Food Notes for January 10, 2010

Mark your calendars: Original Fare’s Fork Fest starts next week, January 16-20 and January 23-27, 2011.
The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra is holding a fundraiser on January 28, 2011, called the Flavours of BC’s Naramata Bench Wine Tasting & Auction.
How about a different kind of dinner theatre? See Kenneth Brown’s epic trilogy Spiral Dive, preceded by dinner from La Bistro Persaud. On until January 23.
Liane reported that Pharos has now reopened, below the Haven Social Club.
City and Dale wrote a little preview of Somerville Wine & Cheese.
Chris followed up on Marianne’s review of Corso 32 with one of his own.
Mack and I sadly missed the pig-tastic potluck that Valerie hosted this weekend – it looked fun!
Speaking of Valerie, she has added more Taste Tripping cooking classes to the calendar.
Mack sent me a link to an Alberta Venture article about the difficulties faced by microbreweries in Alberta.
Also from Mack – he is always complaining about certain nuances of restaurant websites – the use of flash, no accessible menu, etc. Turns out, this Tumblr site read his mind.
Need to catch up on what you missed on Top Chef: All Stars? Maki will be posting recaps of the show every Tuesday.
Cathy posted an amusing flowchart to help consumers determine whether or not a food item at the grocery store is, well, actually food.
This is an interesting piece from Gourmet Live – frozen yogurt may not be as healthy as consumers think.
Starbucks is changing their logo: gone are the words “Starbucks Coffee” from the outer edge of the circle – it seems the company wants the image of the mermaid to be as iconic as the Nike Swoosh or Apple’s logo.
I walked by Sequel Café last week (formerly Essence Tea Bar), and took a picture of their day’s menu.

The Sequel Cafe

It was particularly steamy in Pho Tau Bay on Friday afternoon, when Ellen and I caught up over bowls of noodles. She said we would end up smelling like pho upon our return to the office. She was right.

Pho

Mack and I took in the lovely lights at the Legislature a few times over the holidays – nothing says Christmas in Edmonton like waltzing through the tree-lined paths with a loved one.

Mack’s prettiest shot

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!

The Cooking Chronicles: Breakfast Banana Muffins

Every family seem to have that one go-to cookbook for baked goods, so used that the spine is worn, the pages tabbed and wrinkled. For my family, when it came to muffins anyway, that cookbook was Company’s Coming Muffins & More. For Mack’s family, it was Muffin Mania, by Cathy Prange & Joan Pauli.

Though I’m not giving up Jean Pare anytime soon (her zucchini muffins are a particular favourite), Grandma Male gave me a copy of Muffin Mania last year, so appreciated because I know how much the recipes are treasured by their family.

Muffin Mania

I’ve replicated a few recipes from the book, but I had yet to venture into banana territory until recently (banana muffins are Mack’s favourite). It never really occurred to me to make muffins in the morning – but with a pot of coffee brewing and ready to sip while the muffins are in the oven, they really are a wonderful way to start the day.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

First up was a recipe for banana oatmeal muffins. The inclusion of oats certainly made it a heartier muffin, and did add a layer of texture, but both Mack and I agreed that we preferred the more cake-like banana muffin. Next.

Banana oatmeal muffins

Best Ever Banana Muffins

The best ever banana muffins was a winner, and though I still don’t believe Mack when he says they taste like the ones his Mum makes, I have to admit, they are pretty good. Most surprising to me is the fact that the recipe doesn’t call for any spices – the usual cinnamon and/or nutmeg is conspicuously absent. And yet, they really are the best banana muffins I’ve had – moist, soft, and so fragrant.

Best ever banana muffins

They’re the best reason I’ve found to let your bananas brown.

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

The Cooking Chronicles: Bring on the Meat (and Seafood)

In the last six months, I’ve made a deliberate effort to include more beans, lentils and tofu in our diet, replacing the meat we used to extensively depend on for protein. Of course, while we will never give up meat entirely (hello, bacon!), I’ve started to think about it as an option instead of a necessity.

The following two recipes, however, were delicious ways to incorporate meat (and seafood) into our week’s meals.

Beef Stew

Beef stew always seemed to be one of those quintessential “rite of passage” dishes that all cooks have in their back pocket (like roasting a chicken, something else I have yet to do). I’m not sure what’s stopped me in the past (it’s not difficult – brown the meat, toss in the vegetables, wine/stock, and throw it in the oven), but I finally attempted it recently, basing it loosely on Rose Murray’s recipe that appears in A Taste of Canada.

I didn’t make the orange-walnut gremolata, but then again, I didn’t think it would have added anything to the stew. The stewing beef (some of the last of our cow share) was just perfectly tender after three hours in the oven, and Mack really liked the inclusion of mushrooms (the stews that we both grew up with did not contain mushrooms).

Beef stew

Next up: a slow cooker beef stew!

Shrimp and Cilantro Shu Mai

When I saw Mark Bittman’s recipe for shrimp and cilantro shu mai, I was immediately taken. Homemade dim sum? Yes, please!

It was pretty easy – half of the shrimp was pureed in a food processor with sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine, ginger, cilantro and scallions, then combined with the rest of the shrimp, cilantro (both roughly chopped) and scallions. The mixture is then placed inside wonton wrappers, and steamed.

Shu mai

We couldn’t get the pleats quite right, so we decided to just make little stars instead, which worked just fine. We served the shu mai with some blanched bok choy and rice, for a rounded weekday dinner.

Dinner

They were lovely – the sesame oil was the fragrant standout, though the fresh presence of the cilantro was hard to ignore as well (much to Mack’s dismay). The texture provided by a mix of the puree and chopped shrimp was also quite pleasant. We liked the shu mai so much we decided to bring them as appetizers to Jane and Yi-Li’s post-Christmas Christmas dinner potluck.

If you want a taste of dim sum without leaving the comforts of your own home, give these a try!

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

Food Notes for January 3, 2011

Happy new year! It’s hard to believe the holidays are over, though really, I’m just sad that our nightly Mad Men marathons have to end, heh. I hope your transitions back to work are painless as well! On to this week’s food notes:

Lots to do this coming weekend – check out Deep Freeze at Alberta Avenue, January 8-9, 2011 (with special Alberta Avenue farmers’ markets on both days as well), and Winter Light, which runs January 8 and runs until March 5, 2011.
Transcend Coffee is offering a pretty cool opportunity – the chance to visit some premium coffee growers in Costa Rica with Poul Mark, the founder of Transcend.
Congrats to the twelve Alberta bloggers, including Andree, Cheryl, Chris, Kevin, Mel and Liane who are nominated for the Canadian Food Blog Awards! Winners will be announced on January 31, 2011.
Somerville Wine and Cheese (10723 124 Street) is now open.
Marianne and Charles visited Corso 32, and wrote up a positive review! Glad to see that some of Daniel’s successful dishes at Red Star make appearances at Corso.
If you haven’t checked out Valerie’s series of posts on trends, I’d highly recommend it – she has collected a variety of perspectives, including farmers, food writers and business owners, bloggers and chefs.
Liane also published her piece on food trends last week, and followed up with a blog post. I have to say I disagree with her point that cupcakes are on their way out.
A number of bloggers wrote year-end wrap up posts, including Maki, Chris and Valerie.
I almost missed this – Jan Hostyn had a good interview with Jacqueline Jacek of Jacek Chocolates in Vue.
Janice was in town for a few days last week, and Annie, May and I thought it only fitting to welcome her back with cheese fondue.

The spread

We took advantage of our proximity to Churchill Square this year by taking in the New Year’s Eve festivities just before midnight.

Yi-Li, Jane, Mack and I

Fireworks!

It’s always great to see downtown bustling with people

Last but not least – Go Canada Go! Man, the city will be rocking this time next year when the World Juniors pays us a visit (even though I know the medal games won’t be in Edmonton).

Culinary Highlights: 2010 Edition

Something happened in 2010 – maybe it was the mortgage, maybe it was the market…okay fine, mostly it had to do with moving out of Casa del Yeo – but I cooked more in my life this year than I ever had in the past, and relished every minute of it!

We finally nailed homemade pizza this year!

My tendency to organize everything, it turns out, fits perfectly with meal planning, so besides getting great meals, I know I am reaping satisfaction from the start of the very process itself – bookmarking recipes, learning what is in season, developing shopping lists, and ensuring a speedy turnover of produce.

We cooked more seasonally this year, and weren’t afraid to buy unfamiliar produce – like pea tendrils

This is not to say I’ve given up eating out by any means (though I know the balance of our food budget shifted this year) – I still enjoy trying new restaurants, and revisiting old favourites, but there’s nothing like preparing and enjoying a home-cooked meal with a loved one at the end of the day.

Curried lentil soup – one of many soups I made this year

Anyway – thanks for bearing with me this year, as I continue to seek great eats in Edmonton – both outside our home and in our own kitchen!

Here are some of the other highlights for me in 2010:

The most exciting thing for Mack and I this year was buying our first condo. A well-designed kitchen was a deal breaker, and though it may not be very large, I love the kitchen!

The spread at a housewarming party for friends

It was important to both of us that the condo be located downtown; the fact that it happens to be right where the City Market is situated only made everything easier. It also enabled me to write a weekly update of the market this year.

Doesn’t the summer seem forever ago? (photo from week 5)

We were also able to get out to visit a few farms this year, including Riverbend Gardens and Bles Wold Dairy. I know it isn’t for everyone – but I do like seeing where my food comes from.

Janelle Herbert (and her two children) of Riverbend Gardens in their never-ending squash patch

With cows at the Bles Wold Dairy

There’s also nothing like farm-to-table meals, and in 2010, we had not one, but two such glorious meals at Madison’s Grill.

A duck and goose trio at a Farmers’ Market Dinner in January

Wine at the 2010 PMA International Wine Makers Dinner in April, where we learned the true brilliance that wine and food pairings can be

That wasn’t the end of sumptuous multicourse meals – I can’t forget the off-menu extravaganza courtesy of Chef Tony Le at Lux, or the Chef Judy Wu’s wonderful showcase at the Wild Tangerine.

Espresso shortrib with truffled bacon cream corn at Lux

Jasmine tea smoked duck breast at the Alberta Backstage Culinary Dinner

Not all of my favourites this year were necessarily fancy, however. I’m still dreaming about the hot dog sliders at Delux, and can’t wait to go back for the xiao long bao at Shanghai 456.

Made with Nathan’s Famous hot dogs!

Soup dumplings at Shanghai 456

Sometimes though, food tastes best after a long day’s work – it certainly felt like that when Maria and I were finally able to relax and have a bite at the Wild Boar and Beer BBQ we organized in August.

Maria and I

Another fun Slow Food Edmonton event this year was the first ever Grilled Cheese Olympics.

The People’s Choice winner, made with goat cheese, brie, prosciutto, sundried tomatoes, served with a tomato compote

I was fortunate enough to be asked to act as a judge myself – at Heritage Days in August, and at the MoCupcakes Challenge in November.

Mack loved this perk of being a judge – the keys to a golf cart!

Linda’s winning Stud Muffins

Mack and I did do some travelling this year – we visited San Francisco in September (I have yet to blog about it). It was my first time visiting a winery, and it’s a no brainer to say what was Mack’s favourite moment – meeting Chef Hubert Keller!

With our favourite Top Chef Master

Cheers!

I’m looking forward to what 2011 has in store for us already!

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!

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