I often tell people that
Loblaws should hire me cuz I'm their biggest fan. People look at me strange but I'm serious. Don't talk bad about my Superstore. As an avid home cook,
Me love you long time!
I loved them back when they were an ugly-painted warehouse box store, loading up my discount no name products in my gigantic shopping carts. I have not had a product I disliked from their President's Choice line. Black label, oh yeah! Healthy Blue Menu- in my cart! Not to mention their in-store Guiding Stars marketing, love it! I have always loved the "spend $250 and get a $25 gift card" coupon because those years when I had babies, BOTH in diapers, that came in real handy. Every time I use my PC Plus card and it's time to redeem, I thank Galen Weston Jr. for saving me buckeroos. It's like getting free Joe Fresh clothes! Seriously Galen, you need to hire me!
I remember being so jealous of the
Presidents Choice Pop Up last year, wishing we had some of that awesome here in Edmonton. So when I heard that tomorrow is the grand opening of the Loblaws CityMarket store in the Brewery District, I had to drive by on the way home just to have a sneak peek. I wasn't expecting the doors to be open but YES, YES, YES!
It's sooooo beautiful! The refrigerated wall of CHEESE! The Deli is HUGE with so much variety! When I hit the Patisserie, I thought I'd died and went to heaven. Died. Heaven. I may never bake again.
Galen! I like it!
I like it a lot! No, I LOVE IT. My love affair continues. See you in the aisles!
I has been a long while since my last post. I left my blog on the sidelines, leaving it a low priority but I'm trying to get back on it.
First off, Happy New Year!
It has been a whirlwind these past 5 months. Having spent 3 months abroad and returning in December made life very busy. Getting children back to school here (where did I put your indoor runners and all your school supplies?!?) to splashing Christmas decorations throughout the house and gift shopping and social gatherings and well, you get the point. Exhausting. Now with the new year, we finally have a rhythmic routine going and the other day, the hubby says "We should plan a date night".
"When was the last time we had a date night?" we wonder, staring at each other with giant invisible question marks above our heads. I have no clue and neither does he. Obviously it was a long time ago and we are very overdue.
And that is when I was reminded about our night out at
Corso 32.
It may have been dreary outside but watching it from the revolving rooftop restaurant,
La Ronde, made it a lot more tolerable. It's Day 2 of catch up week and recapping about
Tieless Tuesdays
Several of us bloggers (find recaps from the night from Linda, Teresa, Eva, and Cheryl) got together to sample the new menu, imbibe in 1/2 price wine bottles and listen to live Jazz music.
I am really behind in my posting so I want to catch up and I'm hoping to post everyday this week. (Here's trying!) I've been to many events the last several months and the
High School Culinary Challenge hosted at the
Shaw Conference Centre was one of them.
There are some people who know at a younger age what their passion in life is and are able to follow forward with it. I'm always amazed by those folks, envious too, wishing it was as clear for me as it is for them. Seeing shows like
Masterchef Junior, where young children are using their sharp knife skills and implementing complicated kitchen techniques, is very inspiring.
Attending the High School Culinary Challenge brought that inspiring feeling to the surface. The meal prepared was really well done and I wish I was able to have my chicken looking and tasting as beautiful as this one. Looking out among the crowd feeling the energy and seeing proud parents, family, friends and teachers, beaming with pride visibly shown on their faces, cheering on their children and schools, makes this a great celebration. There are no losers in this challenge because if you made it here, you are on the right path. Keep on and follow your passion. Congrats to all!
(Mulligatawny Soup, Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Apple Streudel, Awards Presentation)
I attended two events at the Shaw Conference Center this past month but am slow with posting. Life of a hobby blogger... it always comes last :) But here's a recap.
I dragged my brother along to our first
Winefest. I have attended
Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival before at the Shaw Conference Center but Winefest is strictly wine with light catering of food provided by the Shaw versus restaurant samplings to purchase.
Are you a Food and/or Beverage Blogger here in good ole Edmonton? Do you read your fellow foodies' blogs or have seen them pass by at events but never really met or chatted with them?
Now's your chance!
It has the smell of new as you walk through the doors, everything shiny and aglow. I had no idea that Mayfield Inn had become a DoubleTree by Hilton until I received an invite to a pre-tasting to showcase the new Stages Kitchen & Bar, located within the hotel.
But what about the dinner theatre, I asked, worried about the name being changed. Not to worry, Mayfield Dinner Theatre has not undergone a name change. I was happy to hear that the retained the name as it is very much an institution within the city.
I'm a big fan of herbs and microgreens. I've mentioned previously on my blog that I start an
indoor herb garden when it's winter outdoors so that I can enjoy some greenery and, of course, enjoy the fruits of my labour. With each passing year, I learn more and more ways to use herbs and ways to preserve them. Last year, I tried my hand in
drying peppermint and even
growing sprouts. I'm a self-proclaimed master of pesto making. For years, I have been making and freezing batches of
pesto to use throughout the year, from a variety of different herbs I grow, be it oregano, basil, parsley and even chives. I love the freshness that herbs provide and how they create a multi-dimensional taste and texture to an entree.
The problem with herbs is that they can be expensive if you are continually buying them. Also, once they have been cut, their nutrient profile declines substantially the first 24 hours. Cut herbs and microgreens do not last long and spoil, which makes it even more costly. On a commercial level, those costs can be substantial. I was intrigued when upon hearing that
NAIT culinary students were growing herbs in-house with the use of the
Urban Cultivator.
While I wish I could be that blogger that is timely with her posting, alas, I am not. Though I don't feel very sorry about that, for many various reasons, but mostly because I do get around to it...eventually! Little over a month ago, I attended the opening of
Cafe Bicyclette in La Cite Francophone, the french quarter of Edmonton.
One thing I was very excited about was that they had an outdoor area with heaters, fireplaces and blankets! This instantly reminded me when we were in Europe last year and I pointed out to the hubby that we just don't have anything like that in Edmonton! Now we do! I wonder though, has anyone been there with all our recent snowfall? I'm sure it's a beautiful sight!
My kids were glued to their computers, playing some collaborative online game, for most of the morning. PD days are the "best school days ever!" according to my kids who revel in their pj-wearing, computer-playing and snacking-all-day, glory.
"Hey kids! You wanna go downtown for lunch? There is a chili cook off!" I yell out.
...crickets...
I should know better than to pose questions.
"Guess what! We are going downtown to meet dad for lunch at the
River City Round Up chili cook off!" I say in my excited, matter-of-factly, voice.
...groans...
"
Seasons change, beers change..."
Ok, maybe those aren't the exact lyrics...
I attended the launch of Life of Chai,
Big Rock Brewery's newest seasonal beer offering. The spiced amber beer, with hits of chai and cardamom, was the perfect compliment to the enticing South African Indian food at
Narayanni's.
When I think of beer, it conjures images of friends, food and good times. I had such a pleasant time that evening. I met some new people, caught up with friends I haven't seen in some time, imbibed and ate really delicious food in the warm ambiance at Narayanni's. What more can a girl ask for?
Hope you have a great weekend of friends, food and beer.
Cheers! Santé! Prost! На здравје! Živeli!
Belgravia Hub has been open for several months and I was fortunate to attend the launch party back in mid-May. There have since been many great reviews about the restaurant both online and in print.
I had the pleasure of hearing all the adventures in opening of the restaurant since my dear friend Leslie first mentioned that this undertaking was a GO! For myself, as a food blogger and an avid home cook, I used to love hearing all the details of culinary school as Leslie became a Red Seal chef. With the opening of the restaurant, I would hear tidbits and updates along the way and as an outsider looking in, it all seems so seductive and exciting however I can definitely say that opening a restaurant is not for the faint-hearted.
Permits, design decisions, menu planning and hiring of staff is no easy undertaking but Leslie and, her business partner, Barry's efforts have resulted in a phenomenal outcome that is Belgravia Hub.
I am so proud of her hard work and I wish her so much continued success.
Congratulations my friend, you have earned it!!!
Belgravia Hub is currently featuring their summer menu, be sure to check it out!
...
Belgravia Hub
7609-115 Street
Edmonton, AB
#780-756-3344
Several weeks ago we attended
Avenue Edmonton's 2013 - 25 Best Things To Eat Launch.
We arrived half way through the event to see many empty tables and a hungry after-work crowd pounce on anything edible. It was a tad sad that it was not better organized.
But props to those who made the list. I have had several things from the list already and was able to try a few new ones at the launch and they are indeed worthy of the title "2013's best things to eat".
Congrats to all those chosen and looking forward to working my way the list this year!
Several weeks back I attended the launch party for
Smashburger in Sherwood Park. It's Canada's 3rd location of the US chain.
This burger joint is definitely a step up from McDonald's and Wendy's fast food type restaurants. Truffle mushroom swiss burger, veggie frites, Cobb salads and the list goes on. Many happy groans from my table.
Have you been yet? Any favorites?
I find a lot of fast food chains don't offer good salad with protein options but I would definitely recommend the Baja Cobb with Chicken for $9. I know, you are thinking I'm silly, eating salad at a burger place but it was really good and I would go back for it.
...
Smashburger
#530, 5000 Emerald Drive
Sherwood Park, AB T8H0P
NAIT's Hospitality and Culinary Arts department has an amazing program, the Hokanson Chef in Residence program, where they bring some of the best chefs in the world to provide first-hand knowledge and expertise to their students. Last year, I attended
Chef Massimo Capra's luncheon and the year before that NAIT had
Dinner and Q&A with David Adjey.
Chris Cosentino is known internationally for his specialty in offal cooking. Yes,
offal, meaning use of the other parts of an animal that many times just gets discarded: hoofs, internal organs, blood, tail, etc. He is also know for winning
Season 4 of Top Chef Masters! How lucky are Edmonton's NAIT students to get such an invaluable experience like this!
My fellow blogger
Phil (find his blogpost on the event
here) and I were given an opportunity to come in and observe Chef Chris teaching his students on the art of offal cookery. I asked many of the students if they were "learning a lot" and so many of them responded with a huge "YES!" They excitedly explained the dishes they made and stated what a great learning experience it has been.
I attended the the opening reception for
Edmonton's Downtown Dining Week 2013 held at the
Art Gallery of Alberta. This year marks the 10th anniversary!
If you have attended dining week before, then you know that it is a 10 day event where participating restaurants offer multi-course meals at special prices. Two-course lunches for $15 and/or three-course dinners for $25 or $50.
I would wait patiently, alongside other hungry students, for my order to be ready. Standing in HUB mall at the University, I was buying a sandwich for lunch before meeting up with friends. Correction, it wasn't an ordinary sandwich, it was a Panini. I love sandwiches but paninis are definitely a step up in the sandwich department. Grill marks and the perfect hue of brown on the exterior, while inside the contents flavors are enhanced from toasting and the gooey cheese stretches with every bite. I salivate just thinking about it.
I received an email from Al, owner of
Troika Foods, asking if I would be interested in a tour of their federally inspected & certified plant in Sherwood Park. Troika Foods is the largest producer of handmade cabbage rolls in Alberta and several years ago, they acquired Pasta Time which specializes in a variety of fresh frozen pastas and sauces.
I was eager for the plant tour. Many moons ago, I worked in a pharmaceutical plant and so I remember all the ins and outs of production and strict protocols that must be adhered. Lab coats, hairnets, signing in/out, washing of hands and walking through a shallow water bath or a sticky mat for clean shoes took me back to my days of manufacturing, except in this instance it was food related!
The grand scale of production is truly a sight to behold too. I was taken through their complete production, starting with raw ingredients right through to packing of the final product. Bags and bags of flour and semolina, large bins of cabbages ready to take apart and fill with delicious fillings and watching the massive industrial machines that prepare the dough. Though I never mentioned it to Al, the show opening song of
Laverne & Shirley was bouncing around my head as I watched his employees work so quickly and efficiently.
I was very much taken with the production of tortellini's Watching the dough feed through the machine, add filling and then punch out perfectly-pinched tortellini's was just mesmerizing. I hovered over that machine for quite some time. How can one not? Look at how cute this tortellini is!
Al sent me home with some of the fresh frozen tortellini that day and my family very much enjoyed it. What I like about the product is that when you look at the list of ingredients, it is very small and simple. There are no preservative or additives, just natural ingredients that I would use at home to make my own pasta or cabbage rolls. I find this to be very rare and uncommon in many of the food products found at supermarkets. If you are a believer of eating local, then you should seek out Troika Foods/Pasta time products at your supermarket as they try to use as many Alberta products whenever possible. From farm fresh eggs to cabbage from an Edmonton local farm right down to their Alberta wheat and semolina for their pasta dough.
Thanks for the tour Al! It was lovely being able to walk down memory lane in terms of manufacturing but to also see production of a food plant first hand.
