eating is the hard part

changes are now complete

2010-01-03T23:07:00.004-07:00

Hey Everyone!

After one year with Blogger, I've decided to uproot and create a better place for myself. So, even with things in the early stages, I hope you will continue reading at;

eatingisthehardpart.com

Feel free to look through the archives here, and bring any comments to the new site.

Thanks,
Chris

first bread of 2010

2010-01-02T18:39:00.004-07:00

Well, I hope everyone is off to a great start. I wanted to welcome the new year with a picture of my first bread of the new year/decade. I actually didn't up baking bread for a few days (strange as that is in the homestead) as I'd built up the supplies before the new year began. So here we go. Fresh out of the oven, and still warm in my hand. Perfect for prime rib sandwich.

To the year in food.

the week that was and is - december 31th, 2009

2009-12-31T00:01:00.001-07:00

Happy New Year's Everyone. With 2009 just hours from being over, I wanted to wish you all the best in the upcoming year. Play safe tonight, and if you have any crazy stories, come back and share! I mean we are the sharing kind around here. ;)

If you haven't had a chance to read some of my thoughts about the decade in food, do have a read when you get a chance. I would love to hear your thoughts about the decade.

Are you hoping to see a particular style of restaurant or trend for 2010 in your city?

Pizza Hut in the US of A is starting 2010 with a bang, and a hell of a pizza deal - "customers can order any size pizza, with any crust and any toppings for $10"

I hope you are ready for more Guy Fieri. That famous bleached head is going to be part of a new game show on NBC called Perfect 10.

Speaking of TV shows. Food Network is finally broadcasting Top Chef Masters. having already watched the show, I can tell you it's an enjoyable break-off from Top Chef and may help non-foodies put a face to a few world-class chefs.

Keeping with the Top Chef theme, the Voltaggio Brothers of Top Chef Las Vegas fame, are starting 2010 by starring in a "web series focusing on their favorite ingredients, techniques and gadgets".

Seeing as it's New Year's, check out this lady in South Dakota who recently rocked a blood alcohol content of .708 (.o8 is the legal limit). Can you believe that!! I think that is the second highest record BAC in US history. "A blood-alcohol level of over .40 is considered extremely dangerous."

Drinking and driving is stupid!! So I have no idea what a funeral home in Georgia is offering free funeral services for anyone who is high/drunk and dies on New Year's. WTF.

Instead, why not watch this handy Chow video for Preventing a Hangover before heading out. And if you do tie one off, catch a ride with your designated driver, friendly cabbie, or metro bus.

2009 was a hell of a year for giant food records. From the largest hamburger to the largest cupcake. Check out this interesting list of giant foods.

I'll leave you with the National Restaurant Association’s list of the Top 20 Food Trends for 2010:

1. Locally grown produce
2. Locally sourced meats and seafood
3. Sustainability
4. Bite-size/mini desserts
5. Locally produced wine and beer
6. Nutritionally balanced children's dishes
7. Half-portions/smaller portion for a smaller price
8. Farm-/estate-branded ingredients
9. Gluten-free/food-allergy conscious
10. Sustainable seafood
11. Superfruits (e.g., acai, goji berry, mangosteen)
12. Organic produce
13. Culinary cocktails (e.g., savory, fresh ingredients)
14. Micro-distilled/artisan liquor
15. Nutrition/health
16. Simplicity/back to basics
17. Regional ethnic cuisine
18. Nontraditional fish (e.g., branzino, Arctic char, barramundi)
19. Newly fabricated cuts of meat (e.g., Denver steak, pork flatiron, Petite Tender)
20. Fruit/vegetable children's side items

Stay Safe Everyone! I Wish You The Best in 2010

union bank inn - edmonton, ab

2009-12-30T00:01:00.001-07:00

Wedding time. Not for me silly, but for the lovely Yarmen and Elleker families. With the lucky families deciding to have both the ceremony and reception at Union Bank Inn, I was pretty excited to be Sarah's guest. The wedding would be held in the UB's largest room, (giverny) and the meal would be catered in-house. Nothing like a plated service to get the foodie in me excited.

The room was beautiful and created a very pleasant backdrop for the actual service. Quick and too the point, the actual wedding was a breeze. Everyone was quickly whisked out of the room while pictures took place and the room was torn down and set up for dinner. I couldn't help but wonder how they would get all of us seated for dinner.

Menu cards were already located on the tables when we arrived for cocktails, and after a few twoonie priced beverages, the show was ready to roll. Up front, I should say the one thing I really like about this plated service was the seamless inclusion of food throughout the event. The staff were absolutely amazing. From serving all the ladies at the table first, to water and wine refills, to replacing dropped cutlery at an instant. Very professional, very discreet and very happy to be working and catering. What a customer service treat!

For the starter we received an Organic Baby Greens Salad w/ Crispy Noodles, Candied Pecans, Sweet & Spicy Vinaigrette. The noodles were indeed crispy, the pecans were candied, and the dressing was both sweet and spicy. A solid salad, my only issue was with the pile of pecans everyone seemed to receive. Nothing like eating 10-15 sugar coated pecans to shun any health benefits.

Next the main. For the meat eaters, Chicken Supreme with Roasted Shallot Relish w/ Wild Mushroom Quinoa, Fresh Herb Beurre Blanc & Market Vegetables. The chicken was cooked to a solid result. A mix of slightly dry and slightly moist, it was riding the perfectly cooked chicken line. Cooked with the skin on, I couldn't help but notice every diner at my table removing it. So while it may help with falvour, it obviously isn't a crowd favorite. The shallot relish was sweet and very tasty. The vegetables were OK, bordering on soft, while the quinoa (which I happen to cook at home) was very blah. The only thing that kept it from totally failing were the mushrooms, which added a great level of earthy tones.

And for the vegetarians, a tomato and wild mushroom quinoa base topped with goat cheese and market vegetables. I was lucky enough to have two vegetarians located next to me, making the photo op a lot easier. They seemed to enjoy the dish.

Dessert was a Petites Fours Trio, Chocolate Truffle, Lemon Curd Tartlet, White Chocolate Pecan Brownie & Fresh Seasonal Berries. Easily the weakest part of the night in my mind. The truffle was good. The brownie was dry, lacking any pecan, and the tartlet was rock hard with what seemed like canned lemon curd. I was unaware that blackberries and gooseberries were seasonal fruits around here, and it didn't surprise me that the blackberry was terrible. Something brought up by others at the table as well. I suppose a selection of small desserts is a good option, as many diners didn't finish the trip, instead choosing their favorites and even trading.

Soon enough, it was time to dance and for the first time in my wedding experience, the entire dance was taken care of by an iPod. A great way to save money, it did show how a well thought out play list will do more than suffice.

About an hour after digesting supper, the light lunch-style offerings started to appear. Far from the basic meat and cheese platters, the quality of food carried over here as well. Great looking platters of assorted fruits and vegetables along with meal sized wraps, bagels and buns.

Finally the cake, or should I say cupcakes. It seems to be a very common thread at most of the weddings I've been to as of late. The biggest difference on this occaision was that these were made by a family member. Tasting exactly like a store bought generic cake mix, I suppose the family bakers played it safe and the final result showed just that.

Overall, the entire experience was great. Besides a beautiful wedding, the service was fantastic, and the food, while having hits and misses, wouldn't stop me from suggesting or recommending this venue.

lemon poppyseed bread

2009-12-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

OK, in all honesty, there are still Christmas treats at the homestead. Roasted nuts, tarts, lamingtons, shortbread cookies, assorted squares, etc. However, I woke up and realized I was looking at a pile of lemons that are soon going to be seeing the crappier side of life. I needed to put them in action.

I thought about making lemon squares, but that seemed too close to the Christmas treats we are already swimming in. So I ended up heading in the lemon quick bread/muffin recipe direction. Browsing around, I settled on yet another recipe from Joy of Baking. Seriously, go bookmark this site if you haven't already. You'll love it.

I wasn't going to add a lemon-sugar glaze to this loaf, so I opted to chop (not grate) the zest of one entire large lemon. This as you can see, adds quite obvious pockets of lemon goodness to the slices. The result was a success. Without the glaze it's not nearly as sweet, and almost feels healthy compared to those Christmas treats we've all been eating. Give it a go if you like this sort of thing.

Lemon Poppyseed Bread
*adapted from Joy of Baking

3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest of one lemon, chopped
3 tablespoons (30 grams) poppy seeds
13 tablespoons (184 grams) unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Spray with a non stick vegetable oil, the bottom and sides of a loaf pan (8 x 4 x 2 1/2 inch). Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray again.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, and milk. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and poppy seeds until combined. Add the softened butter and half the egg mixture and mix on low speed until moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat for about one minute. This aerates and develops the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining egg mixture in two batches, beating about 30 seconds after each addition. This will strengthen the structure of the batter.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55 to 65 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You may have to cover the bread with buttered foil after about 30 minutes if you find the bread over browning.

Cool the loaf in the pan for about 10 minutes then invert onto a greased wire rack. Dig in!

new traditions with a side of chrismas eve

2009-12-27T22:01:00.000-07:00

Seasonal traditions. Everyone has them I think, whether you know it or not. Maybe you sit by yourself eating Kraft dinner or maybe you fill the kitchen of a family elder with 25 people. Having virtually nothing to do on Christmas Eve, and my family traditions a thing of past, I accepted an invite to spend a few hours at Sarah's parents house.

With open doors, Christmas Eve at this house is full of food and laughter and people. Between the cousins, sisters, brothers, parents, and family friends, conversations were varied and, at times, very strange (in a good way).

Munchies get put out early in the evening and are continually refreshed; shrimp, assorted sausage, collections of crackers, cheeses, dips, chips, pickles, olives, hot items and more. Of course Christmas treats are out at all times with, I guarantee, something for everyone. Tarts, shortbread cookies, Skor cookies, Mexican wedding cakes, gingerbread and candy canes along with actual dessert offerings. Seriously, enough delicious food to fill your belly and some.

Supper was vegetarian lasagna, to comply with certain dietary requests, and was accompanied by caesar salad and garlic bread. The lasagna, which was a kitchen sink variety, included everything from broccoli to spinach and was very good and very cheesy.

How good...good enough that Sarah didn't know where it all went! The highlight of the night was when we 'attempted' to off Sarah's cousins husband who, unfortunately for him, has a seafood allergy. Not having the product packaging, and the purchasers away at Christmas Eve mass, we were unaware that EVERY single hot item included seafood. Thank our lucky stars, we figured it out relatively early (after he ate a couple) and were able to bring the situation to a happy ending. Nothing says Christmas like a scare!

While very different from my Christmas celebrations of the past, I couldn't have asked for a nicer or more heart warming time. A big thank you goes out to everyone at the house!

the decade in food 2000 - 2009

2009-12-26T00:01:00.007-07:00

It's been one of those months. Like every December before, this one is no different in that it brings out the lists. The best music, best news stories, best pictures, best dog names, and so on. Lucky for me, the lists also make a stop at food. Yet, this years list isn't as simple as reviewing one year. As we close this decade, it becomes something bigger. 10 years of food. Heck I can't even remember what I ate for my birthday this year, so I took a few moments to think about everything. I know we've changed a lot, so bear with me and add your thoughts at the end. After all, I'm just one man with one brain.

Coffee. Can you believe one drink changed it's image as much as this. I remember thinking how hard it was to become a barista back in the day, and now they are everywhere. In high school, the only time anyone drank coffee was to supplement the Jolt Cola they were using to cram for exams. Oh the times have changed. Starbucks, which passed 10,000 locations in 2006, and currently has over 16,000 shops may just be the main reason many of us can't go to work without a double, half sweet, venti white mocha latte.

Food on TV. If you watched food television before 2000, it was probably on the weekend and probably on PBS. Or maybe like me, you were watching Wok with Yan on your local channel. While Julia Child and Jacques Pepin will always be iconic figures, the world changed when it was given Rachel Ray. Here was a bubbly woman, in a colourful kitchen whipping up 30 minute meals while professing her love for E.V.O.O. Suddenly the lights came on, and chefs were becoming stars. As the Food Network went in search of the next big thing, it started to remind me of the hunt for the next big Seattle band in the early '90s.

Diets. As somebody who has changed his lifestyle completely in the last half of this decade, I may see things a little differently. Of course, I was never sucked into the world of diet mania; instead changing the straight forward and simple way (diet/exercise). It's hard to think back and realize this decade saw the rise of every possible diet combination known to man kind. From the Lemonade Diet to the South Beach Diet. From high protein diets, to people only eating mushrooms (I kid), I know that until this decade, I'd never heard anyone say - Oh, I'm not eating carbs this week.

Organics. With ingredient lists looking like science lessons, it was probably only a matter of time before organics would explode. The last five years have seen everyone (even some hip grand parents) talking about organic this and free-range that. We saw the total sales of organics leaving the $1 billion in sales mark to the 90's, and heading north of $20 billion in the US alone. Heck, even the Obama's planted the first ever organic White House vegetable garden. I'm not going to say it isn't good, as I do think we should try to figure what is in our food, but like any quick rise, I hope it isn't a 'hip-movement' thing. And not everything has to be organic. In my opinion, you shouldn't be buying organic asparagus from Chile, when you can buy from a local non-certified farmer close to home.

Recession and Comfort Food. Our decade saw a lot of turmoil. From 9/11 to the financial meltdown. So it was no surprise to me, to hear about people (or the media I might say) talking about good home cooked meals. Fear and uncertainty are sure to drive those back into the kitchen we all heard. But has it really. As a cook, baker, and food lover, I didn't notice any friends or associates really trying to put roots back in the kitchen. Sure, people weren't eating out as much, but they weren't exactly trying to cook the food at home either. We live in a quick society, where pre-made meals come in every form. Gone are the dried out salisbury steak dinners, and here for the moment are the gourmet mac n' cheese, braised lamb shank, and coq au vin meals. It's like you never left the restaurant, let alone learned to braise and slow cook.

Food Bloggers/Reviews. Sure cities, much bigger than Edmonton, have had quite the head start, but bloggers seem to be popping up everywhere now. Want to know where to go for authentic Italian or the best schnitzel. Just pop online and have a look at UrbanSpoon and Dine Here. Or maybe a quick Google search of your local blogger community will fill you in. Both good and bad, I don't think this genre is going anywhere. Too many people, with too many knee jerk reactions will always keep the review sites packed, while others will continue to show a slice of their life with educational, well thought out and fun updates. Thank you all for the latter!

Cookbooks. I know, I know. Cookbooks have been around for as long as we can remember, but I bring this point up, because they are different now. Sure there are classics like The Joy of Cooking and The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, but they seem to be lost among a new generation created this decade. What generation is that? The food porn generation*. Throw a sexy picture, add a catch phrase, and sell it. Sell it hard! Seriously, just go to Chapters and check out how many discount ghetto cookbooks are available. Bah. Half the time it seems people buy these food porn cookbooks on a whim and never even work through a page. I want quality from my books. Passion and taste, that's what a cookbook should bring. Try this, this, this, and this. *don't get me wrong, I love great looking food.

Discovering Food. I think this decade found many people become at least vaguely aware of food. From a wide range of new products to new restaurants popping up. Both areas showed us a level of food diversity as yet unknown in many parts; we are discovering foods. For example, how many types of cheese were kept in the kitchen when you were young? Cheddar, Swiss, Processed? Now you might find 10 in some cold boxes, ranging from soft to hard, fresh to aged. Heck even the pre-shredded packages contain 4 or 5 cheeses. What about meat. Instead of bologna, we have wild organic meats of every kind; boar, venison, calf moose. I can only imagine the possibilities available in the homemade school lunch now-a-days. Gourmet for kids anyone.

Besides actual products, I think we branched out ethnically. It seemed in my experience, the major players in ethnic food 10-15 years ago were Chinese, Mexican and Italian. Now, many people are not only eating cuisines from different cultures, but even breaking those ones down. Maybe you prefer Northern Indian dishes over Southern. Maybe you like Hunan instead of Schezwan. Maybe, like me, you want pho instead of chicken noodle soup when you are feeling down and out. Our world is brimming with tasty food and we are finally catching on. Amen.

I know I'm just touching the surface of food trends and changes in the past decade, but I wanted to get some thoughts out. It's amazingly strange/difficult to think back 10 years in my life, let alone in food. Edmonton, while I love it, seems to spend it's life perpetually catching up in the food world. We have lagged behind in everything from cupcakes to charcuterie, so I'm assuming the current, maybe even passe trends, will soon be knocking at your door. Which is actually nice at times, because then I get a preview before it arrives.

To the next decade of food. Be you as delicious as the last.

Want more to look back at ;
10 Best Food TV shows of the Decade.
The Best Food books of the Decade.
The Top 10 Biggest Food Network Foodgasms Of 2009
Top 20 Worst Food trends of the Decade
10 Worst Dining trends of the last Decade
The Decade in News Photographs

Want more to watch;
What's wrong with what we eat - Mark Bittman

merry christmas

2009-12-25T15:31:00.003-07:00

I hope everyone is safe, warm and full of food (even if it's a bowl of Frosted Flakes). Merry Christmas from me, to you and yours!

chocolate peanut butter pie

2009-12-24T00:01:00.004-07:00

Another staff potluck party at Sarah's work, meant another dish to make this week. Seriously, they always seem to be having a potluck! What gives? But hey, let's get back on track, because it doesn't matter how many potlucks they have, I love 'em. Even if I'm not getting to eat, it means I get to unleash a cooking adventure on the world. I told you eating was the hard part!

Twice we've made Alton Browns Mac N' Cheese (conquering the 'main' side of things) to rave reviews, so I wondered about a dessert or appetizer. Dessert won out, and I set my brain to work. A few ideas were starting to float around, when I remembered a chocolate peanut butter pie concoction over at The Pioneer Woman. With Sarah hip to the plan, we headed over to Superstore to retrieve our goods; butter, Oreos, cream cheese, cool whip, peanut butter, and icing sugar. I bet you're salivating already. In honor of Ree and her shot by shot blog method. I'm going to attempt a reenactment.

First the Oreo's get crushed up, yes, even the white parts. Use a food processor if you can.

Then mix in the melted butter; because chocolate, butter, and Oreo cream is heavenly.

Press the mixture into a pie plate, while trying not to eat any of course.

See, it looks good enough to eat.

Letting the crust bake for 7 minutes in a 350 oven, gives you enough time to put together the filling.

A cup of delicious peanut butter.

And 8 ounces of cream cheese.

Get blended together.

Once combined, start mixing in the icing sugar (1 1/2 cups). Be careful of the icing powder spray.

Then start on the 8 ounces of cool whip.

Continue mixing until everything comes together into creamy goodness.

Now go get your pie crust from the oven and don't burn yourself.

Pour everything into the Oreo crust.

Now smooth your pie-top with a knife (or a rice paddle) and cool.

Oh why not add a few more of those delicious, thigh bulging Oreo's. I mean we've gone this far already.

Seriously. Make this recipe.

the week that was and is - december 22nd, 2009

2009-12-23T00:01:00.004-07:00

Merry Christmas everyone. I know it's a couple of days early, but this update will obviously be the last one before the eventful night. I hope everyone stays safe and warm. Don't forget to leave a cookie or two out for Santa, because really, he never goes on a diet and doesn't need those low-fat wafers.

As a bread making man, I'm a little sad that Treestone Bakery has been sold. The plus side of things though, is that we may get our first taste of proper Montreal bagels...but will they be kosher?

Sharon (Only Here for the Food) recently attended a twitter based food night. A great way to combine technology and hungry stomachs.

It looks like Kai Asian Grill has made the news with their Naked Geisha sushi nights. I for one, as a big fan of sushi, can think of better ways (and places) to eat my raw fish.

"Want an easy way to sum up how Americans ate during the first 10 years of the new century? Three words should do it - Sushi at 7-Eleven"

While I'm talking about sushi. It's headed to space for the first time thanks to a Japanese astronaut.

Jaime Oliver wins the $100,000 TED prize for 2010.

The cutest gingerbread houses around!

Finally, never say it doesn't pay to enter those silly draw boxes. Especially at liquor stores around Christmas. Thanks to Sobeys liquor store, the homestead received this lovely Gran Marnier gift basket. Included were two glass, a bottle of grand Marnier, and a bottle Navan, which my friends is deadly good.

One last thing. If you have some time off this week, why not go see Avatar. I saw the movie this weekend in 3D, and it was unbelievable. Maybe not life changing, but damn did it look good. Bring some snacks though, as it starts to creep up on 3 hours in length.

pretzel and nut mix

2009-12-22T19:23:00.003-07:00

If, like me, you enjoy food and twitter, you are always looking for interesting people to follow. One such person in my opinion is David Lebovitz. Pastry chef extraordinaire; he spends his time in Paris, tweeting the intricacies of food and culture in France.

I've checked out the recipe a few times for his "best holiday snack" idea and with a fresh supply of nuts from Bulk Barn, it was on. Very easy, and very quick. Turn on your oven. Roast the nuts. Combine with sugars and spices, before stirring in the pretzels and warming through. Highly addictive, visitors to the homestead this week found themselves going back for more and more, making me wonder if this actually is the best holiday snack around. I know I'll be making it next Christmas as well...if not sooner.

gingerbread house '09

2009-12-22T00:01:00.004-07:00

This is a first. What you see is the first gingerbread house I've ever erected that actually looks like a a house. So many horror stories and crack houses in the past, that I cheated this year and picked up a gingerbread house from Michaels.

With everything in the package, all you need to do is whip the icing and decorate how you choose. Of course, even with the candy included you can make a jump to the store and buy a few extras. For me, it was the cedar shake roofs (aka Shreddies).

The experience was pretty fun. I have no problem baking as you probably know, but this is quick and painless, and I can totally see the benefit. It only lasted a few days before being consumed, which brings me to another thought. Ever notice, how the gingerbread house starts to deteriorate just one candy at a time (like no one will notice). Then, when it's obvious that 20% of the candy is missing, it becomes fair game. That my friends, is the gingerbread eating game!

woodvale facility and golf clubhouse - statusfirm christmas party

2009-12-21T10:31:00.011-07:00

woodvale facility and golf clubhouse
4540 - 50 St
780.462.2101

Surprisingly late in the year, but better late-than-never, I accompanied Sarah to her staff party this past Friday. Located on the south side of our city, the banquet facilitles are actually on the the Millwoods Golf Course.

Having a look at the menu, I'm 99% certain we were dining on option D#2. Which besides the standard items; Ceasar Salad, Tossed Salad, Coleslaw, Marinated Pasta Salad, Chef's Choice Salad, Greek Salad, Assorted Pickles, Raw Vegetable Tray & Dip, Assorted Tortes, Cheese Cakes, Pastries, Fresh Fruit, Dinner Buns, Butter, Coffee & Tea also included

Roast Baron of Beef, Chicken with White Wine Sauce, Cabbage Rolls, Perogies, Fresh Vegetables and Roast Potatoes. *note the actually website lists the veggies as Vegatables. The standard items were exactly that. Yet, as a big fan of pickled beets, I couldn't help but smile when I saw a little bowl.

But really, what about the main options right! The potatoes were good. A bit of something on the outside, my only wish was that they were crispier (like breakfast potatoes). More vegetables, steamed this time instead of raw. The cabbage rolls were filled with rice, and while the cabbage had retained a bit of chew (I like) the rice was mush. The chicken, which looks juicy when it's covered in sauce, was hit and miss. Pieces of it were excellent while others were dry, requiring the need for that creamy, waist expanding sauce.

Finally the Baron of Beef. Our table was selected to eat first, and strangely enough, I was the first person at the carver. The main problem, and something I hadn't ever considered, was that I was now being sliced the end pieces. Sure you might like that if you want your meat cooked beyond pink, but not this guy. I want my piece of roast to be bloody. So alas, I was left with a few pieces of overcooked beef, requiring a scoop or three of horseradish to bring alive. Eventually I even gave up. I did also notice, the beef was quite oily, and had a sheen in the light of a gas in water (I've seen this before even on fresh deli meat, is there an answer?) With such a small group of people, It took a full round of second helpings to come close to the center where I could see a bit of juicy meat. Even then though, I was too full to head back into savory beef land. I wish they had split the roast in half, instead of just cutting from my end to the other.

Of course, no buffet is complete with out a sample of fruits and sweets. The fruit was sub-par at best, with the melons (cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon) all far from ripe and sweet. The pineapple was good though, making up for the disappointing grapes. I didn't step into the cheese cakes and torts, as I was full, but there was still a fair amount left when the staff took the food. Either everyone is watching their weight, or things weren't anything to write home about.

The staff were very good with our small party. Always there to fill your water or clean your plate, or serve you a adult beverage. All while putting a smile on and making you feel welcome. Woodvale has few rooms, ranging from 50-200 people, so even though the beef (and maybe the dessert) was a fail, I'd be willing to try another menu selection in the future.

gingerbread men

2009-12-21T00:01:00.005-07:00

With the shortbread cookies done, Sarah and I moved on to gingerbread men. Not a classic in my house, Sarah has strong memories attached to these and it seemed to go without question this was going to be included in the Christmas baking. Wait. Can you believe it's almost Christmas!

While we worked on the shortbread, we chilled the gingerbread dough, allowing it too be shaped when we were done. We did however, take a quick break for supper (and some cookie eating). Back to the cookies. Not having any extra cutters, we kept the lady, man, and horse cutters in play and included a wine glass for rounds. Once out of the oven, we decorated with little chocolate nuggets from Bulk Barn.

The cookies kind of surprised me. Starting very mellow, they took a good 5 seconds in your mouth before the true flavour started to shine. I also started playing with the baking times, which allowed some cookies to be soft n' chewy while others were crispy. I'm sure at this point, Sarah's coworkers are going to be full of goodness this week.

Recipe from Joy of Baking.

shortbread cookies

2009-12-20T19:11:00.006-07:00

More Christmas baking today brings you shortbread cookies and gingerbread men (coming next). First the shortbread. A wonderful, and ever-present Christmas cookie made of just four simple ingredients. Butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and flour.

Shortbread dough is very easy to work with and allows for countless variations. You can sub out a bit of the flour for cornstarch or rice flour, changing the texture of the cookie slightly from buttery smooth to slightly crunchy. Then there is the flavour, w.here you can add some citrus or chocolate, or even instant espresso.

On this occasion there was no messing with ingredients, choosing instead, to sprinkle on coloured sugar. I had planned to use my cookie press, but the dough seemed a bit too cool and wasn't playing nice with the press. Switching gears, it was back to cookie cutters. Calling Sarah into action, we conquered the shaping in no time and had pan after pan coming out of the oven. Delicious indeed and a good way to start the day.

Recipe from Joy of Baking.

nanaimo bars

2009-12-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to take a crack at nanaimo bars for some time now. A staple in the world of all things Canadian; in fact, voted Canada's Favorite Confection. It does seem to have a few stories about it's origin, but regardless of who, or when it was created, I think they are fantastic. I'm not talking mint, cheesecake or peanut butter nanaimo bars, but the OG. The only thing that stopped me in the past from making these was a need. Around these parts it seems every one already has a stack. Be it from M&M's, Superstore, Safeway, or wherever, these easily frozen treats are always waiting to be devoured and never needing to be made.

Trying to get a jump on Christmas season indulgences, I decided to attempt a batch before the homestead was stocked up. Now, there seems to be some trouble making nanaimo bars around the interwebs. Bars with disproportionate sections and a custard center that never sets properly are two of the most common problems. With a bit of research, I narrowed my choice of recipes to this. Did it work. YES!! Perfect I think in every way. A great base, and an amazingly sweet center all covered up by a mixture of milk and semi-sweet chocolate. Delicious. Your tummy and ass will love you.

Nanaimo Bars
Ingredients:

Base
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup walnuts (chopped)

Filling
1/3 cup butter (room temperature)
3 tbls custard powder
1/4 cup milk
3 cups powdered sugar

Topping
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
4 ounces milk chocolate
2 tbls butter

The Plan:

For the Base
1. Melt the butter in a sauce pan.
2. Stir in the sugar and cocoa powder until smooth.
3. Remove from heat and whisk in the egg and vanilla extract.
4. Stir in the graham cracker crumbs, coconut and walnuts.
5. Press into a lubed 8 inch square pan and chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.

For the Filling
1. Cream the butter.
2. Beat in the custard powder and milk.
3. Beat in the sugar.
4. Spread over the the base layer and chill in the fridge until it sets.

For the Top
1. Melt the chocolate and butter and stir until smooth.
2. Spread over the filling layer and chill in a fridge for 10 minutes.
3. Draw lines in the chocolate, so you can easily cut later.
4. With a warm knife, cut into pieces and store in the fridge or freezer

interfaith baking contest - round two

2009-12-17T22:30:00.006-07:00

So just for kicks, I've submitted a second cake (see first)to John Mayer's baking celebration. I love the premise behind the contest, and I love what sweet treats do for the soul. It also didn't hurt to have two complete different cake pans in the pantry.

With the cake one, I knew right away what I wanted to do. But this, a football helmet, was a little tougher. Do I try and match a colour to something...John's high school team? Or better yet, how do I applying the icing to this very shaped cake? What about the base? I'd just eaten one style, so I knew it required something more.

The cake did stick, and doesn't look good at all here. That's what icing is for!

The icing I decided would again be green and red for the season, with 'peach' for the skin. The icing, was created from the Wilton site and whipped together amazingly. Seriously, it piped like money. The cake, well, I owe that to the Fresh Loaf, where I first discovered this Guinness chocolate cake. The most amazing chocolate cake ever.

This cake, as long as you make it as Qahtan says, is always a hit. Rich and full of cocoa, feel free to add some extra chocolate (I grated in a few ounces of high quality chocolate) and the cake didn't disappoint. The icing, while a little sweeter than I like, tasted smooth. The worst part of this experience was the piping. I'd never attempted the individual rosettes (or whatever you call them), and it took forever. My thumb, and the area around it, ached after a few hours. Yes hours. From the initial mixing of ingredients to a complete finished product took 5 hours. After which I dropped it off at Sarah's work and it was devoured in 5 minutes. Funny how things like that work.

*Seriously don't even bother covering the cake with icing if you make it. Just slice a piece, and either top with a scoop of cream (or ice cream). Fantastic.

**the second photo is care of Sean at Statusfirm, who used the picture on his 365 day photo blog.

interfaith baking contest

2009-12-16T09:52:00.004-07:00

John Mayer, who happens to be a heavy musical influence of mine, has started accepting submissions for his Interfaith Baking Contest. Last year, he asked people to submit cakes and in honour of the festive seasoning and return the most moving submission would win a guitar. Unfortunately for yours truly, last year around this time I was in Central America and did not have the means to create a cake. Not this time, this time I was determined to bake a cake.

From John's blog.

I've always had a problem allowing the full brunt of Holiday Cheer into my heart. It's not that I didn't want to - in fact, I tried harder than anyone I knew - but I think I was going for the wrong points of reference; TV commercial holiday cheer can be nearly offensive if you didn't happen to have the kind of year that saw you making friends with an omni-ethnic fully gorgeous group of friends who like to dance in unison.

Then about this time last year I started getting e-mails from my brother with pictures of cakes he'd been baking. I laughed at first but when he appealed to me without sarcasm that it was undeniably fun and uplifting, I had to try it. Sure enough, baking a cake or two while listening to Christmas (okay, Holiday) music was like a giant dose of premium cheer. I had the happiest holidays in years.

I decided to start a contest on my blog wherein I challenged readers to submit their own baked goods, and the cheer just kept spreading. What I had originally thought was a clever little contest actually turned into a mainline of good feelings for everyone involved.

Here is my cake. Baked in a heart pan and iced in the colours of Christmas. The cake was moist and delicious, and the icing, even though it stated to separate was perfect (not overly sweet and very smooth). I have to send my shout out to Something Shiny, where I first discovered both the cake and icing recipe. Thank you indeed for suggesting this path!

What's even crazier, is that my cake has made round one on John's blog out of thousands of submissions. I couldn't be happier.

lamington's

2009-12-15T00:01:00.002-07:00

My mother was known for many a recipe in her life, but I think if there was one treat in particular I always looked forward to, it was this. The lamington. With her Australian roots, it was no wonder we were privy to this delicious treat so many people are unaware of. How popular are they, how about having their own day - Friday 21 July 2006 was designated as National Lamington Day in Australia.

What makes this so delicious who knows. The chocolate, the coconut, the memories, the cake. Probably all of it really. It's something I've continued to make after my mother's passing, to keep the my tummy full and the memories alive. Very simple to make, a lamington is prepared by baking a sponge or butter cake. Slicing the cake into squares, covering in chocolate icing and then rolling it around in coconut. Who wouldn't love that right! Plus think of all the fun you can have making them with kids. I know I love it.

If you ever do create a lamington, or come over to the homestead for one, let me know what you think. I dare say, I bet it will be delicious. And don't forget; if you have any leftover chocolate, roll a banana around and cover in coconut. A trick I learned in Guatemala and it's also delicious!

*typically a lamington is done with chocolate icing (cocoa powder, icing sugar, milk) but for a change of pace, I picked up some Belgium milk chocolate melting wafers at Bulk Barn and gave that a go. Quite a different result, with this chocolate giving more of a protective layer, and adding a bit of richness that isn't normally found in cocoa powder.

pizza napoletana - bread baker's apprentice challenge #25

2009-12-14T14:29:00.003-07:00

Pizza. I've made the bread baker's apprentice pizza dough more times than I can count. In fact it is probably one of the first Peter Reinhart recipes I mastered. Why? Because everyone loves pizza right. So I thought I would look back at some of the pies I've made this year when the Bread Baker's Apprentice challenge entered recipe 25.

While I'm not picky on the cheese; Blue, boccacini, fontina, provolone, cheddar, mozzarella, I tend to keep my pies very minimal. With my usual creations having two or three of the following; roasted peppers, sliced mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, caramelized onions, fresh basil, artichoke hearts, or maybe some chicken.

I picked up my first ever pizza stone for this reason, which was 10 dollars at Safeway back in the day, and it's still alive for a friend. I'm lucky to have a nice gas oven that goes to 550, so the pizza usually pops out in a blistering 6-7 minutes. Delicious and amazing. The crust is airy, with a slight chew and I get those leopard marks that everyone talks about. A definite recipe keeper, but then again, it always was.

I've even started tossing my pies on a regular basis. Of course it's just as easy to roll or hand stretch them too!

How did your pizza's turn out?

Check out more pies by the BBAC. Something Shiny, The Yumarama, and Aehrelich Gesagt

oatmeal raisin cookies

2009-12-13T13:15:00.001-07:00

I was filling up the oatmeal container earlier in the week, and discovered an old school cookie recipe on the side. Mulling it over in my head, I though it was worth a crack.

I included raisins here, but you could probably add chocolate chips or nuts as well, and they turned out quite tasty. The outside edges had a bit of crunch, while they were still a little bit chewy in the center. Almost the perfect combination. I did find that the cookies spread quite a bit when I baked them, so if I make these again I'll put the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes to cool the batter down.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients
6 tbls white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (room temp)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 cup AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup oats (quick, instant etc)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbls water
1/2 - 3/4 cup raisins

The Plan
Preheat the oven to 325.
Stir together the flour, baking soda, oats, and salt.
Separate bowl - cream sugars and butter
Add egg and vanilla to creamed mixture and beat until smooth.
Stir in dry mixture, adding the water.
Mix in raisins.
Drop chunks of dough onto cookie sheets and bake 10-15 minute.

kerstin’s chocolates - edmonton, ab

2009-12-11T18:49:00.003-07:00

kerstin’s chocolates
10139 112 Street
780.990.0011

After Sharon's valiant attempt to successfully conquer the 'name that origin' contest currently running at Kerstin's Chocolates, I decided to pull up the britches and test my palate today.

It was relatively easy to persuade Sarah in joining me, so this way we could support or celebrate depending on the result. A couple of regulars were in the tiny store when we arrived, so it gave us a few minutes to look around. The store isn't a lot bigger than some bedrooms, but then again chocolate doesn't take up a lot of space. With varieties from all over the world, different flavours, and even drinking chocolate, I'm sure you will find something for the chocolate lover.

Finally stepping up to the chocolate plate, we signed our consent form and looked at the goods. 4 piles of chocolate, with 5 possible origins. Hmm. After a brief description of how to eat and develop the taste (this is like fine wine it seems), we were off. I was able to pick out the distinct characteristic in each chocolate, something that surprised me for sure. Two out of the four were straight forward and I was correct with my placement. The final two were close enough (similar profiles), so I flip flopped a bit before deciding. Unfortunately I had it backwards. If only I had gone with the 'she loves me not' choice, I would be right there with 4 out of 4.

Sarah picked out 2 correctly as well, the two I flipped, and we settled into a sample of warm and spicy drinking chocolate. While I like the aspects of chili in chocolate, it's definitely something I couldn't drink on a regular basis. Sarah finished our visit by picking up some Christmas gifts and we were off. What a great little spot to warm the heart and sweet tooth.

the week that was, oh no, i've been busy

2009-12-11T10:19:00.000-07:00

December! Where have you come from? And why did you bring your -25 degree friends. You know what this means. Snow Angels and falling behind on weekly updates.

Just like the Duchess hoopla, I have a feeling that the Bothy is about to experience a wave of Edmonton's food devotees.

It seems (via twitter) that my favorite food show No Reservations is back with new episodes in January! I'm super excited for that.

And speaking of shows, Top Chef Las Vegas finished and they only way I would have been happier with the ending is if Kevin had won.

It appears Edmonton's infamous Motoraunt may finally be on it's last legs, as the restaurant is facing a huge rent increase.

Wendy's 71 burger joints are pulling out of Japan.

Oh bacon. You can appear anywhere.

Looking for a few gift ideas. Why not make a collection of spice blends.

"The first official recommendations for a diet that is both healthy and good for the environment are published today, and they are likely to be seen as an assault on the UK's current food system"

I love apples so much. Heck I eat 3 or 4 a day, so I don't think I could sacrifice them to make Snow White art.

Another week, and another package of goodies from Bulk Barn. I've now introduced my father to the store, who is in love I think. This time; nuts, drink mix, candy, sesame seeds, cheezies, powdered milk, and Belgium chocolate. Yum Yum!

Stopping in at the Royal Bison Craft Sale a few weeks back, Sarah and I bumped into Mack and Sharon (seriously, they are everywhere in the city) which was fantastic. Always nice to see them. Sarah picked up a collection of gnome hats for additional Christmas fun times.

On the way to the craft fair, I also noticed a new addition to the exterior of Furusato; a mural and advertisement for their lunch hours.

I was the recipient of Mexican kinder surprises last week. I'm not a fan of the chocolate really, but I was really hoping there would be something loco inside. There was a strange crayon, shield, and a top. Of course, the top was the coolest of all three.

Oh and just in case you were unaware of my John Mayer love, I've picked up tickets to his Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon shows. Crazy right, but you do what you gotta do when your musical influences rarely come. Any food suggestions for Saskatoon?

tin tin restaurant - edmonton, ab

2009-12-10T20:07:00.004-07:00

tin tin restaurant

3338 Parsons Road

780.450.4900‎

The old stomping grounds. Tin Tin, which I think is actuall A A A Tin Tin, was home to plenty of childhood memories. Always packed with Asian clientele, we first discovered this place via an old coworker of my dad's, and have been going back ever since. With my father craving a takeout feast, I thought it would be good to go back and test out a few new options.

Stepping into Tin Tin isn't going to impress you. I often think it's a Chinese version of my favorite pho shop, but if the food is good. I was handed a menu, and inquired about a traditional menu. I was soon handed a menu with NOTHING in english. That's right, nothing. This is actually my first time looking at a traditional menu with no translations at all. Obviously this didn't help my situation, so I asked for some help. The staff were willing to help but swore I should be eating the pineapple chicken balls and sweet and sour pork.

Sure there is a place for those dishes but I wanted something else. At this point I might have just asked for 3 or 4 untypical white plates, but I knew my father would be eating and his tastes aren't as varied and he requires no spicy heat. After a handful of minutes, we had settled on a 'typical' meal. Daily soup, a seafood dish, chicken, rice, and prawns.

The soup didn't look like much more than broth to begin with, as all the bits were hidden at the bottom. Full of bones, meat and some veggies, the soup was fantastic. It's hard to explain from the looks, but the broth was rich and flavourful. I drank the leftovers!

Peaches and prawns are almost always a success in my experience, so it was an easy inclusion, and didn't let the homestead down. The shrimp were done well, and the batter was really light. The sauce was scooped out and eaten with rice by my fellow diners.

I don't know the name of this dish, but it was shrimp, squid, and scallops with mixed vegetables. My favorite of the night, I'm a sucker for seafood like this. So simple, clean and good. The seafood was cooked very well, with only one piece of squid sacrficing itself to the chewy gods.

And our last dish, I was told was just called crispy chicken. Done very nicely, the skin was indeed crispy with all but the edges of the white meat being dry. They also included a ginger and onion sauce which he suggested to dip or pour on. This was the favorite dish of the homestead, which was good because it left me with the seafood!

All in all, my first experience with Tin Tin's more traditional menu was good. With a base of things to start, hopefully I can try a few more dishes one day. My question to you, besides the A A A in the name of Chinese establishments, is why are these dishes not offered to the regular folk? My experience around Edmonton is the same as here with regards to a different menu, but who wouldn't love peachy prawns or crispy chicken?

*oh and seriously, what person needs 3 pounds of rice. We had it for days!

caution may contain nuts (live) - edmonton, ab

2009-12-10T00:01:00.001-07:00

The second season of Caution: May Contain Nuts finished shooting recently, and they decided to tape 3 days of live scenes to work in through out the season. Sarah, who just so happens to edit Caution, acquired some tickets and invited a group of us to tag along.

If you don't know anything about Caution, I would probably describe it as adult sketch comedy. Airing on APTN; it may make you laugh or cringe I suppose. The cast is made up of Mark Meer, Dana Andersen, Aimée Beaudoin, Sheldon Elter, Ryan Parker, Matt Alden, Howie Miller, James Higuchi, and Jeff Halaby.

Ann keeping us entertained in the down time

Videos on the screen.

Filming inside the Alberta Film Studios on Allard Way, it took the better part of 3 hours for night one to wrap. While they did film a decent amount of footage, it does take its toll on the clapping and laughing ability of an audience. In between filmed scenes, they previewed bits of season two footage on a screen inside the room. Taping everything from stand up comedy to music videos, it sure was an interesting night. I look forward to seeing how it looks on TV next year.

raw apple cake

2009-12-09T16:13:00.001-07:00

I needed to bring a dessert offering for a summer BBQ, so I hit the interwebs. Looking through my bookmarks, I found an apple cake recipe on Simply Recipes that I took note of at one point. Looking around the kitchen pantry, I was pretty sure I had everything, so the quick decision was made!

I really liked this cake. I used granny smith, golden delicious and fuji's for my filling, making sure to leave the pieces on the larger side. This way, in the middle of enjoying the soft cake, you were hit with appley goodness.

The best part about this cake, being in a bundt pan, was the ease of transportation and serving. Throw the entire thing in my trusty cake holder and allow the indentations in the side to serve as guidelines for people to pick a large or small slice. Genius, I know! The cake went over with adults and children alike, but I'm not sure my glaze set right. Oh well, it's all a memory now as I go back through photo's.

roar of the rings - edmonton, ab

2009-12-09T12:53:00.004-07:00

Had a chance to check out the 2009 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings tournament this morning at Rexall. Having been to the Brier on many occasions, I'd never witnessed women's curling before, so today was a new experience. The early morning start had Rexall Place quite empty, and it seemed the crowd was really waiting for the men to take center stage at 1 pm. The ladies did not disappoint though, and provided some entertaining ends.

I think I was one of 6 or 7 people under 60, which is a shame because I think for the price it's a fairly reasonable family activity. Although, it might hurt that the games are played during the day. Along with being a good deal in your pocket, you get to see Olympic qualifying, and the best competitors in Canada do their thing. There is a few more days left, so you still have a chance to see a few rocks being hurled if you so choose.

soul soup - edmonton, ab

2009-12-07T14:03:00.002-07:00

soul soup
140-10020 101A Ave
780.409.8272

Soul Soup has occupied a cozy little spot on Rice Howard Way for some time now. I'd first heard about the venture through a close friend, who had worked with the mind behind this restaurant, yet for what ever reason (location, time, I make soup) I'd never stopped in until last week.

With Sarah having a short lunch break, and wanting soup, I seized the opportunity to drive across the river and see what Soul Soup was all about. Tucked just off the street, it could easily be missed by those driving and took us a moment to find it, and another lap to find parking (a definite premium downtown). Opening the doors we were greeted by a small space and only a handful of chairs, which were all occupied.

I imagine this setup plays well into the downtown clientele, as most customers probably take the soup back to the office. Working just as well for us, as we were only there for pickup, we were now faced with the selection. Offering 3, rotating and changing, soups each day, one meat, one fish, one vegetarian, we asked for the staff their suggestion. On this day, borscht won out.

Opening the bag, we saw a warm whole wheat bun nestled beside the soup. Being raised around Ukrainians, I like to think I've had my fair share of borscht. I know many have their personal preference with regards to meat, vegetables, sour cream or not, so I can only speak for myself here. The soup was delicious. Lots of veggies, in various sizes filled the bowl of beet goodness. A solid version of borscht in my mind. The bun was a nice addition, as Sarah and I both agreed, in today's world of food eating, many people may look for a sandwich to go with their soup.

After you're done your soup, don't forget to check the bag. In case you missed it, there should be a little candy of some sort. A cute and sweet way to finish your meal. Besides you don't need a slice of cake after every meal do you. I don't know when I'll be coming back, but Soul Soup has made my list of great additions to Edmonton's core.

oh bread man

2009-12-07T09:58:00.006-07:00

I haven't been baking a lot of goodies as of late, so I apologize. I'm not sure why, but the only thing that's really been coming out of the oven is bread. I had a lot of wild yeast to use up (didn't feel like keeping it alive any more) and flour coming out of my ears. I think my ever rotating pile of flour has grown to almost 10 types. Eesh. The above wild yeast, sourdough loaf was so good it disappeared in a matter of one day. I swear fresh bread is like a sickness...it just eats at you. "Chris, cut a slice. Oh come back for more, get out the jam too, I can hear it calling from the fridge. Don't eat just a bit, call over that smoked meat while you are in the kitchen, maybe get the mustard out too."

panettone (round 2 )- bread baker's apprentice challenge #24

2009-12-04T20:14:00.003-07:00

Just a quick update, as I haven't been up to much besides baking bread. I went for round two with the panettone and included deluxe mixed peel (from bulk barn) along with slivered almonds. I also soaked the raisins and mixed peel in scotch instead of the rum I used in my first attempt.

The results were better in my opinion. The peel, which isn't everyone's cup of tea, provided sharp hits of sweet/tart flavour, while the almonds added texture and flavour that also wasn't anywhere in the first two version. I think the craziest part was the chance of getting different slices (just compare the two pictures). A success indeed. I'll be keeping this recipe around.

the movie theatre dilemma

2009-12-02T16:02:00.004-07:00

No pictures, just a question.

Do you smuggle food and/or beverages into the movie theatre?

Back in the day your choices were pretty much popcorn and candy, but our new movie complexes offer everything from pizza and hot dogs to slurpees and ice cream. So is there any reason anymore? Save money perhaps? You prefer something healthier maybe.

If you do bring your own goodies, do you have a favorite way to sneak it in? A jacket, purse..maybe under your wig? What's the best food/drink to bring in? Heck, what's your favorite movie watching snack while we are at it. Let me know, and I'll keep it between you and me.

panettone - bread baker's apprentice challenge #24

2009-12-01T14:05:00.001-07:00

Oh sweet Panettone. Even though bread 24 in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge came out of my oven in November, it's a very December 1st style bread. Originating in Milan, there seems to be quite a few claims on it's beginnings. Which, believe what you want, makes no difference to me..why, because it tastes so damn good I can look past it's questionable birth.

With our small world, it's possible to get panettone at almost any grocery store these days. Something that I think would have originally been sold at our local Italian centres, you can now find panettone from Wal-Mart to Superstore. So what's the difference here?

The initial fermentation is not done with commercial, but by wild-yeast. The recipe requires a wild yeast sponge, which takes about a week to create. Of course, that's if your attempt at the seed culture actually works. This initial stage adds a depth and flavour profile you just wouldn't be able to produce in a quick, one day, commercial product. So take that boxed, readily available panettone *sticks out tongue*

Even once you have successfully created your barm, the bread takes a few days. One of the most delicious aspects is the fruit blend. For the pictures in this post, I soaked 6 ounces of jumbo flame raisins and 6 ounces of craisins in 1/2 cup of rum, mixed with lemon and vanilla extract.
The result was fantastic. The fruit soaked up all the booze and the bread was soft and sweet. Really, egg, milk and sugar to wonders for the taste buds! It was great to eat plain or warmed slightly by the toaster. I'm currently creating my second attempt, with some variations as I write this. I've taken out the craisins and mixed in 6 ounces of candied peel, as well as using scotch instead of rum and including 5 ounces of slivered, blanched almonds. From just the smell alone, this version seems better. The scotch and mixed peel are (hopefully) going to take this to the next level! I'll be sure to include a picture. Happy December.

* The first picture was taking by Sarah, for her 365 day photo blog. Why not have a peek.

bulk barn - edmonton, ab

2009-11-28T15:41:00.001-07:00

bulk barn
2077 98 Street
780.461.4454

Where do I even begin. With the store finally opening it's doors in South Edmonton Common, I made my way over with Sarah to check things out. The store was fairly busy when we arrived, and is structured in sections. Candy occupying a major portion of the middle, with baking needs (flours, nuts, chocolate) to the left and savory items (soup mixes, spices, pasta) to the right.

Of course, and maybe unfortunately, Bulk Barn isn't the size of a barn. So it's fairly easy to navigate your way through. Just try and stay focused, I dare you. Seriously, every time I saw something interesting or intriguing, BAM! something else comes at you. I think there ended up being a lot of banter between Sarah and I (Come see this/Whoa, did you know they sold this) during our entire visit. Besides that, I can think of a few containers I would like to drown myself in.

I ended up taking a lot of pictures, so I've scaled the quality down and will now proceed with a sampling of whats available. And lets start with the candy...
Chocolate covered sunflower seeds and blueberries! Who knew
Does your boss have a mint dish..this is mint mania!
Jawbreakers you probably can't fit in your mouth..or at least comfortably.
They also sell a lot of pinatas, from Sponge Bob to NHL. There is of course plenty other bins of candy (broken chocolate bars, m&m's, sour candies, ju jubes, bark, suckers etc)but I'm not a sweets guy. More important in my mind is the baking section.
Flour of every kind, from all purpose to coconut to buckwheat and two types of whole wheat.
But wait everyone. There is more. How about fixing yourself up with some gluten free goodies. Soy flour, arrowroot..Check.
With an amazing selection of flours. Does it come as any surprise they also offer a cornucopia of sugars. I was in mini baking heaven.
You are also going to find yourself a collection of grains.
Heck, even if you aren't into scratch baking there is something for you. From pie crust to cookie dough mixes. Pancakes to cornbread. Even two types of bran muffin mix
One of the best surprises, was this.
A corn syrup machine (next to the honey). Who knew!
And speaking of honey, it goes swimmingly with nut butters! Smooth, crunchy, you name it.
Plenty of dried fruit. In fact, probably every kind of dried fruit. An assortment of raisins from around the globe. Dates, Figs, Pineapples, Peaches, Pears, Apples and candied fruit/peel.
What about nuts? You better believe they have a huge selection. Salted, roasted, slivered, diced..There is a good selection of beans as well.
And party snacks. I didn't even know you could (or would) buy bulks chips.
There are bins with regular, whole wheat and gluten free pasta.
Coffee and tea anyone!
They also carry a huge supply of spices, rubs, and seasonings. But really, the best part might just be the huge array of sprinkles!
And by now your arms are probably full, but don't forget about your pets. Dog, cat, heck even bird treats!
So what do you think. Did you enjoy the show? Have you been? Do you shop bulk? Are these good savings? So many questions I know, but do let me know when you go.

the greenhouse - edmonton, ab

2009-11-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

the greenhouse
8623 112 Street
780.757.1731

Meeting up with Sarah recently for lunch, had us visiting the Greenhouse. Billed as a gourmet salad experience, this newish restaurant is located right in the University area and shares its space with a Good Earth location.

The space is very welcoming, with the entire process available for your viewing pleasure.

Due to the time, and a different eating schedule, I'd already eaten my lunch and took advantage of the coffee offerings from Good Earth. Sarah on the other hand had a look through the handy menu and decided on a soup/salad combo. Choosing bocconcini classico for her salad, she then selected the jerk beef stew to complete the meal.

The presentation was nice, and a small sampling of the salad left me happy. There was a good balance of ingredients, with the balsamic complimenting the package nicely. Really, the best part was probably the chicken. Not dried out at all, the breast was juicy and tasted exactly like it should off a grill.

What threw me was the soup option though. Billed as a stew, it didn't fit the bill. I think it would be stretching it to even label it as 'stoup'. Either way, the soup base was flavourful, and the peppers were a nice touch. The main issue was the fattiness. Maybe this is where the 80/20 mentality they talk about comes into play, but the lingering fat, both in the soup and on the beef, could have been reduced.

At the end of the day, this sampling did it's job, in that it's enticing me to go back. With a selection of proteins, and a few delicious sounding combination's, it almost goes without saying that the Greenhouse was doing steady university business during our visit. Now if only the parking lot attached didn't cost a small fortune for the hour, and I could find a white belt...

balut

2009-11-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

I suppose I should say that the pictures after the jump aren't that appetizing. So if you are, in any way, easily put off, then maybe wait for another post or go look at pictures of pretty unicorns. If you are however curious, let me show the the way.

Balut isn't going top be everyone's cup of tea; I realize this. In fact it isn't a cup of tea at all. Very simply, it's an egg; as you can see from the pictures. What makes this egg different from your regular store bought egg is the nearly developed embryo inside. The duck, or chicken egg, is allowed to age for a few weeks, the ideal age I've read is around 17 days, after which the egg is boiled.

Pulling the shell leaves you with quite the sight.

I've been on the lookout for balut for some time now. Now, I'm not exactly calling around everyday, but I do ask when I'm out and about. Walking by a Filipino grocery store today, I decided to ask. To my surprise, there was balut to be had. Asking if I would like my balut cooked, or uncooked, I opted for one that was already cooked. With this being my first experience, I wasn't going to get involved with boiling it correctly..because if I had to wait too long, I might drop the idea all together. The shop owner was more than happy to sell me the egg, but wanted to know if I recently watched the balut episode of Fear Factor. Saying no, I did my best to explain that the foodie in me was dying to try it. I don't know if she understood my desire, but she did ask me to come back and tell her how it was.

The shop owner mentioned I may want to sit the egg in warm water for a few minutes so it can warm up, but once again, not wanting to give up, I dug right in. The shell seemed a bit harder to crack than a normal egg, but it could have been my passive aggressive banging. See I didn't really know what I would see, and didn't want to somehow wreck the interior. Eventually I had the shell completely off, and took a pause. By no means is balut visually appealing. Or for that matter gross; it's just not what you expect. Slicing the egg open is really where the 'oh' factor comes in. I probably should have peeled apart the pieces, instead of slicing through the embryo..but hey; live and learn right! So how was it. Interesting. With a mix of soft and crunchy bits, and everything in between, it makes for an interesting snack. Combined with a familiar, but unfamiliar egg test, I can see why many people would pass on the dish.

I actually didn't mind the egg. The texture of certain sections, was easily the worst part. The crunch of a beak, or the mental imagine of hair does strange things to the belly. I imagine a fresh, warm egg could have a stronger flavour, something the cooler temperature in which the egg was stored may have robbed, and that every egg would be slightly different (just like people and snowflakes). So it's almost hard to judge the entire balut experience based on this first attempt. And, although I'm almost curious to go back and compare...I may not be running back to the store in a hurry.

haggis

2009-11-24T15:25:00.004-07:00

Do you know what haggis does for me? Besides fill me up and make me happy, it always leaves me with leftovers. Leftovers that nobody really wants in on. So, with a few days to eat this two and a half pound slab of haggis, I haven't created anything new. Oh well, at least I can show you the beast I'm working on.

Oh and if you want to get in on some haggis, let me know next time. I'll be sure to have plenty. Or you can head over to Old Country Meats and Deli..that's where I get my goods.

pane siciliano - bread baker's apprentice challenge #23

2009-11-20T10:19:00.001-07:00

With the recent disaster that was Pain de Campagne, I was really looking forward to Pane Siciliano. Hoping that in the 3 days it takes to complete, I would forget about past mistakes and dream about the future. I didn't know what to expect from the large portion of pre-ferment and semolina flour utilized in this recipe, but if the twitter talk was any indication, it would be fantastic.

Much like the pain de campagne though, the bread took a left turn. It boiled down to me not actually having semolina flour. Foolish right, why attempt to bake a bread that requires 8 ounces of semolina flour, when you don't have any. Exactly my first thought, but I really wanted to bake this. So I made an executive decision to substitute in 8 ounces of fine corn flour. (Hence the yellow hue of the picture above and below)

What's the difference. Well. Semolina is actually the gritty, sandy flour milled from durum. Something that most people would associate with pasta. High in protein, and low in gluten; semolina is definitely not corn flour. However, even with such a big change, the result was surprisingly good.

The corn flour add a bit of sweetness and texture. Maybe not as good after a few days, the fresh bread excitement was brought back by toasting the bread in the morning. I learned early on, from our first bread in fact, that corn meal and corn flour do wonders for toast.

I thought the pane siciliano journey would end there, but was surprised surprised to find a nice semolina flour gift waiting for me a few days later. Making it all over again, correctly this time (see above and below picture), I can't say enough good things about this bread. The semolina does something so fantastic for the taste. Nutty, sweet, all around delicious. This may be sliding into top spot for me.

Got some time to waste? Why not check out the #BBA tag on twitter, and surf around looking at some delicious bread.

pizza hut millwoods - edmonton, ab

2009-11-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

pizza hut
6504 28th Ave NW
780.310.1010

Ah, Pizza Hut. So many memories. From sitting in the big, red booths as a child, to the cheap buffet lunches during my time at NAIT. Even with all those memories I can't recall the last time I picked up a pie from the Hut. Maybe this dinner order would win me back. *The above picture was taken after the visit, as it was too dark during my initial stop.

Calling in the order for pickup was a breeze and I was told it would be 15 minutes. Leaving the homestead almost immediately, I arrived before the pie was ready so I had a few minutes to look around. The first I noticed was that the restaurant looks exactly like it did back in the day. I wonder if they ever change things; new chair coverings, paint, tacky gold poles, etc. The restaurant was only occupied by two tables, with two other groups waiting beside me for pick-up. After a few weird looks (either from my face, but mostly likely my camera) from the people in the waiting area, I started to wonder how many sit down Hut's are left. Maybe it's a dieing breed, as I see a lot more corner take-out versions appearing.

One things I was pleasantly surprised by was the customer service. The employee behind the counter, asked a few polite questions and then visually confirmed the pies before handing them over. I really liked this idea, akin to McDonald's double checking your drive thru order. It would suck to get home and not have what you ordered.

Both pizza's were selected from the specialty pizza category, which I think actually lists every common combination possible, meaning I think the only way to not have a specialty pizza would be to make your own...but then wouldn't that be special!! Pizza number one was a first for the homestead, Grilled Chicken Italiano - A mouth-watering combination of grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, green peppers, mushrooms and 100% Pizza Mozzarella. Of course the first thing you might notice is a lack of red peppers! What gives you say. Apparently the location was out of red. They did however contact me on the way over, and ask if more green peppers would be fine. The pizza itself was ok. I do get a little weirded out by perfectly square nuggets of chicken, and they didn't really add anything. The highlight was the dotting of pepper? (see specks in cheese) which did wonders for the taste. I'm sure the red peppers would have also added a level of sweetness that the green couldn't deliver.

The second pizza, while not a regular order, has I'm sure, appeared many times over the years. The Canadian - Loaded with pepperoni, bacon, sliced mushrooms and topped with 100% Pizza Mozzarella. Staring the supper with a piece of the chicken pizza, this pie was polar opposite. The smokey flavour of the bacon dominated this pie, giving it a very meaty profile. In fact it reminded of ordering meat only pizzas back in the day. The mushrooms, even with their umami flavour, couldn't compete on this day. I also enjoyed the sauce, which seemed to have a bit of tang. Not sure what it was per say, but it had enough of something to stick out. Which I suppose is better than just acting as a wall flower.

One thing that was really impressive, was the lack of grease at the bottom of the box. Don't get me wrong it wasn't spotless, but this is classic pan crust pizza we are talking about. Cooked inside a well lubed pan, it has always been on the greasy side. Even the bottom of the crust was noticeably dry, something that everyone in the homestead commented about. So with a fresh memory of the offerings, has this visit convinced me to go back? Probably not, but sometimes it's just nice to confirm things haven't changed.

the week that was and is - november 18th, 2009

2009-11-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

Seriously, who would have thought the temperature would be in double digits. November in Edmonton is turning out to be very, very pleasant. Is it wrong that a bit of me is craving a nice pile of snow?

A recent study shows Alberta using the food bank more than any one else in the country. "From March 2008 to March 2009, 61% more people in Alberta used food bank services"

If you happen to order salmon in Seattle this week, your dish just may come with a message about sustainability. "We are trying to get salmon consumers, chefs and restaurants and anybody who buys and appreciates wild salmon on their plates to think about where the salmon comes from, in this case Bristol Bay," Personally, I'm all for making diners more aware.

Trouble at Burger King? "Burger King franchisees say they are losing money on the $1 double cheeseburger deal"

Smuggling potatoes disguised as chocolates. Interesting.

It looks like Tokyo came out on top in the new Michelin guide with 11 3-star restaurants. "Tokyo also kept its title as the world's most-decorated city with 261 stars in total -- 34 more than last year -- awarded to 197 restaurant"

I know that Marianne and Sharon made mention that C&D Delight, and Arriba Mexico are now open, but I thought I would had some visuals. I didn't step into C&D as it looked closed, but did take a quick peak in Arriba. A small chalk board featuring about 8 things (torta's, pozole, taco's) was on display behind the counter; making me excited to sample the goods.

For all those waiting on Bulk Barn, it's a week away. Aisles are filled, and I'm pretty sure I witnessed a staff training session through the window.

I was able to sample the Tim Hortons chili this week, and it was better than expected. Heavy on the meat, this isn't a bean laden veggie option for sure. I think with a few shots of hot sauce, this could be a solid quick lunch option.

With last week's beer talk, I decided to snap a picture of the Chimay Bleue for everyone. Another high alcohol beer, 9%, I really forgot how good it is. A beer drinkers beer, many may want to ease their way into Chimay via Chimay Rouge route(7%). Know as a trappist beer, Chimay Brewery is just one of 7 (of the 171) monasteries that produces beer. They also sell 4 types of cheese, with the proceeds going back in the monastery (and other good causes). Who said drinking booze couldn't be helpful?

furusato japanese restaurant - edmonton, ab

2009-11-17T00:01:00.002-07:00

furusato japanese restaurant
10012 82 ave
780.439.1335

Even though I've been aware of Furusato's recently added lunch hours for some time now, I hadn't stopped by to check out the scene. With the doors now open at 11 AM, we ended up arriving just after 12. We were greeted by a sparsely filled restaurant; something I've never witnessed during my regular supper visits.

With the low number of customers, my father and I opted for a table. This just so happened to make it easier for me to snap a few pictures of the interior.

Rarely, if ever, would I branch out from drinking tea while indulging in sushi, and this occasion was no different.

Needing something extra to warm the belly, I decided to start with a bowl of miso soup. This is something I've never ordered from Furusato, and was surprised by what arrived. I don't recall for the life of me, ever having spinach in a bowl of miso. While the soup base it self was relatively predictable (seriously, show me a stand out miso), the addition of spinach was a nice surprise. There was also a good stash of green onion and tofu.

I went with one of my usual options, chirashi, and finished every last bit of rice. As an aside - When I eat rolls, and nigiri for that matter, I rarely utilize my side bowl. Meaning I don't do a lot of soy sauce/wasabi dunking. Sashimi on the other hand, has always been something I'm more likely to dip. I mention this because, on my last visit, I noticed a couple who created their soy/wasabi mixture before pouring the liquid over their chirashi orders. Forgetting about his until about half way through my bowl, I decided to dump what I'd already created, and give it a go. The big difference I noticed was with the rice, which sucked the liquid up giving the dish a strong soy flavour. Not really my cup of tea. Is this mix/dump concept new, strange, different, common. If you know, let me know.

What stood out in the dish on this day were the scallops and roe. The scallops were hinting that they have seen better days, while the roe was extra delicious. Don't ask me why, it just was.

My father opted for his classic standby, rainbow roll. Deciding to branch out, he settled on the avocado roll to follow

Both were a success in his mind. Dipping my hungry fingers into his avocado roll, I found the avocado at it's ripest. Which in this case made the roll very smooth, but also very messy to pick up with your hands. Not really a stand out in my mind.

Even with only one sushi chef working, at supper they have two, I didn't notice any lag in food delivery. This surely has to do with the lack of customers though. A solid lunch, I'm looking forward to see how things pan out. I just hope it doesn't affect supper in any way.

spicy gingersnaps

2009-11-16T11:42:00.006-07:00

Discovering a new gingersnap recipe in a magazine, had my ears perked up and my internal oven ready to bake. Jotting everything down, I figured the Splenda part would be perfect for my father, while the 'spicy' part would be perfect for me.

The recipe is straight forward, at least what I copied down was, and everything goes together in no time. After every thing is mixed, the disc of dough spends an hour or two in the fridge, to make the final shaping easier. As I was going out for the evening, I made the dough around supper time and pulled it out in the morning.

Having recently made bear shaped cookies, I made these relatively boring by using a circle cutter. I didn't get to the 5 dozen cookie yield the recipe mentions, but was close. Baked up, they were good. Not as spicy as I hoped, but that could be easily changed. If anything, the combination of spices and crispy cookie texture, make these perfect for morning tea.

Spicy Gingersnaps

3/4 cup butter, room temp
1 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp allspice

Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in egg and yolk.
In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients
Stir in the dry mixture until blended.
Shape the dough into discs, wrap in cling rap, and cool in the fridge (60 mins)

Preheat oven to 350 and line a sheet pan with parchment
Lightly flour a board, and roll out dough to 1/4 inch think
Cut out shapes, circles, squares, men, goats, snowmen, etc.
Bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove and cool. Cookies crisp a bit after cooling.

bread baker's apprentice challenege half-way look back

2009-11-15T22:10:00.001-07:00

With 22 breads down in the bread baker's apprentice challenge, it's time to take a quick peek back at what's been baked. It actually seems like quite the journey at this point, and I almost can't believe I've created so many delicious breads. From challah to brioche, it's been an interesting first half.

First up was anadama. A delicious bread, utilizing corn meal, it had a nutty, sweet flavour that tasted really good after some time in the toaster.

Artos, the Greek celebration bread provided a wonderful aroma. Including nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and allspice, it was fantastic as french toast.

Bagels, were a hurdle I'd never attempted until now. Requiring an involved process of shaping, boiling and baking, they turned out decent. Although I still miss those Montreal bagels from my youth.

Deciding to go all out, rich man's brioche provided the next challenge. Oh so buttery, this dough was very strange to work with. Great french toast.

Casatiello was crazy combination of cheese and meat. Stopping by my local Italian store, I picked up a few cheeses and meats to create some different combinations. Definitely not your everyday bread, this would be fantastic to pull out for that company pot luck.

Challah was made more times than I can count during that week. From the basic braided design, to spirals, to loaf pans, it took on every shape. I also included raisins at one point to give the challah french toast that extra boost.

I'm still bummed about my ciabatta attempt. Mostly because I couldn't seem to get the air pockets. They tasted good at least.

The cinnamon buns proved to be fantastic. Light, fluffy and full of sugary goodness. The buns worked better than the cinnamon roll I also baked.

The cinnamon walnut raisin bread was a bit of a challenge. Every version I baked without walnuts was light and airy, but including the walnuts always left my loaves a little heavy and dense.

Making corn bread most of my life, this recipe was good, but didn't win me over. I do like the addition of bacon on top.

I totally forgot about the alien looking cranberry walnut bread until now. What a treat this bread was. Fully of crunchy, tart goodness.

English muffins!! So easy and tasty. I even made a loaf version, which was equally delicious, although it was a little hard to split the loaf with a fork.

Instead of going savory, I went sweet with the foccacia. Topped with sugar and loaded with raisins, this creation disappeared in no time.

French bread, which was very similar to

the Italian bread. Both of which were delicious, and way better than store bought versions.

My kaisers buns were decent. They didn't have the crust I wanted and I screwed up the recipe by including all of the pre-ferment. The shaping sure was fun though.

The lavash crackers were so quick and easy, I kept baking off batches during the week. Best of all, I found they went swimmingly with fresh pico de gallo.

The light wheat bread was exactly that. As you can tell, it ballooned in the oven, creating a perfect sandwich and toast bread.

The marbled rye recipe absolutely won me over. As someone who never appreciated rye bread (I'm not the biggest caraway fan), I've been making this bread on a weekly basis ever since the first loaf. So good. A must!

The multi-grain extraordinaire left a little to be desired. Best eaten as toast.

Pain a l'Ancienne was a great experience. The crust was bang on, and combined with the chewy interior it was fantastic.

Which brings me to pain campagne, and the middle of the challenge. I left this dough to rise, only to forget about it entirely. Coming home to a pile of WAY over proofed saggy dough left a lot to be desired. Maybe I'll go back, but with so many breads left, it's going to have to wait.

There you have it. 22 breads in, and 22 to go. What an experience so far, both for the mind and the tummy. With so much carby goodness, I'm surely going to have run a few extra miles when this whole thing is wrapped up. To any BBAC particiapants; is there a favorite yet? Maybe something like my marbled rye that you've added to your regular rotation? Any major fails? Do tell.

java jive coffee factory - edmonton, ab

2009-11-13T10:53:00.001-07:00

java jive coffee factory

9929 77 Avenue

780.432.9148‎

I think by now that if you follow along with my adventures, you know I'm a coffee kind of guy. So recently when I was leaving Whyte Ave, I noticed a sign advertising coffee on 99th street. Making a quick right hand turn, I decided to stop in at Java Jive Coffee Factory for a quick look.

I don't know a ton about the history of the coffee scene in town, but it seems to me Java Jive has been around for long time. Offering freshly roasted beans from all over the globe, it's slightly odd location may be why I only seem to stop in a few times each year.

With my camera handy, I thought I would take a few pictures. Besides freshly roasted coffee, of which they offer a big assortment, they sell green coffee beans, machines, and accessories. Not the biggest store front, Jave Jive isn't about sitting with your laptop for hours on end, it's a straight to the point business. In a world with coffee shops on every corner, it's almost refreshing. Get in, get out.

And with coffee all around, and welcoming staff, it's pretty hard not to leave without something. For me, it was a bag of freshly roasted beans from Costa Rica.

Why not take a peek the next time you near Whyte, maybe you'll find a new coffee to try. Time to grind!

sharwood's product sample

2009-11-11T22:39:00.002-07:00

As I mentioned last week, I was contacted by a PR company looking for someone to taste and review a few products. Being new at this, I wasn't exactly sure what would be expected of me, so before learning any more about the offer, I wanted to take care of any concerns I had. Mostly, would anything specific be required of me in the final post? With all my questions answered to a comfortable level, it was time to learn about the offer. With so many products in the food world, I've decided it's one thing to be on the receiving end of a promotional offer, but it's even better if the product is something that actually interests you. The items I would be receiving are from a line of Indian products produced by Sharwood's; so combined with my love of Indian food and the recent holiday, Diwali (more on that at the bottom of this post), this was starting to look like a great opportunity.

It only took a few days for my package to arrive, and when it did, I discovered 4 sauces and a bottle of chutney tucked neatly inside. I decided to wait and visit the Sharwood's website until after my package arrived and discovered, not only do they offer a line of Indian products, they dabble in Thai and Chinese as well. Within each product range, you may find; sauces, curry pastes, curry powders, chutneys, as well as noodles, crackers, and naan. I also learned that besides being a British company, Sharwood's has a history of selling products all the way back to 1889. This rich history may be the reason they hold the largest market share for these products in Britain.

Knowing I could test the sauces with various proteins, I decided to make the experience a little easier on my field of tasters and use chicken through out. Now, most of my experiences in cooking Indian dishes at home have required a fairly involved list of ingredients and a time commitment. These sauces, if you have cooked meat, only take 20 minutes on the stove to prepare. Too good to be true? Let's find out.

First up to bat, Tikka Masala. This sauce is described as bursting with flavours of coriander and lemon juice. Straight from the bottle the taste seemed muted, however, once mixed into the cooked chicken and warmed up it was totally different; not to mention the house came alive with some very lovely scents. One taster, who walked into the homestead while I was preparing the dish, mentioned crossing through the front door was very much like entering a local Indian restaurant. It's nice that the aroma didn't let us down. In fact, the tikka was a hit with everyone. The jasmine rice was used to soak, wipe, and absorb every last molecule of sauce. I think some plates could have been put back into the cupboard and you wouldn't even know they were used. High praise for any dish if you ask me. I should say, my father (who finds black pepper spicy) found the dish to have enough heat for his delicate palate to pick up. Nothing that hampered his enjoyment or sent him running for water, but in his words - a good heat.

Final taste verdict - 4 out of 5.

The jar of Korma, which fought to go first, won the coin toss for round two. Described as an Indian style aromatic, creamy cooking sauce with coconut and cardamom. It was completely different from our first sauce. Where the tikka needed a bit of heat to really bring out it's flavours, I found the korma showed the same face straight from the jar as it did after some time on the stove. I found the korma dish mild, both in flavour and in heat if that makes sense. The creaminess of this sauce hit us right away, but faded fairly quickly. A totally different experience compared with the tikka which left the back of your throat with a shot of flavour, and heat. Definitely not bad in any way, this dish gave me the take-it-or-leave-it vibe. The interesting comment came again from my father who compared the dish to his favorite Indian buffet plate, butter chicken. Even going as far to say he would easily go back for seconds or thirds of this dish. With my father being the only taster to be completely won over by the Korma, we couldn't rate it as high as the tikka. We did however, decided this is a perfect dish to introduce hesitant, or non-adventurous eaters. The lack of heat, and good initial flavours would provide a 'safe' meal any night of the week.

Final taste verdict - 3 out of 5.

Initially I was going to use the Butter Chicken sauce last, but with my father bringing it up in the korma test, I bumped this sauce to dish 3. My only hope was that it would be good, I mean this is one of the most popular Indian offerings in the world for a reason, right. Described as a warm, buttery Indian cooking sauce, bursting with flavours of cream and cardamom. I should say that I've found plenty of butter chicken offerings in my time to be lacking. By all means, I haven't sampled every offering in the city, but combined, the panel of tasters has a pretty good base to compare too. What ever it was I've found missing in many local offerings is definitely not missing in this dish. It has a great flavour profile with a nice bit of heat. How much heat? Enough to make my father pass on the dish, and from a man who loves butter chicken this means a lot. A hit with the rest of the taste panel, this may just be the first time I've found a bottle of sauce that could easily replace many restaurant offerings.

Final taste verdict - 5 out of 5.

Pulling up in fourth, by my default move of butter chicken to the third spot, Balti was ready to go. Definitely a lighter sauce (the lowest calories of the bunch), balti is described as a rich, tomato based Indian style cooking sauce seasoned with coriander & fenugreek leaves. I've always had a sweet spot for tomato based sauces, which may be why this sauce ranked highest in my pre-cooked taste sampling. Served up, this dish had mixed results. From below average to home run success, this dish was all over the map. Even after some time to contemplate the sauce, I'm still not sure why it showed so many faces. I, for one, enjoyed the sauce so much that I went back to the pan to tackle any extras that might not have been dished out. With it's range of personalities, we decided that the balti is good, having the potential to be a hit with the right crowd, but not safe enough to guarantee a success.

Final taste verdict - 3 out of 5.

Finally the last bottle from the package was this mango chutney. With chutneys falling into two main categories in my experience, hot or sweet, this falls into the latter category. A addition to all the meals, it provided a nice amount of sweetness. The mango chutney worked together with the rice, to cool some of the panels palates . Besides working with the main dishes, it did a decent job on toast one day.

The product sampling was a really good experience. As someone who rarely, if ever, uses pre-packaged sauces, I would have easily passed by the jars for years to come. It's almost a shame, because these sauces did a great job of showing how far packaged sauces have come when a company cares about the final product. The flavours and spices that Sharwood's lists are not just describing what you might taste, but what you will. It also seemed to us after this experience that Sharwood's has approached each sauce from an appropriate place, giving each sauce it's due course if you will. In a world where everyone's mom has their own version, I think Sharwood's does a great job of offering these delicious sauces. If you want to change up the regular dinner routine, I suggest giving one of these sauces an opportunity to win you over.

*October 17th was the start of Diwali this year, a significant five-day religious festival that is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhist all over the world. Diwali, which means ‘rows of lighted lamps,’ signifies the victory of good over evil and the banishment of darkness. During Diwali, families decorate their homes and gardens with candles and coloured lights. Diwali encourages people to gather together with family and friends to enjoy scrumptious meals, sweets and savories. In addition, many people exchange gifts and wear new clothes.

the week that was and is - november 11th, 2009

2009-11-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

Hopefully everyone can take a moment today and just remember. Remember all those things that have brought us to where we are today. It's a lot, if you ask me.

Big congratulations to fellow E-town food blogger, Court, on the newest addition to her clan.

I'd totally forgotten about Edmonton's Chili Cook Off this past Friday, so it was nice to see Mack do a guest post on Only Here for the Food.

The City Palate is running a 'name' contest, as their royalty agreement has expired and will no longer be called the City Palate. If you think of a good name, submit your idea to marybee@shaw.ca before November 20th for a chance to win dinner for four at the Hardware Grill.

It looks like Bulk Barn, which I mentioned last week, is set to open November 25th. It garnered a lot of interest, so now I'm even more curious to check it out.

"Kraft Foods has gone hostile in its bid to buy Cadbury."

A 330 foot California Roll (now the world's longest) was created at Berkeley recently. "The roll was made from 200 pounds of dry rice, 80 pounds each of cucumber and avocado, and 180 pounds of fish"

I never thought I'd see the day someone could donate their deer hunt to fill empty shelves. Good work Minnesota.

I totally forgot to put a picture of my pumpkin adventures last week. After all the hard work that Sarah and I put in, I couldn't not put them in this week.

Picked up a large order of Wor Wonton soup this week from Tin Tin. A huge portion, it supplied enough for both of these really large bowls. A great mix of meat, wonton's, and vegetables, it's only downfall, if any, was a slightly neutral broth. I would definitely pick this up again.

I opened my first bottle of Fuller's 2008 Vintage Ale recently. 2008 was the 11th year Fuller's has put out a vintage ale, and this bottle was great. The thing that surprised me was how smooth the beer was for 8.5% alcohol. With an initial flavour that many beer drinkers may find overpowering, it leaves your mouth in a very smooth manner. Being bottle conditioned, these ales form a layer of sediment and last for a very long time. Good thing I have one more bottle tucked away, because at 9 or 10 dollars a bottle, they aren't cheap.

And I leave you with this. A picture of our lovely city from the recently opened 23rd Ave overpass. It really will be something when it's done.

P.S. Don't forget about the new John Mayer album (Battle Studies) next week. It's fantastic.

pain de campagne - bread baker's apprentice challenge #22

2009-11-10T10:53:00.001-07:00

Judging by this initial picture, you may think that bread number 22 of the bread baker's apprentice challenge was a success. I mean, look at that profile. Airy - check, light - check, colour - half check....but that's where the story goes south.

Proofing in the early morning sun.

What had me most excited about bread #22 were the shaping possibilities. In fact, Peter just so happens to mention that Pain de Campagne is an excellent dough for such an adventure, combined with world-class flavour and texture.

Take for example this lovely piece. First shaped into a batard, the bread is pressed with a small piece of dowel before sprinkling with flour. The crease will give the final bread, a very distinct 'split' look. But it didn't. No fault of the bread though, this mistake was all me. After I completed shaping the sections of dough (one fendu, one tabatiere, and one epi), I was called away for more important things. Thinking I would only be an hour or two, I left the house only to forget about my dough and arrive back 6 hours later.

Tragedy had stuck the dough. It had over proofed, and looked all bloated sitting there on my dining room table. I didn't really have any other option but to bake off the bread, so I tried my best to shape things and filled the house with heat at 10 o'clock at night. Finally with everything baked, I went to bed hoping this bread adventure was just a bad dream.

But it wasn't. The bread was decent enough, but after a long day of proofing and a night on the counter, I was just glad to be done with it. Definitely a bread I'll come back to eventually, but not before I create a memory erasing gadget.

sugar cookies

2009-11-08T19:12:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I baked any treats for the homestead, so a request had me in the kitchen this weekend making sugar cookies. Delicious and sweet, they remind me of Christmas..which scary as it sounds, is just around the corner.

The dough divided and ready for cooling.

Part of the initial bear army.

Nothing says fun like a platter of bear cookies. (It's just flour)

I know I could have added royal icing, or some thing more elaborate than plain old red sugar sprinkles, but alas, it was the creative extent of my baking this weekend. My question now for you. Do you have a favorite cookie shape?

burrito libre - edmonton, ab

2009-11-05T13:17:00.004-07:00

burrito libre
6541 28 ave
780.577.7070

The Millwoods Burrito Libre location recently got together with the Salvation Army for a free burrito giveaway. While, not exactly free, it required either a food, clothing, or monetary donation in exchange for a large burrito of your choice.

Bins were situated right at the front, with a staff member there to say hi and take whatever donation you brought. The lineups moved extremely fast, with a huge amount of staff in the back making quick work of people's orders. I stopped by twice in the day, lunch and diner, and was lucky enough to try a few options.

Having previously visited this location, I understood the process and did my best to keep the line flowing smoothly.

I tried both the brown (whole wheat) and white tortilla, both of which did an equally good job. I really liked that they are steamed very quickly (5 seconds maybe), so they are soft and pliable when you open the wrapper. I added rice and beans to both burritos, deciding to skip the potato. As you can see from the whole wheat version, the rice was disproportionate to the rest of the ingredients. I realize this is a way to add bulk, but it can be a little too much starch on starch for some. I selected honey chipotle chicken for one, and spicy chicken for the other. I didn't pick up anything from the honey chipotle, disappointing as it's their big ad burrito at the moment, but quite enjoyed the spicy chicken.

The corn salsa found it's way on to both, and added a nice level of sweetness. I opted for the spicy salsa for both, and it was good with an acceptable level of heat. Although the staff warned me on both occasions it was VERY hot. The sour cream was well, sour creamy, while the small amount of shredded cheese did nothing in the overall package. Finally the guacamole was fresh and tasty, even having good sized chunks of avocado. My biggest complaint would be about the lack of evenly placed toppings. For example, cutting the whole wheat burrito in half left me with corn on one side, and salsa on the other. Sure the lineups could have been to blame for the quick dumping of ingredients, but an even scoop of toppings would have done wonders for the overall taste.

It would be pretty hard to come out totally disappointed with burrito's these days, and it would be no different here at Burrito Libre. The large burrito is fairly big and could easily provide some people with two meals. Would I go back, probably, but it wasn't about that. Just seeing the amount of food, money, and clothing donated goes to show what the day was really about. Cheers to Burrito Libre for taking the event.

the week that was and is - november 4th 2009

2009-11-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's Mo-vember already. Can you believe that! Have you started growing your mustache?

Sherman's Food Adventures is celebrating it's first year on the net. Why not stop by, have a look and leave a kind word or two. You might even win a gift card!

As a fan of Anthony Bourdain (tickets on sale now for his Calgary stop), I can't help but think if Scripp's is successful with their bid for Travel Channel, the Rachel Ray/Anthony Bourdain drama will really hit the fan.

Can't wait to see why kind of pictures Gizmodo gets in their fast food shooting challenge.

Need more reasons to use your microwave. Check out this list of 14.

I don't know what to think about a man who holds up a fast food restaurant, only to ask for a job application.

The more I break down meat at home, the more I enjoy watching videos like this.

Don't ask me why, but I'm surprised to hear the Top Chef Las Vegas finale will be filmed in Napa. I've actually started to get into things after a shaky start to the season.

Bulk Barn construction is humming along in South Edmonton Common. It seems to have a decent follow out east, so it'll be interesting to see how it fairs here in the west. The website says "Bulk Barn is Canada's largest bulk food retailer. We carry over 4,000 products - everything from soup to nuts, candy and snacks, baking ingredients, health and natural food products, pet food, vitamins, and candy-making supplies, dried fruits, seasonal candy - the list goes on and on!"

I don't really do fondue, and I'm 100% certain I've never eaten at a fondue based restaurant, but I suppose this may change with Edmonton getting a Melting Pot. "The first Canadian location is scheduled to open in Edmonton, Alberta in early 2010. The Melting Pot Restaurants will also be developed in Calgary, Alberta and Vancouver, British Columbia. Canada marks the first International market for the Melting Pot – stay tuned for updates on the The Melting Pot brand going global!"

And right in front of the Melting Pot, is the latest incarnation of this ever changing building. Blush, which is billed as an innovative kitchen and lounge. Has anyone heard anything about this? Who's behind it or what this innovative cuisine will be?

I received a package of Sharwood's sauces to sample a few weeks back. Wanting to get a wide opinion on the sauces, it took a bit of finagling to get all my taste testers together for each dish. Lucky for everyone, and you, the sauces are all used up. Look forward to an upcoming post on the delicious experience.

Maybe not your cup of tea musically, but Sonic 102.9 is currently giving away their first Sonic Sessions CD. A cool mix of intimate performances, featuring everyone from Matthew Good to Tegan and Sara to The Arkells. Copies are available at The Easy Rider in Whitemud Crossing for free.

alton brown's brains and cheese

2009-11-02T09:31:00.005-07:00

Sooooo its not really brains, although, I'm sure brains and cheese could be taste pretty good. It's actually Mac-n-Cheese. My friend Sarah was looking for something to bring to a Halloween themed potluck at her work last week. Asking for any creative assistance I may have, and all the Halloween themed desserts, it should be easy right? Unfortunately, the sweeter side of things were already called for, so this left us looking at savory dishes. Ye Ol' Internet had a few options, but Sarah saved the day by mentioning mac n' cheese. . So with Sarah on the hunt for her brain-like pasta, I looked to my man Alton Brown.

Whole Wheat Fusilli - aka brains!

I've been wanting to make Alton's stove top macaroni and cheese for as long as I can remember. Yes..since I was 2. OK you caught me again, but it does seems like forever. Why have I wanted to make this for so long. While it seems like Mr. Brown's recipe has been an Internet cornerstone in the mac n' cheese world. Sure, there is still room for that baked vs. stovetop argument (I grew up on an baked version), but people rave about this recipe.

With hands this fast, the cheese didn't stand a chance.

So with our dish, and recipe in order, we set about putting it all together. I have to say first off, the recipe is so easy! I'd almost dare to say it's as fast as your blue box mac n' cheese. Sure you have to whisk some eggs, and grate some cheese, but really it's so simple. Heck, get your kids to grate the cheese and your cat to whisk the eggs. Voila! With our pasta to-the-tooth, all the ingredients were dumped in the pot and we stirred everything over low heat until the cheese did it's magic. I can't tell you how delicious this was. I now understand. The only major change, was the use of garlic chili sauce, as Sarah didn't have the required hot sauce in her fridge, yet, I think it was better this way. It's seems Sarah and I weren't the only ones to enjoy the brains, as her coworkers did a number, leaving Sarah with nothing but an empty pot to bring home. Good thing they didn't eat the bowl! *terrible Canadian joke, I know*

no knead bread - revisted

2009-10-30T12:58:00.000-06:00

I haven't talked about no-knead bread in a while, so I figured it was time to revisit this tasty treat. For those who don't think bread making is within their abilities, I can't stress how wrong you are. I'd be more than willing to believe you can't draw, before I believe you couldn't bake bread.

A very simple process, you combine 3 cups of flour with 1 1/2 cups of water, 1/4 tsp of instant yeast, and 3/4 tablespoon of kosher salt. You stir this concoction together until everything is combined, before covering the bowl and letting it rest overnight. Just use plastic cling film to cover the bowl, and by overnight I mean 12-18 hours. Be prepared for the amazing yeast to do it's thing, because soon enough that shaggy dough will look like this!

Pull the dough out from your container, and give it a few folds. At this point, I always stick mine in a parchment lined pot, and sprinkle on a topping. Everything from whole sesame seeds, crushed sesame seeds, poppy seeds, cornmeal, and even flour. Cover again for 2 hours.

Bake the bread in a covered, 450 degree oven proof container for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for another 20 minutes. Remove and cool for about an hour before you attack it with your bread knife. See, simple wasn't it...and oh so delicious!

opm asian bistro and lounge - edmonton, ab

2009-10-29T00:01:00.002-06:00

opm asian bistro and lounge
1820 99 St NW
780.989.5898

After two trips to my local immunization center, and spending what seemed like an entire day in line, I was finally ready to take a H1N1 vaccination in the arm. After wards, with some in the group feeling a little worse off, we headed in search of food. A quick discussion took place before OPM was suggested and we soon jumped in our cars and headed south.

Situated, in the middle of South Edmonton Common, OPM falls between an Earls and Montana's. So while it has the Asian cuisine on lock-down among it's immediate neighbours, you can easily walk a few blocks and find everything from sushi (Mikado) to steaks (The Keg) to family (Ricky's) dinning. With an upscale interior, OPM definitely gives off a trendy Asian personality. This is not your parent's Chinese take-out joint, if that makes sense. The slogan, Fresh Dining From Ancient Places, along with the name, give you a clue to the cuisine, while the menu confirms the dishes come from China, Thailand, and Japan.

With only one person at the table drinking beer, OPM's house offering China White (dark wheat ale), it was a quick round of waters while we looked over the menu. Regarding the beer menu, I was really happy to see 3 local offerings. 2 from Amber's brewing and 1 from Alley Kat. With not a lot of local brews available, OPM gets a thumbs up for including these choices along side it's regulars like Kokanee and Keith's.

The dishes will arrive to your table when they are cooked, which means you may have some down time between plates. First to the table was Lemon Scallops & Prawns. Apparently wok fired with vegetables in a tangy citrus sauce, this dish tasted like lemon pie filling. That's right, a few bites of this and I found it over whelming sweet and lemony. All I needed was a dollop of meringue. Terrible dish.

The remaining two dishes arrived together (7 or 8 minutes after the first), OPM Spicy Chicken and Coconut Yellow Curry Prawns. First up the spicy chicken, which is billed as the hottest dish on the menu. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype. Sure there was some heat trapped inside the red chilies, but the chicken itself seemed to have a sweet (brown sugar?) BBQ sauce flavour. The chicken was juicy and the mixed vegetables were solid, so the dish as a whole was decent enough.

The curry prawns came swimming in enough sauce to drown a gnome. The shrimp were cooked nicely and the dish worked well. Probably my favorite of the three, it didn't have any heat but was well balanced with 'Thai' flavours. Good thing a few bowls of plain rice were delivered to the table or we would have needed straws to fully utilize the sauce.

Based on one previous visit, and the above three dishes, I don't think I'll go out of my way to come back. Nothing jumped out at anyone of us in the group, yet talking with my father, who eats here regularly, it's the appetizers that shine. Oddly enough his favorite (yam fries and rock shrimp) were not on the menu. At least our hunger cravings were curbed after the long day in line, and we were able to relax and enjoy the company.

the week that was and is - october 27th 2009

2009-10-28T10:20:00.000-06:00

Howdy everybody! Get up to anything exciting this week? The biggest adventure of the week for myself was getting my H1N1 vaccination. After stopping by twice on Monday, I finally decided to bite the bullet and stick it out. Probably 3 hours in total, the lineups were crazy with hundreds and hundreds of people. Is this what standing in line at Disney Land is like?

Hopefully you are following along with the east coast food tour, care of the crew at foodosophy. Our country is so big, that at times, it's easy to forget how different dining can be. Plus, lobster at McDonald's is just plain rad.

With pumpkin carving just around the corner, why not consider adding pumpkin to your meals. Closet Cooking has a list of 10 delicious sounding recipes to try.

I mentioned awhile back that local blogger Kevin Kossowan went on a 'tiny' wine tour this summer. He has started to blog his way through his experience. The notes are fantastic and he's been kind enough to group the wines together, so you can pick from a specific wine - Bordeaux Blends/Meritage, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay

Rats fed unlimited junk food show behaviors similar to those addicted to heroin. "This is the most complete evidence to date that suggests obesity and drug addiction have common neurobiological underpinnings"

McDonald's is quitting Iceland, to steal a Brokeback line.

It must be McDonald's week in the news, because I found that some regions are getting the McRib back. Never a fan, I'm surprised at the almost cult-like following of this offering.

With over 70 percent of it's 70,000 plus work force overweight, Mexico City is cracking down and putting some officers on a diet.

"There shall be no cupcakes. No chocolate cake and no carrot cake. According to New York City’s latest regulations, not even zucchini bread makes the cut.In an effort to limit how much sugar and fat students put in their bellies at school, the Education Department has effectively banned most bake sales, the lucrative if not quite healthy fund-raising tool for generations of teams and clubs." As a baker, this makes me sad, but I understand their reasoning.

I dined at Ric's Grill this past Saturday. Unfortunately, a last minute change of drivers meant I left my camera in my car and didn't get any photo's. It's been a long time since I've visited a Ric's Grill, and I must say it wasn't as impressive as I wanted it to be. Service was bland, and my attempts at interacting with the staff seemed to be fluffed away. The bread basket was nothing special, just your average warm white bread (we didn't accept any offers for more). As the only person (out of 4) to not order a beef plate, I was disappointed to find my spinach salmon salad arrived with an overcooked piece of fish. And as someone who orders dressing on the side, I couldn't help but wonder how they would have tossed the delicate greens because the dressing had the consistency of paste. The starter salads, Greek and Cesar, were good and arrived on gargantuan plates (any reason for this). The steaks were deemed a success, as were the garlic mash potatoes. The seasonal vegetables seemed a little off, with everyone commenting on the very sub par piece of corn on the cob. The only dessert ordered was banana chocolate cheesecake which my fellow diners felt had a fake banana flavour. With our dishes bringing the bill close to 200 bones, it was a nice treat, but not great enough to bring me back any time soon.

I've been stopping by Transcend Coffee more than usual lately, and I'm not being seduced by the customer service skills these days. I realize they offer a premium product, but on my last visit, I overheard a customer (and the barista) basically talking smack about two americano's (my order). It's one thing to live in the upper coffee echelon, but without a turnaround in attitude I'll stick with my friendly, and local, Starbucks.

Last but certainly not least. Culina Highlands, has been labeled by enRoute Magazine as one of the top 10 new restaurants in Canada. Congrats.

chocolate chip squash bread

2009-10-27T00:01:00.001-06:00

Finally, I can clean out my containers of squash puree. With just under 15 ounces left, the amount found in a store bough container, I decided to try yet another quick bread. This time, I included chocolate chips for that extra bit of gooey goodness.

The end result was good. Surprisingly, even with a cup and a half of sugar, it wasn't extremely sweet. Better than a recent store bought sample, I thought it also had quite the rustic look for a quick bread. If I baked this again, I would leave out the chips and maybe add nuts instead.

The List:
15ozs pureed pumpkin
1 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (room temp)
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups chocolate chips

Cream the butter and sugar together before adding in the rest of the wet ingredients. Sift the dry ingredients together and mix until you see little specks of flour left. Remember, this is quick bread, so we don't to over work the batter. Finally fold in the chips and scoop everything into a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about an hour, or until a tooth pick is clean when inserted.

pumpkin milkshake

2009-10-26T11:11:00.004-06:00

OK, so not exactly pumpkin, this milkshake helped to use up yet another portion of my huge supply of squash puree. So I guess you could call it a squash milkshake, but that isn't nearly as sexy and it might deter some folks. Don't let it though, stay the course!

I picked up the inspiration for this treat over at Closet Cooking where a pumpkin milkshake was recently featured. I was, however, lacking frozen yogurt, cloves, and gingersnap cookies so I made some alterations. Damn tasty if I do say so myself, it really does give you an autumn sensation....although one lucky recipient said it reminded them of Christmas.

The List:
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup squash puree
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon crumbled graham cracker

Blend everything together until the right consistency, adding more milk if needed. Insert a straw, sprinkle a little garnish, and enjoy.

pain a l'ancienne - bread baker's apprentice challenege #21

2009-10-25T13:20:00.000-06:00

Pain a l'Ancienne...where to begin. Bread 21, in the bread baker's challenge, are these baguette shaped goodies. Not a straight forward creation, this recipe is going to take you two days to create. Don't feel too overwhelmed though, it's not rocket science.. It may however, as Peter says, have you facing the words "Unknown Kingdoms Be Here."

Why would you be facing the unknown you ask. In two words, cold water. Describing a process that has tremendous implications for the baking industry and for both professional and home bakers, this 'unique' delayed fermentation process, based on ice-cold water, releases all those flavours trapped inside flour in a different manner.

Even with all this fancy smancy talk, it boils down to this. Using the cold water will allow the flour itself to break down and release sugars that wouldn't normally be available at the start, if you mixed in warm water. These additional sugars will add a natural sweetness and help to caramelize the crust during baking.

This dough has a high level of hydration and as such, isn't that easy to handle. Being so wet and floppy, it sticks to your hands and arm hair (if you are like me). Once you are done mixing everything, it goes straight into the fridge over night.

The bread finally starts the rising period on day two, where it will need 3 or 4 hours to come out of hibernation and double in size. At this point, you'll need to heavily flour your counter or board, and start the shaping process.

With your dough prepped, and your oven ready for hearth baking, it just a matter of waiting 20-30 minutes for everything to come out.

How did it taste? Really good. Even with these being fairly tiny loaves, they had developed decent pockets of air.

Absolutely delicious straight from the oven, I downed an entire baguette with a bowl of homemade chili.

The next day brought a different texture to the bread, and created a chewier crust. Which just so happened to go wonderfully with tuna salad. What was I so worried about..maybe it's in the names. Pain de Champagne is next, and it almost 'sounds' as intimidating!

pantry chili

2009-10-23T00:01:00.000-06:00

Sure you can eat a hearty bowl anytime of the year, but it seems to make more sense when the weather starts to go south. This little cooking adventure virtually materialized out of nowhere. While I was cleaning out the vegetable crisper this week, the homestead was gifted 8lbs of ground beef. It seems the very kind meat-donor, had recently purchased a side of organic Alberta beef and didn't realize how much product they would actually be receiving. So, combining the homesteads new found stash of beef with a cleaned out crisper, I set out to make chili.

With the beef basically appearing out of the nowhere, this chili was a random free for all. I browned off 2 pounds of beef, with onions and garlic, while chopping vegetables and opening cans. Eventually both my recycling bin and slow cooker were filled to the brim. Opting for the fastest route, I switched the cooker to high and patiently wait 4 hours to fill my belly. For such a gong show creation, I was actually quite impressed by the final product. Needing to keep the heat to a bare minimum for the heat-allergic homesteader, I didn't sink too deep in the spice cupboard, but fixed this after wards with a generous sprinkle of chili flakes. I almost wish I had more vegetables in the crisper, as I could have easily added another zucchini, some mushrooms, or even shredded carrots. At least I had freshly baked Pain a l'Ancienne to accompany everything.

Pantry Chili
2lbs organic beef
2 19oz cans of mixed medley beans
1 19oz can of dark red kidney beans
2 28oz can whole tomatoes
1 14oz can of hot and spicy diced tomatoes
2 8oz cans of hot and spicy pizza sauce
4 or 5 tbls of chili powder
1 tsp of basil
1 tsp of Italian seasoning
1 tsp cayenne
1 can of corn
1 zucchini
1 green pepper
1 sweet onion
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 cinnamon stick

buttercup squash bread

2009-10-22T00:01:00.001-06:00

So, truth be told, I've been eaten a good portion of my roasted squash. All I do is heat it up, add some fresh cracked pepper and it's delicious. The crazy thing though, is that even with the cupcakes I made, I still have a pile of puree to use up. So with the homesteaders big fans of banana breads, I figured a pumpkin bread would fit in nicely.

Where the cupcakes used 'pumpkin pie' spice, I decided to go at it with the original spices themselves, allowing me to create my own ratio. The bread itself is great. Perfectly moist, with that great quick bread texture. If I make this again, I'll definitely add more spice to really give you that autumn flavour kick and sub some of the oil out for apple sauce (which I was out of).

Squash Quick Bread

1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
15ozs squash puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease your 10 inch bundt pan. Cream oil, beaten eggs, squash (pumpkin) and vanilla together. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground cloves and salt together. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before removing to wire rack.

the week that was and is - food on tv

2009-10-21T00:01:00.002-06:00

So normally on Wednesday, I fill this post with a few lines about interesting and/or local stories. Today, I wanted to chat about food related television. The topic has been milling around in my head for some time, and with some recent inspiration, I figured it was as good a time as ever.

First off, I think it would be safe enough to say that Food Network Canada controls a huge portion of the market here in Canada. Which, really, should come as no surprise. Being the only 24/7 channel dedicated to food, it would be pretty tough to top. However, in saying that, there is definitely more. Maybe not as obvious or readily available, but it's there. Take for example;

KCTS 9 (PBS) which is broadcast out of Seattle, Washington and provides a wide range of food related programming. While you will come across the occasional food related show during the week, the weekend is where food takes over. Anywhere from 4-8 hours of programming, including Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home, Primal Grill with Steven Raichlen, Joanne Weir's Cooking Class, Lidia's Italy, Chefs A' Field, America's Test Kitchen, Cook's Country, Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie, and KCTS's very own KCTS Cooks. While very few of these shows are as flashy as their mainstream siblings, the shows are very educational and to the point. Primal Grill, for example, does a wonderful job of showing how real BBQ is done south of the border. America's Test Kitchen is extremely informative, covering everything from recipes to cookware, and it's pretty difficult not to be impressed by Julia Child. Her humor alone is worth a few minutes of your time.

Travel Channel, which unfortunately for many is a specialty channel, also offers something for the foodie. In fact, I think they have 3 of the best food shows around; Adam Richman's Man V Food, No Reservations With Anthony Bourdain, and Bizarre World with Andrew Zimmern. None of these shows follow your classic structure, or for that matter, help you create the perfect dish. Instead they use food as the stepping stone to great entertainment. Adam Richman works his way around the US, in search of food challenges. While he gets stoned by most foodies on the internet, I find it very entertaining. Not only does he promote a city, helping to uncover some very cool gems, he takes on some intense challenges. From a 72oz steak to 6 of the hottest wings in the world, Adam isn't (IMO) promoting unhealthy eating, just good food entertainment. Anthony Bourdain, who I find fantastic in his own right, travels around the world, learning, discovering, and eating. While any number of chefs could film a similar show, it's Tony's down to earth, sarcastic, and witty personality that sucks in the viewer. Andrew Zimmern is currently filming his first season of Bizarre World after 5 seasons of Bizzare Foods. As someone who based his show around eating life's oddities, I'm glad Andrew Zimmern is developing a new niche on Travel Channel. Bizarre World takes his original concept one step further, allowing him to interact with the locals to discover both the food and what makes each region interesting.

One thing I also think Travel Channel does extremely well, is promotion. Having participated in their live chats, including a recent one with Andrew Zimmern, I can honestly say how great it feels as a fan. These live chats are actually quite relaxed, well moderated, and the fan questions cover almost all topics. What foodie wouldn't want to ask Anthony Bourdain a question? Even if you hate him. As well, Travel Channel has developed widgets for the blog world, allowing you to bring updates/new show information right to your desktop every week. On top of all of that, Twitter. Now I know that twitter isn't everyone's cup of tea (much like Facebook), but I quite enjoy reading actual, down to earth updates. No, that isn't some lackey in the offices updating for Adam Richman, it's him.

And finally what about those Canadian gems. You know what I'm talking about; Wok with Yan, What's for Dinner?, The Inn Chef, The Great Canadian Food Show, The Urban Peasant, Cooking for Love, Anna and Kristina's Grocery Bag. Sure plenty of these shows are over and done with, yet many still show up somewhere on the TV dial. I, for one, loved Wok with Yan back in the day. Those aprons (You Are Wok You Eat, Wok Goes up Must Come Down, Wok's New, Pussycat?, Wokkey Night in Canada) were EPIC and his personality was so wonderfully over the top. Mary Jo Eustace and Ken Kostick have been around for what also seems like forever. Their playful banter is oddly entertaining, and I think they have the ability to show how much fun cooking can be. I've seen my fair share of friends and couples who struggle to cook with each other, so maybe a few lessons from Mary Jo and Ken would be handy. While Carlo Rota isn't nearly as exciting in real life, compared to his role in 24, he does a good job of eating his way around our country. Anna and Kristina are another team that have created a perfect niche, testing and reviewing cookbooks. As amateur chefs, cooking for a professional chef, they work 5-8 recipes from a given cookbook. Heck, they even tried to conquer the El Bulli cookbook, something I wouldn't dream of.

Which brings me to something I mentioned in last week's update;

Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. said it plans to launch a cooking-focused TV channel next year, the company's chief executive, Ken Lowe, said in an interview Thursday.

The new Cooking Channel will be a 24-hour network that caters to avid food lovers by focusing on food information and instructional cooking programming. Offered in both standard and high definition, the new network will launch with a VOD offering and a fully interactive Internet and broadband platform as it delivers more content focused on baking, ethnic cuisine, wine and spirits, healthy and vegetarian cooking and kids’ foods.

Even with food occupying such a large market, I wonder if we can support another entry into the food arena. My concern isn't about filling the time spots, it's about how they are going to find quality hosts and themes. With Food Network already creating competitions to find the next big thing, and plenty of boring shows, will another food channel just be leftovers? Is Food Network prepared for battle? Will this be better for all of us? Who knows.

butter cup squash muffins

2009-10-20T00:01:00.004-06:00

With a giant bowl of squash puree in the fridge, I started looking for recipes that required pumpkin puree. Not that pre-made pumpkin pie puree, just straight up pumpkin puree. I remembered reading about pumpkin muffins at Baking Bites, so I went looking for the recipe. I decided after tracking down the recipe, these babies have to be good, there called Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes.

Maybe I'm out to lunch but I don't think I was aware of the "impossible" style recipe that Baking Bites mentions;

This cupcake recipe is based on an impossible pie recipe. Impossible pie is a concept that is a popular “back of the box” recipe for baking mixes, like bisquick. These “pies” have a little bit of flour in their mix that turns into a firm, crust-like outer layer around the filling.

So there you have it, this style of recipe is supposed to stay soft in the center while forming it's own crust. Crazy! This was an awesome first puree recipe. Simple and straight forward, it allowed me to see if my puree had too much moisture in it. The cupcakes fell in the center, just as mentioned, and really did give that mini pumpkin pie experience. I've been keeping them in a fridge so they stay cold (pumpkin pie is soooo good cold), and topping them with a bit of whip cream. Yum yum!

roasted buttercup puree and seeds

2009-10-19T15:05:00.000-06:00

I'm not going to deny it any longer; there is a small army of buttercup squash in my basement and they must be dealt with. How you ask, well first I'm going to cut them all in half, that's right all of them! Then I'm going to pull out every baking sheet I can find and fill them with squash. Cut side down of course. Now like the evil food captain I am, I'm going to ship my army of squash off to oven land (350 degrees) and wait until they come back from their mission, soft and delicious. After which, I'll scoop out their insides and pulse, mash, and whip everything into a light, smooth pile. Muhahahahaha.

As you can see, just like most of us, they love their time in the heat!

I decided last minute to keep some of the seeds and roast them off as well. There are a million ways to go about this; some people suggest air drying the seeds for one or two days before baking, while others suggest a soak in heavily salted water for that same time. Instead of just soaking, some people boil the heck out of their seeds in salted water, while others are using the microwave...strange indeed. I've always just let the seeds dry up a bit naturally, but feeling the need for change I took the plunge and decided to dry-fry them in a skillet. The tough part is getting all the squash goo away from the seeds. Seriously, it took me almost an hour to clean, de-goo and prepare my seeds.

Keeping things relatively simple, all I did was toss the pile of seeds with oilve oil and kosher salt. Into the oven at 325 degrees I kept checking every 5 minutes, giving the pan a shake and flip. It was about 25 minutes in when I decided to pull them. Of course, I then burnt my lip trying to sample the scalding hot seeds. Silly me, I know. But oh so delicious.

Compared with actual pumpkin seeds, I didn't pick up any major difference. If anything, using olive oil was the most notable one as it changed the flavour profile a bit. I'm pretty sure I've used neutral oils in the past. These puppies are addictive, but even better like roasting nuts, you can toss them in whatever you like. Curry power, cumin, chili powder. Experiment a little and I bet you find something so surprisingly good, you will never want to tell anyone your secret.

Enough of the squash seeds though. It's time to bake!

boston pizza millwoods - edmonton, ab

2009-10-18T18:50:00.002-06:00

boston pizza millwoods
5228 23rd Avenue
780.429.9999

Foreward - I'm not a fan of Boston Pizza. It's always left a bad taste in my mouth. From the service to the food and everything in between. From Grand Prairie to Medicine Hat, Rocky Mountain House to Cold Lake, my experiences have always been sub par. The only good experience I've had was in the US version of Boston Pizza, (Boston's) in Great Falls, Montana.

With that said, last night I was invited to Boston Pizza in Millwoods for supper. As I'd already enjoyed dinner, I thought I would meet up and maybe have something light while enjoying the company. Arriving sometime around 6:30, the restaurant was full with the wait-line reaching the outer doors. Having a peek into the lounge yielded the same result, but just as we turned to leave we noticed 3 free stools at the bar and decided to hop on. Being that it was a Saturday night in October, it almost goes without saying that every TV in the lounge was showing Hockey Night in Canada. A very wings and beer crowd was occupying this side of the restaurant.

My fellow diners decided on their meals and we asked for a round of calamari to nibble on. The strangest thing about calamari to me, is how often it's cooked incorrectly. I find more often than not, it comes to you on the chewy side so I didn't really have high hopes. Strangely enough, it wasn't rubbery at all. I should say though, I think this had to do with the calamari being so thin. If the breading wasn't so thick, I'm pretty sure you could have use these guys for a window. There was a plus side to this though. After the paper thin pieces were fried, they ended up so crispy and delicious. It reminded me of fried pig skin..which if you haven't had, is quite addictive. We all agreed that we must have been given a funny scoop of tzatziki, because our little dish tasty like sour cream.

While we were chatting about the calamari, the two entrees arrived. Zorba the Greek pizza for the one and Ginger Citrus Chicken Salad for the other. Can anyone explain to me, why every salad comes with garlic toast? Do people commonly do this at home?

Both dishes served their purpose without any major flaws. The pizza seemed to be different than what was remembered from a previous visit so it came as a bit of a surprise to my fellow diner. I noticed half of the individual sized pizza was boxed up to go home, so I'm not too sure if that was a good sign or not. The salad, if anything, was dressed pretty heavy. So while the chicken held up fine, the salad greens had a tough go and after a few minutes were looking pretty limp. Does anyone else ask for salad dressing on the side? I've taken to doing this in the last couple of years because of the 'heavy dressing' situations I've encountered more often than not.

Lastly a comment about the service. The bartender, who did a good job of taking care of us between the steady flow of beer, didn't smile once, or interact longer than absolutely required. Picking up that 'she's having a rough night' vibe, I couldn't help but overhear the conversations she had with the wait staff in the lounge. Most importantly a flurry of f-bombs in quick succession used to describe a gentleman who was in earlier. Now I know it's one thing to have a bad night, and another to have crappy customers...but really is there any need to drop f-bombs in front of customers. Even though I know I'll occasionally end up at Boston Pizza, I always do, there is nothing enticing me to do it more often. Although I must say, from the steady lineups..they must be doing something right.

multigrain bread extraordinaire - bread baker's apprentice challenege #20

2009-10-17T14:24:00.001-06:00

The big two-O. Phew! A fairly straight forward bread, this particular loaf is taken to that next level by soaking a few ingredients overnight. And what might those ingredients be...cornmeal, oats, and bran! This overnight water absorbing party, softens every thing, creating a light texture from seemingly heavy ingredients.

While I only made the one loaf, it was a solid success. Like the Light Wheat, this bread was utilized mostly in a toasted form. In fact, I think this loaf disappeared in a one-day toast extravaganza which is really why I have no pictures. Something about the nuttiness of those added grains really comes out after a few minutes in the toaster. Really though, a layer of peanut butter and jam probably makes any bread scrumptious!

After a a couple weeks away from the challenge, it's now time to dig in and attack the Pain a l'Ancienne. I think the name alone sounds intimidating! Eek!

the week that was and is - october 14th 2009

2009-10-14T00:01:00.001-06:00

Snow in Edmonton! Oh dear me..what will all the kiddies do for Halloween! Speaking of Halloween, what is everyone giving out this year? If you do that sort of thing. The homestead is handing out those mini bags of chips.

One of my favorite blogs, I'm Only Here for the Food!, is celebrating one year on ye ol' internet. Do check it out if don't already. Not only does Kim do a fantastic job of visiting spots in and around Vancouver, he travels occasionally and gets to sample treats from Richmond, VA to Panama and back.

Local food aficionado, Kevin Kossowan, recently returned from a trip to the Okanagon where it looks like he went on a bit of wine bender! In his words - I'm back. 22 wineries. 140+ sets of tasting notes and scores. Full review to come. Can't wait Kevin!

One of my favorite TV personalities, Alton Brown, is celebrating 10 years of Good Eats. From food basics to winning a Peabody award. I think Alton does a great job providing insight and techniques for every skill level. Without him, Food Network (IMO) would be seriously lacking. Great work Alton.

Speaking about food based programming, are we ready for another food specialty channel. I wonder if we will get the Cooking Channel here in Canada.

Anytime a Canadian food product gets recognition is great, but how awesome is this - 'crowned World Champion in Las Palmas at the world’s largest cheese competition. Canadian goat’s milk cheese, Le Cendrillon, saw off nearly 2,500 other competitors to take the title of World Champion Cheese 2009'. Best cheese around. Boo yeah!

I received a sample of Mom's Healthy Secrets cereal in the mail this week. Seriously do we even get this cereal here? The website claims - Mom's range of cold cereals includes 3 varieties each with a specific functional purpose: antioxidant-rich VibraBerry, high in-fibre FibreFit or OmegaActive a source of both Omega-3 and Omega-6. The package I got was FibreFit, and I didn't really like it. It didn't seem to have any real identity. It was like raisin bran (bran flakes and raisins) + shreddies + dry oats + goji berries. My cereal choice is Fiber One so believe me when I say I couldn't figure out how this sample was so bland.

I can't remember where I was exactly, but the first time I tried a Tim Tam slam was like love at first sight. So, with Tim Tam's now available in Canada, the homestead picked up chocolate and chewy caramel. If you've never attempted a Tim Tam slam, start with the original as the caramel biscuit requires a bit extra sucking power.

Taking in the Canadian Thanksgiving, my friend Sarah and I ventured off for a mini tour of the Edmonton's sights and sounds. We started at the Royal Alberta Museum, which was quite deserted. We were both excited to find out there is a Robert Munsch exhibit, but in the end were won over by the live creepy crawlers! Unfortunately, neither of our cameras lasted (who checks batteries these days), which turned out to be a real bummer as our next stop was the Muttart Conservatory. I'll never get over how much beauty is enclosed in those glass pyramids, and I think we both loved learning about the prehistoric Wollemi Pine.

P.S. Happy Birthday Jenn, I hope you have a fantastic day!!

thanksgiving turkey - the saga

2009-10-12T18:29:00.000-06:00

What says a good time like cooking a turkey? I don't think it's always the bird, but the entire meal as a whole that gets people a little hectic. So many pots on the stove, so little space in the oven, and before you know it, the turkey is overcooked. Sure, some of the dark meat is delicious, but those lean breasts look like they need an IV. This year things were going to change. Not having to participate at a girlfriends house, I decided to not sit idle by. That's right, with the advent of high quality meat thermometers and a better understanding of proteins, this man was going to attempt his first crack at the celebratory turkey.

First things first, the brine. Look around, I'll be far from the first person to tell you about the glories of a salt water soak. Yet...many people still decided to forgo this step. In today's day and age, our turkeys our so big that it becomes hard enough to cook one of these behemoths to a juicy result. The brine soak, will help to denature some of the protein and create pockets of moisture. Look at that tip eh, get a little extra moisture in before you start cooking AND break down the meat.

I used one pound of salt and one pound of brown sugar stirred into 6 quarts of warm water. Once the salt and sugar were dissolved I let the water cool for 20-30 minutes. Finally, sink the bird into the bucket and drop in 5 pounds of ice. I put a lid on the container and placed my trusty bird in a cool, calm place (8-16 hours).

The bird needs to warm up after it's wet slumber, so remember to remove your bird about 30 minutes before you are ready to rock n' roll. Rinse the bird under cold water to remove the brine and then pat dry. You may choose, of course, to stuff the bird or not at this point. Just remember, stuffing the bird will result in a longer cooking time. The homestead bird was 4.08KG. So I figured if I factored in the stuffing, this bird would take a brief 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

I had a few loaves of bread cooking away at 450 degrees, so it didn't take long for the oven to work its way up to 500. After stuffing the bird, I rubbed her down with oil (you can use butter) for that added golden hue. Now 500 degrees might seem high, but your bird is only going to spend 20 or 30 minutes at this temperature before dropping to a more sustaining 350.

As you can see, my bird didn't exactly brown all over. Oh well, such is life. The next step of course is basting. I remembered reading about using bacon to keep the bird self-basted. So with that in mind, I covered the bird in maple roasted bacon when I dropped the temperature.

Now it's just a matter of checking in on my bird every half hour or so. Making sure a) there is liquid in the bottom of the pan, b) she's nice and basted and c) she isn't browning too much. If you do find your bird browning more than you would like, don't hesitate to place a layer of foil right on her.

Before I knew it the house was filling with the most delicious odor of maple syrup and turkey. Deciding to check the temperature just shy of 2 1/2 hours, the lowest temperature I could find on my bird was 160. So out it came for the foil-down period. I am a strong, strong advocate of this post cooking relaxation, especially with poultry. Just give your bird a layer or two of foil and put it to the side for 20-30 minutes. I promise all the juices will flow back in, and nobody will be disappointed! Plus, this gives you plenty of time to work on those last few dishes; mash, boil, steam, and stir away.

I can't help but think that the 70's and 80's were filled with so much cooking fear, that people forgot what a properly done turkey should be like. Just think about how many over cooked chicken breasts you've encounter (or dry pork chops for that matter). I mentioned at the beginning of this post about new understandings. Maybe it's not a new understanding of cooking, I mean people have been cooking for centuries. But some things have changed. From the conditions they live in to the animals themselves. Don't believe me, have a heritage bird (or pig). We have breed birds that are too heavy to bread and pigs that lack proper fat marbling as we search for the 'healthiest meat'. I don't really know where I'm going with this...It just seems no matter how many times I produce perfectly cooked and super juicy poultry products, some diners fear under cooking - 'this breast is way too juicy to be cooked'. Winning some people over, to a place where turkey doesn't have to be 190 degrees may be impossible, but I know that cooking my first turkey was neither hard, tiring, or complicated.

Brine + Bird + Heat + Rest = fantastic. Happy Thanksgiving!

furusato japanese restaurant - edmonton, ab

2009-10-11T10:48:00.000-06:00

furusato japanese restaurant
10012 82 ave
780.439.1335

With my father left to his own devices on Friday, he went looking for food. Which in turn meant he called me to ask if I wanted to go for supper. Inquiring as to where, I jumped when he wanted sushi.

Pulling up to the bar 10 minutes after the doors open, we were greeted warmly by the staff. Looking around, only 2 tables were occupied, yet by 5:30 (20 minutes later), the restaurant had no empty seats. I'm always blown away by restaurants who pull this off.

I ordered the medium sashimi platter and two pieces of uni. I've said more than my fair share about these items before. No surprise, both plates were delicious.

My father ordered a rainbow roll and spider roll. In the past I would have said his favorite type of roll was a dynamite, but I think the spider roll has recently taken top spot. He enjoyed both.

Another good experience at Furusato. Talking with the general manager, Dave Phung, I asked how the fairly new lunch hours were treating them. He mentioned it's hit or miss, with more regulars than drop ins. He didn't look overly convinced about it.

Oh and the first picture in this post, was taken just after sitting down. When we left around 5:45, it was less than half of that. I was blown away by the disappearing mound of salmon and tuna. In our short time, we watched the two chefs go through 8 or 9 chunks of salmon and 5 or 6 of tuna. Nothing says fresh like turnover, right?

blueberry banana bread

2009-10-10T16:46:00.001-06:00

A recent shopping mishap, one list/two shoppers, left the homestead with a huge stack of bananas. The ripening banana problem as everyone knows, leads to baked goods. For something different, I included blueberries from my recent lake adventure. Blueberries. Bananas. Would it be good?

Upping the recipe to include more bananas meant I needed something bigger to bake this creation. Enter side stage - the bundt pan. Besides being able to handle a larger amount of batter, I find the bundt pan makes for a nice change of banana bread presentation. One thing I've also been doing as of late, is mashing the bananas in a potato ricer. It really breaks down the banana, which in turn fills every nook and cranny of the batter with banana goodness. Light, fluffy, and full of blueberries, this banana bread combination was great!

What you are going to need
1 cup o' butter
1 1/2 cups of splenda
6 bananas
4 well beaten eggs
2 1/3 cups of flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
Frozen blueberries (I used about 2 cups)

Preheat the oven to 350. Cream the butter and splenda until the butter is soft and fluffy. Add in the mashed up banana goo and eggs and beat until fully incorporated. Add in the dry ingredients, but be careful not to over mix. Fold in a cup or 2 of frozen blueberries. Pour into a greased bundt** pan, and back for about an hour. Check it with a tooth pick to confirm it's done.

*You could easily use two 8x4 pans and freeze a loaf.

syphay restaurant - edmonton, ab

2009-10-09T12:48:00.000-06:00

syphay restaurant
6010 104 st
780.438.8338

I stopped in for an impromptu lunch yesterday, so I apologize in advance for the blackberry photos. As my dining companion felt the start of a cold coming, we figured a hot bowl of soup would be the great cure. With a limited time period, and an uncertainty about where to get our fix of hot soupy goodness we headed over to Syphay Restaurant.

Located right on the very busy 104 street, this tiny Thai/Lao restaurant seems like a strange fit when you take in all the surrounding buildings. Stepping inside for the first time, I couldn't help but think. Geez, only 4 or 5 tables..that has to make for long wait times. Luckily enough for you and me, there is a left turn which leads to a slighter bigger room occupied by another group of tables. The restaurant was probably 60-70% full, with most tables being twosomes and one polite server taking care of everyone. We started with green tea, as we read the menu and chatted.

This spontaneous lunch get together happened only a few hours after eating breakfast, so I didn't look too deeply into the menu and decided to also stick with soup. I did notice the typical offerings; curry plates, stir fry's and salads. I decided on the tohm yum shrimp, while my fellow diner order tohm kha chicken with a side of steamed rice. The server mentioned you can add noodles, which we both turned down, and then inquired about the heat. Which brings me to, what I find, a interesting point at Thai restaurants. Looking at Thai menu's, I often find the level-of-spice ratings so strange. For example, what is authentic heat? And why is that the hottest? So if you didn't want a 5 chili rating, would it not be authentic? Thoughts? I really liked the Syphay option of - mild, medium, or spicy. Straight to the point with no 5 star authentic rating scale. We both ordered our soups spicy.

We had plenty of time to talk, as the soups took longer than expected (although I'm quite used to the speed of pho). Arriving to the table, they provided a great aroma and you could almost smell the 'heat'. I didn't know what to think of all the mushrooms on top, but came to appreciated the soft texture they provided as they absorbed the spicy flavour broth. The bowl wasn't exactly swimming in shrimp, I counted 5, and I don't think they brought anything to party. The broth was what really won me over. Not as clear as many tohm yum bowls I've had in the past, it had great depth in every way. And the spice...a perfect heat that brought a few beads of sweat to my bald head and induced a few sniffles!

All in all, a great first impression. I'm definitely going to make a mental bookmark and head back for something a little heavier.

**I used the menu spelling for this post, but I can't recall these dishes spelled with an h before. Is it regional tom vs tohm?

buttercup squash soup

2009-10-08T10:40:00.000-06:00

My neighbour so kindly donated a few of her buttercup squash to the homestead recently. Mentioning that her children don't eat squash, she thought I might be able to cook something up. What says a good time like cooking up free food!

To my delight, I discovered it was ok to substitute the buttercup squash for the more commonly used butternut. It makes sense, but I was a little worried when I couldn't find any recipe that called for buttercup squash. With this new found substitution information though, the internet my domain! Muhaha.

I flipped a coin and finally ended up on this recipe. All you need is stock, maple syrup, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and cinnamon. After everything simmers for a bit, you can attack it with a blender or hand-wand. The inherent danger of transferring boiling liquids back and forth was enticing enough for me to bring out the blender.

Once back in the pot, I mixed in the maple syrup and S&P before diving in. A nice little treat I tell you. From cutting board to pot to bowl in well under an hour. This was my kind of lunch. Tasty, healthy, and something I'll make note of for future reference.

the week that was and is - october 7th, 2009

2009-10-07T11:50:00.000-06:00

It's official. All my vegetables are out of the ground and/or dead. Just like that, after months of work it's all over. It seems like just the other day I was planting my seeds. The good - carrots, lettuce, red peppers. The bad - radishes, beets, red onions, red peppers. I've discovered there really is a trick to good spacing. My beets, carrots, and radishes started their lives too close and I never knew when to stop the thinning. So unfortunately, combined with our crappy growing season this year, many vegetables didn't make it. Oh well. To next year! I can't wait. I think I may actually start planning my areas and ordering seeds.

Bakery, bakery, bakery. From Chowhound to the Edmonton Journal, fellow blogger's have seemingly dropped what they were doing and headed over to the new Dutchess Bake Shop. Of all people, I gotta spread the love to Only Here for the Food and The Brulee Blog. I suppose I'll have to make my way over before I fall out of the local loop ;)

Speaking of bakeries, if you are looking for gluten free products our neighbours to the south have a great resource, the GF Patisserire. Offering a pretty big selection of items, H.Peter from The Celiac Husband, does make mention of Ben's Meats, here in Edmonton offering a selection of products.

Liane Faulder made mention that Stawnichy's is celebrating 50 years in the sausage business. Our family has a soft spot for the sausage; we used to buy it buy the case. I don't think I've tried any other offerings in the product line though.

As a fan of good haggis, I loved seeing Haggis-in-a-can over at are you gonna eat that. All in the name of high quality blogging! Now if only I could track down the hamburger in a can.

A lot of talk lately about Gourmet magazine coming to a close. As someone who wasn't a subscriber or regular buyer, it doesn't affect me too deeply. I can, however, respect and acknowledge the loss of such a giant icon. Media is changing so much these days..what happens next.

Speaking of icons, it looks like the King is doing some renovations. "I'd call it more contemporary, edgy, futuristic," Chairman and CEO John Chidsey said. "It feels so much more like an upscale restaurant."

'For several years, a small group of poultry enthusiasts has been pushing to save an authentic Canadian chicken from extinction. The Chantecler chicken, a bird once believed to be extinct, remains alive, but only around 2,000 of them are thought to be in existence and the majority of them are in Quebec'. Good on them!!

So what is the worst Halloween candy you've ever eaten? While it wasn't for Halloween, I can safely say that a my brother and I were the recipients of hard durian candies about 10 years ago, and I can still remember the taste. Awful!!

Is anyone attempting their first Thanksgiving? Are you venturing out..maybe cooking a turducken? And family recipes you care to share? I would love to hear about anything!

I picked some buffalo earlier in the week for tacos and used a homemade taco seasoning I found online. They turned out delicious, but the hardest part was trying to make my corn tortillas at the same time. I need more arms/hands.

Besides the smell of fresh bread, I love the snap, crackle, and pop from a cooling loaf. I covered this loaf with cornmeal and was amazing to see the corn meal popping off like popcorn as the bread cracked. I wish I had a mini video to show you.

To another week! Enjoy.

marbled rye - bread baker's apprentice challenge #19

2009-10-06T12:09:00.000-06:00

I should start off by saying that bread 19 in the bread baker's challenge had me a little nervous. While enjoyable in small amounts, rye breads never became a must-have at the homestead. I can't help but think with rye having such an overwhelming taste, when compared to regular white bread, it just didn't appeal to my young boy taste buds.

Yet as I grew, both in size and palette, rye bread seemed to all but disappear. I have some memories of getting rye and pastrami sandwiches at the Deli in Ottawa, but really that's about it. So, staring down page 10092 in Peter's book had me wondering; how long has it been? Isn't rye harder to work with? Will it be overpowering? Will it go good with peanut butter? So many questions in these man's mind.

Thinking I would get a jump on the bread, and maybe give my taste buds a head start into liking this recipe, I baked off a few loaves a month or so ago. The result, surprisingly delicious. No, actually, it was damn good. Light, airy, and fluffy. I think the first two loaves I pulled from the oven were almost perfect in every way. The oven spring was phenomenal, and the marbling made this bread one of the prettiest yet. Hot Damn Chris, where has this been your whole life!

So where does that leave me now? A marbled rye fan, is where. I think I've pulled 8 of these delicious loaves from the oven in the last month. Each one, as delicious as the next and baked to perfection. And to answer my initial concerns, the bread does go surprisingly well in most situations. It obviously makes a mean deli meat sandwich, but I love having it with tuna as well as turkey with cranberry.

It does a solid job of being toasted with jam or in a fried egg sandwich. My only hesitation would be the peanut butter. Don't get me wrong, it works, but there is nothing like a slice of no-knead or french or straight up white bread for that delicious pb/banana or pb/honey sandwich.

I tried every version of marbling as well.

Either way, at the end of the day, I know this bread will continue to make regular appearances in the bread box. Thank you Peter for this one!

Follow along with all of on twitter (#BBA) or scan through previous recipes at Pinch My Salt.

edmonton's corn maze

2009-10-04T21:08:00.001-06:00

Sometimes I just never get around to accomplishing a task, even when it has fun written all over it. The Edmonton Corn Maze just happens to be one of those things. The timing just never seemed right; work, vacation days, and weather closures are just some of the reasons. Finally though, after years of waiting, today was the day.

I picked up my friend Sarah who was game even with the cold weather, and headed out in search of corn. Located on the outskirts of our city, the corn maze changes each year to reflect a new theme. This year, Roar of the Rings, has the 15 acre crop of corn shaped into a larger than life curler.

The maze is made of two sections with 10 question posts to help you along the way. The posts will correspond with a question on the passport which answers will then send you right or left. You have a choice of 6 passport topics this year. Sarah opted for Finish The Lyrics, and gave me Believe It Or Not! I'm not going to lie, we shared the experience as it was a good way to double check our directions.

Oh which way to go! Is that a question post in the distance...

Some of the question posts were hilarious. We both enjoyed the corn dog immensely.

Some exciting facts about the maze;

There are over 5 km of trails in the maze.
The maze covers 15 acres.
The average time spent in the maze – 1+ hours.
The quickest the maze can be completed (honestly) – 20 minutes.
The maze is divided into 2 smaller mazes called Phases.
There is 1 bridge lookout located in the maze to help you gather your bearings.
There are over 1 million corn seeds planted in the maze.
For an extra twist, try the maze in the dark.
The corn will grow to be at least 9 feet tall.

There is a bridge in the middle of the maze where you can look out from. It provides a great view of the grounds, but it isn't high enough to see the maze's theme. The best part of the bridge for me was watching people mill around lost. You can hear people yelling the whole time. Expect a lot of MARCO...POLO, if you go.

After 35-40 minutes, Sarah and I made to the end. It honestly felt quite a bit longer, but I think that may have to do with the combination of cold wind, drizzling rain, and runny nose. Even though we came prepared with coffee's in hand, I'm glad we didn't end up spending longer out there. To think, some people spend hours in there!

If the maze isn't entertaining enough, there is always the pedal-carts and petting zoo. As well, a few picnic areas equipped with metal fire pits are available to roast up dogs and make an afternoon of it. Even with the cold weather, a lot of people were out roasting goodies.

If it was a bit warmer, I suppose waiting for a bag of fresh air popped popcorn would have been a little more enticing.

The corn maze is open until October 17th, so you still have a couple of weeks to visit. If you miss the maze and are OK with a bit of a scare, part of the maze and adjacent farm are transformed into the Farm of Fear.

26101 SH 627
Spruce Grove, AB T7Y 1B3
(780) 288-0208
Mondays: Closed
Tuesday – Friday: 4pm – 9pm
Saturdays: 10am – 9pm
Sundays: 1pm – 5 pm