The Tomato - September/October 2013

Formerly City Palate

Take a bite of your city | September October 2013 | thetomato.ca

Vegetable nation Where to go for brunch Harvest bounty recipes

the Grape Escape

Contents editor Mary Bailey marybee@shaw.ca

Features

publisher BGP Publishing

copy editor Amanda LeNeve Don Retson

designer Bossanova Communications Inc.

contributing writers

Wine, Spirits & Beer Festival An event for Co-op members and their guests.

Peter Bailey Shelley Boettcher Judy Schultz Karen Virag

illustration/photography Bradley Gobiel Kevan Morin, Curtis Comeau Photography Gerry Rasmussen To Be In Pictures

Join us at the Grape Escape brought to you by Co-op Wine Spirits Beer.

You don’t want to miss these informative and entertaining evenings featuring samples from producers of premium wine, spirits and beer.

Tickets are available at all Co-op Wine Spirits Beer locations.

50 per evening, plus gst.

$

Edmonton October 18 and 19, 2013 5pm to 9pm Expo Centre, Hall F, G and H Edmonton Northlands Visit coopwinespiritsbeer.com for more details.

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printer distribution Greenline Distribution For editorial inquires, information, letters, suggestions or ideas, contact The Tomato at 780-431-1802, fax 780-428-1030, or email marybee@shaw.ca.

For advertising information call 780-431-1802.

the tomato is published six times per year: January/February March/April May/June July/August September/October November/December

by BGP Publishing 9833 84 Avenue Edmonton, AB T6E 2G1 780-431-1802 Subscriptions are available for $25 per year.

A day in the life of north end vegetable farmers | Mary Bailey

10

After the Flood

12

Tales from the Coop

16

Beautiful, Beautiful Brunch

18

Cooks’ Tattoos

20

Harvest Vegetable Recipes

Calgary restaurants recover | Shelley Boettcher

U of A heritage egg program a cracking success | Mary Bailey

Brunch is a good thing | Karen Virag

Tattoos are no longer just for bikers and drunken sailors

It’s autumn, Keat’s season of mists and mellow fruitfullness. Enjoy the bounty.

Departments

design and prepress Bossanova Communications Inc.

Vegetable Nation

5

Dish Gastronomic happenings around town

14

The Proust Culinary Questionnaire

22

Feeding People

24

Beer Guy

26

Wine Maven

30

Drink

32

Kitchen Sink

34

According to Judy

Stella and Carmelo Rago, Sorrentino’s

A fresh approach to fundraising

Beer school | Peter Bailey

Mary Bailey

Wines for turkey and ham

What’s new and notable

Cooking Canadian: it’s local dude! | Judy Schultz

Tattoo you! Cover illustation by tattoo artist Bradley Gobiel of Edmonton’s Atomic Zombie.

thetomato.ca

The Tomato | September October 2013 3

gastronomic happenings around town | yellowhead brewery serves the wurst lunch in town

let’s celebrate good culinary equipment

Yup that’s right, wurst as in sausage, as in their topnotch house-made bratwurst. Along with brat, try their really good potato salad, not too creamy (chef Danny Schutz’ family recipe). The pretzel’s not as chewy nor as salty as a Bavarian but equally as delish served with a mustardy butter, or was that a buttery mustard? Terrific spot for lunch and it’s only $10.

Yellowhead Brewery, 10229 105 Street, 780-423-3333, yellowheadbrewery.ca.

Business people, master gardeners, journalists, professors, farmers, communication experts, public health specialists, food bank directors, project managers, landscape architects and biologists are the 15 members of the newly-minted Edmonton Food Council, chaired by Northland’s Stuart Cullum and Tomato editor Mary Bailey. Their task? Help the city move forward with a food and agriculture strategy. For a complete list of the volunteers and their bios visit edmonton.ca.

Sherwood Park’s Pan Tree Kitchen celebrates their first anniversary! The store, well-stocked with culinary treasures, functional cookware, high-quality tools and gadgets, specialty foods and a superb demonstration kitchen, has been embraced by the community. Join them Saturday, September 28 from 10am-5pm for door prizes, demos and special promotions. #550, 220 Lakeland Drive, Sherwood Park, thepantree.ca.

uncorked Shelley Boettcher has written a third edition of her book Uncorked: The Definitive Guide to Alberta’s Best Wines $25 and Under, co-written with fellow journalist Darren Oleksyn. Uncorked continues in its practical nopretence style to provide a handy guide to what’s on the shelf. One thing we love: Each wine has a closure icon beside the write-up so you’ll know if you need to bring a corkscrew along or not.

Because, that shoe thing against the wall?

It only works some of the time. Available in October at Audrey’s.

Mary Bailey photo

food in the city

get yourself down to rge rd

truffles, anyone?

The new shade in the Le Creuset lineup of hard-wearing, oven-to-table enameled cast iron pieces is a sumptuous milk chocolatey, forest floor-ish shade called Truffle. Ideal for bringing a steaming pot of carrot soup or family mac and cheese to the table.

we’re doing the turkey again?

Kevan Morin, Curtis Comeau Photography

Mary Bailey photo.

Some people love spending a weekend cooking a turkey with all the trimmings for Thanksgiving dinner. Other people? Well, for them there is the Sorrentino’s Holiday Bird. A beautifully roasted turkey redolent of fresh herbs, with a golden, crispy butter-basted skin, a pancetta/cranberry stuffing with orange, gravy, of course, and brandied cranberry sauce. Lots of sides available too.

You can purchase pans of traditional mashed potatoes, balsamic glazed carrots, tiramisu.

No muss, no fuss. Now, that’s tradition we’d all love to start (stuffed turkey package feeds 10-12 people, $195+ GST).

Visit sorrentinos.com/catering to order.

the party is in the kitchen Kitchen by Brad (kitchenbybrad.ca) will be at the City Market on 104 Street every Saturday until October 12 featuring bacon jam, Brad’s BBQ rub and assorted sweet and savoury sauces and marinades. On Thanksgiving weekend, Kitchen at the City Market features necessary culinary items like poultry stock and poultry gravy, and other comestibles suitable for a weekend of feasting.

dish

Photos from top: Danny Schutz of Yellowhead Brewery; Shelley Boettcher’s latest edition; Le Creuset’s cast iron cutie; the whimsical front desk at Rge Rd; Brad Smoliak of Kitchen.

After some tense moments with a wood-burning oven installation and all the usual hiccups in creating a restaurant of your own, Caitlin Fulton and Blair Lebsack opened the doors of Rge Rd in late summer. It’s a comfortable space, using much reclaimed and repurposed materials such as barn board and some stones from the original Alberta Hotel. The room speaks of place and smells like good cooking. Of that there was never any doubt. Blair’s food is always delicious, and he’s an accomplished chef who doesn’t talk local, he does local.

Look out for news of Rge Rd farm dinners, spectacular events held on farms throughout the region. They are a must go, as is Rge Rd.

prairie cookbooks Culinaria, an upcoming exhibit at the Bruce Peel Special Collections Library (basement of Rutherford Library South, University of Alberta), includes a print and online exhibit of early 20th-century western Canadian cookbooks. Kristine Kowalchuk and grad student Caroline Lieffers curated the exhibit, and their research has led them to believe that “there were some crazy recipes in those books.” Kristine focused on community cookbooks, the most commonly printed prairie cookbook in the first half of the 20th century.

It’s probably not much of a surprise to discover that rhubarb dishes and pickle recipes were popular. On the other hand the saskatoon was not considered worth eating. So, if you’re looking for an old-timey recipe for saskatoon pie, better ask your mother. The exhibit runs from October 10 through February 7, 2014. For more information visit library.ualberta.ca.

The Tomato | September October 2013 5

“We dug up the top soil, had it tested; it has beautiful topsoil, good structure for vegetables, a sandy loam. We paid a lot of money for a piece of land with no house and no amenities, but our highest priority was that it could grow good food. We farm organically, but the land itself is in transition, it takes three years to become certified,” says Jenny, gesturing at the margin of grasses and caragana hedge separating their farm from the conventional grain farm next door.

“It’s county land — we did kind of move into the belly of the beast.

We’re surrounded by industry, but we’re on a dead-end road, kind of a little forgotten piece of land, so we don’t think it’ll be threatened.

vegetable

“This was a potato farm!” says Jenny. “We need to bring back soil fertility — about half the property is in green manure, a mix of peas, oats, barley, rye grass with some other sections in buckwheat. All will be plowed under to enrich the soil. This year we’re growing beans, peas, beets, carrots, celery, sweet corn, garlic, onions, leeks, parsnips, celeriac, lettuces, spinach, arugula, chard, kale, fresh herbs, raspberries.

nation ~ Mary Bailey ~ ~ Photos by Johwanna Allyne, To Be In Pictures ~

We are not agricultralists. We are not down on the farm.

In fact over 80 per cent of Albertans live in urban centres concentrated in the urban Edmonton / Red Deer / Calgary corridor. We do all sorts of occupations other than farm work.

We have left our agricultural heritage in the dust as we look to the future, and for the most part that’s good.

But we still have to eat. A growing number of people (and it’s becoming a chorus, not a voice in the wilderness) think it’s better for our health, our environment, and our economy if we eat more things grown closer to home.

How close to home is the question. Land use is a hot-button issue. We think of land as something to be transformed. We think of it as waiting passively until it’s time to tear it up for roads and houses and shops.

We don’t think of land as having an inherent value in being just what it is — dirt. Good vegetable growing dirt due to its inherent structure and proximity to climate-tempering rivers.

Not like all the other dirt, but dirt that can sustain us.

Some would say it’s inevitable — if you farm near a city, sooner or later you’ll have to move — but many citizens are saying: let’s take a closer look at what that means, to both farms and the people in cities who depend on them.

We need both, room for growth and room for farms. How we handle this will be our legacy.

6 September October 2013 | The Tomato

This page: cabbages ripening at Riverbend Gardens in north Edmonton, hugging the North Saskatchewan River; Jenny Berkenbosch of Sundog Organic Farm.

Facing page: Aaron Herbert of Riverbend Gardens; poppies at Riverbend Gardens; chard at Sundog Organic Farm just north of the Sturgeon River.

Jenny Berkenbosch and James Vriend, Sundog Organic Farm James and Jenny Berkenbosh are new to farming, part of a growing movement of well-educated young people choosing farming as a lifestyle and a career (such as Shayne and Vicky Horn, profiled in the Meat issue, S/O 2012). James was a cabinet-maker and Jenny an art and English teacher. James’s parents, however, are Ruth and Dennis Vriend who operated an organic farm south of the city. The couple were able to rely on Dennis and Ruth’s 30 years of experience and knowledge.

“We had a growing interest in growing our own food,“ says Jenny. “That first year we formed a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) with friends with vegetables grown on James’ parents’ land.

“A friend who farmed nearby brought us down to the end of the road to where the Sturgeon River is. We were seduced.

“Right now, we’re harvesting pretty much everything, especially with the warm falls we’ve been having.

And many vegetables sweeten after a frost — Brussels sprouts, kale, carrots, swiss chard — and we plant for that. For instance, bulls blood beet tops withstand much colder temperatures than other varieties.

“Every year in August we question our sanity, but by the next spring we’re excited to start growing again — we have all kinds of ideas for new ways to do things, and renewed energy to do them with.”

Janelle and Aaron Herbert, Riverbend Gardens “My grandmother remembers the first streetlight in Edmonton,” says Janelle Herbert. She’s talking about the deep roots her family has in supplying Edmontonians with fresh vegetables. Janelle and her husband Aaron continue the family tradition of market gardening, from Clarence and Jennie Visser who bought the land in 1958, through her parents Doug and Evylyn Visser. They hope their three children will have the opportunity to continue their farming legacy.

“We’ve been farming for eight years; we bought the land from my parents in a friendly arrangement,” says Janelle. “It’s different when you take over an agricultural business. We have the equipment; we don’t have the learning curve my dad did.”

The Herberts farm 140 acres, 50 of that in mixed vegetables and saskatoon orchards. They grow eight different kinds of potatoes, onions, carrots, beets, cabbage, radishes, rhubarb, spinach, peas, leeks, four different kinds of cauliflower (orange, purple, white, and Romanesco), broccoli, several varieties of beans, cukes, squash, pumpkins, zucchini, kale, chard, and fennel.

“Our season starts in March when we fire up the greenhouses for seedlings and bedding plants.

We sell at seven farmers’ markets

and started a CSA this year,” says Janelle.

Their land is within city limits, zoned agricultural, on the north side of 195 Street, a paved track that, right now, dead ends at the North Saskatchewan River. It plays a part in a future regional transportation strategy. “If the ASP is approved, about half of our farm would be needed for the highway,” says Janelle referring to a controversial land use document.

“We have a lot of good employees who love to work here, neighbours, people from Twitter who want to learn how to garden. I love working with people and watching them grow and learn. I like working with young people; I like seeing the customers be really happy. I love where I live.

New Tapas and Wine Bar NOW OPEN 10220-103 Street ph: 780.757.1114

“What I never thought I would have to do is become an advocate for farming. I didn’t see that coming.

I just thought I’d grow some food and sell it at the farmers’ market.”

Please see “Vegetable” next page

The Tomato | September October 2013 7

farming, something sustainable.

There will be development; our short-term goal is to farm it, but we’re not going to be here forever.

We’re looking for more land. We need somewhere we can pass down to future generations. We want to buy another quarter section to

Facing page: Ron Erdmann at dusk, the fields behind him stretch south to the Redwater River; Peas on Earth greenhouse and packaging facility at the farm between Edmonton and St Albert; Ruby Chen at the Peas on Earth market stand, Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market.

Their pressures remain agricultural only, for the time being.

“We’re a little bit secluded here, which is good because if we had sections of canola surrounding us, we’d have a harder time growing cabbage crops because of the insect pressure, cabbage fly worms, flea beetles,” says Ron.

“You have to keep your soil healthy,” he says. “We summer fallow, and grow sweet clover to plow in for green manure. Sandy land needs nutrients to grow a good tasting crop.

“This is our 30th crop. We’ve raised our kids here. This is where we live.” (Shane, 20, and Cody, 18, plan on doing something ag related).

The Erdmanns grow bedding plants, potatoes, peas, green and yellow beans, cabbage (red, savoy, flatheads for cabbage rolls), broccoli, cauliflower, beets, celery onions, leeks, carrots, Swiss chard, kale, Brussels, and one greenhouse of tomatoes.

They sell their vegetables at several markets in Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan, Sherwood Park and St. Albert and at the farm three days a week. “We used to grow pretty basic stuff, but we find that the customers, at the City Market especially, want more leafy things,

8 September October 2013 | The Tomato

“Our workers are mostly family and we have about a dozen parttime employees and retired or semi-retired friends from church that help out. Our kids Ayden and Jenelle help out with the washing and weeding, odd chores, and at the markets, but school is their first priority.

“My favourite vegetable is raw peas. We pick them in the morning and sell them the same day at the St. Albert Market. They are so seasonal, only for a few weeks every year. “

Ron and Wendy Erdmann, Erdmanns Gardens Ron and Wendy Erdmann farm 160 acres north of Bon Accord near the Redwater River, far from the land use pressures of the city.

“This land has been in the family since the 1960s. I decided to start growing vegetables here because it had river irrigation, good alluvial sandy loam, good drainage and with the slope facing south, we heat up earlier in the spring.

be more diverse and have some animals.

This page: tomatoes in the greenhouse at Erdmanns; grasses growing at Peas on Earth.

more unusual potatoes. We grow eight now including two types of fingerlings. We grow five different kinds of onions.”

How people shop has changed too.

“Callingwood is the only market where we actually sell 50 pound sacks of potatoes. I guess families are smaller now. Also there are more year-round markets, people don’t have to stock up at the end of the season as much.

“We do more winter sales now too, potatoes and carrots to Northlands and the Shaw Centre.”

There’s no question vegetable farming is hard work. Weeding is done by hand. “Nothing beats a good crew and a hoe,” says Ron. Like many western farmers Ron brings workers from Mexico. “Our core group comes from Veracruz.

They grow coffee there.

“The best thing is I get to work with my family all the time. We just love growing a crop, cut some nice heads of cauliflower, then go to the market and people say ‘we didn’t know you could grow that.’”

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Eric and Ruby Chen, Peas on Earth, certified organic vegetables Eric and Ruby’s story is a hard work story. Eric tended his family’s vegetable farm during high school.

They met in university and decided to continue farming.

Their certified organic farm is tucked in among housing subdivisions between Edmonton and St. Albert.

There they grow radishes, salad greens, cucumbers, zucchini and other squash, green onions, Nantes and rainbow carrots, mini corn, and potatoes, which they sell on-farm and at several farmers’ markets.

“We started with nothing except student loans. Ruby and I bought a piece of land with the family. We kept 11 acres and sold the rest of the land six, seven years ago. That’s where our buildings are.

“The first 20 years were like climbing Mt. Everest. We didn’t have a building or equipment.

Dennis Vriend is my mentor and friend — he got us started at the Strathcona market in 1990.

Without Strathcona, I would have been out of farming. It gave us year-round income.”

Eric is pragmatic. “We’ve moved a couple times already in our farming career,” he says. “The vision is to find something ideal for

now leasing in St. Albert, 150 Bellerose Drive

780.426.1859

The Tomato | September October 2013 9

FLOOD After the

A six-foot octopus carcass floating through muddy water isn’t what most people saw during the June floods in Southern Alberta.

But for one Calgary restaurant, it was reality.

The basement and wine cellar of River Café were badly damaged that week. The force of the floodwaters knocked over massive freezers, blew open doors and sent frozen foodstuffs floating — including whole prosciuttos, a lamb carcass and an octopus.

Frozen, it was manageable.

Thawed and bobbing in the river, not so much.

“When they unravel, they are big and slimy, five or six feet in diameter,” says Sal Howell, the restaurant’s owner. “And when these things deteriorate, they deteriorate fast.”

The beast is history, now, and for many, so is the flood.

But for others in the food and wine industry in southern Alberta, the flood has left lasting reminders.

Some lost jobs, equipment, stock and, of course, income as Calgary’s downtown was without electricity for days and in a few cases, months.

“We didn’t flood, but we were closed for seven days,” says Liana Robberecht, a former Edmontonian who has been the Calgary Petroleum Club’s executive chef for more than a decade.

10 September October 2013 | The Tomato

“It was a huge financial hit.”

While a lucky few bounced back quickly from the disaster, others are still struggling to rebuild. Here are some of their stories.

Sal Howell River Café and Boxwood Many Calgarians received extra help from their neighbours to the north, and, in fact, Sal Howell was one. On the Friday after the flood, she went to see the damage at River Café. Police tape cordoned off the only entrance left to the island, but she ducked under to try to get a closer look.

“These police officers were shouting at me to get out of the way, so I went over and introduced myself. I was panicking — we were starting to hear stories about looters, too,” she recalls.

The officers turned out to be Edmonton police, who were stationed around Calgary’s Eau Claire area. One gave her his card — although she has since misplaced it — and promised to update her. “I stayed in touch with him throughout the day, and he was so helpful,” she says. “It was such a relief.”

Boxwood re-opened in early July, and River Café re-opened in midAugust. Despite six feet of water in the basement, there was no damage to River Café’s main floor.

But Howell lost much of her legendary wine collection, including irreplaceable vintages of Burgundy from the 1970s and 1980s, a decade of Ridge Montebello, Domaine Huet Vouvray dating back to 1947, and other treasures.

“I’d love to build a wine cellar next time that is watertight like a submarine,” she says.

“We just keep thinking of what would help us go faster next time around, if there is a next time around. We don’t intend to go anywhere.”

Tony and Penny Marshall Highwood Crossing Tony and Penny Marshall, the couple behind Highwood Crossing, farm and, until the flood, operated a shop in High River, south of Calgary. They sell their organic, nut-free flours, granola, flaxseed, canola oil and rolled oats across Canada.

On June 20, they were on a flight to Toronto for a prestigious Ace Bakery celebration of top Canadian food producers. Three hours later, when they landed, they were “inundated with emails, text messages, voice messages from our friends and our kids,” Marshall recalls.

“People were all saying, ‘High River’s flooded. Are you OK?’” They were safe, but their home and business were not. The shop — with the ovens used to make the granola — was destroyed, as well as the storage facilities, the barn and hayshed. And their farmhouse was hit with a wall of silt-filled water that wrecked everything in its path.

Yet the damage to the land hurts Marshall the most.

“The most difficult thing for me is that we lost so much land from the erosion. We probably lost five acres. It’s just gone. Gone,” he says.

“And another 40 acres was flooded out. My family has been farming here for 120 years, and a flood has never happened to this extent.”

Phoebe Fung, Vin Room The floodwaters were still pouring into Vin Room Mission, one of Calgary’s top wine bars, when coproprietor Phoebe Fung started booking tradespeople for the inevitable repairs.

“I said, ‘Will I see you when the water stops?’” she recalls.

“I come from oil and gas. Down time is not an option.”

Her foresight paid off, as her crews worked 24 hours a day, and the place reopened only three weeks after the flood. The feat is perhaps even more impressive considering the basement and main floor were both wrecked. Fung’s renowned wine cellar, the heritage building’s original hardwood, the heating, all electrical work and the antique brick walls — which she lovingly had restored five years ago — were all destroyed.

“Our 113-year-old brick has been traded in for its younger cousin: 70-year-old brick,” she says.

Those touches mean that these days, if you walk in to the wine bar, you’ll find it’s business as usual: the long wall of enomatic dispensers features plenty of fine wines and the ambiance is as warm and welcoming as ever.

“I call it ‘the new normal,’” she says. “If you come in here now, it will seem like the flood never happened.”

Unless, of course, you look out the window and see the construction still going on at the neighbouring businesses. Or businesses that are still mud-splattered and empty.

Geoff Last, Bin 905 Across the street from Vin Room, Bin 905 was hit particularly hard.

All of the building’s electrical systems are in the basement, and the replacement systems had to be special-ordered.

Staff frantically tried to rescue wines from the basement storage the day of the evacuation, but thousands of bottles were written off, covered in what Geoff Last, the store’s manager, calls “primordial ooze.”

“We lost a quarter million dollars of inventory,” he says, including

two irreplaceable bottles of Screaming Eagle, worth about $1,700 apiece. Smashed.

Still, the flood brought out the best side of Calgarians, he says.

Customers showed up to clean and schlep bottles out of the basement, and even rival liquor storeowners called to offer help.

“It brought out the best in people.”

As for Last, he’s selling wine out of the trunk of his car. He had to lay off a couple of staff; others are helping at a makeshift retail location at the southeast warehouse.

November 2, 2013

Shelley Boettcher

He hopes the store will reopen before Christmas, crucial for retail sales. “If there can be a silver lining to this, it’s that we have the opportunity to redesign the store to be really unique,” he says. “We will reopen, better than ever.”

Grant Parry, Wurst Pardon the terrible pun, but Wurst sustained some of the worst damage during the flood. Most commercial buildings have their electrical systems in the basement, but Wurst — a popular Bavarianstyle restaurant and beer hall — also had its kitchen and its bar.

It was filled with nine to 10 feet of mud.

Still, executive chef Grant Parry notes, things could be worse.

Insurance has covered staff wages.

And the day of the evacuation, a fellow chef “had the foresight to grab everyone’s knives and take them to the upstairs bar,” he says.

A chef with his knives can always find work.

Parry still sounds overwhelmed, even as he discusses his new venture, Bocce, a pizza place owned by the same family behind Wurst. The plan is to open them both in November, he says, and he’ll then move to that new job.

“We’re still busy. It’s just different.”

Food and wine writer Shelley Boettcher lives on high ground in Calgary, and spent the week of the flood helping friends and family who weren't so lucky. Her book Uncorked: The Definitive Guide to Alberta’s Best Wines $25 and Under, third edition, is in stores this fall.

Join us for a spectacular tasting that features a dazzling array of whiskies from around the world, cognacs, and a gourmet dinner.

For tickets, please call: 780.432.2258 or email: wsevents@calgarycoop.com EDMONTON EXPO CENTRE To avoid disappointment, buy your tickets early. $100 for general admission

6-9 pm

general admission

$150 for VIP admission which

includes a guided tasting with experts, exclusive products to sample and early entry.

4 -9 pm

VIP admission

The Tomato | September October 2013 11

Tales from the Coop “I called and registered the very day I read about it, and it’s been so much fun,” says Marjorie Philips.

“You receive 12 wonderful eggs.

They’re beautiful mixed eggs. It’s like a box of jewels.

“I pick mine up on the Saturday. We go to the Strathcona Market, then the Upper Crust, then pick up our eggs. We’re out anyway.

“We had gotten out of eating eggs, it wasn’t habit anymore. You know, for so long we weren’t supposed to eat many eggs. We usually fry or scramble, and I’ve made three orange chiffon cakes to use up eggs. The recipe is probably from an old cookbook from my friend Wendy’s mum.

“Yes, we’ll be continuing with the program. It’s been an excellent experience. It’s a worthwhile cause to preserve breed lines. It’s truly important; we do need these breeds. It really has nothing to do with receiving eggs, that’s the happy offshoot.”

marjorie’s orange chiffon cake 1½ c

flour

1½ c

sugar

3 t

baking powder

1 t

salt

½ c

vegetable oil

Weather, busy schedules, a bi-weekly pick up at an unfamiliar location and a more than supermarket price didn’t keep people away from joining the Poultry Research Centre’s (PRC) Adopt a Heritage Chicken pilot program. It was over-subscribed. The 200 participants adopted a hen (mine was a Barred Plymouth Rock I named Amy) and paid for the dozen eggs we picked up every two weeks. The pilot ended in late August; the new larger program will roll out in November.

Measure the egg whites into a bowl.

Add cream of tartar and beat until very stiff peaks are formed. Pour egg mixture over beaten whites then fold gently until blended.

Pour into un-greased 10x4 tube pan.

Bake at 325ºF for 55 minutes, then turn the oven up to 350ºF for another 10 or 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn upside down until cool.

Agnes (aka Eggness) Kulinksi is the business director of the PRC. There were some hiccups in the beginning.

“I was trying to accommodate every request. If someone missed the pick-up (and wanted their eggs the next time) it would stress me out, will we have enough eggs? But actually we always had enough eggs; we could keep everybody happy.

Linda Johnson, her husband Troy and children Tomiko, Maxam and Lazarus adopted a hen they named Camille.

“It looks like we will be successful in preserving these endangered breeds. We now have a way to maintain and support the program of preserving genetic variation and heritage poultry lines at the PRC. We established a market for their eggs and even for the chickens* at the end of their life span. With this program, we have developed a sustainable plan to preserve the heritage lines in case they are needed in the future to regenerate commercial lines.”

“Our number one reason is the value in preserving these breeds.

Our number two is that we would love to have our own hens, but we can’t yet in the city.

“The kids always want to come, nobody wants to wait in the car. We love going to the university farm — you are on a working farm and you’re picking up fresh eggs, such a different experience than going to the grocery store.

What’s next for the program?

“We’re researching the history of other lines and possibly looking at other endangered breeds not currently in the program.”

Interested in delicious fresh eggs and helping a vital program thrive? Visit heritagechickens.ca to register.

“It has fostered a connection.

My kids are embracing cooking because of the eggs. They are so soft and delicate tasting. My 12-year-old daughter likes boiled eggs and my 10-year-old son has learned to make omelettes, which has counted toward his Scout cooking badge.

“I will absolutely be signing up for the next run and increasing our order.”

7 egg yolks, unbeaten (I use 8 as some of the heritage eggs are small) ¾ c

cold water

1 t

vanilla

½ t

cream of tartar

Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and stir thoroughly.

Make a hollow in the dry ingredients and add, in order, the oil, egg yolks, cold water, vanilla and orange rind.

Beat until smooth

12 September October 2013 | The Tomato

eggs nori Sambal Oelek olive oil Tear up a few nori sheets and beat in with eggs. Add sambal to taste and mix.

Add oil to a skillet, and heat. Pour egg mixture into the hot skillet. Scramble slightly, incorporating some air. Then let the eggs set, lifting the edges to prevent them from sticking and to allow uncooked egg to run under.

Cook over low-medium heat until the top is almost set, about 8 minutes.

Cover with lid and cook for a couple minutes to puff the eggs. Take off the heat. Loosen around edge of frittata.

Cut into wedges and serve hot or cold.

Mark Fedorak’s family adopted a Barred Plymouth Rock.

“I’ve had the opportunity to go into the barns to see the chickens,” says Mark. “There is a lot of value in keeping the heritage lines alive.

This program facilitates that.

“It’s an excellent pilot project, wellrun; it’s getting the information about heritage lines out there.

“Yes, the pick-up can be a bit awkward. Saturdays are too busy, so I try to find some way to be in the area on Tuesdays. We intend to

“I read about the program in the Tomato,” says Carol Moore.

“I was just so enthusiastic after I read about it. We’re going to save a species or three? That’s a lot of biodiversity.

“When I signed up I said, ‘if you need some help give me a call.’ I’m going over tomorrow morning to help Agnes grade and package up the eggs. I go whenever they need help and I’m available.

“I pick up four dozen for me and for my daughter and her two boys, I like them anyway but fried — hardboiled, poached.

“I’m the one who instigated everybody in our family getting eggs to save the program so they would know about biodiversity.

“The two boys thought they were getting a rooster. They named their chickens James and Billy.

“I love chickens because they talk; it’s as if they are discussing different topics. It’s very relaxing, like listening to the ocean. I would have backyard chickens. I was in the first master gardening program in Stony Plain, and learned that chickens are wonderful in gardens; they eat all the bugs.

“These little girls are really sweet.”

The high-end kitchen store with the in-store kitchen

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hardware grill est. 1996

hardware grill est. 1996

* The Local Omnivore food truck will be making chicken potpies. Visit heritagechickens.ca for more information.

hardware grill hardware grill est. 1996

What does Michael Caley think of the program?

“It’s been great! I’ve had a blast; it’s been more fun than a picnic. I’m a big egg fan, and I really enjoy these eggs — they have flavour. It took some getting used to going to the research centre to pick up the eggs; we got lost a few times.”

Agnes Kulinski photos

egg whites, about 8 eggs

Michael mixes eggs with bits of nori (dried seaweed sheets) and Sambal Oelek and cooks them like a fritatta.

carry on, maybe get more eggs. We eat them the way we eat any egg: scrambled, fried.”

est. 1996

3 T grated orange rind (save the juice for making a glaze) 1 c

michael’s eggs japonais

Michael likes to cook and shares his take on a frittata.

seasonal prairie cuisine • the evolution of tradition www.hardwaregrill.com / 780.423.0969 / 9698 Jasper Ave also visit our newest downtown restaurant: tavern 1903 at alberta hotel

The Tomato | September October 2013 13

the proust culinary questionnaire Stella and Carmelo Rago, Sorrentino’s In the late nineteenth century, French novelist Marcel Proust participated in an exercise which could be thought of as the Facebook of its era — he answered a questionnaire about himself in a friend’s Confession Album.

Proust’s answers have been published, in one form or another, for more than a century. Many have used the questionnaire for their own devices, the most notable being Vanity Fair’s Proust Questionnaire featuring celebrities. The Tomato now gives it a culinary twist.

Stella and Carmello Rago have been in the restaurant business for over 30 years.

Their start? One north end steak & pizza.

Now they have 15 different restaurants, pubs and Sorrentino’s cafés.

The payroll has over 420 people. Several family members, including three sons, are an integral part of the business (one of the photos Stella sent to illustrator Gerry Rasmussen had 11 family members in it.

Sadly, we could only fit four people into the drawing). Maurizio runs the airport location at present; Carmelo Junior works with café franchising, Pasquale owns a cafe and Tony plays for FC Edmonton.

But what really sets the Ragos apart is their commitment to raising money for things important to Edmontonians. For example, Sorrentino’s Compassion house.

“Our original commitment was for half a million,” says Carmelo. “We fulfilled that within five years, then we concentrated on other needs — prostate health

($100,000,000), the Lois Hole Hospital (approximately $100,000), and NAIT’s Culinary Institute ($100,000).”

Years in restaurant business?

35.

“When we heard about the need to expand Sorrentino’s Compassion House, we did a few more fundraisers for that. When all is said and done, we’ve raised approximately $1,000,000 for Sorrentino’s Compassion House,” says Stella.

Where would you like to live?

In Italy, especially Napoli, if you have the money.

“There are so many good causes, but we like to choose causes where we can see the donation make a tangible difference, helping to build something from the ground up.”

Hometown?

Edmonton.

From left: Carmelo, Stella, son Maurizio, and Stella’s brother Frank, Sorrentino’s controller.

Illustration by Gerry Rasmussen.

Your favourite food and drink?

Stella: Steak and a nice glass of cabernet.

Carmelo: Spaghetti and tomato sauce with my dad’s homemade wine.

What would you be doing if you weren’t running restaurants?

Carmello: We were teachers by profession. Stella taught French and I taught social studies.

What do you most appreciate in your friends?

Honesty.

Your favourite qualities in a dish?

Simplicity, authenticity.

A cook?

Passion.

A wine?

Full body.

Who would be at your dream dinner table (dead or alive)?

Both sets of parents, family and Pele.

Who would cook?

Stella: I would probably make a special lasagna with ricotta, béchamel and Bolognese.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

“Unbelievable!” We picked that up from a cousin in Toronto. It can mean anything.

Mentors?

There’re many people we look up to in Edmonton, but our work ethic comes from our parents and grandparents.

14 September October 2013 | The Tomato

Favourite casual cheap and cheerful/afterwork food?

We like Wild Tangerine, it’s small and true to the ingredients.

What’s next?

We’re moving into some of the new neighbourhoods with a smaller footprint. For example Windermere will be 3,800 square feet; some of our locations are 7,000. We’re focusing more energy on the cafés — they are doing very well.

Meaningful/crazy experience?

Gretzky’s retirement in 1999.

There have been a few memorable moments in our restaurants, but if we had to pick just one it would be that. Imagine 400 celebritystruck guests at a cocktail party at Sorrentino’s Downtown.

We were sworn to secrecy, yet there was a lot of buzz. People would call looking for a way to come, but we couldn’t say anything. We had family disguised as waiters, a brother-in-law had a camera under his coat — this was way before iPhones — everybody went into a frenzy to get autographs. It was wild.

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Best (cooking) thing that ever happened to you?

Sorrentino’s Compassion House.

In a nutshell, it came at a right time for us. It was a perfect fit — we were ready to connect to see something from the ground up. We were able to watch it grow. That’s very satisfying. We met a lot of great people, we learned a lot; it paved the way for the fundraising we get to do today. It’s a privilege, and we couldn’t do it without our customers. They support our events — we live in a wonderful community.

Philosophy?

Two things: Treat others as you want to be treated and you can’t have your cake and eat it, too.

The Tomato | September October 2013 15

Beautiful, beautiful Karen Virag

If you start with rye and cokes or shots of bourbon before noon, you might be in trouble. However, if you add champagne to orange juice and call it a mimosa or pour vodka into a glass of Mott’s Clamato to make the distinctly Canadian Bloody Caesar, don’t worry about it. You, my friend, are at brunch.

And brunch is a good thing.

Whence Brunch?

We all know that we call breakfast breakfast because it literally means to break a fast, don’t we?

But why do we call brunch brunch?

Well, etymologically speaking, “brunch” is a portmanteau word; that is, a word created by attaching the beginning of one word (breakfast) to the end of another (lunch). Portmanteau words are popular these days — think of that monstrous twoheaded beast, thankfully now slain, Bennifer, or the clothing that sounds like a part on a sailboat, jeggings, a combination of jeans and leggings. To my mind the word “brunch” stands in contrast to such ridiculous words — it is clean and crisp and the very sound of it suggests a bite.

The word “brunch” first appeared in print in 1895, in an article

by British author Guy Beringer, published in Hunter’s Weekly. The article, entitled “Brunch: A Plea,” argued for replacing heavy Sunday dinners with a late morning meal, which he called brunch. According to Beringer, “Brunch is cheerful and… talk-compelling. It puts you

16 September October 2013 | The Tomato

Brunch

in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings.” And so a tradition began.

Brunch used to have some oddsounding companions who didn’t quite make it into this century, as we see from this excerpt from a magazine called The Academy, published in London in 1900.

Though this is likely satirical, I suspect that the sly dig at the Germans was quite sincere:

“Brupper” is the joyous meal you have after a very late dance, for instance, and consists of supper, which might almost be breakfast.

“Tunch” is rather a common meal in the country, and would be partaken of on coming back late in the afternoon, after a long morning’s hunting or bicycling. … “Brinner,” on the contrary, can only be eaten by those people whose custom it is to dine heavily in the middle of the day. Germans probably find it a favourite meal.

The original brunch was a substantial meal consumed by wealthy people at their country estates after the morning’s activities (such as fox hunting — or as Oscar Wilde so accurately described it, “the unspeakable in pursuit of the inedible”). By the 1930s brunch had become very popular on this side of the pond, too, especially in hotels (because most restaurants were closed on Sundays). And as church attendance declined after the war, people began to seek Sunday

activities that allowed them to sleep in. Around this time, the mother of all brunches began — mother’s day brunch, the earliest print references to which appeared in newspaper ads around 1944.

Savvy restaurateurs know that mother’s day is the mother lode; as a consequence, mother’s day brunch is available in most places that serve food, from cruise boats on Okanagan Lake to the Calgary Zoo. Where to Brunch?

Edmonton has many good brunch spots. Recently, I took in two quite different ones: the Bothy and the Harvest Room at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald.

Though a scotch and wine bar like the Bothy might seem an unlikely spot for brunch, the northside location (at 10124 124 Street) recently added brunch to its menu, though it is not really distinguishable from breakfast. There are four dishes available: eggs Benedict, served on housemade brioche; a vegetarian frittata; and French toast, made with brioche, chocolate caramel sauce and dried pecans. The fourth is a full Scottish breakfast, replete with beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, two kinds of meat (Lorne, a squarish sausage, and black sausage, aka blood pudding), fried eggs, fried potatoes and toast — more than enough food to keep workers on task all day, which the English Breakfast Society (and, yes, there really is such an

entity) explains is the reason why breakfasts in the U.K. and Ireland are so huge. I would rate the Bothy’s full Scottish as quite good.

I would rate the conversation I had about scotch with the amiable bartender, who gave me the lowdown on some of Bothy’s best single malts, and even let me sniff a couple, as equally good.

The Mac’s elegant Harvest Room is where one goes for a special brunch, say when rellies or out-oftown visitors come calling. Brunch there more closely resembles brunches from the turn of the last century, which were veritable groaning boards featuring such dishes as pickled pork, veal chops, pheasant, mutton croquettes, hashed game, anchovies, rissoles, galantines, meat in jelly, and savoury puddings and pies. Though not quite this exotic, the Harvest Room’s brunch does have a large buffet with cereals, fresh fruit, fruit smoothies, pastries, smoked salmon, cheeses, egg dishes, French toast, pancakes, shrimp, bacon, sausage, and potatoes.

The tables are set with cute little pots of Hero jam; the coffee is good and abundant. One can also order brunch items off the menu.

My friend Randolph had the eggs Benedict with smoked salmon and I had an omelette with spinach, mushrooms and cheddar. The meals came with toast, perfectly done fingerling potatoes and grilled tomatoes. Both were very good, and the dining room was sunny and lovely.

The Benediction of Brunch God bless Guy Beringer for his long-ago linguistic playfulness, penned when Victoria was still queen and most of Alberta was

in the North-Western Territory.

And for his concern with human happiness. For, you see, in a postscript to his original 1895 article, Beringer also suggested

A Few Favourites

sunday brunch

Weekend Breakfast

Edmonton Petroleum Club 11110 108 Street, 780-474-3411, edpetroleumclub.com

Madisons Grill at The Union Bank Inn 10053 Jasper Avenue 780-401-2222, unionbankinn.com

The club rolls out a special dining membership later this fall, all the better to enjoy their exquisite Sunday brunch.

Café De Ville 10137 124 Street 780-488-9188, cafedeville.com Hard to pick a fave on this extensive menu: Irvings sausage with poached eggs? The polenta soufflé, or the café waffle with toasted macadamia nuts and orange cardamom cream?

Sugarbowl 10922 88 Avenue 780-433-8369, thesugarbowl.org Breakfast every day until 3pm and weekend brunch too? Gotta love that, and we do, especially the huevos rancheros.

Canteen 10522 124 Street 780-485-6125, canteenyeg.ca Substantially delicious breakfasty things like poached eggs, with cheddar chive biscuit, sausage gravy, chicken apple sausage and hash browns, along with sides of brown sugar bacon. Ok!

The spot for when you are in the mood for a dress-up-and-go downtown breakfast. The weekend menu is from 8am-11am. Eggs benny, omelettes and the cinnamon French toast highly recommended.

DeDutch 10030 Jasper Avenue 587-520-8841, dedutch.com Home of the pannekoeken, the deliciously eggy buckwheat-rich pancake.

Elm Café 10140 117 Street (Take-away) 780-756-3356, elmcafe.ca Incredible breakfast sandwiches and very good coffee.

Under the High Wheel Noshery 8135 102 Street, 780 439-4442, underthehighwheel.com

Culina Millcreek 9914 89 Avenue 780-437-5588, culinafamily.com Culina Muttart 9626 96A Street 780-466-1181, culinafamily.com

Hathaways Diner 13225 132 Street, 780-488-5989, hathawaysdiner.com

We love the breakfast burrito.

Excellent diner breakfast.

Unfortunately not open on Sundays.

Enjoy the basic Blue Plate Breakfast, the Ranch Skillet, and for kids at heart you can’t beat the Fat Elvis.

And so it was.

And so may it always be.

Karen Virag is an Edmonton writer who loves brunch; she also loves language and thinks we have more than enough portmanteau words in our language (especially with the arrival of the spork).

you know you want more...

Breakfast is served all day. Try any of the delish egg dishes, the savoury Belgian waffles, or the Pembina BLT. Local Omnivore Food Truck You’ll find it parked outside the Old Strathcona Farmers Market Saturday morning fueling market vendors and shoppers alike with market fries and several breakfast sandwiches — can’t go wrong with their BLT.

Blue Plate Diner 10145 104 Street 780 429-0740, blueplatediner.ca

that beer and whisky be served at brunch instead of tea and coffee, thus setting the stage for the future arrival of mimosas and the noble Bloody Caesar (and Mary). Furthermore — and this is something many of us are eternally grateful for — by eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, wrote Beringer, brunch would make life brighter for Saturdaynight carousers.

Urban Diner 12427 102 Avenue 780-488-7274, urbandiner.com

Beautiful Parties c aT e r e D h e r e .

T he B uTler D iD i T c aT e r i n g a n D c o n c i e rg e

A toothsome vegetarian fritatta on a good-sized breakfast menu.

780.455.5228 email@thebutlerdiditedmonton.com www.thebutlerdiditedmonton.com

The Tomato | September October 2013 17

Cooks’ Tattoos Tattoos are no longer just for bikers and drunken sailors — athletes are proud to display Olympic rings, and suburban mothers sport their kid’s names inked on their wrists. But as everyday as tattoos have become, it is still a rite of passage for many. Cooks display some of the best-looking, most intricate tattoos. We looked for food stories on skin, and we found them.

Brayden Kozak Chef, co-owner, Three Boars Eatery

Artists: Jamer Lindsay, Bobby Tripp, Lucky Strike, Rob Hope, Rob Hope Tattoos

“When I see full

sleeves, throats and knuckles, I think, ‘obviously you’re a chef’.”

Brayden has butcher’s diagrams of beef and pork on each bicep, on his chest is an “epic chicken versus squid,” and on one forearm, a complicated angels and gargoyles work in progress.

“I have nine tattoos, some quite humorous. The chest piece was the first kitchen related one. Jamer had never tattooed a chicken before — he bought a bunch of Japanese art books for inspiration.

“I got my first tattoo at 18. I had wanted to do it earlier but my mom found out and kaiboshed all that. My best friend, Ben, gave me a tattoo for my 18th birthday. He’s also the guy who did the paper boar’s head for the restaurant.

“I have my little brother Jahryn’s signature tattooed on my right wrist. He died in an accident almost nine years ago. We wanted to get a family tattoo for him — we all went together, my parents and little sister.

Photos by Kevan Morin, Curtis Comeau Photography

Phil Marokus Meat chef, Corso 32

Artist: Shannon Claydon, Atomic Zombie

“Why not tattoos?”

“Your body is a canvas to express what you love in life.”

Phil Marokus has the word foie on one set of knuckles, gras on the other. Down his left arm are a dozen oysters, along with an oyster knife. He’s been out of NAIT culinary school for four years and got his first tattoo at 18.

“The first thing I ate that was different was two dozen oysters when I was six. I loved them. It helped me understand from an early age what food could be. My sleeve will probably take close to 10 hours over six months. It needs more colour — has to be finished,” he says, referring to the arm full of delicately drawn oysters.

“I have a heart and fist on my left arm. Those are just random, but I guess you could say I wear my heart on my sleeve.

“Why tattoos? Why not tattoos?

“Your body is a canvas to express what you love in life. It expresses who I am — sometimes silly,

18 September October 2013 | The Tomato

sometimes serious. Society is getting more tattooed.

“In cooking, it’s almost an exception to not have tattoos. It would be weird to meet a cook who doesn’t have a tattoo.

“We’re all in an industry where the uniform is standard. Tattoos are

“I want to get a stack of pancakes on my thigh with a bottle of maple syrup but the pancakes would be stack of records; because that’s what I love: food and music.”

“I ran out of places for piercings.”

Tracy got her first tattoo in September 2012.

“I decided to take the plunge — it clicked, I realized I really wanted them. I went in with a basic idea. The intention was only one tattoo but when Bradley drew up a sleeve, that was it.”

Tracy’s sleeve is meat and confectionary — sides of beef and cupcakes.

“Plus my Shun knife,” says Tracy.

“It’s the story of my career. I started as a pastry chef and then as I progressed, I started to work more with meat.

A side of beef or a side of lamb — they are beautiful.”

What’s next?

“A tribute tattoo for my grandmother when the time comes, not soon I hope.”

“Kitchens tend to attract that kind of person — it’s a safe place for weird people to congregate. You’re hidden from the diners, you can be yourself. It’s acceptable. When I see full sleeves, throats and knuckles, I think ‘obviously you’re a chef’.

“I love all my tattoos.”

Tracy Zizek

Artist: Bradley Gobiel, Atomic Zombie

What’s with cooks and tattoos?

“My next tattoo would be a picture my daughter drew quite some time ago. It’s a funny look at us through her three year-old eyes — she has vibrant rainbow hair. It’s absolutely adorable.”

a way to stand out, to have some individuality in a small cramped environment.

Exec chef and co-owner, Café de Ville

“The butcher diagrams were done

by Bobby Tripp at Lucky Strike.

Rob Hope is doing the angels and gargoyle piece, also dedicated to Jahryn. It’s a work in progress, and Rob lives in White Rock, B.C. — terribly inconvenient.”

“My f irst was a dedication to my parents.”

Shane Chartrand

Exec chef, Von’s Steak and Fish House Artist: Kevin Sung Yeung, FX incorporated “I started this project three years ago. I had very bad pneumonia and when I finally started feeling better after three weeks, I thought ‘life is too short.’ I had always wanted a sleeve, a chef-related one.”

Shane’s arm teems with sea creatures and the most beautiful creations of the plant world — lily and artichoke meets sea snail and squid. Even the knife is decorated with tiny koi fish scales. It’s an intricate and beautiful work of art, even in its unfinished state.

“It’ll be done this month; it needs dragon fruit and filler,” says Shane.

“My first tattoo was a dedication to my parents, my mom and dad. I was in foster care until I was seven and they took me away from that.

“I do have an aboriginal symbol on my leg to celebrate that, but the whole arm thing is related to food.

“It’s all pretty new. It wasn’t like this when I was at NAIT; not every cook had tattoos. When I was in Calgary last year for Alberta Ate, not a single cook — and there were 25 of us — didn’t have a tattoo. My goodness, when did this happen?”

Chris Hyde Pasta chef, Corso 32

“I love all my tattoos but the piece that is talked about most would be my two-headed, threebreasted pirate girl. It doesn’t matter where I am, there's always someone ready to make a comment about it, someone to tell me how amazing it is or, how could I have such a disgraceful image on my arm.”

The Tomato | September October 2013 19

Harvest Vegetable recipes

It’s autumn, Keat’s season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. Enjoy the bounty.

Mary Bailey

jenny’s kid-friendly zucchini

We move from the young and tender zucchini and crookneck to sturdy pumpkin and hubbard.

Rough-skinned Russets and Russian Blues replace the naked waxy

2 med

zucchini, sliced

½-¾ c

tomato sauce

1

egg, beaten

½ c

grated sharp cheddar cheese

Spread tomato sauce in the bottom of an 8x8 (or so) baking dish. Layer zucchini slices over the sauce. Brush with beaten egg and top with grated cheese. Bake for about 10-15 minutes at 350ºF until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown. Serves 4.

more suited for soup

root vegetables and those made sweeter with the frost. Vegans can swap out dairy and chicken stock in the recipes for home-grown canola oil, or a good extra virgin olive oil, and vegetable stock.

20 September October 2013 | The Tomato

braised greens three ways

gai lan with oyster sauce Fast cooking with a tangy sauce is a good way to approach any sort of bitter green such as rapini or other Chinese greens. A bamboo steamer is handy to preserve colour and texture. Keep in mind everything happens at once — prep ingredients first, then cook. steamed rice, enough for 4 people

become large and gnarly

is all about these, other

Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

Jenny Berkenbosch of Sundog Organic Farm has three kids under seven. “My kid’s hate zucchini, but they love this.”

potatoes of June. Beets

than salad. Fall in Alberta

softened, but still crispy. Add sambal paste to taste. Toss.

ruby’s sambal beans When I asked Ruby Chen of Peas on Earth what she was cooking for dinner, she sent appetizing snaps of colourful beans with sambal, beef rendang and a cool cucumber salad. Vary the amount of sambal for your own heat preference.

You can also lower the temperature by tossing with a bit of plain yogurt before serving.

1 sml

onion, chopped

1

shallot, chopped

1 pkg multi-colour beans, yellow green and purple (about 2 c cleaned and trimmed, then chopped) 1 red pepper, sliced to taste

Sambal Oelek

Sauté the onion and shallot. Add the beans and red pepper and cook until

4 stalks gai lan, each with 3-4 branches (or 1 large bunch rapini)

We’re eating more kale, more chard, even more beet tops, usually by hiding them in soups, stews and smoothies.

Want your greens to sing on their own? Try braising. This is a simple no fail technique to keep the vibrant colours and flavours while softening the textures, without using glugs of oil.

You could add some garlic, or toss with Sriracha or serve with goat cheese or creamy feta and some toasted walnuts.

braised greens 1 bunch Swiss chard, kale, or beet tops or a mixture of all three 1-2 T

olive oil

water as needed

sea or kosher salt fresh-cracked black pepper

1 T

canola oil

2 cloves

garlic, sliced thin

Separate leaves from stems. Cut off the bottom inch or so of the stems and discard. Chop stems in small, bite-sized pieces.

1 knob ginger, peeled and sliced into matchstick-sized pieces 6 T

oyster sauce

Make rice.

Place steamer over a pot of water.

Bring to a boil and steam greens until tender (about 5-10 minutes depending on age and freshness of greens).

Meanwhile, warm oil in a saucepan big enough to toss the greens. Fry garlic and ginger until soft and turning golden; watch that the garlic doesn’t burn. Stir in oyster sauce. Drain greens and place in pan with sauce. Toss gently to combine. Serve immediately on rice.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Immerse greens in a pot of cold water and swish around, then upend into a colander, or clean under running water. Coarsely chop — or leave whole if very small (leaves have a tendency to be sandy). Do not dry.

Pour olive oil into a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped stems, if using, and the greens. Cook the leaves, turning with tongs until wilted and about half their volume (about 5-10 minutes). Add more water if pan seems too dry. Season to taste and remove from the heat. Serve hot or cold.

with the cheesiry’s pecorino

sea or kosher salt

fresh-cracked black pepper

Top hot, braised greens with grated Cheesiry Aged Pecorino (or Parmigiano Reggiano).

1 roll butter puff pastry, thawed (follow package directions)

with irving’s bacon lardons Greens love bacon and bacon loves greens. Lardons are the big chunks of bacon found in the French bistro classic frisée salad with lardons and poached egg, as opposed to lardoons which are similar to celery.

1 pkg Irvings thick bacon (the package sold at the Italian centre will yield about 2 dozen lardons) Cut the bacon into smallish cubes about the size of your thumbnail.

Sauté over low-medium heat until they have lost most of their fat and are crisp and golden. Drain on paper towel and reserve (resist the urge to eat them all right out of the pan).

Toss with braised greens.

mushroom strudel

1

egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Put garlic and onion in a large frying pan with a generous knob of butter and a bit of olive oil. Cook over low-ish heat until translucent and beginning to brown. Be careful not to burn. Add mushrooms and more butter.

Cook over low-medium heat, giving the pan a shake occasionally until the onions are caramelized and the mushrooms have lost about half of their volume, about 20 minutes or so.

Continue to cook until mushrooms are dark brown and have lost their moisture, stir often. Season to taste.

When the mushrooms taste amazing, deglaze the pan with a bit of white wine or dry sherry. Take off heat and cool to room temperature. Reserve.

While the mushrooms are cooking, mix cheese with herbs and bind with sour cream. Once the mushrooms have cooled, add to the cheese mixture — should be about 2/3 mushrooms to 1/3 cheese mixture or so. Check seasoning.

Chanterelles from Mona Foods along with regular button mushrooms would be delicious in this strudel. This is also a good way to use up less than perfectlooking dried bits of mushroom found at the bottom of the bag. The cheese mix could also be bits and bobs — be sure to include a melty cheese like Fontina and something with punch like Spanish Manchego, aged cheddar or Parmigiano.

Prep a cookie sheet with a silpat or parchment. Roll the puff pastry into a 9x11 rectangle (approximately) on top of the silpat. Spread mushroom mixture over and roll up in a strudel fashion, tucking ends in as you go. Adjust placement if necessary so the seam is underneath. Brush with egg wash and bake for about 20-30 minutes at 350ºF until pastry is golden. Let rest for at least 10 minutes, then cut into 6-8 slices.

Serve warm or cold.

1 med

onion, chopped

Serves 6-8

1 clove

garlic, chopped fine

2-4 T

butter

¼ c

olive oil

3-4 c

chopped mushrooms

1-2 T

sour cream

fresh herbs (thyme, dill), chopped fine handful parsley, chopped fine ½ c

chopped Fontina

¼ c

grated Parmigiano

½ sml

roll goat cheese

2 T

dry white wine or sherry

Bison burger... with the works?

Whatever you’re having...

We’ve Got a Wine for That!

West Edmonton Mall • Entrance 58

780.483.103 • www.aligrawineandspirits.com

@Aligrawine facebook.com/aligrawine

Matahari

A PA N - A S I A N D I N I N G E X P E R I E N C E

Dining, Takeout, Catering & Special Events 10108B – 124 Street • 452-8262

Ample free parking at rear with rear entrance available.

Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday, hours vary.

eggplant I had never been a big fan of eggplant, until I went to Turkey and discovered how eggplant can be amazing. Then I found an eggplant plant and actually grew my own. I cheated a bit — it came with flowers and maybe even a couple of tiny little eggplants already.

Where all the best parties happen.

780.757.7704 kitchenbybrad.ca #101, 10130 - 105 Street

Please see “Vegetables” on page 28

The Tomato | September October 2013 21

Sherbrooke was Doing Beer Before Beer was Cool

11819 St Albert Trail 780.455.4556 www.sherbrookeliquor.com

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In the meantime, visit our Leduc location for your BBQ fix.

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22 September October 2013 | The Tomato

feeding people

| mary bailey

A fresh approach to fundraising It’s a bit of a chicken and egg story. Which came first?

Charitable giving or using food to give?

Think of the home-made squares at a church bazaar, and all the chocolate bars you bought to send somebody’s kid to hockey camp, or those impossible-to-resist mint Girl Guide cookies (the troupe that sweeps my neighbourhood does it on roller blades). Using food to raise money for a good cause may not be a new idea, but several local companies and organizations are adding a new twist.

Sherwood Park-based cookie company Confetti Sweets sells cookies at several farmers’ markets and on their website, (they are very good, by the way, the coconut cookie was rated one of the Tomato Top 100 things to eat in Edmonton this year). They added a fund-raising component to their business in April. Owner Kathy Leskow saw a slower time in their business cycle (October-April) that they could use to do something a bit different, and decided to help local groups raise money for various projects.

The pressing need in Sherwood Park? Hot lunch programs.

It’s a win win — groups get to work with a local company, Kathy gets to keep her part-time staff (mostly high school students) in hours, cookie lovers get a nice treat, and groups have a relatively easy way to make some cash. Kathy says it has been great for business so far; it’s brought them some positive attention; the goodwill generated has been gratifying; and it’s been great for cookie sales at the farmers’ markets.

Who doesn’t love a warm and restorative bowl of soup?

Who needs that soup more than families in crisis?

“Soup is a simple yet powerful gesture that sends a message of care and concern in every bowlful,” says Soup Sisters founder Sharon Hapton.

Hapton created a new concept of giving through food, a modern take on the community supper: Soup Sisters relies on people who come together to make soup for shelters. Its simplicity relies on a lot of volunteer planning and labour, which is part of the process. Groups or individuals register for a soup-making session (Edmonton sessions are held at

Sunterra Commerce Place, schedule at soupsisters.org) and prepare the soups with guidance from the chef/facilitator. After the prep, everyone sits down together to enjoy a soup supper and listen to a representative speak about the shelter. From the first soup-making session at the Cookbook Company in Calgary in 2009, over 100,000 bowls of soup have been delivered to Canadian shelters; about 8,500 servings per month across the country.

There’s a trend to make it easy for people to give, such as by leaving your change behind at the grocery store, or by texting a number on your phone. Jeremy Bryant and Andrew Hall are trying to stop hunger by making the give as easy as having dinner.

Their organization, Mealshare, donates a meal to someone in need.

Here’s how it works: a restaurant identifies a dish with the Mealshare logo and when the diner orders that dish, a portion of the purchase price goes to Mealshare.

They use the proceeds to buy meals at Hope Mission in Edmonton, the Drop in Centre in Calgary, and Children’s Hunger Fund internationally.

Restaurants in Edmonton include Culina Muttart, Nourish and Creole Envie. Nourish has partnered Mealshare with their popular mac and cheese; Culina Muttart’s Thursday night dinner is entirely Mealshare; and Creole Envie donates from sales of both the fried chicken dinner and the vegan version.

Jeremy said they wanted to work with organizations who provide meals, both locally and internationally, and to do something that was easy to understand for diners — a meal for a meal. They hope to provide a marketing service to the restaurant by partnering with Mealshare, bringing positive attention by being part of the program.

After a mid-summer start in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver, the duo plan to take the program across the country. Jeremy says they are closing in on their 2,000th meal.

Lethbridge area farmers Wayne and Anne Wikkerink’s foray into the dessert business started like this: they adopted their son Joseph, now six, from Haiti. Their other two boys, JR, 14, and Dawson, 12, wanted to help the orphanage that had been home to Joseph. “JR had always loved messing about in the kitchen,” says Wayne. He came up with an ice cream-like, gluten and dairy-free dessert, which they subsequently started selling at local farmers markets along with their free-range chicken and grass-fed beef. Soon, sales of the dessert were outstripping the meats. Along the way came another son from Haiti, Daniel now 4. They now spread their donations from the sale of each tub of Screamin’ Brothers across many different charities that benefit children.

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“We’ve learned there’s an opportunity in the marketplace when you can capture people’s imagination and back it up with taste, “ says Wayne.

Screamin’ Brothers is in the dessert freezers of grocery stores across Alberta and British Columbia.

Soup Sisters Edmonton volunteer coordinator: Carol Knott cknott@live.ca soupsisters.org Mealshare Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver Jeremy Bryant, mealshare.ca Screamin’ Brothers Lethbridge, JR Wikkerink, screaminbrothers.com Confetti Sweets Sherwood Park Kathy Leskow, confettisweets.ca Mary Bailey sold World’s Finest Chocolate bars while at elementary school.

The Tomato | September October 2013 23

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24 September October 2013 | The Tomato

beer guy

| peter bailey

Beer school The self-taught person has a fool for a pupil, goes the saying. We wonder what this means for craft beer, as so many craft brewers are selftaught!

In reality, there are few fools in craft brewing, for it is an exacting trade that demands smarts, skills and moxie. Knowing how to make great beer is a must, but one must also be a jack of all trades; part chef, financier, engineer and entrepreneur. And maybe part alchemist.

Craft brewers come from a wide variety of backgrounds, but a common thread is homebrewing.

Alley Kat owner Neil Herbst and Hog’s Head brewmaster Bruce Sample were both accomplished homebrewers.

But Hog’s Head assistant brewer Stu Chell had no homebrewing background when he started brewing for Amber’s. Chell is a trained chef, with a culinary arts diploma from NAIT and experience at restaurants like Packrat Louie’s and Niche. Chell told me that “cooking and brewing are very similar, in that you are manipulating natural ingredients to create something people will enjoy. A brew kettle is essentially a giant stockpot.”

Up at Yukon Brewing in Whitehorse, co-owners and exhomebrewers Bob Baxter and Alan Hansen are engineers, Bob mechanical, Alan chemical. Bob told me that his engineering background is helpful but notes that “it is much easier to brew a tank of beer than to create a demand for it. The marketing side is quite important.” Baxter and Hansen did get formal beer schooling via the Siebel Institute in the U.S. In a way, craft brewing is a return to the roots of beer. People brewed

Beer school six pack for thousands of years before formal brewing education began about 150 years ago. Medieval monks wrote things down, enabling brewing knowledge to be preserved. Later an apprenticeship system arose with the growth of secular brewing. Neil Herbst notes that many people have informally apprenticed at Alley Kat, including Brian Smith of Wild Rose, Jason Meyer of Driftwood, Brian Druhan of Phillips and Bruce Sample of Hog’s Head.

It was brewing’s shift from a craft to an industrial process in the 19th century that created a need for formal brewing education. Beer schools were established, usually within existing institutions. The Germans led the way, followed by other Europeans, and finally across the pond, led by the University of California at Davis, Oregon State University and the Siebel Institute in Chicago.

This September, Alberta brewing takes a step forward when Olds College launches their Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management diploma program. Yes, it’s true: the 26 students at Olds in the inaugural class don’t have to decide between beer or books.

It’s both.

I met Karsten Henriksen, the dean in charge of the program, handing out beer samples at Edmonton’s Craft Beer Festival. Henriksen noted that a brewing program is a good fit for Olds’ entrepreneurial and agricultural focus, as well as keying into the growth of the craft beer industry. Indeed, not only is Olds launching the program, but starting a commercial college brewery as well. Profits from sales of the four beers (Aggie Ale, Old Skhool, Hay City and Prairie Gold) will go to support the brewing diploma program. Be true to your school — drink a beer!

In honour of the students heading to NAIT, MacEwan and the University of Alberta, six beers from Western Canadian craft brewers that are a step up from bargain brands like Lucky Lager. Student life lesson: Life’s too short to drink crappy beer.

A huge selection of fresh cheeses as well as one-of-a-kind gift baskets and cheese trays

Alley Kat: Charlie Flint’s Organic Lager, Edmonton Back in 1908, Strathcona Brewing launched Varsity Beer, named after the new University of Alberta a few blocks away. Nearby today, Alley Kat brews a great pale lager, named after Alberta brewing pioneer, Charles Flint. This crisp, malty lager is a fine tribute to that Varsity Beer of long ago.

Ribstone Creek Lager, Edgerton Many students flowing into the city come from specks on the map like Edgerton, out near Saskatchewan. Now a beer is making that same trek. Ribstone’s Don Paré and Alvin Gordon knew nothing about beer, but they knew enough to hire David Beardsell, a craft beer veteran. Beardsell created this nothing-fancy but solid lager for Ribstone.

Paddock Wood Czech Mate, Saskatoon

Now Open

10525 Jasper Avenue • www.thewineroom.ca

Steve Cavan and Kathleen James-Cavan moved to Saskatoon from Ontario in 1992. Kathleen was hired as an English professor, Steve in Classics. But Steve despaired at the lack of craft beer, shifted careers and started a brewery. Paddock Wood’s Czech pilsner is an excellent homage to the classics like Pilsner Urquell.

Yukon Gold, Whitehorse Two engineers brewing beer in the Arctic seems an unlikely path to success, but Yukon Brewing has made it work. Their Yukon Gold English pale ale is the Yukon’s number one selling draught beer. Brewed as an ale, this very quaffable beer tastes lager-like, thanks to crisp Saaz hops and a soft touch of wheat.

Hog’s Head Hop Slayer IPA, St. Albert When Hog’s Head partner Brian Molloy told me, “I will die on the sword of hops,” I think he may have had this big IPA in mind. At 7.5 per cent alcohol, it is on the border of being an imperial IPA, but a taste shows this IPA nicely balances the big hops with big malt. A unique IPA that shows Edmonton is not only a lager town.

Phillips Bottle Rocket ISA, Victoria I’m a little envious of my son, attending UBC in Vancouver and surrounded by great beer. But we get many great BC beers on our side of the Rockies now, so this summer I kept the fridge stocked with this great ISA (India session ale). This beer has Phillips’ usual hoppy punch, but toned down slightly so you can have more than one.

Peter Bailey considers September the real start of the new year. He tweets as @Libarbarian.

The Tomato | September October 2013 25

wine maven wines from the paul hobbs estate

near Sebastopol in northern California can be hard to find, highly sought after by collectors worldwide. Which is what makes the appearance of the Russian River Chardonnay and Pinot Noir such a treat. The wines are patiently made using native yeasts, French oak and are unfined and unfiltered. Both would be wonderful with holiday turkey or could be squirreled away for a year or two.

The Pinot Noir has an appealingly juicy texture, with sweet red raspberry flavours and a subtle citrusy tangerine back beat.

The oak is understated as are the ripe tannins and there is some tangy spice in the aftertaste.

The Chard will appeal to those looking for slightly nutty, buttered popcorn and ripe fruit flavours (apple, pear tart and some tropical). Its lemon cream texture is rich without being cloying and has enough ooomph to pull together the mishmash of turkey, Brussels, roasted squash, potatoes and gravy of a typical Thanksgiving dinner into something resembling harmony.

and came up with the idea to support the training of guide dogs (albertaguidedog.com).

Did you know that it costs close to $40,000 to raise a guide dog? This will help: 50 cents from every bottle of Chapoutier’s Belleruche and Bila Haut wines sold during the month of October will go to assist puppies like Bella become guide dogs. Look for these wines at fine wine shops or find through the Liquor Connect product search at liquorconnect.com.

the 2013 edmonton rocky mountain wine

& Food Festival brings its signature easy-going social atmosphere to the Shaw Conference Centre October 25 and 26. A superb selection of wines, spirits, and craft beer, along with dishes from the city’s top restaurants and chefs and expert cheese tastings with the Dairy Farmers of Canada.

Don’t be disappointed, take advantage of early bird prices until September 20.

canada’s cave spring, mission hill,

Tantalus (and Cedar Creek winemaker Darryl Brooker) were at this summer’s Riesling Rendezvous, along with wines from Idaho, Washington, Oregon, the Finger Lakes, Michigan, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Australia and New Zealand. It was an amazing opportunity to taste fine wines with their winemakers over two days at Chateau Ste. Michelle. A highlight was chatting with the very approachable Dr. Ernie Loosen, co-founder of the event.

“For a wine geek, meeting Dr. Loosen was kind of like meeting royalty,” says Amanda LeNeve, attendee and The Tomato copy editor. “You read about him in books and taste his Rieslings in class to best understand what German Riesling tastes like. So, it was an honour to meet him in person, to get the chance to taste many of his beautiful Rieslings and hear what he had to say about them. He’s a trailblazer.“

Grape Expectations a wine tasting fundraiser in support of Edmonton Meals on Wheels

Tickets $60 each

event calendar mon september 16

mon october 7-nov 11

Jura Scotch with Willie Tait, Chateau Louis Liquor Store, 780-452-2337

WSET Level I Foundation winecollege.ca.

tue september 17

tue october 8 - dec 17

Four Regions Scotch Tasting Unwined, 780-458-4777

WSET Level II, winecollege.ca.

wed september 18

fri september 20 Robust Reds Rotary Fundraiser robustreds.ca

sat september 21 Annual Craft and Import Beer Festival Fine Wines by Liquor Select 780-481-6868

tue september 24 Accidental Sommelier Series: Turkey Time, Unwined, 780-458-4777

wed september 25 Future guide dog Bella.

Days of Wine and Proses Book Club Unwined, 780-458-4777

rhone wine producer chapoutier

tue october 1

26 September October 2013 | The Tomato

Dr. Ernie Loosen, event co-founder and the Tomato’s Amanda LeNeve. Mary Bailey photo.

Edmonton BMW 7450 Roper Rd

Available at Vinomania, Edmonton Meals on Wheels, 780-429-2020 or mealsonwheelsedmonton.org/events.

Wine 101 Fundamentals Aligra Wine & Spirits, 780-483-1083

started putting Braille on their labels in 1996 to honour Maurice de La Sizeranne, a native son of Tain. Sizeranne created modern Braille, and in a more personal connection was the former owner of the vineyard that produces the grapes for Chapoutier’s Hermitage Monier de la Sizeranne.

Their agent, Pacific Wine and Spirits, wanted to deepen the connection,

Thursday, September 26 7 PM

Chevaliers des Vins de France Dinner and Tasting kathryn.merrett@telus.net

wed october 9 - dec 18 WSET Level IIIa Advanced winecollege.ca.

wed october 9 Magnifi-Zins Zinfandel Tasting Aligra Wine & Spirits, 780-483-1083

thu october 17 Stewart Buchanan The BenRiach Distillery, Vines of Riverbend, 780-434-9444

tue october 22 Accidental Sommelier Series: Tapas & Tempranillo Unwined, 780-458-4777

wed october 23 Malbec Smackdown Aligra Wine & Spirits, 780-483-1083

fri/sat october 25/26 Edmonton Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival

The Tomato | September October 2013 27

vegetables

gremolata

Continued from page 21

zest

It’s been incredibly productive and beautiful with its sage green leaves and brilliantly-hued fruit hanging from pretty violet blossoms. Eggplant at the farmers market is generally hot housegrown due to our short season. Look for firm, heavy and not too big for best flavour. It’s friendly with cumin, olive oil, mint, tomatoes.

baba ganoush

1 lemon

1 bunch parlsey, leaves only, chopped fine (approx ½ c) 3 cloves

garlic, finely chopped

Mix the zest with the parsley and garlic. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

grilled eggplant 2 med eggplants (or equivalent), sliced in at least one-inch thick slices

Adapted from Nigel Slater’s Tender Volume 1.

extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt

3 lg

eggplants

5-7 sprigs fresh long thyme

2 cloves

garlic, crushed

juice of a small lemon

2-3 T

tahini paste

3-4 T

olive oil

½ t

cumin seeds, or to taste

Make deep slices in each eggplant.

Cover with salt and let sit for about 30 minutes. Rinse, pat dry and fill the slices with thyme sprigs. Brush with olive oil and grill over medium heat until tender, turning over about half way through to grill the other side.

Take off the grill, brush with oil and season.

sea or kosher salt fresh-cracked black pepper Toast cumin seeds in a small pan until fragrant, then crush in a mortar and pestle. Pierce the skins of the eggplant with a fork and grill over hot coals or in a hot oven until the skin is charred black and the flesh is very soft. When cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh and mix with the other ingredients. Cumin can overwhelm, so start with a small bit and taste as you go. Taste and adjust for lemon, seasoning and tahini.

Serve with a drizzle of warmed oil and flatbread or as a side dish for lamb with pomegranate seeds scattered over. Serves 6-8.

grilled eggplant steaks with gremolata Gremolata is usually found on fish, but it makes a delicious compliment to the smoky flavours of the eggplant, accompanied with savoury fresh thyme. Regarding the zest. If using a plane grater the zest is probably small enough. If using a regular zester you may need to chop the zest so it is very fine, almost powdery.

28 September October 2013 | The Tomato

Combine florets, water and milk in medium saucepan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring to boil and cook until cauliflower florets are very tender, about 10 minutes. Strain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Transfer florets to blender. Add half of the reserved 1 cup cooking liquid and purée until smooth.

Add more of the liquid if desired, and purée again. Reserve.

Heat oil in a heavy, large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Brush cauliflower steaks with additional oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add cauliflower to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and bake cauliflower steaks until tender, about 10 minutes. Re-warm cauliflower purée over medium heat. Divide purée between 2 plates; top each with cauliflower steak.

1 sml-ish head cauliflower 1½ c

water

1 c

whole milk

2 T vegetable oil plus more for brushing sea or kosher alt and freshly-cracked black pepper Heat oven to 350°F. Using sharp, heavy knife and starting at top centre of cauliflower head, cut two one-inch thick slices of cauliflower, cutting through to stem end. Set cauliflower steaks aside. Cut enough florets from remaining cauliflower head to measure 3 cups.

friday night vegetable soup A good way to use up less than stellar veg, the droopy bits you didn’t get around to eating earlier in the week.

Pretty much anything goes except for the suplhurous broccoli, cabbage, Brussels.

Blend to a chunky or thick purée, serve with large croutons and a scattering of fresh herbs, or freeze in smaller containers.

Gild the lily: add a chunk of blade steak or pork shoulder while simmering and use as a pasta sauce.

basic method

pistachio relish for green tomatoes

A cross-section of roasted cauliflower on a rich purée; cauliflower never looked so good. This could be the main course of an all-vegetable dinner, serve with braised greens and the quinoa-stuffed peppers in tomato sauce. Not a dish for a large party, but could be tripled to six if you have the pans and stovetop space.

Adapted from a recipe of Dan Barber’s found on Food 52. Vegans use vegetable stock instead of milk.

Serves 4-6.

carrots or cauliflower to use up. After sautéing, aromatics and your choice of veg, pour into a large pot along with a large can of tomatoes and stock or water. Add wine and a cheese rind, if you have. Simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes until it starts to smell good. Stir occasionally. Taste for seasoning, add fresh thyme and oregano, if have. Simmer for another 15-30 minutes. Season, adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to freshen flavours.

Serves 2.

Serve with the gremolata.

cauliflower steaks

Arrange the tomato slices on plates.

Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Stir the relish and spoon it over the tomatoes.

Garnish with basil leaves and serve.

Adapted from James Syhabout, Commis via Food & Wine. Pickling is big this season, and this recipe makes a tangy sweet sour pickle that is also marvellous on fish. Find green zebras at Gull Lake Farm stand. Make the night before or refrigerate for up to three days. salted roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped 1/3

c finely chopped shallots

2 T capers, rinsed 2 T Champagne vinegar (or 1 T white wine vinegar and1 T freshsqueezed lemon juice) 2 t sugar 1 t pink peppercorns, crushed 2 T extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

sea or kosher salt

4 green zebra (or other ripe green heirloom tomatoes), very thinly sliced

basil leaves

In a jar, combine the pistachios with the shallots, capers, vinegar, sugar, pink peppercorns and the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with sea salt. Refrigerate the relish overnight.

Sauté garlic or shallots and an onion in olive oil until translucent. Add red or yellow peppers, cook for 10 minutes until soft. Add a bay leaf or two, chopped beet tops, kale, swiss chard, whatever greens you have, even lettuce. Sauté for a few minutes to soften, then add to the pot of stock on the stove along with a glug of white wine. Simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes until it starts to smell good.

Stir occasionally. Taste for seasoning, add fresh thyme and oregano if you have. Simmer for another 15-30.

You can serve this soup now or cool and freeze in individual or family-sized servings. At this point, you can also add chicken, quinoa or barley.

Keys to good soup: Chop all vegetables approximately the same size — it looks good and makes the soup easier to eat. This is not so important if you plan to purée the soup. Sauté aromatics, such as garlic and onion, first then add the veg — this builds flavour and helps protect colour in the finished soup. Use your own stock, or ready-made chicken or vegetable stock (your own will have less salt). Add wine (early in the cooking) or a rind of parmesan to boost flavour.

A note about freezing: soups always need more seasoning once frozen, so hold off and season right before you eat, maybe adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to freshen the flavours.

Tomato-based soup: especially good if you have vegetables such as turnip,

balsamic onions

balsamic is well-integrated. Taste for seasoning.

Serves 6-8.

quinoa-stuffed hungarian peppers with kale and eggplant There is infinite variation on the theme of stuffed peppers; this version is celiac friendly and gluten free. You could use rice or barley instead of quinoa, and vegans will want to substitute a veganfriendly cheese. Chop all ingredients the same size for even cooking. Don’t like eggplant? Leave it out. If you don’t have all the ingredients improvise — use beet leaves instead of kale, for example, or large tomatoes, fresh corn kernels.

1 c quinoa (to make approx 4 c cooked grain)

3 yellow onions, sliced

2-4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

olive oil

white wine

1 sml firm eggplant, trimmed and seeded, chopped

sea or kosher salt

fresh-cracked pepper

Cook the sliced onion in a large pan over low-medium heat, stirring often.

You are looking for a gradual change in colour from white to transparent, then to yellow and finally golden-tinged with bits of brown.

At this stage, turn up the heat slightly and pour in a good glug of wine to pick deglaze the pan, and pick up the fond (all those lovely brown bits on the pan).

Stir for about 5-10 minutes while the alcohol cooks off. Lower the heat and add the balsamic. Stir until the

Bring the quinoa and stock to a boil.

Cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the grain looks translucent, 12-15 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Reserve.

penelope casa’s garlic green beans (judias verdes con ajo)

Wash and slice off the tops of the peppers. Reserve the heads. Take out the seeds and the white ribs.

Onions, transformed from their fiery natural state to something sweet and comforting, are always welcome as a side, and compliment many dishes — from grilled steak to Thanksgiving turkey. Freezes well. Cheap and cheerful, easy to make, what more could we want in an everyday staple?

balsamic vinegar (use a good basic balsamic such as Fini for this dish — save the expensive DOP Balsamico for drizzling on good cheese)

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2 c

vegetable stock

3 T

extra virgin olive oil

1 med onion, chopped in medium dice 1½ t

cumin

Heat oil, add onions, garlic, cumin, eggplant and peppers. Season lightly.

Cook over medium low heat until almost tender, about 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes and greens. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add herbs and combine with the cooked quinoa and cheeses. Season to taste.

¾

pounds fresh green beans

1 T

butter

1 clove garlic, crushed

coarse salt

Snap off the tops of the beans. Melt the butter in a skillet, add the beans, and cook them over a medium flame, stirring until they begin to brown.

Lower the flame, cover, and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until the beans are the desired tenderness, stirring occasionally. Mix in the crushed garlic, sprinkle with salt, and serve immediately.

Stuff the peppers with the quinoa mixture, packing it in (it will shrink during cooking). Place tops on peppers and stand up in a baking dish. Roast for about 15-20 minutes until the filling is hot and bubbly and the peppers are starting to crinkle and brown. Serve hot or cold.

Makes 6-8 stuffed peppers.

Serve with tomato sauce or a lemony yogurt tzatziki.

Please see “Vegetables” on page 31

Liquor Depot presents

½ red or yellow pepper, chopped in medium dice 1 sml Serrano, or bird chili, trimmed and chopped fine (or ¼ t cayenne pepper or Hungarian paprika) 1 med zucchini, seeded and chopped 6-8

cherry tomatoes chopped

2-3 Swiss chard or kale leaves, chopped fine handful

Celebrate Alberta’s largest selection of fine wine, premium spirits, quality beer & gourmet food

parsley, chopped fine

leaves of one thyme sprig, chopped fine 3-4

mint leaves, chopped

1 c

ricotta salata

¼ c

grated Parmigiano Reggiano

sea salt and fresh-cracked black pepper

2013 GRAND TASTING HALL

EDMONTON October 25 - 26 Shaw Conference Centre

Check out the new Festival features this year including different session times, a brand new Saturday Afternoon Tasting Session, and a downloadable Mobile App! Please drink responsibly.

For tickets & festival details visit rockymountainwine.com

6-8 Hungarian peppers (the longish pale green ones)

The Tomato | September October 2013 29

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Festive gatherings — tables loaded with family favourites or pot luck dishes, everything from soup to nuts.

Ham has fat and a lot of salt, which is surprisingly compatible with a wide variety of wine. But tannin’s romance with fatty meats becomes star-crossed by the salt. Whites are often a better bet with ham, avoiding the quarrel entirely. But if you must have red, think reds with lowish tannins, lots of fruit and good acidity.

Turkey by itself is fairly straightforward, a lean, slightly gamey protein, perhaps a bit dry. Look for wines with gamey flavours and some sweetness or juiciness to offset the dry meat, and some rich texture to play off the turkey’s leanness. In white Gruner Veltliner, new world Chardonnay, Riesling, and blends like Tinhorn’s Two Bench White would be stellar matches. In reds, Gamay, Malbec, Merlot, even some Sangiovese or Tempranillo could work. Add potatoes, gravy and assorted veg though, and it’s a different story.

The wines suggested can take on all this and not get lost in the shuffle. Consider these wines good leaders, a bit bossy, wrangling all the flavours, so everybody can get down to the business at hand — enjoying themselves and each other.

Agusti Torello Mata Brut Cava (Penedès, Spain), $20 Every gathering needs bubble and we found this new-on-the-market cava to be perfect for any occasion.

Cava is made like Champagne, spending at least nine months creating the tiny bubbles in the bottle. The Mata Brut is just off dry, with complex aromas and flavours and enough acidity to work with ham. Love prosecco? Give this Spanish cava a try.

30 September October 2013 | The Tomato

Continued from page 29

What to drink with turkey and ham

Finding a wine to navigate through all that can be problematic. Focus on the turkey or the ham? Try to find the something that goes with everything? Or stick to the tried and true?

fresh organic produce sprouted whole grains & flours gluten free & celiac safe foods grass-fed & free range meat certified organic dairy products whole food supplements non-irradiated spices & herbs

vegetables

| mary bailey

Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling (Washington State, USA), $18 A terrific everyday wine with just a hint of sweetness, still refreshing with thirst-quenching lime and stone fruit flavours. This is the wine that put Washington State Riesling on the map, and don’t turn your nose up because they make a lot of it. It’s good. Have with baked ham with pineapple, and a ham sandwich the next day.

De Angelis Prato Grande Marche Chardonnay (Italy, 2012), $19.

Italian chardo nnay?

Sure, why not? The Prato Grande is an excellent all-round drink for turkey and ham. Understated with lowish acidity (which makes it handy for aperitifs as well), you’ll find yourself reaching for this when you are not sure what to pour. It’s congenial, tasty and won’t put a big hole in your wallet.

first opened. Let it breathe for a few hours to capture the glorious cardamom, lavender and wild herb aromas, lapin cherries with pepper flavours, and rich notes of mossy earth and wood, surrounded by lovely structure. Deeply-coloured, inky, delicious.

Santa Maria La Palma Cannonau di Sardegna ‘Le Bombarde’ (Sardinia, Italy, 2011), $19 Cannonau is the name for the local variant of Grenache and the wine must spend two years aging before release. Which means less fresh red fruit flavours, more earth and leather satchel, but there’s still a hint of wild myrtle and green leaf. Soft-textured

with a lingering finish. According to Dr. Oz we should be drinking it daily — Cannonau having the most antioxident properties of any grape.

El Petit Bonhomme Tinto (Jumilla, Spain 2012), $15.

A blend of Grenache with Syrah and Mourvedre, aka GSM. Tons of juicy, plummy red fruit, lively, peppery, with all the exuberance of Grenache along with elegant Syrah, and bass notes from untamed Mourvedre. This is one happy wine. You’ll be happy too as it’s way under $20. Great for those friends who bring one bottle and drink two.

Find these wines at Liquor Select, Unwined, and other fine wine shops. Not all wines in all stores, prices approximate.

using right away, put in acidulated water (water with lemon juice) to prevent browning.

Mix the sugar and spices together.

Reserve 2 T and mix the rest with both fruits, along with the orange juice.

Toss gently.

apple rhubarb betty A reward for getting to the end of all these vegetable dishes. Old-timey grandma desserts — the bettys, the crumbles, and the fools are always good as gold.

3 c chopped rhubarb (about 6-10 stalks depending on size, about ½ kg) 3 med

apples

1 c

brown sugar

½ t

ground cinnamon

1/8

t

ground cloves

¼ c

fresh orange juice

2½ c

fresh breadcrumbs

6 T

melted butter

Toss the remaining spice mixture with the bread crumbs and pour over melted butter. Mix with fingertips to combine. Spread half the crumbs on the bottom of a gratin or deep pie dish.

Fill with fruit and top with remaining crumbs. Bake, loosely covered, for about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 25 minutes until the fruit is tender and the crust is browning.

Serve warm with fresh cream, yogurt or a really good vanilla ice cream.

Serves 4-6

Preheat over to 350ºF. Core and slice the apples into pieces the same size as the rhubarb. If not

city palate 1993 – 2013

CELEBRATING 20 DELICIOUS YEARS wITh 20 DELICIOUS EvENTS

Calling all Edmonton foodies!

Torres Salmos (Priorat, DOCa, Spain, 2008), $30 Grenache can be the best party guest, juicy and fun, with lots of personality, sometimes serious depending on who its blended with and, when made as well as these wines, always delicious.

The Grenache, Carinena, and Syrah grown on the steep hills of the Priorat region make serious wines, and the Salmos broods a bit when

Join us for the longest long table dinner Calgary has ever seen!

Date: Monday, September 16th, 5-9 pm

The Really, Really Long Table Dinner 7 restaurants... 5 courses... 240 people... 1 really, really long table.

Blink, Catch & The Oyster Bar, Charcut, Divino, Teatro, The Belvedere, The Cellar and Trib Steakhouse will each prepare a course for this remarkable dinner that takes place on a long, tented stretch of Stephen Avenue. Gather your friends, and make some new ones at this unique event that celebrates the culinary side of Calgary.

Location: Stephen Avenue Mall, downtown Calgary Tickets: $150 + $25 for wine pairings = $175pp, at reallylongtabledinner.eventbrite.ca Hotel Arts is offering a special discounted rate the night of the event! For more information please call 403.266.4611 or visit hotelarts.ca pROCEEDS fROm ThIS EvENT wILL GO TO CALGARY RED CROSS fLOOD RELIEf

For more information on City Palate’s 20th Anniversary events, visit citypalate.ca

The Tomato | September October 2013 31

| what’s new and notable

restaurant buzz Canteen (10522 124 Street, Edmonton, 780 485-6125) is on the short list for enRoute’s Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2013. (Past Edmonton restos include Corso 32, Wild Tangerine, Highlands Kitchen, and Culina Millcreek). The 35 contenders will be narrowed to 10 in November. In the meantime you can vote for the People’s Choice Award, and win a trip to the gala in Toronto. Vote for Canteen here: eatandvote.com Lots of chef movement this summer — Kevin Ostapek is back at The Bothy; Jimmy Frost, Heather Dosman and Filliep Lament have left Three Boars, Filliep to travel in Europe, Jimmy and Heather to set up in Victoria; and Shawn Hix has left Glasshouse Bistro for some renewal time. We wish them well and hope to eat their delicious food again soon.

Poised to open right now — Tavern 1903 at Alberta Hotel, Larry Stewart’s fabulous new bar/resto in the new/old Alberta Hotel across from Shaw Conference Centre. Later in October, Mike Scorgie and Andrew Borley’s Woodwork, across from the Westin. Look for two new restaurants from Daniel Costa of Corso 32 late this year.

Sabor Divino (10220 103 Street 780-757-1114) just opened their main floor wine and tapas bar. One of our favourite wine people, Brandy Dawson, is behind the bar, dispensing tastes, tales and tapas nightly. Check it out!

There may be a few tickets left for Edmonton Humane Society Fundraiser organized

by Red Ox Inn’s exec chef Sean O’Connor, September 9. Call 780-465-5727 to book.

If it’s fall, it must be time for Sorrentino’s Mushroom Harvest Festival! (September 1-30) Enjoy cooking classes, hunts with mushroom experts and the Barilla dinner, Monday, September 16 with guest chef, Lorenzo Boni (five courses, wine, $85/p).

Look for all the details at sorrentinos.com/ events.

wine tastings happenings and events Don’t miss the Co-Op World of Whiskey and Cognac Gala, November 2 at Northlands, a spectacular tasting featuring a dazzling array of cognac, whiskies and a gourmet dinner. Tickets are $100/person for general admission. The VIP ticket ($150/person) includes a guided tasting, exclusive products and early entry, 4-9pm. Call 780-432-2258 ext. 460, or email wsevents@calgarycoop.com.

Drop by Fine Wines by Liquor Select’s (8924 149 Street, 780-481-6868, liquorselect.com) Annual Craft and Import Beer Festival, Saturday, September 21, 2-5pm to sample 50 plus beers.

Absolutely free, and a terrific way to find a new favourite brew.

Massimo’s Kitchen exec chef Keoma Franceschi presents a Tuscan Christmas November 1-4, the first weekend of Jasper Park Lodge’s 25th Anniversary Christmas in November (CIN). Don’t miss it! To book visit christmasinnovember.com.

Upcoming tastings at Unwined Fine Wine, Spirits and Ales (#2 512 St. Albert Trail, St. Albert, 780-458-4777, unwined. ca): September 17, Four Regions Scotch Tasting; September 24, Accidental Sommelier Series: Turkey Time; September 25, Days of Wine and Proses Book Club: Let the Great World Spin; October 22, Accidental Sommelier Series: Tapas & Tempranillo; November 5, Scotch Tasting. Tastings begin at 7:30pm, $25 unless otherwise noted.

Saturday, September 28 is grand opening at the new Italian Centre west end store (17010 90 Avenue, italiancentre.ca).

It’s packed with great stuff, the coffee is amazing, the staff helpful, and the managers all very good-looking. Come for tastings, entertainment and special promotions. Let’s hope Ralph and Adamo will be there cooking sausages. Don’t miss Rocco Papallo’s pizza, it is really good; he’s a trained pizzaiolo from Udine, Italy.

The coffee? Paolo Pucci trained in Milan and has the official barista certificate to prove it.

Lots of delicious events open to both members and non-members alike at

32 September October 2013 | The Tomato

the Edmonton Petroleum Club (11110 108 Street, 780-474-3411). Call to book.

September 8, Brunch, $29 non-members; September 20, Lobsterfest, $85 nonmembers; September 30, Winemaker’s dinner with Champagne Cottet-Dubreuil and Cava house Agusti Torello Mata, $130; October 18, Oktoberfest.

Tasting line up at Aligra Wine & Spirits (Suite 1423, Phase III, West Edmonton Mall, 780-483-1083, aligrawineandspirits.com): September 18, Wine 101 Fundamentals; October 9, Magnifi-Zins Zinfandel; October 23, Malbec Smackdown with sommeliers Stacey Jo Strombecky and Ken Bracke.

French wine lovers would enjoy the Chevaliers des Vins de France dinner and tasting, October 1. Email kathryn. merrett@telus.net for details and tickets.

Don’t miss the Jura Scotch tasting and meet and greet with the entertaining malt master Willie Tait, September 16, 7:30pm at the Chateau Louis Liquor Store (11727 Kingsway, 780-452-2337). Call to book, $50/ person. There will be snacks.

Another Scotsman pays a visit to our fair city, Stewart Buchanan, brand ambassador, The BenRiach Distillery, Thursday, October 17, 7pm at Vines of Riverbend (2331 Rabbit Hill Rd, 780-4349444). Tickets $40/person, call to book.

PGA Golf fan? Aligra Wine & Spirits (Entrance 58, Phase III West Edmonton Mall, 8882 170 Street, 780-483-1083) is having an in-store promotion until October 6. Enter to win golf prizes and bottles of Beringer.

Don’t miss the annual Rotary fundraiser Robust Reds, Friday, September 20, at the Delta Edmonton South. Taste over 130 red wines, enjoy live and silent auctions, and purchase your favorites at the on-site store. Tix: robustreds.ca or Keg ‘n Cork (3845 99 Street, 780-461-0191).

Want to tell your chenins from your chards? Or learn why some wines taste like vanilla and others like butter? Learn to taste like a pro in a Wine Spirit Education Trust (WSET) program, taught in 58 countries, and in Edmonton by Natasha Susylinski and Mary Bailey. Level I Foundation begins Monday October 7; Level II, Intermediate, Tuesday October 8;

Level III Advanced, Wednesdays October 9, winecollege.ca.

cooking classes September is urban homesteading month. Learn some old-fashioned culinary techniques to preserve food, such as fermenting and canning, and how to make your own yogurt at the Urban Homesteading Store (4917-51 Avenue, Stony Plain, 780-591-4566).

Find the calendar of events online, urbanhomesteadingstore.com.

Learn to cook a turkey on the Big Green Egg at Hendrix (14515 118 Avenue, 780-454-0432), September 21 and October 5. Also at Hendrix, take part in a Thanksgiving Italian-style cooking class with Antonella Cascione, September 26, $59. Call to book.

Pan Tree Kitchen (220 Lakeland Drive, Sherwood Park, 780-4644631, thepantree.ca) fall cooking class line up: September 12, Meat Cookery 101, and September 26, Cleaning Out the Pantry, both with chef Richard Toll; October 12, Herbs with Deborah Anzinger, home economist and cookbook author.

product news The fun new Croft Pink website croftpink.com is up, chock full of excellent cocktail recipes, oldfavourites and great new features.

The Pan Tree Kitchen (220 Lakeland Drive, Sherwood Park, 780-417-3340) has some fabulous new culinary gadgets in stock.

Wusthof Xline knives are made in Solingen, Germany from a single piece of stainless steel, beautiful in the hand. The hi-tech transparent ceramic coating protects and makes for easy cleaning, $169-$249.

The All-Clad Weeknight pan is ideal for sautéing, simmering and braising everyday meals. It will become essential in your kitchen. $279. The easy to use Gefu Spiral Slicer juliennes strips of carrot,

radish, zucchini or cucumber in a flash, perfect for stir-fries and pasta dishes, $34.95.

Newget Kompany’s delicious confections will be at City Market on 104 Street, September 7, 14, 21 and October 5, 12. Newget delivers within the Edmonton area and ships across Canada. Order online at Newget.ca.

Just opened: Urban Organics Market (#130, 1020 Sherwood Drive, 780-570-5526 urbanorganics.ca), just off Wye Road in Sherwood Park. “Right now, most of the companies we are working with are from BC,” says Victoria Laine, general manager and education director. But our aim is to stock more Alberta foods especially greens and other vegetables.” Some local producers in stock presently include: Sunworks Farm, Vital Greens Farm and Mona Foods.

have you been

Frenched?

www.themarc.ca • 780.429.2828

“How about a beer and a bite in town tonight? My treat.”

culinary tours and travel Chef Vinod Lohtia is your guide on the Culinary Tour To Rajasthan, February 1-February 16, exploring the culture of culinary India.

Deluxe hotels, Mughal palaces and Hindu temples, camel safaris, bazaars, and gastronomic extravaganzas including hands-on cooking, parathas, kebabs, spice markets, roti and Indian sweets.

This trip looks spectacular. For more information call chef Lohtia, 780-484-9332, or visit industravel.ca.

AMA Travel’s package for the Clayoquot Oyster Festival in Tofino, November 13–17, includes four nights at the beachfront Best Western Tin Wis, a ticket to the Oyster Gala and a visit to an oyster farm. From $549 per person. Call AMA Travel 1-866-667-4777 or book online, AMATravel.ca.

Send new and/or interesting food and drink related news for The Kitchen Sink to thetomato.ca.

Homesteaders, ca. 1900. City of Edmonton Archives EA-471-12

kitchen sink

Edmonton’s oldest, newest downtown restaurant now open.

9802 jasper avenue 780.424-0152 email@tavern1903.com www.tavern1903.com also visit our original downtown restaurant: hardware grill.

The Tomato | September October 2013 33

according to judy

| judy schultz

Cooking Canadian: it’s local, dude!

Today, children, a little history. Long, long ago, I had a strange job. I was a restaurant critic.

The airplane had already been invented, so chefs and most of their ingredients came from far away.

Germany, Scotland, Italy, anywhere but Edmonton. We didn’t have our own chefs, but we had steak houses, pizzerias, and restaurants with continental cuisine.

780.458.4777 • info@unwined.biz www.unwined.biz • 2, 512 St. Albert Trail

Continental cuisine, or CC, became my nemesis. I’d gone to cooking school in France and Italy, where fresh-and-local was a religion.

Chefs not personally acquainted with the goats who produced the chevre for their cheese trolleys would be shunned.

In Edmonton, their standards slipped. My managing editor, who’d paid for those cooking schools, issued a mandate: “Get tough.

Get your teeth into it.”

So I whined about cliché menus and inept service; raged about chefs who didn’t bother to taste their own food; fumed over the total dearth of local edibles, on any menu, in any season.

The CC crowd, accustomed to columnists who liked frozen shrimp cocktails, shot back.

The president of the restaurant association complained that my reviews were “More disastrous than a fire.” The managing editor, a man who had much in common with pit-bulls, loved it.

Hate mail arrived. Anonymous calls. Lawsuits were threatened.

The editor was gleeful. “Tell him we’ll see ‘em in court,” he said.

After one not-so-hot review, the aircraft mechanic who owned the restaurant in question posted a billboard outside. It said, “Judy Schultz is no longer welcome here.”

The editor did a happy dance. I cried buckets. And that, children, was on a good day.

34 September October 2013 | The Tomato

Meanwhile, in international competitions, Canadian cuisine was interpreted with predictable clichés: BC salmon, Alberta beef, Manitoba wild rice. Quebec brought maple syrup. PEI supplied lobster, and we had that everpopular all-Canadian vegetable, the fiddlehead. (Never mind that it’s only available for about five minutes in spring. When was the last time you heard anybody say, “Man, I am jonesin’ for a good feed of fiddleheads!”)

Came the Nineties, and a Canadian pastry chef named Bertha Skye appeared in an international cook-off known as the World Culinary Olympics. She made soup and bannock. The judges went into shock. A woman, and an aboriginal? Zut alors!

Here at home, the industry still showed little enthusiasm for local culinary upstarts, local ingredients, or women chefs. (“Women are too emotional to be chefs,” said a chef whose kitchen tantrums were legendary on two continents.)

Change came slowly, long after I’d shuffled off that awful column. But it did come. In 2005, the Hundred Mile Diet was invented by two people from British Columbia.

By 2007, the woods were full of locavores.

Canadian chefs had an epiphany: their ingredients and their inspiration could and should be fresh and local.

It’s still a challenge. Fresh and local is fine until you need a lemon, or it happens to be winter. Ask any chef. But they’re trying, and succeeding.

So kids, I’ve decided what I want to be when I grow up. A restaurant critic. In Edmonton. That’s a job I could get my teeth into.

Judy Schultz is a food and travel writer who divides her time between Alberta and New Zealand.

10053 Jasper Avenue

@UnionBankInn

780-401-2222

www.unionbankinn.com Reserve Online

LeCreuset.ca

RUSTIC YET REFINED TRUFFLE: AN INSPIRED AND ORIGINAL CULINARY HUE Barb’s Kitchen Centre 9766 – 51 Avenue NW 780-437-3134

Bella Casa 9646 – 142 Street 780-437-4190

Hillaby’s Tools for Cooks The Enjoy Centre 101 Riel Drive, St-Albert 780-651-7373

Cookware | Bakeware | Dinnerware | Accessories

The Pan Tree 550 – 220 Lakeland Drive 780-464-4631

Zenari’s 10180 – 101 Street NW 780-423-5409 facebook.com/LeCreusetCanada