• My third FoodTV post went live on Friday, about a recent excursion to the Arbour Restaurant in the historic Rutherford House for their High Tea.
• What appears to be a City of Edmonton-funded initiative, The Edmonton Food Security Network (EFSN), is hiring a Community Coordinator. I couldn’t locate any information on the web, but from the posting the EFSN "is a network of individuals representing various organizations and interests with the following mandate: to help organizations in the Capital Region increase food security by acting as a central resource network; facilitating connections & collaboration; encouraging partnerships/initiatives; and increasing public awareness of hunger and malnutrition." Interesting; I hope to hear more about this in the fall.
• Sherwood Park is hosting their own Beer & Wine Festival on August 22-23; tickets $15 in advance.
• A second Edible Arrangements is in the works in the Duggan neighbourhood (4026 106 Street, 780-462-6767).
• The Edmonton Journal had a profile on the family behind EnSante Wines, the organic fruit winery, as well as the most negative review I’ve seen in the Style section to date – Mike McCall’s pan of La Ronde.
• I never noticed it before, but quite a few restaurants go on hiatus for weeks at a time in the summer (Thanh Thanh, It’s All Greek to Me, among others). Or, in the case of Kerstin’s Chocolates and downtown’s L’Azia, take advantage of the warmer months to renovate. I hope the latter takes into account the menu and the service, and not just the decor.
• The Globe wrote a story last week about the self-serve City Cafe Bakery in Kitchener, Ontario where money is collected via the honor system. The best quote in the piece comes from co-owner Rudolph Dorner: "Payment is not optional…We price the bagel for you, but we trust you to pay it. Just like you trust us not to poison you."

• The Edmonton Journal profiled a new pizza place on the south side called RedBrick Pizza (965 James Mowatt Trail, 780-455-8822). The owners have the Canadian rights to the popular US chain, and are planning on opening five more locations in Alberta and BC in the next year and a half.
• Looks like someone bought the former Chili Hot Hot storefront on 109 Street and Jasper Avenue. According to a sign in the window, it will be transformed into “Tao Asian Bistro”. Western interpretations of Asian food is my guess.
• The last ticket-driven food event of the summer, Heritage Days, kicks off on Saturday. The menu is available online here. I highly recommend getting your food tickets in advance before arriving on site at Save-On Foods, Servus Credit Union branches, or Tix on the Square.
• After reading a review about the new Cactus Club Cafe in Vancouver featuring select dishes by Food Concept Architect Rob Feenie, I had to include it on my list of places to try while in Vancouver next month.
• Perhaps we’ll find this word in the dictionary a few years from now – Catherine Jheon wrote a post about the term “gastrosexual” – men who cook in order to seduce women. She goes on to cite a study where kitchen skills are being considered alongside income and personality as things to consider in a mate. I think the ability to cook, or at least an interest in cooking is important, if not only because it is such a passion for me. Thoughts?
• Walking through the Save On Foods on 109 Street on the weekend, I came across a square watermelon on sale for $99.99. Any takers?

Square Watermelon

• The Premier’s annual pancake breakfast takes place at the Legislature grounds on July 22. Join him and the other MLAs for free food and entertainment between 7-9am.
• The people behind Merriam-Webster Dictionary recently announced the list of new words to be added, including edamame and prosecco.
• A great article this week from the NYT about the origin and current popularity of the “slider”. I had no idea the word was originally a derogatory term to describe the ease at which White Castle burgers (the original slider) were eaten.
• Two shows I find myself watching whenever they’re on are Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, hosted by the tirelessly energetic Guy Fieri (a previous winner of The Next Food Network Star), and Food Safari, where the host introduces a specific cuisine through interviews and demonstrations with locals in Australia.
• Mack was excited to try the Vivanno, the new smoothie that debuted at Starbucks this week. I had a sip of both the Banana Chocolate and Orange Mango Banana blends (each containing “one whole banana”), and though they weren’t undrinkable, I’m going to stick to my Iced Brewed Coffee.

 

Vivanno (they only come in Grande sizes, in their own special cup)

• The second of my FoodTV posts went live on the website today. I wrote it way back in May, just after Sobeys Urban Fresh opened. After I had some more time to think about the store, I drafted this post, which more accurately captures my feeling about the “urban fresh” concept.
• Original Fare’s ForkFest started this week! To my surprise, the website has already uploaded most of the participants’ set menus. Though there will always be people wanting to eat out in restaurants, I do wonder why they decided to run their feature event so close (and next week, overlapping) with Taste of Edmonton and Capital Ex.
• I don’t go to breakfast buffets often, just because I find I can’t eat that much first thing in the morning, but if you can, perhaps the Sunday Brunch at the River Cree Resort, as reviewed by Richard Helm, is worth checking out.
• “Splash plugs”, which I mentioned back in April, have arrived at Starbucks locations in Edmonton (or at least, the 109th Street/Jasper Ave location). What a waste.
• Congratulations to Bob Blumer of Food Network’s Glutton for Punishment who broke the Guinness World Record for most pancakes made in an hour in Calgary last Thursday. He made 559 pancakes in total, all of equal diameter and thickness without any burnt edges. The episode capturing his victory will air some time next spring.
• I can’t wait to try this so-called “perfect” chocolate chip cookie recipe, cobbled together from the wisdom of many experts in the field.
• Also from the New York Times, a story about an innovative program for juvenile delinquents to gain employable skills by refurbishing old diners. The community liaison likens the program to be the “Home Depot of the correctional system.” Hee.
• Lastly, an update on our President’s Choice chip-off: the Buffalo Wings and Blue Cheese flavour taste like exactly that – spicy, with a blue cheese kick. My favourite (and Mack’s) ended up being General Tao Chicken.

• Eating local is all the rage now, so much so that it seems events galore – from cooking classes, tours, and sampling fairs – are a weekly affair. Edmonton’s Countryside TASTE! of Summer is such an event, taking place July 13 at the St. Albert Grain Elevator Park. There will be live entertainment, a small market, and Taste of Edmonton-esque food booths. Tickets on sale at Ticketmaster and at the gate.
• Another Edmonton trend that continues is “upscale” packaged dinners. Following in the footsteps of Wild Tangerine and Culina‘s Frozen Dinners, Bacon is now offering take-away dinners Tuesday through Saturday – $14 for a frozen entree, salad and dessert, packed in a biodegradable container.
• I’m quite excited to check out Sip! The Wine and Food Experience at CapitalEx, July 17-26. Over 150 alcoholic beverages will be on hand to sample, but of course, I am mostly looking forward to the food pairings. The menu is here, while the schedule for special guest appearances is here.
• My appointment television for the summer: The Next Food Network Star, showing on Wednesdays at 8pm MT. While I wished our episodes ran on par with the American channel, I can’t complain about the content of the show. In its last incarnation, I think the draw for me was the celebrity judges (Bobby Flay, Giada de Laurentiis, Rachael Ray), but this year, I’m actually more interested in seeing how the contestants fare in the challenges. It’s still too early to pick a favourite though.
• Mack and I have been slowly working our way through the irresistible silver-packaged President’s Choice-branded chips. The first flavour we tried – General Tao Chicken – has actually been our favourite thus far; Szechwan was too mild and Smokin’ Stampede much too spicy. Waiting to be sampled on the kitchen table: Buffalo Wings and Blue Cheese.
• Just before joining the lineup to await the grand opening of the Apple Store on Saturday, Mack and I tried the new Homestyle Hash Brown from Tim Hortons. It’s just about the only thing from a fast food outlet that remotely resembles the pictures I’ve seen in advertisements. Unfortunately, it didn’t taste as good as they described – the seasoning actually made it taste worse than the more plain McDonald’s version.
• Shaken, not stirred: Before the fondue party, Annie and I chowed down on the new Maple Leaf Pasta Shakers. “Fresh” pre-cooked pasta, a light dressing, a package of sundried tomatoes, and vacuum sealed chicken are vigorously shaken together (that was the fun part) for an easy meal. The pasta was a bit scary-looking, as one would expect processed, preserved pasta to be, but appearance aside, it wasn’t bad, both portion and taste-wise.

 

Mediterranean Chicken Pasta Shaker

• The first of my FoodTV posts went live on Monday! Check out my write-up on the City Centre Market here.
• Doggie-Style Deli, a cafe for dogs, just opened on the city’s west end. One question: why?
• Edible Arrangements, the American-based company that has elevated the art of fruit arrangements, now has a store in Edmonton (102, 10179 105 Street, 429-2802).
• I read on Chowhound that there are 3-course prix fixe meals available at some of Calgary’s reputable establishments, including Brava Bistro and Blink, outside of a “dine out week” event. I hope Edmonton follows this trend.
• Capital Health (spurned by Edmonton Journal’s own searchable database a few years ago) launched a website that will allow those interested to look-up recent inspection reports.
• Vij’s, famed for their Indian cuisine, has just added a bread-like dish called parantha made with ground crickets to their menu. His reasoning behind choosing to grind the crickets is spot on: “We decided to grind them into a flour so there was no visual effect, because in North America we eat with our eyes – if something does not look appealing, we tend not to eat it.” I hope to be able to try it when I’m in Vancouver later this summer.
• Catherine Jheon at Food TV posted about a photography ban at David Chang’s popular Momofuku Ko. I’m not sure I agree with it, but it’s his restaurant, and he can set the rules, especially for a place where the seats are in such high demand.
• I tried the new Margherita Pizza from Panago recently. While not as good as more “authentic” thin-crust pizzas from Leva or daCapo, it was pretty good. The fresh mozzarella made the pie.

 

Margherita Pizza

• Easily seduced by the smell of fresh baked goods, I wandered over to Handy Bakery (8660 118 Avenue) after a meeting last week. Keen on tasting the difference between Chinese and Portuguese Egg Tarts, I picked up half a dozen for my family and I. Sweeter, with a caramelized surface supplemented by the buttery flakiness of puff pastry, each tart was a little piece of heaven. Liane Faulder introduced Nata, a new Portuguese Bakery in this week’s Bistro – I will definitely have to try their tarts some time as well.

 

Portuguese Egg Tarts

• Liane Faulder profiled The Happy Camel (Callingwood Mall, 177 Street and 64 Avenue) last week. Using no preservatives to make their pitas or their spreads, it will be worth a drive out some time to see how fresh their products really taste.
• Another fresh-focused local food stop was profiled in Vue Weekly: Careit Deli (5236 199 Street), mentioned in the Edmonton Journal a few months ago. Their take-out options sound amazing.
• I came across an interesting sign advertising the price increase of various commodities in the bakery aisle of my neighbourhood Sobeys. Random, no?

 

“Commodity Update”

• Janice was nice enough to pick up some cupcakes for me from The Cupcake Shoppe, which occupies a booth at the Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market. While I am amused that their cupcakes are made from “scratch” (their quotation marks, not mine), they weren’t bad. I tried the Triple Threat (chocolate-chocolate chip cake with thick chocolate frosting), and appreciated the nice texture supplied by the dotting of chocolate chips beneath the icing.

 

Triple Threat and Lemon Drop cupcakes from The Cupcake Shoppe

• In January 2007, a cupcake at the Buttercream Bakeshoppe in Calgary was $2.50. Last weekend, they were priced at $2.95. Understandably, with the price of flour (among other things) increasing, they are more than justified in the mark-up. Still, I found the price of two cupcakes, $6.20 (with tax) just a little hard to swallow. One could easily buy a small cake for that amount!

 

Funky Monkey and Dreamy Blue cupcakes melting in the sun

• Mack and I had the pleasure of drinking in the sun on a rooftop patio at Starbucks of all places in Calgary. Why doesn’t Edmonton have one of these?

 

On the patio!

• The St. Albert Farmer’s Market kicks off this Saturday, June 14! With 200 vendors, it’s double the size of the City Centre Market. I hope to head out there myself soon.
• Liane Faulder contributed her first article about the City Centre Market last week, focused on a couple who run a Mexican food stand. I quite like it.
• I love the idea of a Lunch Club, as featured in the Journal’s LifeStyle section on Saturday – a group of people bring an item to share at lunch every day. Terribly difficult to be consistent about it, but I guess if people are counting on you, it’s hard to cop out.
• Gail Hall of Seasoned Solutions has started to teach her wonderful Market Fresh Cooking Classes, which I had the privilege of participating in last year. It’s a great opportunity to learn how to shop and incorporate produce and other goods picked up from the City Centre Market.
• Urban Safari Tours bills itself as “Calgary’s Premier Restaurant Tour Guide Service”, offering a multitude of restaurant tours for those that need direction. I wonder if such a service will ever find a place in Edmonton?
• Chow has a list of 10 must-read food blogs. One of my fellow FoodTV contributors, Definitely Not Martha, made the list!
• Via Andree Lau’s blog, a link to the new CBC FoodBytes blog (which she also writes for).
• Here’s an interesting idea (sent to me by Mack) – a jar meant for sticky substances like peanut butter with lids on both the top and bottom of the vessel.
• After watching Sex and the City last week, the girls and I had a bite to eat on the patio out at Joey’s Mediterranean Grill (9911 19 Avenue). There are probably worse locations for a patio (e.g. next to the exhaust parade that is Whyte Avenue), and with the water fixtures, cool breeze, and open area, I found it quite nice. The wait for the food, on the other hand, was not. The restaurant didn’t seem very busy, but for whatever reason, our dessert courses still took half an hour to deliver. My Hi-Rise Burger ($11.99) was nothing special, but the so-called “skinny fries” were surprisingly addictive.

 

Hi-Rise Burger and Skinny Fries

• Liane Faulder (Judy Schultz’s replacement for the weekly Journal Bistro column) published her first few articles this week. She chose the theme of senses, focusing on a select few restaurants that tempt the palette with visual glory, sensual aromas, and textural pleasures, as well as an additional piece on a restaurant in France that serves food in the dark. It’ll take a while to really understand her style, so I’ll hold out judgment for a while.
• Both Giada and Ina will have new shows on the American Food Network. I hope it isn’t too long before it will air on the Canadian side of FN!
• This is probably old news by now, but Gordon Ramsay might be the next superstar chef to break ground in Vancouver. Urban Diner cites numerous sources that Ramsay is in talks with Holt Renfrew to open a restaurant in their store.
• Via Chow, a very cool collapsible coffee cup made with the commuter in mind.
• Though I missed the television airing of House‘s fourth season finale, I managed to watch it on Thursday. Oh, Wilson.
• I’ve watched a few movies over the last month or so, some worth remembering, and some not at all. Iron Man was surprisingly good (Robert Downey Jr. was the perfect choice for the titular character), and P.S. I Love You was a disappointment (I couldn’t wait for it to end). And of course, the countdown to Sex and the City begins!
• At the drugstore, I came across bags of Skittles I’d never seen before – Skittles Chocolate. Each package comes with five flavours: S’mores, Chocolate Pudding, Chocolate Caramel, Vanilla and Brownie Batter. Why mess with the rainbow?
• I tried an Iced Brewed Coffee ($2.15 for a tall) at Starbucks on Friday. It’s apparently just double-strength coffee, iced, with a few pumps of syrup, but for some reason, it’s a lot better than most of the iced coffees I’ve tried – slightly sweet, but still a strong enough coffee taste that wasn’t diluted too much even with the melting ice cubes.

Enjoying an Iced Brewed Coffee