s usually more public excitement for the establishments opened by international chains, which was the case for Melting Pot and IHOP.
A few Canadian chains also launched their Edmonton presence this year, including Kelowna-based Big City Cupcakes, and Vancouver-based Local Public Eatery. Coming early 2011: beloved Crave Cupcakes, of Calgary.
It seems like loose tea purveyors had a good year – Teaopia opened in Kingsway, and David’s Tea now has two locations in Edmonton, at West Edmonton Mall and Southgate. Tea Fusion just opened in November in City Centre Mall (though bubble tea seems to be their focus).
Something I’m excited about, and really hope blossoms in 2011: one-note restaurant Battista’s Calzones opened in October, and La Poutine, which offers, yes, only poutine, is set to open in January 2011.
There seems to be a hunger for upscale, quality, not-your-average-deli sandwiches, with MRKT, Press’d, and the neighbourhood darling, Elm Cafe, seeing success this year. In the same vein, I have to think banh mi (Vietnamese subs) have become mainstream in Edmonton, with Nhon Hoa opening up a spot on Whyte Avenue, and V Sandwiches and Far East Sandwiches occupying prime downtown real estate.
Wine bars really were all the rage in 2010. With the addition of Lit, Moriarty’s, d’Lish, and Somerville Wine and Cheese, there are now several options for those looking for a glass of vino and some nibbles. So many, in fact, that 4th and Vine now bills itself as the “original wine bar” in print ads.
Speaking of wine bars, after fashion shows took place at both Lit and The Common this year, perhaps we should expect further mingling of bars and fashion in 2011.
Urban China and the more recent Emperor’s Palace really give me hope that one day, Chinatown might return to its glory days. At the very least though, they have ushered in the modern, stylish Chinese restaurants more common in Vancouver and Calgary.
This year saw the advent of group-based discount services in Edmonton – Groupon was the first, but it has now been joined by others, including Living Social, TeamBuy and most recently, SwarmJam.
As the city grows, pockets of businesses like the one in southeast Edmonton with Dumplings and Real Deal Meats will likely be more common (hopefully with locally owned businesses!).
With the excitement around The Marc and La Persaud in 2010, I wonder if more French bistros are in the cards?
The Municipal Development Plan, which will help protect some local food sources, was passed in May, and the Capital City Downtown Plan, which mentions providing assistance to those wishing to grow food downtown, as well as a multi-purpose arts/city market space, was passed in July.
Also on the topic of sustainability, it’s great to see the post-secondary institutions offering opportunities for students to learn more about food security, among other topics – Common Ground at Grant MacEwan University in March, and Sustainability Awareness Week at the U of A in October.
Another farmers’ market popped up in South Edmonton Common in the summer, and another is being investigated for the Riverbend/Terwillegar communities.

Here’s to more great happenings in 2011!

A Day with the Birthday Boy!

Mack celebrated his birthday on Tuesday. He probably gets short-changed somewhat because it falls so close after Christmas, but he usually has the day off of work for the holidays, which means we can spend the day together.

Mack loves LEGO, so we had already made plans a few weeks ago to check out Wheels, Wings & Waves, a LEGO World of Transportation Exhibition (two years ago for his birthday, we took in the Art of the Brick exhibition, also at the Telus World of Science). The exhibition chronicles the history of transportation “on the ground, in the air and on the water, all as seen through the eyes and built by the hands of talented LEGO builders”, and runs until January 2, 2011.

Mack thought he was too big to fit inside the racecar

All of the models were pretty cool, but of course, we had a few favourites, including the Titanic and the Space Lab.

Titanic

Space Lab

But it was a model of the High Level Bridge and the LRT bridge, built by the Northern Alberta LEGO Users Group that really caught our eye in the main showroom. We loved the small details – the people on the trails, the cars on the bridge.

Too cool!

A small room at the back of the exhibit housed a model inspired by The Way We Move, the City’s Transportation Master Plan.

Edmonton, reimagined

In the middle of the room, there was a LEGO equivalent of “Where’s Waldo?”, complete with a working lighthouse and a moving train.

Look for the details

Mack couldn’t wait to get his hands on LEGO. After rummaging around the numerous bins available, he was able to find pieces to put together a car.

Mack hard at work

His masterpiece

Before the centre closed, we checked out a show at the Margaret Zeidler Star Theatre. The last time I watched a show under the domed theatre must have been back in elementary school; an educational film about the stars. On this day we watched The Celestial Railroad. Though the images were quite beautiful, the milky way dissolving into a field of blinking flowers and flying cranes, we really didn’t enjoy the story or the message.

After our visit, we went to Route 99 for dinner. Nothing hits the spot like food at our favourite greasy spoon!

Beer and poutine FTW!

Pizza!

For dessert, I made us Mark Bittman’s Brown Betty (isn’t that the most charming name for a dish?). I had a lot of leftover bread from the scalloped tomato dish, and the Brown Betty incorporates quite a bit of fruit, not a bad thing after indulging on more than enough cheese.

A Brown Betty is similar to a bread pudding, with layers of toasted bread (tossed in sugar) and fruit drizzled with a mixture of juice and butter and baked.

Brown Betty

Unfortunately, the name was better than the result – part of it probably had to do with my poor job of tossing the sugars with the bread, but I was hoping for something with a little more oomph – the sum wasn’t greater than the parts.

We ended the night playing with Mack’s new toy from Santa – his XBOX Kinect. Our favourite game so far is Joy Ride (who doesn’t love a good old racing game?). The coolest thing about the Kinect (besides the limited voice activation features) is the fact that the console takes photos of the players throughout the game.

Yes, our steering wheels are really that big

Happy birthday, Mack!

Solid Brunch: Blue Chair Cafe

The Saturday before Christmas, Mack and I had brunch with Grandma Male at the Blue Chair Cafe. I’d been meaning to try the restaurant for brunch for some time, after having a positive experience on one of their music nights earlier this year. We were hoping a musician would be lighting up the atmosphere during our meal, but it turns out live music only takes place on Sunday mornings.

Interior

Perhaps the lack of performers was linked to the empty restaurant when we walked in that Saturday, but truth be told, it was a pleasant change – the morning dash for tables at places like the High Level Diner or Urban Diner can be quite harrowing. Two other parties eventually joined us in the restaurant; maybe they had the same idea for a stress-free breakfast followed by a trip to the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market.

Love the bank of windows

With a dozen dishes on the brunch menu, including vegan and celiac-friendly options, we had a tough time deciding what to order. Mack eventually settled on the blueberry yogurt pancakes with maple alder-smoked bacon ($13.50), while Grandma Male chose the banana bread French toast ($13.50), and I opted for the basic benny ($13.50) with capicola ham and buckwheat sunflower bread.

My eggs benedict was fine, though I am probably not the best judge, given it isn’t a brunch dish I usually order – the eggs were poached well, the yolks still runny, and the bread was the hearty, grainy sort, my favourite. I also would have preferred crispy, home-style potatoes instead of the roasted baby potatoes. All of our dishes were served with a colourful side of fresh fruit, reminiscent of the New York Bagel Cafe.

Basic benny

Grandma Male thoroughly enjoyed her banana bread French toast (something you’d think would be more common – such a great twist on a classic). The brown sugar finish was a nice touch, and the serving was so large she had leftovers to take home!

Banana bread French toast

I had serious dish envy with Mack’s blueberry yogurt pancakes though. The pancakes were so light and fluffy, even more so than the usual buttermilk pancakes on restaurant menus. His serving was also quite large, but Mack managed to power through it, not a difficult task because the dish was accompanied by super-crispy bacon, his favourite.

Blueberry yogurt pancakes

I’d definitely return to Blue Chair Cafe in the future. Service was friendly and prompt, and the food was solid. Check it out if you haven’t already!

Blue Chair Cafe
9624 – 76 Avenue
(780) 989 – 2861
Monday – Sunday 10am-10pm

Culinary Q & A with Andrea

What did you eat today?

Gruel for breakfast 🙂 salmon w/sesame sauce for lunch and shepherd’s pie for dinner.

What do you never eat?

Blue Cheese!

What is your personal specialty?

I can make a mean pasta sauce.

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you will always find:

Parmesan Cheese.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Fajita’s.

What is your favourite kitchen item?

My burr grinder, I couldn’t have a great cup of coffee without it.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

My moms turkey dinner with all the fixings, home made buns and cheesecake for dessert.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Teriyaki Corner.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

Guru! It is in the west end, the best.

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat?

Smoken Bones Cookshack in Langford B.C and I would order the beef brisket Po’ Boy with collard greens on the side. Yum!

Check out Andrea’s blog, GourmAndrea.

Guests of Honour: Istanbul Restaurant

On the snowiest of nights last week, Vicki and I made our way to Istanbul Restaurant, the location of our volunteer appreciation dinner (we’re so fortunate to sit on a committee that chooses to highlight different ethnic cuisines every year – last year, it was Ethiopian).

I can’t say it was the easiest place to find (it would have been helpful if we had been told to look for the shining beacon of a Tim Horton’s sign along 82 Street), though our indirect route plagued with wrong turns was scenic – who knew Balwin had such a nice community league?

A sign just inside the door made us feel welcome the moment we stepped in, which read, “Once you enter our doors you are no longer a customer you are our guest of honour.” The warm ambiance – created from a combination of Christmas lights, neutral wall colours, and a hearth (albeit an electric one), was mirrored in the service, which was attentive and personal (each person, arriving separately, was immediately greeted at the table upon arrival).

Interior

We opted to order platters to share, which suited the group quite well, and enabled us to sample several types of their kebobs and included hummus, salad, rice, pita bread and a nice bonus – dessert.

The platter was a mixed bag – the beef was overdone, and was difficult to pry off its skewer, let alone enjoy. The chicken fared better, and seasoned well with a spicy finish, was the favourite. Vicki liked the salad, but we both thought the hummus was just okay (I much prefer the version at Tazza).

Istanbul mixed platter (for three)

The best part of the meal arrived near the end – dessert. We had the choice of either baklava or rice pudding. The latter won out, and based on the comments around the table, was a good choice. The top had been baked, resulting in a slightly browned “crust”, which gave way to a custard, thinner than I anticipated, but with just the right amount of sweetness. The grains of rice had settled at the bottom of the ramekin, which was nice as an extra layer of texture.

Rice pudding

Vicki and I both decided to try a cup of Turkish coffee. Made tableside, the coffee was poured into delightfully tiny porcelain teacups. The proportions threw me off – about 1/3 of it was actually drinkable (albeit strong) liquid, and the rest of the cup was filled with silt-y grounds. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but I found out later that this preparation is traditional, and that the remaining grounds can be dumped out onto a saucer to be “read” like tea leaves.

Turkish coffee

I wasn’t blown away by the food, so I wouldn’t go out of my way to return. But if I find myself lost in the neighbourhood again on a snowy winter day, Istanbul might be that shining beacon for a weary traveler.

Istanbul Restaurant
12918 82 Street
(780) 478-8881
Monday-Saturday 11am-10pm, closed Sunday

Taste Alberta Launch

On December 1, 2010, the Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald launched Taste Alberta, a series to be featured in both papers on a weekly basis. Journal staff, local foodies, and area farmers were invited to the Shaw Conference Centre’s beautiful River Valley Room that evening to help celebrate the launch of the series.

Taste Alberta

Taste Alberta has been designed to become a central gathering place for those in the province who are interested in local food – reading about the food that is grown and processed in Alberta, where such products are available, and how best to prepare it. The series will run for thirty weeks.

Journal Food Editor Kerry Powell welcomes the hungry crowd

Based on their first few articles – featuring turducken, local company Mighty Trio Organics, and Bernard Callebaut’s new company, Papa Chocolat, to list a few – I can see the potential; there are so many stories that need to be told.

But content alone isn’t what sets it apart, nor could it – stories featuring Alberta producers are the core of the weekly Food section regardless. Taste Alberta seeks to be more than that: a go-to online resource that amalgamates everything food. They have links to local food and drink blogs, an event calendar, and a Twitter widget that imports food-related tweets. I know from Mack’s experience developing ShareEdmonton, it will be a challenge for them to collect everything – there is just too much information out there. That said, it’s great that the Journal and the Herald are attempting this Herculean task, and with their reach (and requests for reader submissions), it may be easier to do so.

Kerry acknowledged that they series would not have gone forward without the support from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA), as well as Save on Foods. While ALMA makes sense as a sponsor (given the number of livestock producers in this province), I’m still not sure where Save on Foods comes in. Great on them for supporting this initiative, but I hope it means that they are also working on bringing in more locally-sourced product in their stores too.

The night really was a celebration of local food though, with stations around the periphery of the room offering hot and cold dishes prepared using ingredients sourced from area farmers. Several of my food blogging colleagues (Evonne, Karlynn and Chris, among them) did a better job of capturing the food than me, as I didn’t get to all of the stations, but here are a few highlights:

The miniature Lola Canola honey crème brulee, with a Berry Ridge Orchard Saskatoon berry compote set the bar pretty high – silky texture with a perfect balance between tart and sweet, it was the best (or worst) way to start off the sampling.

Thankfully, the Big Rock braised Sunterra bison short rib could handle the pressure – a knife would have made eating it slightly easier (it wasn’t quite fork tender), but the meat was nicely cooked. And the potatoes underneath? Creamy, garlicky goodness.

The mini Ardrossan free-range chicken burgers with roasted garlic mayonnaise weren’t bad either. The patty was moist and flavourful, and really could have been served on its own for that reason.

We are rarely without Irvings Farm Fresh pork products in our freezer, so there was no doubt we would enjoy their sausage, served with a barley risotto.

Thanks to the Journal for hosting the launch, and treating us to some great local food! I am looking forward to seeing what else Taste Alberta has in store for us in the coming weeks.

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