Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Little Whyte Avenue Update
Walking home last week I noticed this sign on the space that was Press Café (10846 Whyte Ave). Peering through the door's window, it looks like the 'renos' are definitely still in progress...
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Meal Planning Saga: Week Nine
Wow. This past week was a little hectic and not nearly as well planned as I would have liked it to be. With Charles mom moving to town Monday, we just couldn't anticipate where we would be each evening, which was completely fine... it just meant reverting to some old (incredibly tasty) 'habits'.
Sunday - Things started off rather well with this butternut squash and caramelized onion galette from Smitten Kitchen. Some leftover roasted squash from Saturday's pizzas, caramelized onions and Fontina were great for my first galette ever. As Deb says, the dough is flawless. I even substituted some Greek yogurt in the absence of sour cream and it still turned out well. I can't wait to make some other fillings, especially as summer berries begin to arrive. This was great the next day for lunch at room temperature alongside some salad, and it even held up well in my backpack throughout the morning.
Monday - With a delayed flight and a paper due Tuesday morning, we found ourselves at Dadeo for the $8 Po-boy special. One catfish, one Philly cheese steak and two chili lagers.
Tuesday - A Zed family dinner of pancakes and sausages.
Wednesday - Salmon and braised lentils from America's Test Kitchen Cooking for Two 2010. We certainly enjoyed this salmon prep, which was quick and easy, and the lentils turned out to be a filling, creamy base. Though this fish dish had nothing on the 'fish in parchment'.
Thursday - A little while ago Sharon posted on Mario Batali's Roman Egg Drop soup, so we thought we'd give it a try. Wow, she wasn't kidding - creamy and rich, the eggs did wonders here to turn chicken broth into a hearty winter soup. Charles stopped on the way to the LRT station and grabbed a loaf of bread from Queen of Tarts just as they were closing, along with a cinnamon-orange treat for dessert. We are realizing the positives of him working just a couple blocks away and a transit route back to Garneau that carries him near the spot.
I also broke out this banana bread recipe again, though this time it was destined for muffins. I filled the tin to the top and as I looked in the oven about half way through I was sure everything was about to overflow. Thankfully it never did and I ended up with some excellent crispy muffin tops after about 45-50 minutes of baking... nearly Leva worthy, especially just out of the oven.
Friday - Urban Diner, Garneau. We had burgers planned, but getting home a little late in the evening after kitchen unpacking, we gave in and took a walk over to 109th. As we approached I was happy to see Friday was the first night Urban Diner would have Yukon Brewing's Porter on tap. I love this beer - it's incredibly creamy, comforting and easy drinking. As we arrived we found the place packed with porter lovers and I couldn't believe we were seated right away. We waited a little while for our food, but it was well worth it.
Saturday - This was the first snack based evening we've had in awhile, but it was leftover bread, cheese, salad, etc. from the week.
Earlier in the day though, we went to the City Market. We got there just as vendors were finishing set up and, finally, for the ringing of the bell!
Sunday - Things started off rather well with this butternut squash and caramelized onion galette from Smitten Kitchen. Some leftover roasted squash from Saturday's pizzas, caramelized onions and Fontina were great for my first galette ever. As Deb says, the dough is flawless. I even substituted some Greek yogurt in the absence of sour cream and it still turned out well. I can't wait to make some other fillings, especially as summer berries begin to arrive. This was great the next day for lunch at room temperature alongside some salad, and it even held up well in my backpack throughout the morning.
The onions are starting...
Monday - With a delayed flight and a paper due Tuesday morning, we found ourselves at Dadeo for the $8 Po-boy special. One catfish, one Philly cheese steak and two chili lagers.
Tuesday - A Zed family dinner of pancakes and sausages.
Wednesday - Salmon and braised lentils from America's Test Kitchen Cooking for Two 2010. We certainly enjoyed this salmon prep, which was quick and easy, and the lentils turned out to be a filling, creamy base. Though this fish dish had nothing on the 'fish in parchment'.
Thursday - A little while ago Sharon posted on Mario Batali's Roman Egg Drop soup, so we thought we'd give it a try. Wow, she wasn't kidding - creamy and rich, the eggs did wonders here to turn chicken broth into a hearty winter soup. Charles stopped on the way to the LRT station and grabbed a loaf of bread from Queen of Tarts just as they were closing, along with a cinnamon-orange treat for dessert. We are realizing the positives of him working just a couple blocks away and a transit route back to Garneau that carries him near the spot.
A seedy bread
The soup
Amazing cinnamon 'tulip' with pecans and orange-caramel
I also broke out this banana bread recipe again, though this time it was destined for muffins. I filled the tin to the top and as I looked in the oven about half way through I was sure everything was about to overflow. Thankfully it never did and I ended up with some excellent crispy muffin tops after about 45-50 minutes of baking... nearly Leva worthy, especially just out of the oven.
Friday - Urban Diner, Garneau. We had burgers planned, but getting home a little late in the evening after kitchen unpacking, we gave in and took a walk over to 109th. As we approached I was happy to see Friday was the first night Urban Diner would have Yukon Brewing's Porter on tap. I love this beer - it's incredibly creamy, comforting and easy drinking. As we arrived we found the place packed with porter lovers and I couldn't believe we were seated right away. We waited a little while for our food, but it was well worth it.
...worth freezin' for...
Steak sandwich
Reuben with caramelized onions and amazing cumin-curry-dijon
Saturday - This was the first snack based evening we've had in awhile, but it was leftover bread, cheese, salad, etc. from the week.
Earlier in the day though, we went to the City Market. We got there just as vendors were finishing set up and, finally, for the ringing of the bell!
The bell!
Monday, March 14, 2011
'Eat Alberta 2011'
Got April 30th open this year? Check out Eat Alberta, a conference that will highlight some of the talented people within Edmonton's food community. Throughout the day there will be coffee, wine and goat cheese tastings and pasta, pie and pizza dough making (amongst other sessions)... in short, be prepared to get your hands dirty! You can register and/or find full details on sessions, pricing and goals of the conference here.
I'll be volunteering for the day, so if you have a chance to make it out, please stop by and say 'Hi'!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Meal Planning Saga: Week Eight
Last week was certainly highlighted by adventures around town more than our 'home cooking', though the butter chicken was pretty incredible...
Sunday - Once again, a roast chicken. There's just something about it that works well on a Sunday evening.
Monday - Braised beef with mashed potatoes. Inspired by our visit to Somerville Wine and Cheese we placed this roast in the slow cooker for about four hours with red wine and tomatoes. Next time a fattier cut of beef is certainly in order, but the flavours here were great all the same.
Tuesday - Chicken and vegetable soup.
Wednesday - Italian sausages with salad and roasted veggies. Digging through (I mean... 'organizing') our freezer a couple weekends ago, we found a neglected package of sausages that we were excited to barbecue. No go - the door to our balcony was frozen solid, and this time no hair dryer could fix it. So we simply poached and pan cooked them instead.
Thursday - Alley Kat was certainly the highlight of the evening here, and afterward a stop at Langano Skies finished things off nicely.
Friday - Slow Cooker Butter Chicken from Meal Planning 101. This was the most viewed recipe on Kindra's site in 2010, and for good reason - it was simple to prepare and incredibly flavourful. There's no doubt we'll be doing this one again. We grabbed some naan from the E-Zee Market on 109th to round the meal out. (We've walked passed this place hundreds of times but only recently went in to find an incredible selection of spices, curries and other dishes made fresh daily.)
Saturday - A few things were on our minds Saturday, namely heading to Queen of Tarts to check things out, and later in the evening to Refinery at the AGA. First though, I was distracted by the excellent snowflakes falling on Saturday morning.
Leaving the snowflakes outside, we were stunned as we entered the Queen of Tarts' space. It's both beautiful and well stocked, with products from The Jam Lady, Mighty Trio and others available amongst their desserts, breads and lunch items. I urge you to check out Sharon's pictures and thoughts here. We actually ran into Sharon and Mack while there, along with Valerie, which was great. I also ran into Liz, an amazing lady who I took both baking and chocolate classes with at NAIT last year.
Before getting into the tarts themselves though, Brenna and Catherine came over for some pre-Refinery pizza. A veggie for Catherine consisted of roasted red peppers, feta, bocconcini and tomato sauce, while the rest of the discs were made into white pizzas with roasted butternut squash, sage, prosciutto, bocconcini and Gruyère (that last one was the perfect sweet salty combo and a reminder of warmer fall days). We also drank a couple beers that I intend to post on a little later.
And for dessert - the Queen of Tarts' tarts. As expected they were lovely. The lime was rich while tangy (Brenna and Catherine both swooned) and the chocolate hazelnut tart was dense and chocolate-y, with an amazing sandy, hazelnut crust. Post dessert we ventured back downtown for a couple drinks, some new exhibits and an attempt at dancing in public.
And hello week nine.
Sunday - Once again, a roast chicken. There's just something about it that works well on a Sunday evening.
Monday - Braised beef with mashed potatoes. Inspired by our visit to Somerville Wine and Cheese we placed this roast in the slow cooker for about four hours with red wine and tomatoes. Next time a fattier cut of beef is certainly in order, but the flavours here were great all the same.
Tuesday - Chicken and vegetable soup.
Wednesday - Italian sausages with salad and roasted veggies. Digging through (I mean... 'organizing') our freezer a couple weekends ago, we found a neglected package of sausages that we were excited to barbecue. No go - the door to our balcony was frozen solid, and this time no hair dryer could fix it. So we simply poached and pan cooked them instead.
Thursday - Alley Kat was certainly the highlight of the evening here, and afterward a stop at Langano Skies finished things off nicely.
Friday - Slow Cooker Butter Chicken from Meal Planning 101. This was the most viewed recipe on Kindra's site in 2010, and for good reason - it was simple to prepare and incredibly flavourful. There's no doubt we'll be doing this one again. We grabbed some naan from the E-Zee Market on 109th to round the meal out. (We've walked passed this place hundreds of times but only recently went in to find an incredible selection of spices, curries and other dishes made fresh daily.)
Saturday - A few things were on our minds Saturday, namely heading to Queen of Tarts to check things out, and later in the evening to Refinery at the AGA. First though, I was distracted by the excellent snowflakes falling on Saturday morning.
Leaving the snowflakes outside, we were stunned as we entered the Queen of Tarts' space. It's both beautiful and well stocked, with products from The Jam Lady, Mighty Trio and others available amongst their desserts, breads and lunch items. I urge you to check out Sharon's pictures and thoughts here. We actually ran into Sharon and Mack while there, along with Valerie, which was great. I also ran into Liz, an amazing lady who I took both baking and chocolate classes with at NAIT last year.
Before getting into the tarts themselves though, Brenna and Catherine came over for some pre-Refinery pizza. A veggie for Catherine consisted of roasted red peppers, feta, bocconcini and tomato sauce, while the rest of the discs were made into white pizzas with roasted butternut squash, sage, prosciutto, bocconcini and Gruyère (that last one was the perfect sweet salty combo and a reminder of warmer fall days). We also drank a couple beers that I intend to post on a little later.
And for dessert - the Queen of Tarts' tarts. As expected they were lovely. The lime was rich while tangy (Brenna and Catherine both swooned) and the chocolate hazelnut tart was dense and chocolate-y, with an amazing sandy, hazelnut crust. Post dessert we ventured back downtown for a couple drinks, some new exhibits and an attempt at dancing in public.
And hello week nine.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Alley Kat and the Three Bears Oatmeal Stout
Alley Kat posted an invite on Facebook Wednesday asking everyone to come check out their newest (and first for 2011) in the 'Big Bottle Series' - Three Bears Oatmeal Stout. A couple friends and I arrived around 7pm for the last hour of the launch party.
Brenna and I grabbed a couple glasses of the stout, while Catherine, not a stout fan, went for the classic Full Moon. The stout is rich and smooth with a pleasant level of bitterness throughout, and I think it will be perfect drinking for what is supposed to be a cool-ish spring. In other words, "It's just right." (Sorry about that... I couldn't resist). We also grabbed a few sips of the Apple Wit, which has quickly become a favourite of Brenna's, and the coffee porter which none of us had tried previously. The coffee aroma and flavour in the porter is intense (enjoyably so), and as someone next to us said, it's just like drinking a cold coffee - perfect for breakfast.
A couple mini chocolate cupcakes went with the stout nicely, as did bread from Tree Stone made with some of the malt mixture leftover from the brews. As we sipped our beer we went on a tour of the brewery, something I'd been meaning to do for some time. Informative and fun, this was a great way to spend a Thursday evening after a long week.
Alley Kat Brewery
9929 66th Ave
780.436.8922
Hours: M-W (10:30-4:30) Th-F (10:30-5:30) Sa-Su (Closed)
Alley Kat has great prices on all their brews in store and you can create your own six pack if you're so inclined.
The tap
A couple mini chocolate cupcakes went with the stout nicely, as did bread from Tree Stone made with some of the malt mixture leftover from the brews. As we sipped our beer we went on a tour of the brewery, something I'd been meaning to do for some time. Informative and fun, this was a great way to spend a Thursday evening after a long week.
Whisky barrels, mostly for the Sherbrooke brews. One is full of Olde Deuteronomy but its release is being delayed by the AGLC. Unfortunately it seems they're not over that whole 11.9% thing... strange since they had reversed the three week law.
Recycled bottles on their way to be filled.
9929 66th Ave
780.436.8922
Hours: M-W (10:30-4:30) Th-F (10:30-5:30) Sa-Su (Closed)
Alley Kat has great prices on all their brews in store and you can create your own six pack if you're so inclined.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Niche
Charles and I ventured to Niche a couple Saturdays ago, grabbing a reservation for 7:30 the evening prior. In what has become annoyingly regular form, we stepped through the door a little after our reservation.
The space is certainly tight, with a couple high tables nearest the bar and about half a dozen tables lined up along a banquet (plus some seating along the bar itself). We squeezed into one of the tables for two along the wall amongst a fairly packed house. Finding that Niche did indeed feature a comparatively lengthy cocktail list (though I'm really waiting for a list like the one we encountered at Ferris' Upstairs in Victoria), I happily selected something fizzy and gingery, while Charles went for a pint of Yellowhead lager. Food wise, we opted to share the Bison Meat Balls ($10), and order mains of Duck Confit ($20) and Beef Cheeks ($20).
Settling into our drinks we saw the meatballs coming our way after a short wait. With a sharp tomato sauce and the addition of pine nuts, these reminded us a little of our recent adventure with the Frankies' meatballs, though without the overpowering garlic. We wasted no time clearing the plate here.
Mains were out soon after. Charles' dish of braised beef cheeks, 'wild' mushroom cream sauce and egg noodles was decidedly the favourite. The meat was soft and tender, while the mushrooms and noodles provided a richness that would prepare him well to brave the cold again. I enjoyed my duck confit, though the savoury lemon thyme gravy was the hit for me.
Dessert wise we decided to check out two options. The 'featured dessert' - a salted chocolate brownie ($5) - and the candied pear tart with brandy cream ($5). As Sharon noted, the brownie lacked a necessary richness and seemed a little dry and crumbly. That said, the salt was certainly present. The sweet, soft textured pears in the tart were certainly enjoyed, and of course you can't go wrong with brandy cream.
Service was a little rocky, though certainly friendly. Only open for a couple months now, I'm sure this is something that will improve over time as they hit their stride with the space and clientele. We did have a funny experience with photo taking that evening. One of the servers grabbed a flashlight and held it over our plates for some better lighting. Though admittedly a little embarrassing at the time, it was an interesting and likely singular experience nonetheless.
Open late, Niche is yet another option to check out downtown for dinner, drinks and plates to share. Chef Nathan Saurette hinted in the Journal recently that he's exploring other dishes for the menu (currently on the short side); with that in mind, this will certainly be a spot we'll have to check out again soon.
Niche
11011 Jasper Ave.
780.761.1011
Hours: M-W (4pm - midnight) Th-Sa (4pm - 2am) Su (Closed)
Check out Sharon's review here, the Journal's interview with Nathan Saurette here, and some really great photos from 1hundo here.
The space is certainly tight, with a couple high tables nearest the bar and about half a dozen tables lined up along a banquet (plus some seating along the bar itself). We squeezed into one of the tables for two along the wall amongst a fairly packed house. Finding that Niche did indeed feature a comparatively lengthy cocktail list (though I'm really waiting for a list like the one we encountered at Ferris' Upstairs in Victoria), I happily selected something fizzy and gingery, while Charles went for a pint of Yellowhead lager. Food wise, we opted to share the Bison Meat Balls ($10), and order mains of Duck Confit ($20) and Beef Cheeks ($20).
Settling into our drinks we saw the meatballs coming our way after a short wait. With a sharp tomato sauce and the addition of pine nuts, these reminded us a little of our recent adventure with the Frankies' meatballs, though without the overpowering garlic. We wasted no time clearing the plate here.
Alberta bison meatballs with toasted pine nuts, swiss chard simmered in garlic tomato sauce topped with Pecorino cheese.
'Spring Creek braised beef cheeks in a wild mushroom cream tossed with broad egg noodles.'
'Confit of Brome Lake duck paired with golden mashed potatoes and lemon thyme gravy.'
Service was a little rocky, though certainly friendly. Only open for a couple months now, I'm sure this is something that will improve over time as they hit their stride with the space and clientele. We did have a funny experience with photo taking that evening. One of the servers grabbed a flashlight and held it over our plates for some better lighting. Though admittedly a little embarrassing at the time, it was an interesting and likely singular experience nonetheless.
Open late, Niche is yet another option to check out downtown for dinner, drinks and plates to share. Chef Nathan Saurette hinted in the Journal recently that he's exploring other dishes for the menu (currently on the short side); with that in mind, this will certainly be a spot we'll have to check out again soon.
Niche
11011 Jasper Ave.
780.761.1011
Hours: M-W (4pm - midnight) Th-Sa (4pm - 2am) Su (Closed)
Check out Sharon's review here, the Journal's interview with Nathan Saurette here, and some really great photos from 1hundo here.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Meal Planning Saga: Week Seven
Continuing with the 'saga', here's what we did for week seven.
Sunday - 'Basic Fish (halibut for us) Baked in Parchment' from Chow. This recipe was flavourful and incredibly simple. The fish stayed moist, clean up was easy and the citrus and herbs were bright and fresh on a cold day.
Monday - 'Pulled Jerk Chicken Sandwiches', also from Chow. Another slow cooker recipe that we will definitely use again. The chicken was slightly spicy, and the cinnamon and nutmeg filled our apartment with a pretty fantastic aroma. We added some roasted red peppers to the sandwiches as well.
Earlier in the day we had gone to my Nanny's for a 'family day' lunch. We did grilled sandwiches of various sorts, and for dessert, I made cheesecake brownies using David Lebovitz' recipe from Ready for Dessert (you can also find it on his blog here). I think I 'over swirled' the cheesecake, but these were still incredibly moist, dense and rich (and really good cold from the fridge).
Tuesday - The rest of the Frankies' Meatballs. We let these sit in the slow cooker with some tomato sauce for a few hours to take away some of the strength of the raw garlic, and they were incredible. Still with that incredibly light texture, we loved the addition of pine nuts in these. Along with some linguine and spinach, this was a satisfying meal early in the week.
Wednesday - Mushroom risotto from The Italian Slow Cooker. Maybe we weren't positive enough going into this recipe, but it just didn't work. Neither of us understood how the rice would become creamy and rich without stirring it over the stove, and in the end, it was just like eating a bowl of sticky, starchy rice. I just don't think risotto is meant for the slow cooker.
Thursday - With some leftover chicken in the freezer, we decided to throw together some tacos, which turned into 'wraps' after I couldn't find any taco shells in our area. We need to get down to Tienda Latina and stock up one of these days! Anyhow, we warmed the chicken with some sesame seeds, coriander, cumin and cilantro and wrapped it up with goat cheese and 'Sweet and Spicy Pickled Onion' from America's Test Kitchen. I can't say enough about the latter condiment. Throw everything together and it's good in the fridge for a week. Here's the recipe:
Sweet and Spicy Pickled Onion
from America's Test Kitchen (Cooking for Two 2010); this condiment is intended for their Steak Tacos recipe
1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar (we usually use brown sugar)
1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded (we like to leave the seeds in), and sliced into thin rings
1/8 teaspoon salt
Place the onion in a medium heat-resistant bowl. Bring the venegar, sugar, jalapeño and salt to a simmer in a sauce pan over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar disolves. Pour mixture over the onion and cover loosely. Let cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Drain the onion, discarding the liquid, and serve. This is good in an airtight container for up to one week in the fridge.
Friday - We were off to check out Somerville Wine and Cheese. Here's the post.
Saturday - Veggie lasagna. Our lasagna's are always a mixture of whatever we've got around. Yesterday we did a tomato sauce with crimini mushrooms, green and yellow peppers, carrots, zucchini, goat cheese, Pecorino and feta. Charles made the noodles during the afternoon and we let things bubble away in the oven for a bit.
And that was week seven.
Sunday - 'Basic Fish (halibut for us) Baked in Parchment' from Chow. This recipe was flavourful and incredibly simple. The fish stayed moist, clean up was easy and the citrus and herbs were bright and fresh on a cold day.
Monday - 'Pulled Jerk Chicken Sandwiches', also from Chow. Another slow cooker recipe that we will definitely use again. The chicken was slightly spicy, and the cinnamon and nutmeg filled our apartment with a pretty fantastic aroma. We added some roasted red peppers to the sandwiches as well.
Earlier in the day we had gone to my Nanny's for a 'family day' lunch. We did grilled sandwiches of various sorts, and for dessert, I made cheesecake brownies using David Lebovitz' recipe from Ready for Dessert (you can also find it on his blog here). I think I 'over swirled' the cheesecake, but these were still incredibly moist, dense and rich (and really good cold from the fridge).
Tuesday - The rest of the Frankies' Meatballs. We let these sit in the slow cooker with some tomato sauce for a few hours to take away some of the strength of the raw garlic, and they were incredible. Still with that incredibly light texture, we loved the addition of pine nuts in these. Along with some linguine and spinach, this was a satisfying meal early in the week.
Wednesday - Mushroom risotto from The Italian Slow Cooker. Maybe we weren't positive enough going into this recipe, but it just didn't work. Neither of us understood how the rice would become creamy and rich without stirring it over the stove, and in the end, it was just like eating a bowl of sticky, starchy rice. I just don't think risotto is meant for the slow cooker.
Thursday - With some leftover chicken in the freezer, we decided to throw together some tacos, which turned into 'wraps' after I couldn't find any taco shells in our area. We need to get down to Tienda Latina and stock up one of these days! Anyhow, we warmed the chicken with some sesame seeds, coriander, cumin and cilantro and wrapped it up with goat cheese and 'Sweet and Spicy Pickled Onion' from America's Test Kitchen. I can't say enough about the latter condiment. Throw everything together and it's good in the fridge for a week. Here's the recipe:
Sweet and Spicy Pickled Onion
from America's Test Kitchen (Cooking for Two 2010); this condiment is intended for their Steak Tacos recipe
1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar (we usually use brown sugar)
1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded (we like to leave the seeds in), and sliced into thin rings
1/8 teaspoon salt
Place the onion in a medium heat-resistant bowl. Bring the venegar, sugar, jalapeño and salt to a simmer in a sauce pan over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar disolves. Pour mixture over the onion and cover loosely. Let cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Drain the onion, discarding the liquid, and serve. This is good in an airtight container for up to one week in the fridge.
Friday - We were off to check out Somerville Wine and Cheese. Here's the post.
Saturday - Veggie lasagna. Our lasagna's are always a mixture of whatever we've got around. Yesterday we did a tomato sauce with crimini mushrooms, green and yellow peppers, carrots, zucchini, goat cheese, Pecorino and feta. Charles made the noodles during the afternoon and we let things bubble away in the oven for a bit.
And that was week seven.
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