Tag: Slow Food Edmonton

Slow Food Edmonton’s Grilled Cheese Olympics: Recap

Combining comfort food with competition, Slow Food Edmonton’s first-ever Grilled Cheese Olympics took place this afternoon at Coast Wholesale Appliances. At stake: gift certificates for Paddy’s International Cheese Market, a grilled cheese sandwich at Madison’s Grill, Transcend Coffee, and the title of Grilled Cheese Olympic Champion.

Engraved Paderno spatula, in lieu of a medal

Coast Appliances turned out to be the perfect venue for the event – the space was bright and lofty, and equipped with some of the most beautiful ranges I have ever seen (all brand new, of course). Each of the competitors not only had top of the line stoves to work on, but the spectators also had plenty of room to watch.

Raymond Richmond and Nate Box work in front of the crowds

For a $2 entry fee (with all of the day’s proceeds going to send a young Albertan producer to Slow Food International’s Terra Madre), spectators were treated to samples of each of the thirteen sandwiches, which fell either in the “classic” or “contemporary” categories. Spectators were encouraged to vote for their favourite, which would earn a People’s Choice award.

Slow Food member Carrie distributes sandwiches to the hungry masses

While all sandwiches had to adhere to the Slow Food principles of “good, clean and fair”, competitors could choose to make either a “classic” sandwich (white bread, cheese, butter), or a “contemporary” sandwich (containing at least 60% cheese, and allowing for accompaniments). Some competitors did opt to enter both categories.

Ben Staley & Nathan Gour’s contemporary creation, made with goat cheese, brie, prosciutto, sundried tomatoes and served with a tomato compote (it won our People’s Choice votes)

The competition attracted a great mix of professional and amateur chefs – from Culina’s Cindy Lazarenko and Cyrus Shaoul from Kerstin’s Chocolates to Slow Food member Renita Falkenstern and two of Valerie’s Home Economics students from junior high school, it was obvious that everyone in the room loved food!

Cyrus means business

Renita presents her deep-fried grilled cheese sandwich

I didn’t envy the judges at all – besides having to sample and rate eighteen different sandwiches, they were pretty much grounded to the judges table for the entire competition. And lasting just over three hours, I know I felt exhausted, even with the freedom to move around to observe the prep work and cooking at the various stations.

Judges table (the Edmonton Journal’s Liane Faulder, Lux Steakhouse Executive Chef Tony Le, Fern Janzen of Paddy’s Cheese, and Madison’s Grill Executive Chef Blair Lebsack)

Each sandwich was introduced to the judges without the name of the competitor attached. They had to rate each sandwich for their presentation, taste, texture, style and “slowness” (if the product adhered to the principles of Slow Food).

Hard at work

During the lengthy judging process, I had a great time catching up with competitors, volunteers, and fellow spectators. It was a relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Food bloggers represent! (Chris, Eating is the Hard Part)

Before the results were announced, the judges noted that they were impressed by the creativity of the entries. I have to second that – everything from chocolate to Danish pickles found their way into the sandwiches, and though I thought Sylvan Star would be the main player today, I was glad to see a variety of cheeses used including goat cheese, mascarpone, ricotta and caraway havarti.

Valerie presenting her students’ sandwich

And the winners were:

  • People’s Choice Classic: Nate Box, with his Tree Stone Bakery brioche and Sylvan Star Gouda sandwich
  • People’s Choice Contemporary: Valerie Rodgers-Lugonja and her Home Economics students, with her smoked paprika bread, applewood smoked cheddar, mozzarella, Asian pear and cumin seed bacon spread sandwich
  • Judges Choice Classic: Jeff Johnson, with his homemade bread, emmental, sharp cheddar (both raw milk cheeses) and goose fat sandwich
  • Judges Choice Contemporary: Ben Staley and Nathan Gour (of North 53 Catering), with their goat cheese, brie, prosciutto and sundried tomato sandwich

Congratulations to all of the winners!

Thanks to Thea for organizing a great event!

You can take a look at Mack’s photo set here.

Slow Food Edmonton’s Grilled Cheese Olympics!

While Slow Food Edmonton does host many events that allow citizens to celebrate and partake in local food, such as the ever-popular Indulgence, the annual Greens, Eggs and Ham picnic and the Wild Boar and Beer BBQ (which I am helping to put together this year), I do think the organization needs to plan more accessible (price and time-wise) activities to engage the public.

For that reason, I was delighted to hear about the Grilled Cheese Olympics. Taking place at Coast Wholesale Appliances on March 14, 2010, the event will see competitors prepare their best grilled cheese sandwiches in one of two categories (classic or contemporary), to be evaluated by a panel of judges. Prizes include gift certificates for Paddy’s International Cheese Market and a grilled cheese sandwich from Madison’s Grill. All ingredients used must be good, clean and fair (that means no Kraft Singles!), and it is a fun, light hearted event that inspired cooks of all ages can participate in. Moreover, all proceeds ($25/$20 to compete, $2 to watch) go to support a young Albertan producer to Slow Food International’s Terra Madre, a yearly event where attendees learn sustainable food production methods.

Thea Moss, Slow Food Edmonton Convivium Leader came up with the idea. “Slow Food Edmonton thought it would be great to get people out of the doldrums of winter with some friendly competition,” says Thea. “Expect to see some sort of comfort food smackdown every year!” When asked if she has a favourite sandwich creation, I was surprised to hear that she doesn’t. “I have childhood memories of getting a grilled cheese sandwich after drama class with my mum. In Australia [where Thea is originally from], grilled cheese is not really a thing, so it’s not something I’ve explored. I hope to discover my favourite at this Grilled Cheese Olympics!”

If you’re interested in participating (either as a competitor or a spectator), the guidelines are worth a read, particularly because the playful spirit of the event quickly becomes apparent. And you have to love Chad Moss’s description of a winning grilled cheese sandwich:

  • Presentation: How does the sandwich look. Is there obvious melty goodness oozing out the sides. Is it evenly browned. Were the edges cut off due to crust carbonization…(1-10, 10 being highest)
  • Taste: Does the sandwich evoke memories of grilled cheesy goodness that make you want to call your parents and apologize for everything you ever did wrong as a kid. Is it a revelation in the art of grilled cheese, or is it just – schmeh… (1-20, 20 being highest)
  • Texture: is the cheese stringyness in perfect balance with the crisp outer toasted crust. Is the bread soggy. Did anyone break a tooth on the bison jerky lurking under the crust. (1-5, 5 being the highest)
  • Style: was there a garnish. Did it need a garnish to begin with. What made this sandwich special and/or better than the rest. Is the sandwich balanced. Was bigger actually better. (1-5, 5 being the highest)
  • Slowness: How well did the sandwich and it’s ingredients represent Slow Food principles? Judges will need your written submission here to learn about the ingredients you chose. (1-10, 10 being highest)

The deadline to enter the Grilled Cheese Olympics is March 10, 2010. Hope to see you there!

Slow Food Edmonton’s Grilled Cheese Olympics
March 14, 2010, 3-6pm
Coast Wholesale Appliances, 5345 Gateway Boulevard

The Gyoza Chronicles: Slow Food Edmonton Potluck

Though I probably should have listened to that little voice in my head, I made a conscious decision to block it out and make something I hadn’t made before for a brunch potluck.

A dish for the annual Slow Food Edmonton potluck had to encompass the values “good, clean and fair”, and while contemplating my options, I remembered Anna Olson’s gyoza (pork dumplings). Sure, it may not have been the most authentic recipe, but it seemed fairly straightforward. Moreover, I had some Irvings Farm Fresh ground pork in the freezer, and a Kuhlmann’s red cabbage in the fridge.

Mack and I sat down to make the dumplings a week ago, when we knew we had time to do so. I also intended to fry a few up at that time to ensure they were worthy of being served to others. The filling was a mixture of ground pork, diced cabbage, garlic, soy sauce and sugar, and I had defrosted a package of Wing’s dumpling wrappers the night before.

Though it took some getting used to, we eventually got used to forming the little half-moon shaped dumplings. Making the pleats look attractive was something else entirely, and as long as the gyoza stayed shut, we were happy. We froze most of them, but steamed up just a few to try– we gave up attempting to make the bottoms crispy, though using a stainless steel instead of a non-stick pan probably had something to do with it. My Mum was probably also right about using green cabbage instead of red – the red cabbage bled colour, and made it difficult to tell if the pork was fully cooked. They also made the exterior of the dumpling vein-y in appearance. In the end, given how few ingredients were contained in the filling, they were actually pretty tasty, and we deemed them acceptable for the potluck.

Gyoza ready for the freezer

We woke up this morning, downed our breakfast, and with coffee standing by, started frying up the gyoza. I am sad to say the first batch did not go swimmingly – we lost several gyoza to the unforgiving stainless steel pan. After switching to the non-stick pan, things went better, and filled up the tray only slightly later than our original plan.

Gyoza, finished!

The ever-gracious Mary Bailey hosted the potluck, and alongside about twenty other Slow Food members, Mack and I helped celebrate local food and an end to a year of Slow Food events (my first!). Unlike some other potlucks I have attended, it was clear that everyone took time to make something they were proud of and eager to share with the group. For example, Anita brought Latvian bacon buns (which Valerie wrote about here), and Valerie herself made sarma (smoky sour cabbage rolls, a dish from her husband’s former Yugoslavia country of origin).

Anita with a plate of her Latvian bacon buns

Though everything was great because of the homemade touch, I did have a few favourites. Kirstin of Spring Creek Ranch Beef made meatballs using (of course) their beef, marinated in a Jam Lady condiment, some garlic, and chilli sauce. Maria made a bread pudding using Tree Stone Bakery brioche that was absolutely divine (I think it was the chocolate that put it over the top) – and I am not usually a fan of bread pudding. I am also happy to report that the gyoza went over really well, whew!

Table bursting with food

Plate of mains

Dessert plate (bread pudding on the left)

There’s just one more Slow Food event taking place before the close of 2009 – in celebration of Terra Madre day on December 10, there will be a screening of The Islanders, a film about the fun that happens when chefs and farmers get together. Food and drinks will be provided, and the $20 per ticket will be going towards sending a local young farmer to Terra Madre, a conference where attendees share traditions and innovative solutions to keep small-scale food production alive and sustainable.

Thanks Mary for hosting a lovely brunch, and here’s to another great Slow Food year in 2010!

Slow Food Edmonton’s 4th Annual Wild Boar and Beer BBQ

Sunshine (and a steady breeze) flooded the skies for Slow Food Edmonton’s 4th Annual Wild Boar and Beer BBQ today, held at Alley Kat Brewery.

Wild Boar and Beer BBQ

I had helped with some of the early promotion, including putting together a scavenger hunt, but this was my first time attending the event. I found it to be well-organized, complete with volunteers directing cars to parking spaces.

All of Alley Kat’s beers were on tap, and attendees were not limited in the number of glasses they could drink. I stuck with my tried and true favourite of Aprikat (which, upon further inspection of the label, reads “beer cooler”), while Mack cooled off with Charlie Flint’s Original Lager.

Beer!

In addition to beer, our $35 ticket also granted us one heaping plate of food, all sourced locally. Chef Sebastian Lysz put together a menu that included: wild boar from Hog Wild Specialties with accompanying mustard from Walden Foods, tomato, mixed greens, mushroom and coleslaw salads from Greens Eggs and Ham, Lola Canola Honey and Morinville Greenhouses, bread from Tree Stone Bakery, Pinocchio ice cream and Saskatoon berry tarts.

 

Buffet-style line-up

 

Boar carving station

 

Mack helps himself

The boar didn’t taste gamey at all, and was moist and nicely marbled all the way through. Up against pork, however, I’m not sure I would have been able to taste the difference. Mack preferred the crunchy, gristly bits of the end-pieces.

 

Our plates

For our meal, we were privy to the company of Lea and her husband Rob, and Jim and his wife Elaine. Thanks for the conversation about food and travels!

Dawn Desmarais and her band provided entertainment all afternoon, a mix of covers and original songs, seemingly all dedicated to her ex-boyfriends. Perhaps it was a joke that we missed.

 

Dawn Desmarais

I also had the chance to meet Maria, the winner of the boar and beer scavenger hunt.

 

With Maria, who isn’t the slightest bit camera shy!

After our meal, we decided to take advantage of the tours being offered of Alley Kat’s microbrewery. As an employee of Labatt recently relayed that they can do what Alley Kat does in a year in three days, it helped put the craft brewing business in perspective. All of the stages of their beer production are far from automated, and it was interesting to be able to see all of the work that goes into a bottle of Alley Kat Beer.

 On the tour

 

Bottling and packing area

Thanks to Tara of Slow Food Edmonton for spearheading the work, Neil and the rest of the staff at Alley Kat for hosting, and to the volunteers and producers who made Wild Boar and Beer possible. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Announcing the Wild Boar and Beer Scavenger Hunt Winner!

Congratulations to Maria Iacobelli, who earned 210 out of a possible 300 points in Slow Food Edmonton’s first ever Wild Boar and Beer Scavenger Hunt! Maria and a guest will be treated to wild boar and a host of other local, seasonal dishes on July 12 at Alley Kat Brewery.

I am glad Maria looked like she had a blast taking the photos – I encourage you to patronize the local businesses and producers featured in the scavenger hunt. Here are a few of her photos:

Maria with a pot in front of Call the Kettle Black

Maria with Chicken for Lunch’s Amy Quon and Hot and Dry Chicken

Maria eating a Fat Frank

Maria with a host of bell peppers at the City Centre Market

Maria with Mary Ellen Gruenberg from Greens Eggs and Ham and a Slow Food membership application

See some of Maria’s other photos at the Slow Food Edmonton website. See you at Beer and Boar, Maria!

Slow Food Edmonton’s Wild Boar and Beer Scavenger Hunt!

Slow Food Edmonton’s 4th annual Wild Boar and Beer is a celebration of local food and drink! It is a chance to sample Mayerthorpe’s Hog Wild products, as well as several local and regional side dishes. In addition, there will be beer tastings and tours of Edmonton’s award-winning microbrewery, Alley Kat.

When: Sunday, July 12, 2009 at 1-4pm
Where: Alley Kat Brewery, 9929 60 Avenue
Cost: $35 for Slow Food Edmonton members, $40 for non-members, $10 for children under 10

For your chance to win 2 tickets, on behalf of Slow Food Edmonton, I’ve put together a scavenger hunt of local producers, restaurants, and independent businesses. Your objective is to collect as many points as possible! From now until June 29, take photos of yourself posing with as many of the items below as you can. Some items on the list will earn you more points than others. Remember to ask permission before taking photos with individuals!

Upload your photos to a photo sharing site such as Flickr or Picasa, and send the link to boarandbeer@gmail.com by June 29. In the event of a tie, the name of a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be announced on June 30.

Have fun with this – the scavenger hunt is meant to encourage exploration of some of the best Edmonton has to offer. Perhaps you will find a new favourite in the mix!

I would like to acknowledge the Amateur Gourmet, and their Great New York Foodie Scavenger Hunt as the inspiration for this challenge.

Good luck!

Take a picture of yourself…

  1. Holding a copy of City Palate (5pts.)
    next to Mary Bailey (an extra 10pts.)
  2. With 1lb. of Transcend Coffee (10pts.)
  3. Holding a bottle of Alley Kat beer (5pts.)
    dressed as a cat (an extra 20pts.)
  4. With a bar of Kerstin’s Chocolates’ Chocophilia (5pts.)
    next to Kerstin Roos or Curtis Jones (an extra 20pts.)
  5. Holding a package of Hog Wild Specialties (15pts.)
  6. In front of Cafe de Ville (5pts.)
  7. Posing with an “Eat Local First” flyer (5pts.)
    in front of Wild Earth Foods (an extra 5pts.)
  8. Holding any Greens Eggs and Ham product (5pts.)
    with Mary Ellen or Andres Gruenberg (an extra 10pts.)
  9. Eating a Fat Frank (5pts.)
  10. Holding as many bell peppers as you can at the City Centre Farmers’ Market (1pt. each, up to a maximum of 10)
  11. With a copy of the Edible Prairie Journal (10pts.)
  12. In front of Call the Kettle Black (5pts.)
    holding a pot (an extra 5pts.)
  13. With an Original Fare VIP card (10pts.)
  14. Eating a dish at the EATery at the ARTery (10pts.)
  15. With a bottle of en Sante Wine (5pts.)
  16. Holding an order of Amy Quon’s hot and dry chicken (5pts.)
    with Amy Quon (an extra 10pts.)
  17. Holding a Slow Food membership card (10pts.)
  18. With a copy of Company’s Coming (5pts.)
    next to Jean Paré (an extra 30pts.)
  19. Enjoying gelato at Leva (5pts.)
  20. With cheese curds from the Cheese Factory (5pts.)
  21. With a d’Lish to-go meal (5pts.)
  22. Holding asparagus from Edgar Farms (5pts.)
  23. With a product from Blue Kettle (5pts.)
  24. Lining up at the Italian Centre deli (5pts.)
  25. With a bottle of jam from The Jam Lady (5pts.)
    Holding A Jam Story print (an extra 20pts.)
  26. With Sylvan Star Cheese (5pts.)