Food Notes for May 23, 2011

While I enjoy volunteering for a variety of causes, what excites me most are opportunities to get involved in the community where I live. So I’m really excited for the coming year, as I’ve joined the board for the Downtown Edmonton Community League! Looking forward to getting to know my fellow board members and the work involved. On to this week’s food notes:

May 28, 2011 sees the launch of the City’s Food and Agricultural Policy Project. Learn more by attending the event at William McIntyre Park from 11am-2pm.
While you’re in the neighbourhood, make sure to check out the East Whyte Block Party, also on May 28 from 11am – 4pm. 100st from 81 Ave to 82 Ave will be closed to traffic and filled with events and vendors. Expect Fat Franks and Eva Sweet to feed the crowd, and yoga, art demos, and a scavenger hunt.
Mark you calendars for a special grand opening street party on June 4, 2011: Chai Pani, along with Lola Apparel, are celebrating their grand openings by hosting a street party on 105 Street, just south of Whyte. Festivities will include music, a fashion show, and plenty of traditional Masala Chai and authentic East Indian snack foods for sale from Chai Pani.
To meet the Father’s Day demand, Sweet Lollapalooza will be offering three chocolate making classes in the next few weeks. On the menu: Robbie Burns Scotch pave, an Anejo Tequila bonbon and a Lambic Belgian Beer truffle.
Foodie McPoon reviewed the relatively new restaurant Soda Jerks: “the restaurant conveyed a confusing concept of retro-modern, without any retro feeling at all, except for the sodas…with nothing special to the menu and without a clear concept to focus on, I’m not sure how long this restaurant will last.”
The Southwest Edmonton Farmers’ Market kicked off its season on May 18. Check out a gallery of photos here. For those interested, it will run every Wednesday, rain or shine, from 5:30-8pm at the Lillian Osbourne High School parking lot (2019 Leger Road).
I don’t normally post job openings here, but the Arbour Restaurant at the Rutherford House is one of the city’s treasures, and they’re looking for a new head chef.
If you need to see a second burst of spring (the first being the green outside your window), check out Valerie’s post on her greening garden. Just beautiful!
Two editions in, and new Bon Appétit Editor-in-Chief Adam Rapoport is already stirring the pot – June’s issue will, for the first time, feature a celebrity on its cover, instead of a chef or a dish. But will it matter, asks Grub Street? “If Gourmet was ‘the magazine of good living,’ then Bon Appétit has become the magazine of fashionable eating.”
It’s always great when supermarkets start stocking local products – and I know it isn’t easy, and those that are making an effort should be recognized. But sometimes, I wish the signage marking it as “local” was more prominent and cohesive. I know Eat Local First had a good thing going (and are probably too busy focusing on their home delivery service at the moment), but I think much more can (and should) be done to help consumers easily identify local product alternatives.

The Irvings display at the Italian Centre

It was just gorgeous last week, and one of my teams at work took advantage of it by hosting a barbecue at lunch!

Dogs and patties on the barbie

“Top Chef Canada”: Not Quite There Yet

It’s always an exciting moment for Canada when we get our own version of an American reality television show. Isn’t it supposed to connote that we’ve made it into the big leagues, and that we too, in the Great White North, have our share of marketable talent too?

Some shows, like Canada’s Next Top Model, haven’t done so well, for a variety of reasons – lack of equivalent star power, poor production quality, less of a potential audience base to start with. But others, like So You Think You Can Dance Canada, have exceeded expectations. When it was announced last May that a Top Chef Canada was in the works though, I really had high hopes. Top Chef is one of my favourite programs – between the challenges, judges and cheftestant drama, I find I am drawn in, every time.

The casting seemed to deliberately draw the 16 contestants from nearly every province in Canada, likely an effort to snag viewers from across the country. Although I was disappointed no Edmonton-based chefs were chosen to compete, the two Calgary-based chefs would at least be representing Alberta (and having eaten at Connie DeSousa’s restaurant, Charcut, it would have been difficult not to root for her). Besides my home-province favourites, Dale MacKay appeared to be another strong contender, just based on his past experience and mentors.

To me then, the biggest question mark for the show’s success would boil down to the host and the judges. Without a doubt, Top Chef’s duo of Padma Lakshmi and Tom Collichio are a force to be reckoned with, and are a big part of why the show works. They are charismatic, come off (to me) as genuine, and the majority of their criticism is constructive. I recognize that editing has definitely helped them hone their television personas, but I was hoping the same magic would touch upon the Canadian equivalents.

Not so. Head judge Mark McEwan appears languid, unenthusiastic, and has barely cracked a smile since the opening episode. But at least I can understand why he was chosen – he already had a relationship with Food Network. The other resident judge, Shereen Arazm, might have seen success in the restaurant industry, but hasn’t brought anything to the table; her comments on the show are usually along the lines of “yummy” and “bad”. Perhaps she has been getting the short end of the stick from the show’s editors, but based on her blog entries, I don’t think so. Host Thea Andrews seemed at first out of place, as if she should be hosting an entertainment news show instead, but in the last few weeks, has been growing on me.

I suppose my frustration with the judges also stems from the fact that some of the guest judges they’ve had seem to be a better fit for this type of program – for example, Susur Lee, one of Canada’s other premiere chefs, has a personality that translates on screen, unlike McEwan. Or Laura Calder, James Beard Award Winning host of French Food at Home, was great to watch in the last episode – articulate and candid, I almost wish she had been the premier guest judge, as she was overshadowed by the superstar power of Daniel Boulud.

In terms of production quality, I have to say it was quite unfortunate for Top Chef Canada to air immediately after Top Chef: All Stars. Although the kitchen fixtures and space look nearly identical to the American filming space, the challenges have been mostly lacklustre so far (open ended cheese and pork challenges? cooking with vodka?) Last week’s French challenge was the most entertaining to watch, because of its difficulty and the element of team work that it promoted. Moreover, in several of the quickfire challenges, not all of the dishes are shown – how else is the audience supposed to get to know the style and skill of the chefs? I realize there is still more than half the season to go, so I really hope that these aspects improve as the show progresses.

So, while Top Chef Canada isn’t quite the appointment television that its American counterpart is for me (yet), I’m optimistic that with the room to develop, the show can inch closer to the standard set by Top Chef.

Sherene has been conducting exit interviews with all of the Top Chef Canada contestants; read them here.

City Market Opening Day 2011

I suppose the title of this post is not quite accurate, given the City Market has been running indoors at City Hall since mid-March, but I know many people (myself included) feel the market just isn’t quite the same unless it’s out on the street.

Back with a vengeance

Mack and I made were on hand for the opening celebrations at 9am (and really had no excuses given the market is right out our front door!). Edmonton Eskimo Aaron Fiacconi was on hand as the bell ringer to kick things off.

Aaron Fiacconi signals the opening of the market

Things were a bit overcast, but save for a sprinkle or two, the skies held up. I’m sure that was part of the reason why the crowds were massive today – both Mack and I remarked that neither of us had seen the aisles quite so full before. It’ll be interesting to see what the final attendance estimate will be, given last year’s equally jubilant start.

Packed street

So many people!

We did find there was a lack music early on at the market, though. One of our favourites, Capital Sax, came out to play around 11 – hopefully, they’re out a little earlier next week.

Capital Sax

There was also an impromptu dance performance!

There did seem to be an inordinate number of dogs today, with one tweeter remarking, “Unsure if downtown #yeg market is actually farmers mrkt or dog show.” Though it did mean watching where you walked to some extent, I’m a sucker for puppies, especially when they’re as cute as Dave and Kyla’s dog!

Hi Max!

The organizers changed up layout, meaning we had to do some hunting for our usual vendors. We had to think some of the adjustments had to do with the fact that the construction on the north end of 104 Street, just before 103 Avenue, still hasn’t been resolved. Given the fenced-off area has been pretty dormant in recent weeks, it’s puzzling why the City wouldn’t have ensured the project’s completion before this date. It impacted at least one vendor, who was positioned away from the foot traffic, adjacent to the fence – hopefully the vendor will be relocated next week.

Construction at the City Market

Other than that, we had a great time perusing the stalls, visiting with vendors, running into friends, and of course, picking up groceries for the week!

The always smiling Patty Milligan (aka Lola Canola) – she’ll only be at the Market for the next few weeks, so load up on honey now!

Alan of Irvings Farm Fresh is always a good sport about pictures

We also had to start our day off with waffles from Eva Sweet

Marianne shows off her fabulous shopping basket that attaches to the back of her bike!

Cameron Hancock and Christy Menzies of Dreamin’ Green Farm are new City Market vendors. Located near Pigeon Lake, they describe themselves as the “home of the happy chicken”, and provide chemical-free pasture for their birds to roam around in. Their pens are moved on a regular basis, and at night, they are shut into a mobile pen for protection from predators. Look for them the next time you’re at the market!

Christy and Cameron of Dreamin’ Green Farm

Transcend Coffee was also out on the street selling their beans, and handing out free samples of coffee. Although their downtown cafe is literally just around the corner, it’s handy to be able to pick up beans along the way!

Transcend Coffee

Although cellared root vegetables made up much of the produce offerings today, I was still surprised at the amount of other vegetables available today, so early in the season.

Tomatoes from Gull Valley Greenhouses

Edgar Farms asparagus (they had about 30 cases today, about half of what they would normally have)

Rhubarb and pea tendrils from Sundog Organics

Gerda of Green Valley Farm helps me pick out some onions

Bedding plants were also out in full force; though we didn’t pick up any decorative flowers for our balcony, we did buy one of those salad bowl starters from Kuhlmann’s that we had been eying up last week (I guess we should have jumped on it last week though; 7 days later resulted in a $5 increase in the price).

Beautiful display at Riverbend Gardens

A sea of hydrangeas from South Cooking Lake Greenhouses

Tomato plants galore from Sundog Organics

It was a great first day at the market – I’m looking forward to next week already. See you there!

Day 6 in San Francisco: Food Truck Harbour

Given the wealth of City Guide tour options available, we had wanted to fit at least one more in – I was hoping the second go-around might erase the disappointment of our Chinatown experience. We ended up choosing the City Scapes and Public Places tour, mostly because the meeting location was only a few blocks away from our hotel.

Thankfully, our guide Paul seemed better informed than our previous escort, but as a whole, the tour still seemed less packed with information than the walks we partook in both New York and DC.

It was really interesting to learn about POPOS, however: privately-owned, public open spaces. It is specified in San Francisco’s building code that the trade-off for the construction of a high-rise building is the creation of some sort of usable public space on the land – whether that is a square, a balcony, or park.

Atop the Crocker Galleria

In the two hours, we toured nearly a dozen of the spaces (there are sixty all together in San Francisco). Some of them, such as the one located on the fifteenth floor of a building, were like little hidden gems, that only those “in the know” would be cognizant of (you can check out a map here).

The gem at 343 Sansome Street

The view

There were others – such as the redwood park (which was my personal favourite of the bunch), that could easily be mistaken to simply be a green space amidst towers.

Redwood Park

Water feature

Life imitates art

Some of the POPOS, such as the greenhouse in Citigroup Centre, featured seating, as well as food service – fantastic for the business crowd at lunch.

The only downside to the open spaces, however, is that the regulations specify that POPOS only need to be accessible during weekday business hours – so anyone wishing to take advantage of them in the evenings or weekends are out of luck (we tried to access Citigroup Centre on a Saturday, but the gates were locked up tight).

During the tour, we had passed by the San Buena Taco Truck parked on the street. Given that it was the first food truck we had stumbled upon in San Francisco, we made sure to remember where it was so we could hit it up for lunch.

San Buena Taco Truck

The line was steady, and given it was made up mostly of the area’s office workers, we knew we had probably made a good choice. The menu included burritos, tacos and tortas, but from the orders made around us, we knew a burrito was the way to go.

Mack hearts burritos

For just $7, each of us received a wrap absolutely packed with chicken (though carnitas and beef were meat options as well). It had been expertly bound – the perfect kind of street food – and with moist, flavourful chicken interspersed with beans, rice and heat to taste – it was without a doubt the best thing we ate in San Francisco.

The only thing I really remember from my previous visit to San Francisco was walking across the Golden Gate Bridge with my family, but it isn’t exactly a pleasant memory. It had been one of those drizzly, blustery days, cold and miserable for any tourist, but particularly for us, given the night before, we had been in the +40 climes of Asia. Fortunately, the weather on the day that Mack and I chose to visit the bridge was perfect, and did much to ensure my future associations with the Golden Gate were positive ones.

Misty, but bright

A quick bus ride got us to the San Francisco side of the bridge. The forty-minute windswept walk across yielded unparalleled views of the city and the activities in the bay.

Mack and the city

Queen of the bridge

The barges just kept on cominng

The traffic on the bridge was also a little unbelievable – the cars did not stop flowing. It was on that day that we christened our version of Punch Buggy – Punch Prius! At some point we had to stop counting because it was getting ridiculous.

The bridge

A reminder

We walked the length back to the San Francisco side, and hopped on a bus that took us closer to the city centre. The line terminated at Fort Mason, where we were directed by the driver to transfer to a different bus. Given it was already the dinner hour, the fact that there was a Safeway at the terminal seemed to be a blessing. We picked up some food and headed to the park for a picnic supper, a relaxing way to refuel and rest our weary feet.

Dinner of champions

Residents were out in full force, enjoying the setting sun as we were. And like so many other parts of the city, it was picturesque without even trying.

The marina

Satisfied, before heading back to the hotel, we thought we should explore the area. Peeking over the hill side drop, we encountered a gaggle of people down below in the Fort Mason parking lot – what was going on?

So many people!

It turned out we had stumbled upon the first Off the Grid, a “roaming mobile food extravaganza.” This was the largest of their weekly events, and sees thirty food trucks gather alongside a full-service bar and music.

Music amongst the madness

That night, the twenty food trucks offered food ranging from cupcakes to empanadas to ramen. But it was challenging to even browse the offerings – the line-ups were massive (and really, too large for the space), with the longest gathering centered around Chairman Bao, a truck offering, among other things, pork belly buns.

Just some of the food trucks

Empanada stand

The line at Chairman Bao

It was really unfortunate that we had already eaten our meal – what better way to sample food trucks than at such an event? We made room for a few things though – a trio of dumplings we purchased for $2 were hand-rolled in the tent, and were very tasty.

Dumplings!

I was also swayed into buying a dulce de leche creme brulee. It was okay, but not worth the $5.

Creme brulee

Though we didn’t eat much, Off the Grid was amazing to see. Everyone there was just so darn excited about food, and that energy was contagious. It’s crazy to imagine that something like that happens on a weekly basis, but in a city like San Francisco, food trucks aren’t a fad, but a core of their food culture. Look for it if you’re travelling to SF!

Off the Grid

We ended our evening back on a bus, ready for a good night’s sleep at the hotel. Gearing up for a Saturday trip to the Ferry Market, we would need it.

The Cooking Chronicles: Meat-ful Recipes

I really like the current trend of “meatless Mondays” – though Mack and I don’t subscribe to a specific day of the week substitution of meat, I think the campaign does help raise awareness of the health and planetary benefits of reducing our collective meat intake.

Of course, our current cooking rotation does include a fair amount of meat. I know a part of it has to do with recipes that appeal to us because they’re what we’re used to, but I’m hoping we’ll continue to expand our vegetarian repertoire. If Ellen can do it, we can too! Anyway, here are a few meat-ful recipes in the meantime!

Potato-topped Lamb Pies

Donna Hay’s potato-topped lamb pies from No Time to Cook is a variation on shepherd’s pie, featuring a scalloped crust instead of a mashed one. I had picked up a package of ground lamb from the Italian Bakery one day, knowing I wouldn’t be able to get to the farmers’ market that weekend (they now sell lamb and veal, among other proteins in their freezer section).

It wasn’t a difficult recipe to pull together, and from it, we were able to make a nine inch pie, and two individual ramekin pies.

Potato-topped lamb pies

Although the potato topping didn’t get as crispy as we would have liked, we were more off-put by how fatty the meat ended up being. I probably should have drained the fat, but I really wasn’t expecting it.

Pie filling

More than anything, Mack was reminded that he again doesn’t really care for lamb. I’m not giving up on lamb though – we’ll just have to find a different recipe to try!

Turkey Meatball Subs

I don’t know why I was so excited to make meatball subs, using Mario Batali’s recipe for turkey meatballs, but I was. We used ground turkey from Greens, Eggs and Ham, and pork sausages and prosciutto from the Italian Centre as proteins.

After assembling the meatballs, we had to let them rest in the fridge for an hour.

During that time, I made a basic tomato sauce.

Then, came browning of the meatballs.

Next, I baked them with some of the sauce and wine.

Lastly came assembly of the sandwiches, topped with provolone, then broiled. This is where we made the mistake – the bread ended up scorched from being placed too close to the element in the oven.

Don’t cry over burnt bread

I will admit to being upset, partly because of my anticipation for the finished product, but also because of the lengthy process involved. We cut off the burnt ends, and while both Mack and I did enjoy the sandwiches, it ultimately didn’t seem worth the effort.

The saving grace was the amount of leftovers we had, which made subsequent meals quick and easy – meatballs served with a side salad, or tossed with pasta and the remaining cups of tomato sauce (which, I should mention, is something I will make again – I loved the texture of the sauce, emboldened with sautéed onions and grated carrots).

Hopefully the vegetarian recipes I’ve bookmarked will go better than these two did!

Food Notes for May 16, 2011

Doesn’t it feel like summer just arrived without a real transition from spring? The trees are struggling to green up to match the sunny skies! Hope you’re out making the most of it too! On to this week’s food notes:

Less than 100 tickets are left for this year’s Indulgence. Get yours soon if you plan on attending!
Make sure you go and pick up an issue of Vue Weekly: it features the recipients of the 2011 Golden Fork Awards (how great is it that Transcend and Credo took best chain coffee shop and best indie?!). There is also a great spread on “Food: A Day in the Life” with snapshots of Bon Ton Bakery, The Wired Cup, MRKT and Hardware Grill.
See Magazine released their Best of Edmonton winners this past week as well. The same issue features a profile on Josh Hockin and Ben Put of Transcend Coffee.
Press’d Sandwiches is expanding: look for their second location at 11214 Jasper Avenue in mid-June.
I’m a little late to the party, but congrats to Edo Japan, which just opened their 10oth store last week. I had no idea they were an Alberta-based company.
Valerie and Liv both wrote about week 1 in the Century Hospitality Group’s Top Chef competition. Mack and I are on deck for judging on Saturday, and looking forward to it!
The next Live Local dinner will take place at Accent European Lounge on May 25, 2011. To keep up to date on all Live Local initiatives, sign up for their newsletter.
You may have read that Culina will be taking over the concession at the Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market in June, but in case that isn’t soon enough for you, they will also be catering the Royal Bison on May 28-29, 2011.
Sure, you may be familiar with vegetable-based CSAs, but how about fruit-based? Companies like Tree-Mendus Fruit in Michigan are renting out apple trees.
Are cell phones killing bees? The answer is: maybe.
Top Chef Canada was in the news last week for their episode tonight, which saw horse on the menu.
Mack and I attended the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation fundraising breakfast on Tuesday morning, partly as an excuse to visit McNally (our old high school) again. At the breakfast, we learned more about the Foundation’s fundraising efforts towards implementing full-day kindergarten programs in 14 distressed communities. The event was so well done, and got all the little details right, down to the noisemakers and bubble blowers at the table, to remind us all of our inner child.

Our table

Look for another Greek take out spot just down from Opa on Whyte and 103 Street, called Greek to Go.

Greek to Go

I met up with May at the Whyte Ave location of Daawat for dinner last week. It was pretty good, and for both of us, it was our first encounter with their sweet coconut naan. It was interesting, but we prefer our savoury breads as a dinner accompaniment!

Daawat

The weather was so gorgeous, the City Market at City Hall moved outdoors on Saturday! Let’s hope the weather holds up when the market returns to 104 Street on May 21 – see you there!

It was windy, but sunny!

Kuhlmann’s had fiddlehead ferns

Kuhlmann’s also had convenient salad bowls, already sprouting and good to go!

Eva Sweet has a brand new trailer! It was parked at Churchill Square this afternoon, but they’ve been trying out some other locations downtown, including Rice Howard Way and 104 Street during the week. Follow them on Twitter to keep up to date on where you can get your waffle fix!

Eva Sweet

Pedestrian-friendly Snack: Crepeworks

When group discount site Good News burst onto the scene back in January, their initial deal couldn’t be beat. Crepeworks had sponsored an introductory offer that would allow shoppers to snag one of the crepes (retail value $5-8) for just $1. And best of all, in keeping with the Good News policy of donating at least some of the funds to a local charity, all of the money collected would actually go towards the Edmonton Food Bank. Talk about win-win.

Unfortunately, Good News announced their withdrawal from Edmonton a short time after (one would imagine operating with the current landscape of multiple deal sites would be a very competitive one), but coupons purchased would still be honoured.

After the Jane’s Walk on Saturday, I ducked into Crepeworks for a break, hungry after the tour and a trip through the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market.

Though Crepeworks has been in Edmonton since 2002 with an outlet inside West Edmonton Mall, this was my first experience with them. The same carnival-esque, plastic crepe display graces this location as well, and for whatever reason, it’s hard not to like the whimsy of it. It reminded me very much of the “food” I cooked up as a child in those pint-sized play kitchens.

Display

The benefit, of course, is that customers know exactly what they are getting, down to the plastic drizzle of sauce. Based on the display, I opted for a chicken Caesar crepe.

Made to order

My crepe was made and assembled to order, the employee skilfully using a flat spatula to artfully fold the crepe so it fit perfectly inside a paper cone. In this way, Crepeworks is an especially great addition for Whyte, which can now add crepes to its portfolio of portable foods including pizza, hot dogs and ice cream, all meant to be consumed on the street.

Portable crepe

The crepe, containing chicken, romaine, Caesar salad dressing, parmesan and a dusting of “bacon” bits, was actually not bad. The crepe itself had a slightly chewy texture, and was fairly neutral in taste – I could see how it would work equally well with sweet and savoury flavours.

Chicken Caesar crepe

If not for the coupon though, I’m not sure I would have found value in the crepe. At nearly $7, I would expect it to fill the void of a meal, instead of just a snack, as I was hungry a few hours later. On future trips, I’d much rather indulge in a dessert crepe, preferably outside, while walking down Whyte.

Crepeworks
10352 82 Avenue
(780) 484-7975
Monday-Thursday 10am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 10am-11pm, Sunday 11am-7pm

Century Hospitality Group’s “Top Chef”

It seems reality cooking competition shows are all the rage as of late, and with Top Chef Canada currently airing on Food Network, there is no doubt the profile of some of our nation’s chefs will definitely be raised in the process.

But did you know that Edmonton will soon be crowning a “Top Chef” of its very own? For a second year running, Century Hospitality Group (which runs Century Grill, Delux, Hundred and Lux, as well as a catering business) is showcasing its kitchen talent through an in-house culinary competition, dubbed “CHG Top Chef”.

This year though, the cooking throwdown is bigger and better. Not only will the finale be open to the public, but members of the external food community have been asked to help with judging duties. Mack and I were thrilled (and humbled) to be asked to be a part of a group of judges that includes Valerie of A Canadian Foodie, Mary Bailey of The Tomato, Liane Faulder of the Journal, and Chefs Blair Lebsack and Andrew Fung. It should be fun!

For some more background about why Century Hospitality decided to host such a tournament, I asked CHG Corporate Chef Paul Shufelt a few questions:

1. Why the “Top Chef” format?

We used the term “Top Chef” for the tournament, but, perhaps, it’s a hybrid of the Top Chef style challenges and the head to head competition of Iron Chef, or similar style cooking contests. We are holding a single elimination tournament, where 16 of our top young chefs are competing head to head, with the winner of each bracket going through to the next round. Each week the challenges will become more involved, with Top Chef style twists coming as the weeks go by.

2. What do you think are the qualities of a “CHG Top Chef” champion?

A CHG Top Chef, will be the person who best exemplifies the skills of a great chef. Often on cooking shows, it’s all about the dish they make and that’s it. Little value is given to other keys that make a chef great. Throughout the challenges we will be testing the chefs abilities to “sell” their dish, their ability to pair it with wine, and in the final challenge 20% of the total score will involve their ability to lead a team, which will include a competitor that they beat along the way, and a guest judge, who may know a lot about food, but little about the expectations of cooking a 3 course dinner for 50+ people. They will also be judged on organization of their time, use/waste of ingredients, cleanliness of work environment, etc. So the goal with this challenge is to determine who can not only prepare a great meal, but handle leading a team, manage a kitchen, and successfully feed 50 happy people. A little more involved than making dinner for four judges. The successful chef will have to be creative, passionate about food, organized, poised, and possess strong leadership skills to win this competition.

3. Given we’re now in spring, and Lux’s recent foray into farmers’ market dinners, will seasonal ingredients be incorporated into the challenges?

The simple answer is Yes! Last week, we kept things very simple, because the time was limited and I was more concerned with seeing quality cooking, rather than overly complicated failures, but this week we will be adding a little something picked up from the downtown market before things get started. For next week, we will be incorporating even more ingredients from the market, and the secret ingredient for the dessert course in the Finale will be from the market, not to mention a foray of other great springtime ingredients picked fresh the day of. To take it a step further we have decided to provide the finalists with a $100 budget and an extra 30 minutes to peruse the downtown market to find complimentary ingredients for their dishes.

4. What can people expect from the finale on May 28? Why should they buy tickets?

People can expect a fantastic six course meal prepared by two of our most talented upcoming chefs, plated right before their eyes, in the company of other great food lovers. I can’t share with you what the secret ingredients are, but I can tell you they will be incredible. This will really be a foodie’s night! They will also get to be an active part of the decision process, as each guest will have one vote for their favourite chef. The total judges’ score will only be 100, so with 50 guests, and each one of their votes counting for one bonus point, they can really sway the decision. This will be a great evening of not just great food, but some fantastic entertainment, topped off with the crowning of Century Hospitality Group’s Top Chef.

I think this tournament will help to not only raise the profile of young chefs in Edmonton, but also help diners further understand and appreciate what goes into every plate at a restaurant. A girl can dream, but perhaps this will set the stage for a city-wide Top Chef competition to take place…

You can read more about the CHG Top Chef tournament on their blog. And if you want to buy tickets to the showdown, you’ll have to act fast – there are only 5 remaining as I write this!

Food Notes for May 9, 2011

The 30th edition of the Edmonton Fringe Festival has a name – Fringeopolis, celebrating the mini-municipality formed in Old Strathcona every August. I love the idea of becoming a “citizen” of the Fringe (or better yet, becoming a “builder”). Looking forward to it already! On to this week’s food notes:

Twyla filed a review of the new Prairie Bistro (situated inside the Enjoy Centre). Looks like it is worth a special trip out!
Courtenay wrote about the “preview” tacos cooked up by the folks behind Tres Carnales. They were served up to a hungry crowd at Red Star last week for Cinco de Mayo.
I passed by Yakitori Grill (10524 101 St, 780-760-0900) last week, and it now looks open. Anyone been yet?
I had heard rumours, but I wasn’t sure if it was true – a new waffle truck from a Victoria-based company called Wannawafel will be on Edmonton streets this month.
The Journal started a series on neighbourhood bakeries last week. First up, a shop I often frequent – the Italian Bakery.
Want to learn more about local Community Supported Agriculture you can support? Read on here.
I’m always interested in learning how farmers’ markets (and the politics of them) work in other cities – this is an interesting primer on the situation in Calgary, and specifically, about their lack of a central food policy.
Overflow for Hudson’s on Whyte: The Pint will be opening up soon in the former Purple Onion location (8032 – 104 Street).

The Pint

Now I know how to sneak fruit into Mack’s lunch – disguise it as chips! The Plaid Giraffe has fabric “chip” bags for sale.

What will they think of next?

I wandered into Wild Earth Foods last week, and found that they stock Steve & Dan’s BC Fruit on the shelves! It always helps when grocery stores can carry local product, and keep regular hours – it helps discount the “inconvenience” factor some have about farmers’ markets.

Steve & Dan’s at Wild Earth Foods (yeah, the signage is faint – hope that’s something they work on)

There’s something about seeing Edgar Farms at the farmers’ market (even without their bunches of asparagus) that gives me so much joy. Speaking of Edgar Farms – mark your calendars – their annual Asparagus Festival will be taking place on May 28 & 29, 2011.

Edgar Farms

When I asked my Mum what she wanted for Mother’s Day, she answered, “Biscuit sandwiches.” We did our best to deliver! Hope you had a great Mother’s Day as well!

Buttermilk biscuit sandwiches with cheddar, Irvings back bacon and Sunworks egg

Culinary Q & A with Allan Suddaby

Occupation: Cook at Jack’s Grill.

What did you eat today?

Breakfast: black coffee, a stalk of rhubarb, smoked gouda. Lunch: wheat and bean salad.

What do you never eat?

I don’t understand the question.

What is your personal specialty?

Fresh sausages.

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

Preserves: jam, pickles, mustard, and the like.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Depends on the time of year, but vegetables from Tipi Creek Farm and fried potatoes are usually involved.

What is your favourite kitchen item?

A sharp knife. Specifically a 10” French knife. Other items that deserve mention: stainless steel pans, food mill, stand mixer.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

Hot dogs with mustard and relish. I can’t decided whether the buns would be toasted or steamed. Served with braised cabbage and a glass of whole milk.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

A collection of pizza places around the university. Notably Campus Pizza, Avenue Pizza, and the Garneau Pub.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

It’s a toss up between Corso 32 and The Bauernschmaus.

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat? Kevin Kossowan’s house. I would order pork, mushrooms, apple wine, and charcuterie from his cellar. Also I change my answer to the previous question to Kevin Kossowan’s house.

Allan blogs at Button Soup.

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