Tomato September October 2017

Take a bite of your city | September October 2017 | thetomato.ca

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Contents Editor

Features

Mary Bailey marybee@telus.net

Publisher

Copy Editor Shauna Faragini

Illustration/Photography

Design and Prepress

12 A Day at the Garlic Farm | Mary Bailey

16 Distiller Checks the Pulse of Off-kilter Starch A tricky ingredient for a local distillery | Doug Johnson

18 Low Hanging Fruit How Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton

WebMeister

is capturing nature’s bounty | Marke Henteleff

Gunnar Blodgett, COPA Jurist

Printer

| Jan Hostyn

Donna and Larry Branton look to garlic as a secondary crop.

Curtis Comeau Photography Bossanova Communications Inc.

10 A Steel of a Deal A pizza a day keeps the doctor away

Contributing Writers Peter Bailey Marke Henteleff Jan Hostyn Doug Johnson Kristine Kowalchuk

6 Gold Medal Cooking Gold Medal Plates contenders share favourite fall recipes

BGP Publishing

24 Mini Kitchen Delivers Max Flavours Sharing family recipes can be good business | Mary Bailey

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5 Dish Gastronomic happenings around town

22 The Proust Culinary Questionnaire Liana Robberecht, executive chef WinSport, Chair WCR conference

26 Feeding People School daze: where’s lunch? | Kristine Kowalchuk

28 Wine Maven Event Calendar

32 Kitchen Sink What’s new and notable

34 Beer Guy Cask and firkin / the cask ale trail | Peter Bailey

Subscriptions are available for $25 per year. thetomato.ca

On the cover: just-picked bulb at GordRon Garlic Farm. Mary Bailey photo.

Celebrating Edmonton’s

20 YEARS

Food Culture Since 1996

Imprese Familiari (im-PRAY-zeh FAH-mill-YAR-ee)

That means we support family businesses, locally and across Canada, who make traditional products as good as those from the old country.

That’s over 300 classic delicacies made right here on our doorstep.

Grocery. Bakery. Deli. CafĂŠ.

EDMONTON Little Italy | Southside | West End CALGARY Willow Park

italiancentre.ca

you know you want more...

Dish

gastronomic happenings around town

go for the gold Edmonton’s Gold Medal Plates competition is Thursday, October 12. This year’s competing chefs are a mix of veterans and first timers — Alberto Alboreggia, Sorrentino’s Downtown; Levi Biddlecombe, Packrat Louie; Steven Brochu, Chartier, Steve Buzak, Royal Glenora Club; Shane Chartrand, Sage; Ryan Hotchkiss, Bündok; Andrew Ihasz, Renaissance Edmonton Airport Hotel; Tony Le, Century Hospitality Group; Medi Tabtoub, Vivo; Jan Trittenbach, Solstice Seasonal Cuisine. New this year is Gold Medal Pints. For tickets visit goldmedalplates.com.

drink like it’s 1692 Get your hands on a bottle of the Taylor’s 325 Limited Edition Anniversary Tawny (under $50), a blend of tawny ports with an average age of 15 years. “I’ve selected wines with age for complexity, and wines with youth for vibrancy,” said winemaker David Guimaraens, “I wanted this wine to be accessible, unpretentious.”

And delicious. Redolent of baking spices, chocolate, coffee and sticky toffee pudding; sweet and luscious, yet wellbalanced with a warm heart of red fruit, both candied and fresh, butterscotch and gingerbread, the wine is both complex and ready to drink now.

Then there’s the cool bottle — based on the oldest bottle with the Taylor Company’s mark. Taylor’s, was founded in 1692 by English merchant Job Beardsley, who travelled to Portugal to start a wine business.

party like it’s 1997 It’s year 20 for the Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival (Shaw Conference Centre, November 10, 11) and organizers say it will be the best ever. Taste new-to-the-market (or, new to the show) wines, beers and spirits (Vancouver’s Stanley Park Brewing, Camrose’s Back40 Distillery, Grande Prairie’s Broken Tine Orchard, Italy’s Carpineto and Portugal’s Luis Pato) and tasty food from The Holy Roller, Japonais Bistro, Chop Steakhouse, XO Bistro Bar and Atlas Steak and Fish. Don’t forget to get the jump on tix — early bird specials are on offer until September 27.

All photos supplied

dig it at dig in Love gardening? Love food? Combine it all at St. Albert’s Dig In Horticulinary Festival, September 19-23. Enjoy culinary tours by foot or bike; hands-on Make & Take Workshops where you can make cider, bake bread, learn to can and uncover the ultimate in raised bed gardening.

Check out the full lineup of events and get your tickets at diginstalbert.ca.

roasting made easy The OXO Silicone Roaster Racks, keeps your turkey (or whatever you are roasting) above the liquids and fats that accumulate during cooking. The bottom stays crisper and cooking is more efficient, allowing the hot air to circulate all around the bird. Easy to clean in the dishwasher too, no metal racks to scrub. Set of two, $20.

back to school The School Year Survival Cookbook

by Ceri Marsh and Laura Keogh (Appetite by Random House, $30) comes in a handy coil-bound oversize format. That’s the first clue that this cookbook will be used over and over in the kitchen. It’s extremely user friendly with good info on cook once, eat three times kind of meals (aka, how to make leftovers on purpose that taste great.)

Great pantry and freezer tips; nutrition info; two pages of real world mixes — muffins, pancakes and biscuits, and lots of pics of adorable kids. But don’t think it’s just for people with young kids. I found lots in the book to like and I don’t even have kids. It lays out terrific ways to plan better meals for busy people, period.

top baking NAIT baking instructor and program chair Alan Dumonceaux will be one of six competitors, and the first Canadian, to compete in the gourmet baking category of the Masters de la Boulangerie — the world’s top, and toughest, baking contest — in Paris next February. “You have to be really creative to win against the best in the world.

It’s a daunting challenge, but an exciting one,” says Alan.

Photos from top: hands-on at Dig In; the Taylor 325 Limited Edition Annivesary Tawny Port; School Year Survival Cookbook; 20 years and counting for Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival; gourmet baker Alan Dumonceaux.

The Tomato | September October 2017 5

GOLD

MEDAL

COOKING gold medal plates contenders share favourite fall recipes

We asked the 2017 contenders to share their favourite flavours of the season. We couldn’t resist asking for some intel about their competition dishes too. Edmonton’s Gold Medal Plates is Thursday, October12.

For tickets visit goldmedalplates.com.

6 September October 2017 | The Tomato

stock, little by little about ½ c at a time (has to be hot!) and cook till the rice is cooked.

When the rice is cooked, turn off fire, add the cheese, a splash of cream and soft butter. Toss and make sure it’s creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Put the risotto into a bowl, add 2 asparagus heads on top as garnish. Add the warm poached egg next to it on top.

alberto alboreggia, sorrentino’s downtown

Finish with shaved Parmigiano on top of the eggs, a drizzle of oil around and serve.

Serves 1.

Alberto Alboreggia is Sorrentino’s new chef at the flagship downtown location.

His experience, which ranges over five continents, includes cooking for the royal family in Jordan and a stint as the corporate chef for Viking and Smeg in Asia. This is chef Alboreggia’s first Gold Medal Plates competition.

“What I’m thinking is a hot starter, like a meatball but in a different way, with wild meats, maybe some truffle fonduta, I have three or four options on my mind.”

Porcini Risotto with Asparagus, Poached Egg, Aged Parmigiano ¼ c

arborio rice

3 T

fresh porcini mushrooms

3 c

vegetable or chicken stock

¼ c dry white wine (any good varietal) 4 T grated Parmigiano, shredded Parmigiano (a few pieces just for decorative touch) 2 T

soft butter

2 T

fresh cream

1 T

onion chopped

1 T

garlic chopped

fresh herbs: thyme, rosemary, oregano finely chopped 3 T

extra virgin olive oil

2 stalks fresh asparagus, julienne cut, 1

poached egg

levi biddlecombe, packrat louie Chef Levi Biddlecombe is an Edmonton native, Red Seal chef and NAIT graduate.

His experience includes Le Beaujolais in Banff, Zinc at the AGA, three years operating the Attila The HUNgry food truck and an appearance on Chopped Canada. This is his first Gold Medal Plates.

“I love to compete. This is the biggest food competition in Edmonton so being part of it is incredible and humbling.”

What is his direction for the competition?

“Minimal ingredients and maximum technique, emphasising clean and bright flavours, nothing super crazy. Still working on the wine — thinking a crisp white with a bit of sweetness.”

Pistachio Crusted Halibut with Pumpkin Puree and Pan-Roasted Balsamic Brussel Sprouts

In a sauté pan add oil and make it hot.

Add the onion, garlic and cook for a bit without burning. Add the uncooked rice, ¼ cup white wine and sauté in the same pan until the rice is transparent.

6 halibut filet (approx 6 oz pieces)

Add the porcini, asparagus, fresh herbs and give a nice brown color. Add the hot

Combine pistachio, salt and cayenne.

Coat all pieces of fish in the spiced nut mixture. Heat oil in a pan, on medium to high heat.

Cook fish, 2 minutes per side. Remove from heat, allow to rest.

Puree 1½ c

diced pumpkin

3 cloves

garlic, minced

1 T

butter

¼ t

ground nutmeg

½ c

heavy cream

¼ c

apple juice

1

lemon (zested and juiced)

1 t

ginger powder

2 T

cream cheese

salt to taste

In a saucepan over medium/low heat combine pumpkin, butter, garlic, nutmeg, and ginger powder. Allow to sweat for 8-10 minutes. Add cream and apple juice. Bring to a simmer. Simmer until pumpkin is tender. Mix in cream cheese and remove from heat. Add lemon juice and zest, add salt to taste. Add contents to a blender and puree until smooth. Reserve.

Pan-Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts 24

Brussels sprouts (halved)

4 strips

bacon (finely chopped)

¼ c

balsamic vinegar

1 T

brown sugar

2 oz.

dry white wine

1 cob

corn, kernels removed

salt to taste

In a large pan over medium heat render bacon. Add sprouts to rendered bacon.

Sauté in pan, stirring occasionally until sprouts begin to brown. Add wine, sugar and vinegar. Increase heat to mediumhigh and cook until liquid becomes a glaze.

Remove from heat and mix in corn.

To serve: Smear a healthy amount of purée on the plate. Arrange sprouts in a pile on top of purée. Place halibut on top of sprouts and sprinkle shaved cheese over the fish.

steve brochu, chartier Born and raised in Edmonton, Steve was fascinated by the relationship between family and food. That drew him to culinary arts and is something that continues to drive him today. After graduating from the NAIT culinary program, Steve moved to Vancouver and worked in a variety of kitchen environments, including a remote fishing lodge on Langara Island. Since joining Chartier Restaurant in Beaumont, in December 2016, Chef Brochu has received multiple accolades for his whimsical approach to French Canadian cuisine. This is his third Gold Medal Plates competition.

“Still working on the dish and thinking about forest flavours. Thinking game animal and using preserves from our garden and farmers’ market. We want to work with the McWatters Meritage— hearty flavours, yet clean and polished as well. We have a really great team at Chartier — we’re excited!”

Duck with Pumpkin and Beans 1

duck leg

1 c

bacon, cubed

3 c

white beans, soaked

1 c

thinly sliced onion

5 cloves

garlic, thinly sliced

1 stick

celery, diced

1

carrot, medium diced

1 med

pumpkin, medium diced

3 cobs

corn, kernels removed

¼ c

red wine

2 T

balsamic vinegar

1 T

molasses maple syrup

2 T

vegetable oil

½ c

ground pistachios

1 T

salt

1 t

cayenne

2 t

¼ c

fresh shaved Parmigiano

3 litres

Serves 6.

duck stock

Please see “Gold Medal” on next page.

The Tomato | September October 2017 7

Gold Medal Continued from previous page.

Season duck with salt and pepper. Sear duck leg, then remove from pan once browned, keeping the fat in the pan.

Sauté bacon in duck fat until it begins to brown. Add vegetables and sauté until golden. Add beans, stir well to cover.

Beans should look glossy. Put duck leg back in the pan. Add wine and balsamic and reduce by half. Add stock, molasses and maple syrup bring to a very low simmer for 3-4 hours.

Season to taste and enjoy. Best enjoyed after it has spent a night in the fridge and the flavours get to know each other.

Serves 4-6.

12 oz

mixed greens

8 oz

dill yogurt dressing

Rough chop the sausage. In a large pot add oil and brown the sausage, then remove. Keep all the excess oil in the pot.

Add the potatoes, celery, carrots, garlic, herbs and sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes.

4 free-run boiled egg, chopped 4

5 oz wild sockeye salmon

12 oz

roasted butternut squash

8 slices

bacon

4 T

crisp capers

1

lemon, cut into ¼ wedges

8 oz

goat cheese

Dill Yoghurt Dressing Mix ½ c Greek yogurt with 1 T honey, 1 T lemon juice, 1 t chopped fresh dill, salt and pepper to taste. Reserve.

Crisp Capers Preheat a small sauce pan on medium to high heat, add some vegetable oil, gradually add the capers to minimize the splattering of hot oil, stir for 45 to 60 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon on to paper towel to remove the oil. Reserve.

Roasted Butternut Squash

steve buzak, royal glenora club

to have the inside of the squash facing down, approx. 20 minutes at 300ºF. Take out and cool.

Autumn Salmon Cobb Salad

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Dice squash into 1-inch cubes, then place in a bowl. Toss with vegetable oil and salt and pepper, then place on a parchment-lined bake sheet and bake for roughly 20-30 minutes until browned and tender. Set aside to cool. These can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

Chef Buzak, the exec chef and the food and beverage director at the Royal Glenora Club, loves good wine, often hosting intimate dinners with featured winemakers. He is also passionate about sustainability. He works closely with a number of local farmers and producers to create delicious local menus for his guests. Chef Buzak is a graduate of both NAIT and Dubrulle Culinary School in Vancouver and a seasoned competitor at both Gold Medal Plates and ice carving competitions around the world.

Pre-wash all your vegetables and set aside.

“I picked a wine that is super versatile, a Pinot Noir from Meyer Family Vineyards. I can go in many directions with that, but I’ve narrowed it down to three — something from the sea, something that flies and something from the turf.”

Add pre-seasoned salmon and sear for 2-3 minutes a side. (Ideal to serve it medium to medium-rare; if you are using a thicker salmon piece, the time will vary.)

Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and butternut squash meat.

shane chartrand, sage at the river cree

Bring to a soft boil then turn down to medium low heat.

Shane Chartrand is one of the most interesting and collaborative chefs we have seen in a long time. He has trained in great spots, worked with awardwinning chefs, appeared on Chopped Canada, is a compelling speaker and has a cookbook coming out next spring. Chef Chartrand also teaches cooking classes to aboriginal youth, remembering that success is not just about credentials and experience, but about what he can give back to the community.

Once everything is close to being cooked, add the sausage and kale. Season accordingly. Enjoy!

“I’m doing a monochromatic red dish — verjus-soaked red marbled foie gras torchon, pork neck, pheasant breast, bbq sauce, cherry almond sauce, a red winepoached pear but a small cool version.

I’m calling it the Effects of Red. These monochromatic dishes are an interesting trend. With it a Tantalus Pinot Noir; I love working with Tantalus.”

Smoked Sausage and Parsley Stew

Pre-set your salad in 4 bowls with greens, squash, cheese, egg, capers, and a side of yogurt dressing.

4

Rub salmon portions with oil and season both sides with salt and pepper. Pre-heat cast iron or non-stick skillet on medium heat, slice bacon into 1 inch pieces, add to pan. Cook until desired crispiness.

Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels Remove some of the bacon fat, leaving about 1 T to cook salmon.

1

butternut squash

1 c

kale, cut in long strips

1 bunch

parsley

1

white onion, medium dice

1 oz

minced garlic

2 lg

carrots, medium dice

Add the salmon to your prepared salad, garnish with bacon and lemon. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 salads.

smoked pork sausages

5 Yukon gold potatoes, medium dice

2 tomatoes 2 stalks

celery, medium dice

4 oz

canola oil

6 sprigs

fresh thyme

4 c

chicken stock, unsalted

salt and pepper

1 T

tomato paste

Cut the butternut squash in half and roast in the oven until very soft. Be sure

8 September October 2017 | The Tomato

Serves 5 to 6 people.

andrew ihasz, renaissance edmonton airport hotel Executive chef Andrew Ihasz was a lobster fisherman and commis chef while he was still a teenager. After graduating from the east coast’s Culinary Institute of Canada, chef Ihasz worked in Switzerland, Grand Cayman, Bermuda, San Francisco and was the exec at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald. Now, at the new Renaissance property at the airport, he grows herbs in the Urban Cultivators, and is happy to prepare pretty much anything, as long as it doesn’t involve lobster.

“We’re taking this as a huge challenge, doing trial runs practicing with our culinary team. This is my third time — it’s a fierce competition, you can’t walk in lighthearted. We are leaning towards a bison dish with a robust red, but it’s not set in stone.”

BBQ Corn and Tomato Chowder 2 cobs fresh corn with the husks on (or 1.5 c frozen corn kernels) 2 T

melted salted butter

10 pc medium-size fresh and ripe plum tomatoes, seeds removed and small diced 1

large onion, small diced

1 stalk

celery, small diced

2 lg russet potatoes, peeled and small diced 8 pc thick sliced bacon, small diced 1 litre

chicken broth

1 t

Hungarian paprika

1 c

heavy (35 per cent) cream

1 t

kosher salt

In a large heavy pot, cook the cubed bacon until slightly brown over medium heat. Remove some of the bacon fat, and then add the diced onions and celery to the pot. Cook until soft. Add the chicken broth and diced potatoes.

Simmer the broth for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost cooked. Add the diced plum tomatoes and BBQ corn kernels.

place where so many cooks start — in the dish pit. His time in Whistler took him to both the back and front of house before returning to Edmonton to begin his apprenticeship and schooling. Ryan gained experience at Il Pasticcio, The Sugarbowl, and Sage at the River Cree, then several years at Jack’s Grill and Bar Bricco. He opened Bündok in January, 2017 and hopes to continue to serve his guests for years to come.

His dish? “I’m thinking about big time flavour, intriguing as possible and accessible as possible. I have also been thinking about trade routes. For example, Italians didn’t always have tomatoes.

The story is so important.” This is chef Hotchkiss’ first appearance at Gold Medal Plates.

Brined Pork Chop 3 c

water

½ c

kosher salt

½ c

brown sugar

1 t

juniper berries

½ t

whole black pepper

4 cloves

garlic, peeled

To Barbecue the Corn

4

1-inch thick pork chops

Peel back the husks of the corn ¾ of the way. Remove as much of the silk inside as possible. Brush the corn with melted butter, and then pull the husks back up around the corn as best as possible.

Salad

Add cream and season to taste. Serve hot.

Serves 6.

Tie the top of the corn husk with butcher’s twine to hold it in place On a BBQ over medium heat, cook the corn in its own husk, turning the corn every 5 minutes, for approx. 15-20 minutes or until the corn is soft. Let the corn cool, and then remove the kernels from the cobs using a sharp knife. If you don’t have a BBQ you can replace the fresh corn with 1.5 cups frozen corn kernels.

1

pink lady apple julienned

handful

toasted walnuts

2 T

butter

3 leaves

sage

1 T

Dijon mustard

¼ c

cider vinegar

For the pork chop Combine all ingredients except pork chops in a pot and let until sugar has dissolved. Let cool. Add pork chops and refrigerate for minimum 12 hours, maximum 24 hours.

Remove the pork from the brine and dry with a paper towel. Cook in your desired fashion, grilling or pan frying.

For the salad

ryan hotchkiss, bündok A St. Albert native, Ryan moved to Whistler shortly after high school where his culinary career began in the same

Place butter in pan and heat until brown bits start appearing on the bottom of the pan, add sage. Fry sage leaves until crisp, remove and let dry on a paper towel.

Add mustard to the butter and whisk in.

Add vinegar and season to taste with salt.

Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl and season with vinaigrette and salt.

Serve with the cooked pork chop.

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Kitchen Skills I - The Art of Garde Manger and Knife Skills [CULG210] Classes start September 12, 2017 Kitchen Skills II - Flavour Recognition, Stocks and Soups [CULG220] Classes start September 26, 2017 Kitchen Skills III - Sauces [CULG230] Classes start February 6, 2018 Kitchen Skills IV - Vegetable Preparation and Cooking [CULG240] Classes start March 6, 2018 Kitchen Skills V - Preparing and Cooking Meat, Poultry and Fish [CULG250] Classes start March 20, 2018

Enrol today at nait.ca/kitchenskills

Serves 4.

Please see “Gold Medal” on page 11.

The Tomato | September October 2017 9

A Steel of a Deal Jan Hostyn

Pizza has always been something of an obsession for me. In an ideal world (where dietary guidelines and families who object to eating the same thing night after night don’t exist), I think I could consume pizza every day.

My mom started it all with her massive pans of gooey homemade pizza. Not thin crust pizza, which is what I consume copious quantities of today.

Hers had a thick, chewy crust topped with loads of sauce, cheese and assorted toppings.

After I left home, pizza seemed like too complicated a creature to conquer on my own. So began the days of Chef Boyardee pizza-making kits — pizza crust mix in a pouch, sauce in a can and a nifty little package of seasoning to sprinkle on top … I kid you not. But at the time, heaven.

My pizza evolution started from there.

It began with making my own dough.

From scratch. I went from braving a simple pizza crust to attempting sheet pan pizza, to dabbling with pizza baked on one of those fancy perforated pans designed to make crisper crusts. Next came the ever-popular pizza stone, with grilled pizza on the barbeque making the occasional appearance shortly after.

that means your pizza crust will get that critical blast of heat a heck of a lot quicker. The result: your crust will rise faster, creating bigger air bubbles, and it will cook faster (a very basic and unscientific explanation, but Google will tell you everything you need to know and more). The end product? That coveted crust.

pizza steel in Edmonton at the time.

And ordering it and having it shipped seemed prohibitively expensive (Modernist Cuisine sells their baking steel online for $119USD, shipping not included). So I went to a metal warehouse (Metal Supermarkets) and had my pizza steel made. Well, two of them, actually.

At first I wasn’t convinced, but my sister is relentless when it comes to anything she decides to research. And although she can be practically impossible to please, she adored her pizza steel. So after a trip to witness (and consume) the pizza baked on a pizza steel miracle firsthand, I returned home determined to try it myself. Because yes, my sister was right (as usual). The crust was amazing. And it even had that lovely spotty char on the bottom that you only get at really good pizzerias.

The original plan was to keep one of the steels and give one to my brother. But once I got them home, they both ended up in my oven. One just seemed too small and they both fit perfectly side by side, so…

Hijacking my sister’s knowledge, I outfitted my oven with a pizza steel.

Well, not officially. I couldn’t find a

Here’s the thing: my pizza steel is not officially food-grade steel. It doesn't have the same finish as stainless steel, so it’s prone to rust. But I cook my pizza on parchment to minimize the mess, so it doesn’t matter. And the edges on both steels were all rough and jagged and needed filing down. So it’s not exactly ideal. But you specify the size and thickness and voila, a pizza steel in

exactly the size you want, for about $40 each.

A warning: a pizza steel can be heavy.

My steels are each 12 by 14 inches and 3/8-inch thick (so not huge by any means). And they weigh in at just under 20 pounds each. So, ever since I heaved my steels onto the bottom rack of my oven, they haven’t budged an inch. They simply live there.

Besides, I’ve since discovered that the steel isn’t just good for pizza, it does amazing things for bread and scones and cookies and, well, oodles of things.

Is the pizza as good as true Neapolitanstyle pizzeria pizza? Home ovens don’t go to 800°F, so no. But it is good enough to tempt me to make (and eat!) pizza almost every day.

After discovering the beauty of egg on pizza, Jan Hostyn now has an excuse to eat pizza twice a day.

But then it all stalled. Sometime during all of this I had the pleasure of eating real (and practically perfect) Neapolitanstyle thin crust pizza. In Italy. And that promptly ruined homemade pizza for me. My crusts suddenly were no longer crisp enough. Or airy enough. Or chewy enough. They had become woefully lacking. And since Neapolitan-style pizza needs a super-hot 800-900°F oven (something I don’t have) to achieve that signature crust, I simply quit making pizza.

Until my sister discovered the pizza steel.

According to her meticulous research, steel is the perfect vehicle to cook pizza on. Steel’s thermal conductivity is much better than that of a pizza stone, and

Jan Hostyn’s pizza steel in its permanent oven-home.

10 September October 2017 | The Tomato

Jan Hostyn photo

Gold Medal

1 T pepperoncini (red chilli peppers), optional

Continued from page 9.

1 lrg butternut squash, peeled (3-4 lbs) 1 c

ricotta cheese

¼ c Parmigiano Reggiano grated 2 T

chopped parsley

1 lrg

egg

Bake covered for 25-30 minutes. Remove foil, cook uncovered 20 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling, 5 minutes. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. Et voilà, bon appétit!

Serves 8-10.

16 oz (4 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F.

tony le, century hospitality group Chef Le’s formal culinary education was at NAIT, but he credits following his mom around the kitchen for his early inspiration. Now, as corporate chef of the Century Hospitality Group, he inspires his team to exceed their guests’ expectations with beautiful, playful and delicious food meant to create warm and lasting memories.

“This time I took the approach, what do I want to eat? We always have to consider execution when cooking offsite. Can we execute properly there? This is a great lineup of chefs. As part of our prep, I’ll talk to past winners; pick Eric’s brain (Eric Hansen), I’ll talk to Paul (Paul Shufelt).”

Lemongrass Lamb Chops ¾ c

sugar

¼ c

fish sauce

1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped 3 cloves

minced garlic

1

minced shallot

1 Thai chile, stemmed and finely chopped ¼ t

freshly ground black pepper

9

T-bone lamb chops

In a bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce, lemongrass, garlic, shallot, chile, and black pepper and whisk until the sugar dissolves.

Pour the marinade over, lamb chops cover with plastic wrap, and let marinate at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.

Pre heat oven to 400ºF. Remove lamb from marinade. In a large skillet over high heat add lamb and cook until brown on both sides. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until desired doneness about 5-8 minutes for med.

Once done let meat rest before serving.

medi tabtoub, vivo Ristorante Medi’s food journey has taken him all around the world, beginning in Paris where he trained in classical French cuisine, to Asia to Australia, Africa to Europe and everywhere in between. After moving to Vancouver with his Canadian wife, Medi worked at Blue Water Cafe and did a stage at Hawksworth. He moved to Edmonton to be closer to extended family and explore all the opportunities that a rapidly growing city like Edmonton has to offer. This is his first Gold Medal Plates competition.

“I’m going to be using a great Albertasourced protein with a little touch from my heritage combined with autumn vegetables — local ingredients, an earthy, flavorful delicious dish. The wine from Ex-Nihilo reminds me of good Bordeaux wines, it pairs well with my dish. We are a tight cohesive team at Vivo and are used to high volume customer service.

We want to excel so we will be doing practice runs to make sure the plating and execution is smooth and perfect.”

Italian Sausage Sauce In a large deep nonstick skillet or pan, brown the sausage, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon until cooked, about 8 minutes. Add chopped onions and minced garlic, chopped red chillis, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, chopped basil, add salt and black pepper. Simmer on low heat covered for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meantime, slice butternut sqaush into ⅛-inch thick rounds with sharp knife.

You can also use a mandolin (be careful).

In a medium bowl combine ricotta cheese, grated parmesan cheese, parsley and egg.

In a 9×12-inch lasagna casserole dish spread ¾-cup sauce on the bottom and layer 12 rounds of butternut squash slices to cover. Spread ¾-cup cheese mixture, then top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1 cup sauce. For the second layer, place 12 rounds of butternut squash, ¾-cup ricotta mixture, 1 cup mozzarella and 1 cup sauce. For the top layer, place 12 slices butternut squash and 1½ cups sauce. Cover with foil.

jan trittenbach, solstice seasonal cuisine Chef Jan Trittenbach is a veteran Gold Medal Plates competitor.

His career started in his native Switzerland. In 2004 he came to Edmonton to work with fellow Swiss chef Peter Johner at Pack Rat Louie. In 2001, Jan took gold and represented Edmonton at the national competition in Kelowna.

At his restaurant Solstice Seasonal Cuisine, Jan adapts the menu every equinox and revamps it every solstice.

Please see “Gold Medal” on page 15.

Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Lasagna You won’t need the pasta, simply delicious.

For a vegetarian version substitute the sausage with mixed mushrooms 14 oz Italian sausage, (casing removed) from DeRose Brothers 1 t

olive oil

½ lrg

onion, chopped

3 cloves

garlic, minced

1 (28 oz can) crushed tomatoes, La Pavoncella from the Italian Center 2 T

chopped fresh basil

pinch

black pepper and salt

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Serves 4-6.

The Tomato | September October 2017 11

A day at GORDRON Garlic Farm MARY BAILEY

12 September October 2017 | The Tomato

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Donna and Larry Branton look to garlic as a secondary crop on their grain farm.

“The harvest is hard work, I’m glad most of it is done,” says Donna about the one acre of garlic she planted with her husband Larry this spring. “Larry did rig up a contraption, but we still have to pull everything by hand.”

Donna is a lover of garlic who always had some planted in her backyard garden. In 2014 the Brantons decided to try the pungent crop on a bigger scale on the family’s organic grain farm near Thorsby.

“I wanted to try all these different garlics. Some are pinkish, some have stripes, some are glossy. Some are huge, some are tiny, there is so much variation in the appearance and flavour.”

That year they planted 22 varieties.

The idea was to see if it could be a commercial crop. “It was a bad year, a really bad drought and only nine varieties ended up being viable. We have found five that do really well — Russian Red, Leningrad, Tibetan, Georgian Crystal and German Hard Neck.”

Local stores are filled with Chinese garlic (Donna says it’s a variety of Porcelain called Music, white and papery with lots

of cloves, dry, pungent and stale tasting).

Or you can find good quality Gilroy California garlic (fresh and tasty) at the Italian Centre. Friends share the juicy BC garlic they get near Creston and some farmers’ market stands sell garlic.

But, generally, finding really great garlic is a crapshoot. So, the idea of many different varieties of fresh and juicy local garlic is appealing.

The field near the house is filled with nodding heads on long skinny necks.

The head is the umbel and neck the scape. The umbel (the flower) is filled with tiny cloves called bulbils. These can be eaten, or planted. We open an umbel and taste a few small bulbils — juicy, with layers of flavour and a long savoury aftertaste. You immediately want to cook something with it.

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Garlic can de divided into two main types: hard neck, with a long thin stalk called the scape, and soft neck, which don’t have the scape. The soft neck type stores well, is easy to braid and can be sulphurous and pungent.

Hard necks: Rocambole (Spanish Roja, Leningrad, Tibetan) are deeply complex in flavour, with large cloves that peel easily. They don’t store all that well and need to be used up in about three months. Porcelain (Georgian Crystal, German) have large cloves and can be hot and pungent in flavour. Striped

Facing page: Donna and Larry Branton; above: garlic umbel with bulbils revealed.

Mary Bailey photos.

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Please see “Garlic” on next page.

The Tomato | September October 2017 13

dipping. Toum is a Lebanese spread similar to aioli, without the egg.

Garlic Continued from previous page.

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(Russian Red, Purple Glazer and Mexican purple) are beautiful shades of purple with flavours in between the Rocambole and Porcelain types.

Soft neck: Silverskin (Nootka Rose) is quite pungent and stores extremely well.

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“This is our first year selling garlic.

It’s not an inexpensive product at $24 per pound,” says Donna. “Organic California garlic is $27 per pound.”

How many bulbs in a pound depends on the size of the bulbs, which range from 1.5-3 inches in diameter depending on the variety.

“We’ll keep some of the harvest for seed.

It’s an experiment. If it works we’d like to expand to four acres. I would love to introduce more varieties,” says Donna.

“Garlic has been around for thousands of years. It’s a shame to only be able to try a few types.”

After a morning spent wandering around the garlic field we sit down in the yard to toum and pita along with some fresh, just-picked vegetables for

GordRon garlic is available at the farm or by mail order. Visit their informative web site at gordrongarlic.ca.

Toum Adapted from Donna Branton 2-3 heads garlic, peeled and grated on a microplane zester 1-1½ c

canola oil

¼ c

water

¼ t

salt

¼ c freshly squeezed lemon juice

Grate the garlic directly into a blender vessel. With motor running, drizzle in half to two thirds of the oil until the garlic and oil start to emulsify. Pour in the water slowly, then the lemon juice.

Keep adding oil until the sauce is very thick creamy and light-coloured. Scrape down the sides with the blender stopped.

Scrape into an airtight container and store in the fridge. Keeps 3-4 weeks.

Mary Bailey does not eat cloves of garlic when she feels a cold coming on.

GORDRON FARM GordRon farm is named in honour of Leonard Branton’s (Larry’s grandfather) sons Gordon and Ronald who died in France during WWII.

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est. 1996

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14 September October 2017 | The Tomato

Larry’s father Kenneth, a Seaforth Highlander who spent time in a German prison camp, started the farm shortly after returning to Canada after the war.

Kenneth is now retired and living at the farm.

The farm has always been farmed organically and was certified in July. gordrongarlic.ca

Gold Medal

Roasted pumpkin seeds

Continued from page 11.

1½ c

pumpkin seeds

½ t

salt

“This year I want to do something out of my comfort zone, with new techniques — something visually exciting. I like to make it complicated for myself. This year is an interesting line-up with a super talented bunch of people.”

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and roast for about 8 minutes. Season with salt.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi 1 lb

sweet potato

¼ lb

russet potato

8 oz

ricotta cheese

3 oz

Parmesan cheese

1 t

salt

1½ c

flour

½ c

unsalted butter

Parsnip Puree

¼ t

black pepper

4 parsnips

2 cloves

roasted garlic

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Parsnip Puree, Glazed Kale, Parmesan and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 oz

butter unsalted

pinch salt pinch

white pepper

10 oz

half and half cream

Peel parsnips and cut into thin slices.

Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until foamy (not browned).

Add parsnips and season lightly with salt and pepper and sweat, stirring occasionally till soften. Add the cream and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover the pan with parchment paper and turn heat to low. Let it simmer until parsnip is tender. Put mixture in blender and puree on high speed until smooth. Pass through a fine screen tamis.

Glazed Kale 12 leaves kale 1½ oz

butter

1¾ oz

chicken stock

pinch

salt, pinch pepper

Prepare an ice bath.

In a large pot, bring water to boil. Add salt. Cut ribs from the kale leaves and discard. Blanch kale till tender and shock in ice bath. Drain the kale and squeeze out the excess water. Heat the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add blanched kale and butter. As butter melts it will glaze the kale evenly. Season with salt and pepper.

pinch nutmeg 1 egg

Place ricotta in cheesecloth-lined strainer and set over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Discard accumulated liquid.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Pierce the potatoes with a fork. Pour a decent amount of salt on top and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake potatoes until fork tender. Peel and mash the potatoes.

Add flour in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Add ricotta, parmesan, egg, cooked potato mix, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to form a dough. Coat dough lightly with flour. Let rest for 20 minutes in a cool place.

Dust a large, clean work surface with a little flour. Cut the dough into equal parts and roll into long, ropey lengths (width of a sausage). Cut gnocchi into bite-sized pieces and roll off a fork. Chill for an hour.

Heat a pot of water and blanch the gnocchi until they start to float on the top. Drain. Heat a pan and add butter.

Add the gnocchi and fry till hot and put on a plate. Sprinkle with the parsnip puree. Add kale and pumpkin seeds and garnish with Parmesan slivers.

Serves 6-8.

The Tomato | September October 2017 15

Distiller checks the pulse of off-kilter starch •

Doug Johnson •

Protein-rich fava beans proved a tricky ingredient for a local distillery, a project the Alberta Pulse Growers Commission hoped would raise the profile of the crop.

“Beans contain a lot more protein than other materials used for alcohol production. Depending on how well the fermentation is controlled, it’s entirely possible that the raw material could produce off odours,” he says, adding, “it’s difficult to give an exact answer without being present for the vodka’s creation.”

One thing can be said of craft distillers, they’re never quite content with the standard flavours of their hooch and, as a product, they are willing to adopt weird ingredients for the sake of the sometimes mad science they call work.

While yeast is common in fermentation, there can be other unintended bacteria and microorganisms in the process that, in the presence of proteins, could create sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds.

Take, for instance, the numerous brands touting horseradish vodka, or the dusky pink hues of Alaska Distillery’s smoked salmon-flavoured vodka. On paper, bizarre, perhaps off-putting, but athome in ambitious savoury cocktails.

“They (the compounds) are also present,” he pauses, not entirely enthused about the following decidedly unacademic words he’s about to utter, “in farts.”

Geoff Stewart, co-owner of Nisku-based Rig Hand Distillery, has a few flavour oddities under his belt. He uses sugar beets to make rum and he has tinkered with vodkas infused with garlic or chilli peppers.

The second explanation is far more direct. Some of the unfortunately scented compounds in the fava beans may evaporate and condense at similar temperatures to the ethanol. They stick around as unwanted guests.

But, to date, Stewart’s strangest experiment came last October when the Alberta Pulse Growers Commission (APGC) gave Rig Hand a bushel of fava beans and asked Geoff and his crew to turn the pulses into a drinkable end product.

Stewart hasn’t entirely given up on the fava bean vodka. He plans to borrow a fractionation machine, separate the starches from the relatively heavy proteins in the beans. In the meantime, he and the APGC settled on making a fava bean flower gin.

“I had a friend who made vodka from lentils before, so there’s precedent for it,” Stewart recalls.

“It didn’t market well, that’s for sure, but we always like to try new things.”

In all, Stewart and company tried nine times to forge a drinkable adult beverage out of fava beans. Their first attempt was a straightforward one, treating them much like they would the local grains they use to make their basic vodka.

Rig Hand Distillery’s Geoff Stewart weighs fava bean flowers.

From there, he got a little more ambitious, using processes like protein resting — a preliminary mash at a lower temperature to break down some of the protein chains — before the distilling process.

Each trial ended with the final product smelling like farts and tasting how

16 September October 2017 | The Tomato

Doug Johnson photo

Stewart imagines farts to taste. In December, they returned to the APGC empty handed.

Michael Gänzle, professor of food and microbiology at the UofA, suspected two reasons for the unfortunately funky bouquet.

Alberta’s crop flowered a bit late this year (they usually bloom mid-July) but at the beginning of August, the APGC provided Stewart with eight grams of dried flowers.

Compared to the bushel of raw fava beans the AGPC delivered last year, eight grams seems paltry, but, according to Stewart, all the flowers were handpicked by the farmer, who needed to

The fermenting fava been vodka.

ensure no stems or other bits of plant material made their way into the batch.

These eight grams produced a trial run of about 80 bottles of gin.

Normally, dried fava bean flowers are pretty bland, but “alcohol is a potent solvent and drags the oils and flavours from the flowers”, Stewart says, as he places a porous bag containing the botanicals — cardamom, coriander, lemon peel, juniper berries and the flowers — in one chamber of the still.

“The alcohol vapour will pass through the botanicals hundreds and hundreds of times,” he explains. He was originally worried the juniper berries would overpower the flowers, but the latter comes through in the end with fruity and, as one would expect, floral notes.

Whether or not Rig Hand’s fava bean flower gin will make it into stores is a matter of popularity. A few bottles will be sold at Rig Hand, while the rest are going to the APGC for a conference.

The APCG wants more from the experiment than novelty hooch for its members to sip. They hope it will bring attention to pulses in the province. In 2010, Canada produced 32 per cent of the world’s pulses, Pulse Canada’s website said. Around 85 per cent of that is exported to China, the Indian

Doug Johnson photo

subcontinent and the Middle East. Of the remaining 15 per cent, much is used as animal feed.

“In Alberta, in Canada, we have a problem. We can grow and export a lot of peas, bean, lentils, because we don’t eat many of them here.” says Don Shepert, APGC director for the eastern part of the province, down from Stettler up to Lac La Biche.

Albertans still tend to favour meat as their primary source of protein, despite Health Canada recommending pulses, with their relatively low glycemic indexes, as a way to combat diabetes; and the United Nations having sent out regular press releases espousing meat-free diets as a means to lower humanity’s impact on carbon and water in the environment.

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Younger generations are getting better at rethinking their protein intake, Shepert said, but there’s still a long way to go before Albertans fully embrace pulses.

And, really, what’s a better diplomat than a stiff drink?

Doug Johnson is an Edmonton-based freelance writer who sampled more of the fava bean flower gin than he would care to admit.

For information call 780.464.4631 or visit www.thepantree.ca View class schedule at: register.thepantree.ca #550, 220 Lakeland Dr. Sherwood Park, AB @PanTreeKitchen

/ThePanTree

The Tomato | September October 2017 17

Low Hanging Fruit How Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton is capturing nature’s bounty Marke Henteleff This past summer was a bumper crop year for cherries in Edmonton. All over the city, trees were laden

with the bright red fruit. Many people don’t know that cherries grow in Edmonton. Or pears, plums and apricots, for that matter. Homeowners have been planting these

trees for years in their yards, as landscape trees, for their beautiful spring blossoms or to entice birds. It takes the right combination of a mild winter and a frost-free spring to encourage cherries and apricots to produce abundantly. Last summer was just the right combination of weather events.

Above: Edmonton’s bounty, pears and cherries; left: Bonnie Patterson-Payne picks saskatoons; right: Gillian Turner harvests an apple tree.

Marke Henteloff photos

18 September October 2017 | The Tomato

Apples and crab apples are not so finicky. Rather like Edmontonians themselves, apples thrive in our northern climate. That spindly apple sapling that was planted in the front yard 20 years ago will mature into a full-fledged orchard tree, producing up to 10 bushels of apples at maturity. That’s a pile of apples! About 1,000 apples on a mature tree. What to do with all that bounty?

Every year, thousands of fruit trees and berry bushes produce tons of fruit in our city, most of which goes to waste for lack of picking. Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton (OFRE) is trying to change that. OFRE was established in 2009 as a non-profit organization that grew out of an interest in locally grown food, raising awareness about food security and establishing urban local connections with our food. Throughout the growing season, OFRE mobilizes volunteers in the greater Edmonton area to harvest, process and preserve local fruit from residential properties. The bounty is shared between the property owners, the volunteer pickers and various charities in Edmonton.

number of people that used the apples they were picking to make hard cider.

The cider has been amazing, and it has been fun to share that cider with people whose apples I’ve picked. I’ve also used cherries and apples to make a number of homemade preserves, and often bring fruit out to school for my students to use. One of my favourite things about OFRE is the really cool people I meet while on picks. We often share common interests and there is something very relaxing and calming about picking apples while sharing stories and ideas.”

Capturing the Harvest How does Operation Fruit Rescue work?

People who want to volunteer to pick fruit (the pickers) and homeowners with fruit trees or berry bushes (the growers) register with OFRE.

Apple Cider: Some OFRE members have taken the leap into homemade cider, both hard and soft versions.

OFRE hosts seasonal cider events where people can bring their apple bounty to OFRE’s micro-orchard at McCauley School. Using the bicycle-powered cider press, bushels of apples are turned into gallons of fresh apple juice, to be used for hard or soft cider, or fruit jelly or syrups.

“I am a fruit grower (apples)” said Cheryl Middleton. “Last year was the first time we used OFRE to pick our fruit because it was just going to waste. The volunteers did a wonderful job, not breaking any branches and cleaning up any apples and leaves that fell. Our apple tree just gives too many apples for us and I didn’t want to see it go to waste. As it is, we still throw out at least 20 bags of fruit that has fallen off the tree.”

Throughout the season, pickers are advised by OFRE of upcoming picks.

Anywhere from a couple to a dozen pickers will show up at the pick site and harvest the fruit. The fruit is divvied up between the pickers, the grower, a portion to OFRE and a portion donated to a charity. Local charities that gratefully accept fruit donation include Salvation Army, Edmonton Food Bank, and Ronald MacDonald House, among others.

“I have I’ve been doing fruit picks now with Operation Fruit Rescue for about five years,” says Neil Korotash. “I met a

Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton would love to hear from you if you have fruit to spare or if you would like to be a picker. Visit operationfruitrescue.org for information.

Preserving the Harvest Following a pick, there is usually a large quantity of fruit to deal with. It is one thing to make a pie out of a few apples; it is quite another thing to handle a bushel of them. Here are some of the strategies used by OFRE’s pickers to process and preserve all that bounty.

B O O K YO U R H O L I D AY PA R T Y E A R LY

Freezing: Fruit can be peeled, cored and sliced, soaked briefly in water with lemon juice to prevent browning and frozen in bags for later use. This is a quick, effective method for handling apples, plums and pears. Berries (raspberries, saskatoons, currants) and chopped rhubarb can be frozen without any other preparation. Fruit with pits, such as cherries, should be pitted before freezing. Fruit stored in the freezer will keep for a few months after which time it should be eaten or further processed using one of the following methods.

Juicing: Chop and core the fruit, place in a large pot, barely cover with water.

Simmer until the fruit has released its juice. Strain the fruit through a jelly

B E F O R E A L L T H E B E S T DAT E S A R E TA K E N

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T E RW I L L E GA R

78 0 . 5 69. 1 8 19

I N FO@D I N E N I N E TE E N .CO M

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Please see “Fruit” on next page.

The Tomato | September October 2017 19

Fruit Continued from previous page.

bag. Discard the pulp (makes great compost!) and reserve and sweeten the juice to taste. The juice can be frozen or processed in a water bath. Or, use a steam juicer, such as the Mehu Liisa steam juicer. This is the easiest way to handle a lot of fruit at once. No need to peel, pit or core. The fruit is dumped

in the top of the juicer, heated on the stove over water and pure fruit juice runs out the bottom. The juice can be sweetened to taste, frozen or processed in a water bath. Check out the workings of this very handy appliance online at mehuliisa.com/aboutmehu-liisaproducts.

Water Bath Processing: Fruit is naturally acidic and can be safely and easily canned using a water bath canner.

You have likely seen these distinctive dark blue enamel canners in your grandmother’s kitchen or at flea markets.

Water bath processing requires the large canning pot with a jar rack inside, glass preserving jars and snap lids. Raw fruit covered with boiling juice or water can be put directly into the preserving jars, sweetened to taste and processed in the water bath. Another method is to stew the fruit first, then pour into the

preserving jars and process. It is simple to do but there are necessary steps to be successful. Fruit preserved using the water bath process will keep for a couple of years. Learn more at simplycanning. com/water-bath-canning.html. Or ask your grandmother!

To learn more about Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton, check out our website operationfruitrescue.org or visit us on Facebook.

Favourite fruit recipes from OFRE members Pandowdy “Pandowy is a type of baked fruit pie without the bottom crust. It is an ideal way to use a variety of stewed or fresh fruit. I like water bath processing fruit, since it is fast and keeps for a long time. I put up pints and pints of canned fruit every fall (raspberries, plums, cherries, rhubarb, and whatever else grows locally). It’s a sunny taste of summer in the dead of winter.

This recipe uses stewed rhubarb and frozen cherries.” – Marke Henteleff.

water until the dough comes together.

Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate before using.

Filling 2 c stewed rhubarb (or substitute other stewed or fresh chopped fruit) 1 c frozen sweet cherries (no pits) ¼ c brown sugar (approx, depends on which fruit is used. Adjust to your own taste)

Crust

2 T

¼ c pecans (or other nuts), toasted and ground coarsely

pinch ground cloves, ginger, cinnamon, as desired

1 c

flour

1 T

lemon juice

1 t

sugar

2 T

butter, cut into small pieces

½ t

salt

heavy cream, for brushing

½ c

butter, cut into small pieces

brown sugar, for dusting

3-4 T ice water

Mix the first 4 ingredients together.

Blend in the butter and work until the texture resembles cornmeal. Add the ice

flour

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a large mixing bowl, toss together all the fruit filling ingredients except the butter, cream and dusting brown sugar. Mix until fruit is coated evenly with the flour.

Pour the fruit filling into a deep ceramic pie dish. Dot the surface of the fruit filling with the butter.

Roll out the chilled crust on a floured surface to about ¼-inch thickness. Drape the rolled crust over the fruit filling and tuck the edges inside the pie dish, sealing the fruit. Brush the crush with cream and dust with brown sugar. Bake for 45 minutes in the oven. Remove from the oven and gently push some of the crust into the fruit filling with the back of a spoon. This gives the pandowdy its trademark rumpled look. Return to the oven and bake another 25 to 35 minutes until the crust is golden and the fruit filling is bubbling. Let cool. Serve with dollops of whipped cream or ice cream.

Makes 1 large pie.

Top: fresh fruit pandowdy; above: kids enjoy the apple harvest; right: various jellies.

20 September October 2017 | The Tomato

Marke Henteleff photos

Tomato Ad-June2017-3.pdf

Eton Mess This traditional English dessert was served in the 1930s in the Eton College tuck shop.

It is not known why it is called mess, but it may refer to the appearance of the dish, which includes broken up meringues, whipped cream, and fruit. For ease of preparation, use prepared meringues. Preserved raspberries are used in this version of the recipe. Other preserved berries would work as well.

12 meringues (approximately), broken up 2 c preserved raspberries, including juice 2 t

cornstarch

¼ c

brown sugar

¼ c

chopped pecans

½ t

cinnamon

2 t

melted butter

M

Y

CM

Combine all ingredients and spoon onto each muffin.

MY

CY

Bake at 35ºF (180ºC) for 25-30 minutes.

K

780.760.2228

¼ t

vanilla extract

“These muffins are great for breakfast. They are a perfect snack and pair well with tea or coffee.

I love them!” Rachel Christensen. Adapted from Best of Bridge. ½ c

fat-free sour cream

¼ c

vegetable oil

1

large egg

1¹/³ c flour 1 c

diced rhubarb

²/³ c

brown sugar

½ t

baking soda

¼ t

salt

Blend together sour cream, oil and egg.

Set aside in another bowl. Stir remaining ingredients together and combine with sour cream mixture. Mix just until moistened. Fill 12 large muffin cups ⅔ full.

www.theglassmonkey.ca

5842-111 Street

Rhunilla Grey Jam 10 c chopped rhubarb (approximately 2½ pounds of stalks)

Phantom Rhubarb Muffins

@GlassMonkeyYEG

Makes 12 muffins.

white sugar

Serves 6.

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CMY

¼ c

Divide the broken meringues among 6 bowls, top with the whipped cream, and pour the cooled raspberries over the whole mess. Serve immediately.

7:53 AM

C

Adapted from Food in Jars

Whip the heavy cream into soft peaks.

Add the vanilla and the sugar. Mix well.

2017-06-01

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Topping

1½ c heavy cream

Place preserved raspberries and juice in a saucepan. Sweeten to taste. Place a couple of tablespoons of the raspberry juice in a separate bowl. Stir in the corn starch to make a smooth paste. Return this mixture to the saucepan. Heat gently until the raspberries thicken. Set aside to cool.

1

5 c

sugar

1 c Earl Grey tea (double-strength) 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped 1

lemon, juiced

pinch salt 1 pkg liquid pectin

In a 4-quart, non-reactive pot, bring the rhubarb, sugar and tea to a boil. Add the vanilla bean, lemon and salt to the pot and let it bubble gently for about ten minutes. After ten minutes have elapsed, add the pectin, stir to combine and let cook for a few more minutes. At this point, dip a spoon in the jam and see how it coats the back of the spoon. If you get a nice, even sheet, the jam is done.

You can also taste at this point, to see if you like the balance of flavors. Add a little more lemon juice if you feel it needs additional brightening.

Sterilize 4 1-pint wide-mouth preserving jars in a large pot of boiling water. If you’re making refrigerator jam (it will keep nicely unprocessed in the fridge for 2-3 months), skip this step.

Pour into hot jars, wipe mouth and rings to remove any spillage and apply lids and rings. Process in a hot water bath for ten minutes.

Remove from water and let cool.

Food Friends Fun 10350 – 124 Street | @YEGnoodles Take Out/UberEATS | 780-705-1777

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Cibo / chee-bo / noun. Ital. 1 food.

2 a place to eat great Italian food.

Makes four pints.

Marke Henteleff has been a volunteer with OFRE for the last couple of years, taking part in the picks and potlucks. It has been a great way to meet lots of dedicated Edmontonians, passionate about this city, as well as reaping bountiful fruit harvests every summer.

780-757-2426 • cibobistro.com • 11244 - 104 Ave (Oliver Square) Lunch 11.30 am – 2 pm Tue-Fri • Dinner 5 pm – 10 pm Tue-Sat

The Tomato | September October 2017 21

The Proust Culinary Questionnaire Liana Robberecht, executive chef Winsport 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.

Chef Liana Robberecht has been instrumental in the development of the Alberta food scene, both as a chef championing local producers and her work in the kitchen with her people. She was the executive chef at the Calgary Petroleum Club for 13 years and currently is the exec at WinSport at Canada Olympic Park. She is in demand as a speaker and presenter. A board member of the Women’s Chefs and Restauraters Association (WCR); in 2015 she brought the first Canadian WCR conference to Calgary. The second, themed People. Purpose Passion. The Pathway to Success is on September 16, womenchefs.org.

Hometown?

Smithers, B.C. Years cooking?

My whole life. My mom always says I would pull over a chair to the counter, hop up and insist on helping with dinner.

Where would you like to live?

Somewhere close to the water, which is wierd ‘cause I don’t know how to swim.

Your favourite food and drink?

Spaghetti and meatballs or roast chicken.

Water! I love to create and combine unique flavours and textures for others.

Personally, I am a very simple diner.

What would you be doing if you weren’t cooking?

I can’t imagine not cooking. I’m already doing all the things I love, already I create;

22 September October 2017 | The Tomato

I’m a project-driven creative person — from culinary to painting, to creating fascinators. My dream would be to have a huge loft with studio space and a dream kitchen.

What quality do you most appreciate in your friends?

Kindness and laughter.

Your favourite qualities in a dish?

Flavours and textures.

A wine?

Lightness and crispness.

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

Kate Bush, Picasso, John Legend, Elizabeth Baird.

Who would cook?

John Legend’s wife.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

With friends: This is my most favourite song ever! At work: I have a vision.

Current culinary obsession/exploration?

Squash and watermelon radish. I get obsessive about an ingredient then get over it. But I always seem to circle back for a second or third run on these obsessions. For a while, everything imaginable was in the form of a fritter.

Meaningful/crazy cooking experience?

Wild Women of the West at James Beard House, NYC, I was there, cooking with my pals — Nicole Gomes, Connie DeSousa — how amazing is that!

Cooking in the Bahamas for Peter Nygård — crazy cooking conditions, nothing worked, it was a poor set up.

It took everything you had to triumph.

There was a sense of wierd satisfaction — of being dragged from the bottom to the top. Sometimes the hardest cooking experience becomes the most memorable.

Best (cooking) thing that ever happened to you?

Cooking has opened so many doors for me. Cooking has offered travel and experiences — to collaborate across the country and participate in events like Food on the Edge in Ireland and Terra Madre.

Mentors?

I have been fortunate to have different mentors for different stages of my life.

Starting with my art teacher in high school, Mr. Finlayson. Then Stanley Townsend from NAIT, chef Yoshi Chubachi, (I worked 11 years with him), to chefs Michele Aurigemma and Michael Allemeier. I have been so lucky with amazing people in my life.

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Favourite casual cheap and cheerful/afterwork food?

I get really excited about eating an orange. I forgot how good they are. They smell good, they taste good. So juicy, wakes you up. I’m pretty passionate about oranges. And tomatoes — man oh man, I am bananas about tomatoes.

Philosophy?

Simplicity is the hardest thing to achieve.

So often chefs want to pile all the trendy techniques and all the ingredients into one dish. Hone your skills to let the ingredients speak for themselves.

www.themarc.ca

@themarcedmonton

What’s next I am very passionate about the Women’s Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR) Association. It has given me so much personally and professionally. Our committee has been working so hard on this conference; I just cannot wait until it happens. We have speakers from NYC, Italy, Mexico, and all our local superstars. What else is next for me? I will continue to grow myself professionally and spiritually. I work in an amazing environment full of support and inspiration — this really motivates me. I have an incredible boss, Jason McKay. He is a big picture thinker; he gets my crazy visions and encourages me to make them happen — this is electric!

The Tomato | September October 2017 23

MINI KITCHEN DELIVERS MAX

In 2012, with no previous experience Park, Fort Saskatchewan and Red Deer.

Their frozen items are also available in food service, Damini Mohan and through the Spud and Organic Box her mother Renu started a farmers’ delivery services, Gibbon’s Food market stand featuring dishes that were Town, Amaranth Foods and online at served around their family table. They minikitchen.ca. started with kebabs and chickpeas and pomegranate. Then came the samosas “My brother came up with the name. and their best-selling butter chicken and Mini is my nickname,” says Damini.

Mary Bailey chana masala. Since then, Mini Kitchen “We started in my home kitchen. I has expanded to several farmers’ markets cooked one day a week then. Then we and a wholesale business, sharing the flavours of the Indian sub continent, Damini’s moved to a commercial kitchen space on Alberta Avenue, which we have outgrown. entreprenurial drive and Renu’s love of a good quip with a growing number of Mini Now we cook six days a week with three to five people in production. We have just Kitchen fans. negotiated a location on the south side where we will have some retail space too.”

FLAVOURS

My first Mini Kitchen experience was at the City Market on 104 Street that first summer. Those two sassy women were fun. Then I lost them. It probably didn’t help that I had no idea what the stand was called. I just looked for Renu’s big smile.

Fast forward to 2017. While no longer at the downtown market, Mini Kitchen does a roaring business at the Callingwood, St. Albert and Southwest Edmonton Farmers’ Markets; the 124 Street Grand Market and farmers’ markets in Sherwood

Mini Kitchen buys chicken from Viking, lentils and peas from southern Alberta, organic flour from Camrose and potatoes from Daniel Organics near Sangudo. Each batch of pakoras is 80 pounds — 50 pounds of potatoes, four kilo peas, two kilo spinach, four kilo carrots and four kilo onions; 1,500 samosas takes 300 pounds of potatoes and 15 kilo peas. That’s a lot of local produce.

“We made the decision a few years ago to source our ingredients as close to home

“There is a lot of growth potential,” she says. “The markets are a lot of fun but it’s a lot of hard work too. And don’t compromise, stay true to what you are selling.”

24 September October 2017 | The Tomato

Curtis Comeau photography

Damini’s advice to others dreaming of sharing their flavours?

as possible. We thought, ‘if we’re not buying local, why would anyone buy from us?’ Our costs went up 75 per cent.

Most of our customers were supportive.

People really want local — we have noticed that in the last three years.

People want to buy Canadian.”

PRESENTED BY:

Mary Bailey, editor of The Tomato, likes her pakoras with spicy tamarind sauce.

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The Tomato | September October 2017 25

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26 September October 2017 | The Tomato

Just a few decades ago, student hunger was almost unheard of as a problem in Alberta. I recall from my own elementary school days, that while few of the kids were from families one might call well off, when the noontime bell rang, everyone sat down with their lunch kits and ate homemade food that involved very little processing or packaging. Why was this the norm?

It was not because of money. It was because we had a functioning food system and culture. People had easy access to good food, and most people knew what to do with it.

Today, the situation is completely different. In 2016, the Alberta College of Social Workers, Public Interest Alberta, and the Edmonton Social Planning Council released a report called The Path Forward, in which they note that there was a 23 per cent increase in food bank use in 2015 over the previous year in Alberta, and 41 per cent of the individuals using food banks were children. The reasons are complex, tying to social and cultural changes, industrial farming, and even urban planning — many neighborhoods are now food deserts, meaning there are no resources providing healthy food. The stat is reflected in schools: many students arrive with empty stomachs and without a lunch.

My own family became aware of this issue in 2002. After reading about student hunger in a newspaper article, my parents started up Food for Thought, a grassroots program they and their friends directly funded to provide hot lunches to the school profiled in the article. Since then, Food for Thought has evolved in a number of ways. We now have a volunteer board and reside under the umbrella of the Edmonton Public School Foundation; we now serve thirteen schools; and rather than

providing hot lunches (which was logistically complicated), we provide ingredients and allow each school to tailor the program to fit its needs.

The stipulations: we offer only whole, healthy foods, and we aim to minimize food waste. Apples, carrots, bagels, and black beans are in; juice boxes, granola bars, and yogurt tubes are out.

We are far from alone in providing food for students. In Edmonton, E4C provides snacks for students in 26 schools and lunch in nine. Churches, bakeries, small businesses, and charitable groups donate to schools across the city.

Most schools benefit from multiple organizations including the Food Bank, and cobble together support from the various groups to (hopefully) meet their students’ food needs. Schools like Highlands and Jasper Place have managed to create admirable food and permaculture programs, although neither program is scalable or likely even sustainable as they depend upon the direct involvement of a single individual — principal Brad Burns of Highlands spends two evenings every week picking up donated groceries, while teacher Dustin Bajer is also a master gardener with permaculture expertise. And there is one problem: the need continues to increase.

In 2016, the provincial government announced a pilot program to provide students with a daily nutritious meal or snack. For the 2017/18 school year, the program is expanding to all school boards. This is, of course, a positive first step: a daily healthy meal is far better than what many of these students are currently getting. But as those of us familiar with the problem recognize, there is much more we need to do if we’re to not only satisfy immediate hunger, but resolve its underlying causes in the first place.

Alberta Food Matters, a local non-profit and member of Food Secure Canada, has been leading the way on this topic.

Over the past few years, it has advocated for a Universal School Food Strategy

Kristine Kowalchuk

that provides not only food, but also food education. As board chair Susan Roberts notes, AFM believes all kids at school should have access to healthy food; learn about food and be involved in cooking and growing their food at school; understand where their food comes and see the value of ecologically sound food sources, and learn about food through a comprehensive school curriculum, which includes how the food system works.

For such a strategy to be possible, schools must have kitchens, lunchrooms, and gardens. Summertime tending of the gardens could be taken on by members of the community – another benefit of which would be engaging elderly neighbours who could pass on their knowledge to the students. Each school would also need a chef who involves the students in the growing and preparation of food. This all creates a system that strengthens food knowledge, brings people together through food culture, increases local food security and resolves hunger.

If this sounds like a tall order, head to Maskwacis and see the job chef Scott Hall is already doing at Ermineskin Junior Senior High School, with a program funded by the band. I arrived one June morning to the sound of powerful drumming in the foyer, while everyone was polishing off blueberry pancakes and sausages. Students grabbed fruit from a giant bowl as they rushed off to class. A rack in the kitchen held 120 perfectly-shaped homemade pizza crusts that Scott, who used to be a professional baker, had begun two days before; 600 cookies were cooling on another rack. Scott was in the process of directing five students to open giant cans of tomato sauce, before turning to me and another group to task us with making salads for the daily salad bar.

There’s nothing like spending time in a kitchen with a chef to illuminate one’s own terrible knife skills. (Suffice to say, I learned a lot about how to slice a whole watermelon, although my onion-chopping skills still need work.)

As I lamented that I’m too old to learn how to use a knife properly, the three students with whom I worked did a superb job with the pineapples and tomatoes. This shows the importance of Scott’s work: with just one fulltime assistant and a rotating roster of about twelve students a day, he not only provides healthy food (breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack) for the entire school and the kindergarten next door, he is also teaching the students important food knowledge and cooking skills. (A number of students have gone on to culinary school.) He does all the shopping, and sources much from local producers – including grass-fed meat from a nearby Hutterite colony, which he buys in large cuts and slices himself at the school to save money. The grand total in 2016 for this work: 72 cents per student per day.

So besides the benefits listed above, food programs also make good economic sense. Scott noted he’d recently heard of a U of A study that showed that for every dollar invested in school food programs, there is a twenty-dollar return over a lifetime. Considering he is teaching skills as well as providing food, and that next year he plans to put in a small farm behind the school to grow more food onsite, the return here is certainly even greater. Of course, all that counts can’t be counted, and really what we are talking about is improvement in health and quality of life.

This, I would say, is the model we need across the province. Scott readily agrees it’s possible; it would just require basic infrastructure, a support staff member, and an education-minded chef. Then the students themselves, he said, are capable of preparing all the food. (And they’ll expertly chop the onions.)

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Kristine Kowalchuk lives, writes, and teaches English in Edmonton. She would love to see Alberta school curriculum focus on healthy food growing and culture.

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The Tomato | September October 2017 27

W I N E M AV E N EVENT CALENDAR

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 Gerard Bertrand Wine Dinner, $55, Privada Wine Bar, 780-569-5479

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 Luigi Bosca Wine Dinner, $90, The Edmonton Country Club alex.milic@edmontoncountryclub.com

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 Miguel Torres Wine Dinner, $95 Northern Bear Golf Course, cindy@northernbeargolf.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 Taylor Fladgate Fine Port Dinner, $95 Ernest’s at NAIT, twright@nait.com

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 16 Hicks Fine Wines First Annual Fall Open House, Hicks Fine Wines 780-569-5000

TUESDAY - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19-23 Dig in Horticulinary Festival, diginstalbert.ca

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 Ricasoli Wine Dinner, $95, Vaticano Cucina, 780-250-1110

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

Nourishing Entertainment!

Metro Cinema is a community-based non-profit society devoted to the exhibition and promotion of Canadian, international, and independent film and video. metrocinema.org Food Evolution

SEPT 12 @ 6:30PM Using the controversy over genetically-modified foods as its entry point, the film explores how easily fear and misinformation can overwhelm objective, evidence-based analysis.

FREE ADMISSION.

Fed Up

OCT 12 @ 6:30PM Upending the conventional wisdom of why we gain weight and how to lose it, Fed Up unearths a dirty secret of the American food industry-far more of us get sick from what we eat than anyone has previously realized. FREE ADMISSION.

Tibetan Film Fest

OCT 8 @ 2PM & 4PM Two films about Tibet, co-presented by The Gaden Samten Ling Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Society: The Last Dalai Lama? and The Paths of the Soul. Partial proceeds will go to support the International Campaign for Tibet.

Metro Cinema at the Garneau

Ricasoli Winemaker Dinner, $99, The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald 780-778-9818

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 Edmonton Epicurean Society Dinner, Café Linnea, Don at 780-970-4581

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 Wine 101, $45, Aligra Wine & Spirits, aligrawineandspirits.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 An Evening of South African Wines, $30, Hicks Fine Wines, 780-569-5000

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3 Sartori Italian (Verona) Wine Maker’s Dinner, $95++ Sorrentino’s West End, 780-444-0524

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11 Bourbon & Biscuits, $40, Aligra Wine & Spirits, aligrawineandspirits.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12 Edmonton Gold Medal Plates, goldmedalplates.com

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20 Sherry with Maria Alvear, Bodegas Alvear, $30, Hicks Fine Wines, 780-569-5000

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25 Joseph Drouhin Royal Wine Dinner, $95, Ernest’s Restaurant, twright@nait.com

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, NOVEMBER. 10-11 Metro Cinema receives ongoing support from these Arts Funders:

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28 September October 2017 | The Tomato

Rocky Mountain Food and Wine Festival Shaw Conference Centre, rockymountainwine.com

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Oct 20-22

brings his international outlook and love of cooking to Vivo. His passion started at an early age in Morocco. He was eager to head to the kitchen after school and help his mother peel vegetables, while watching her create the comfort food of his youth — delicious tajines, fresh pastas, and couscous royale with gardenfresh vegetables. Not only did he get to know the importance of fresh ingredients, but also the nuances of taste.

Friday, October 20

4pm Damini Mohen, Mini Kitchen In 2012, with no previous experience in food service, Damini Mohan and her mother Renu started a farmers’ market stand featuring dishes that were served around their family table. They started with kebabs and chickpeas with pomegranate. Then came the samosas and their best-selling butter chicken and chana masala. Since then, Mini Kitchen has expanded to eight farmers’ markets and a wholesale business, sharing the flavours of the Indian sub-continent, Damini’s entrepreneurial drive and Renu’s love of a good quip with a growing number of Mini Kitchen fans.

6pm Vikram Redgaonkar Highlands Golf Club Born and raised in Bombay, India, Vikram Redgaonkar loves cooking and eating. He began his career at the Oberoi Group in India. After completing his training, he worked for Marriott and Carnival Cruise Ships before relocating to Edmonton. At the Highlands, Vikram has launched a new menu based on his cooking philosophy: keep things simple and use local ingredients.

Medi’s food journey has taken him all around the world — from Asia to Australia, Africa to Europe and everywhere in between. He experienced the delicacies of fine gastronomic dining and the sights and sounds of culture in street food and humble neighborhood restaurants. After moving to Vancouver with his Canadian wife, Medi worked at Blue Water Cafe and did a stage at Hawksworth. He moved to Edmonton to be closer to extended family and explore all the opportunities that a rapidly growing city like Edmonton has to offer.

1pm Tony Le Century Hospitality Group Century Hospitality Group Chef Le’s formal culinary education was at NAIT, but he credits following his mom around the kitchen for his early inspiration.

Now, as corporate chef of the Century Hospitality Group, he inspires his team to exceed their guests’ expectations with beautiful, playful and delicious food meant to create warm and lasting memories.

Saturday, October 21

5pm Ryan Hotchkiss, Bündok Born and raised in St. Albert, Ryan moved to Whistler shortly after high school where his culinary career began in the same place so many cooks begin — in the dish pit. Back in Edmonton and after completing his apprenticeship, he cooked at Jack’s Grill for several years, then Bar Bricco. Ryan opened Bündok in early 2017 and looks forward to serving his guests for years to come.

11am Chef Medi Tabtoub Vivo Ristorante Executive Chef Medi Taboud was trained in classic French cuisine in Paris and now

30 September October 2017 | The Tomato

12pm Will Kotowicz and Peter Keith, Meuwly’s Will Kotowicz is a self-taught charcutier who has built a repertoire of techniques and recipes at both the Duchess Bake Shop and Sangudo Meats. Peter Keith worked in top kitchens in Edmonton and Vancouver (Hardware Grill, Jack’s, Chambar) while pursuing his passion for cooking co mpetitions.

They are currently making a splash on the Edmonton food scene with their subscription box service called Secret Meat Club and will open Meuwly’s, a charcuterie, sausage, and preserves market on 124 Street later this year.

2pm Peggy Adams Juniper Cafe & Bistro Peggy Adams, one of the owners of Juniper Cafe & Bistro, is a self-taught cook who has been happily cooking for family and friends for most of her life. When the opportunity came to open Juniper and feed Edmonton, she decided to take the leap. Peggy finds it challenging and rewarding because she is doing what she loves — cooking, baking, being creative and interacting with people.

FOOD STAGE the Rocky Mountaineer to running resort hotel kitchens. We love chef Buzak’s generous attitude towards his community; he features local suppliers in his menu offerings; he is a Gold Medal Plates competitor; he cooks at Capital Care’s Feast on the Field. He is also a champion ice carver.

3pm Chris Hrynyk, Sorrentino’s It all started with Chris Hrynyk’s grandmother — she insisted his early ability in the kitchen would lead to a career as a chef. Unconvinced, Chris considered studying to become a lawyer, but after a year away and a trip to Europe he decided it was a career worth exploring. Chris started at Café Select as a line cook. After NAIT Culinary Arts he worked in several restaurants before accepting a position at Sorrentino’s.

He has been the catering manager, the catering chef, cooking class instructor, and is now the company’s corporate chef.

5pm Gloria Bednarz The Art of Cake Gloria Bednarz and Guenter Hess are pastry chefs and the creative spirits behind each delectable masterpiece found at The Art of Cake. In November 2007, Gloria and Guenter fulfilled a lifelong dream and opened The Art of Cake made-to-order studio. Most recently, Gloria opened her first store in the heart of downtown Edmonton, offering delicious cakes, cookies, cupcakes and confections.

6pm Damini Mohen, Mini Kitchen

12pm Levi Biddlecomb Packrat Louie Levi Biddlecombe is an Edmonton native and Red Seal chef. After graduating from NAIT Culinary Arts, he worked at Le Beaujolais in Banff and Zinc at the AGA. In 2014 he launched Attila The HUNgry food truck, where he created Duck Tots, a toothsome Asian-inspired riff on poutine.

Now he is the head chef at Packrat Louie, where he developed the new menu for the relaunch of this Edmonton favourite.

Sunday, October 22

4pm Daniel Huber & Elias Lefort, Second Line Food Services Second Line was inspired by a vacation to culinary paradise. Two long-time friends and chefs took a journey to New Orleans and came back business partners in Second Line, where Southern flavour meets Northern comfort food at pop-ups and one-off food experiences. The duo’s focus is on a celebration of food, both on the plate and in all aspects of life.

11am Steve Buzak, Royal Glenora Steve Buzak wears two hats at the Royal Glenora Club, he is the executive chef and the director of food and beverage.

His training includes NAIT and Vancouver’s Dubrulle Culinary School; his cooking experience ranges from

1pm Ayumi Yuda, Ikki Izakaya “I’m doing this Japanese pub thing in Edmonton to show Japanese culture, and I’m doing the Tomato Stage at the Home Show to explain sushi. What is the difference between an izakaya and a sushi bar? An izakaya is a Japanese pub.

In Japan an izakaya is about 80 per cent drinking, 20 per cent eating, whereas a restaurant is the opposite. People in

Alberta like to drink—when I’m working I’m not drinking, but sometimes when I clock out I can drink too. I must have got the drinking genetics from my father.”

2pm Serge Belair The Shaw Conference Centre Executive chef Serge Belair is considered one of Canada’s top culinary experts.

Named National Chef of the Year in 2012; in 2013 he garnered a silver medal at the World Association of Chefs Societies’ Global Chefs Challenge and gold and silver team medals at the Culinary Olympics. He became the Shaw Conference Centre’s executive chef in 2017 after starting as a chef de partie in 2005. Always pushing the limits, Chef Serge continues to build on the Shaw Conference Centre’s extraordinary culinary reputation with his unwavering commitment to quality and innovation.

3pm Chris Hrynyk, Sorrentino’s

4pm Damini Mohen, Mini Kitchen

The Tomato | September October 2017 31

Kitchen Sink restaurant ramblings Congratulations Alder Room, Bar Clementine, Café Linnea and Chartier! These restaurants made the long list of Enroute’s Canada’s Best New Restaurants. Canada’s Best New Restaurants spotlights the top restaurants that have launched across the country over the last 12 months that deliver memorable experiences.

The short list, the annual Top 10 ranking, will be announced October 19, canadasbestnewrestaurants.com South siders are now much closer to their fill of Brazilian barbecue with the opening of Pampa’s Ellerslie (9626 Ellerslie Road, 780-249-2000, pampasteakhouse.com). Open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. Oscar Lopez and Joao Dachery have introduced thousands of happy diners to churrasco (grilling Brazilian-style), the savoury wonders of the juicy rump cut and to the caipirinha, Brazil’s national drink.

Charles Rothman and Rahim Jaffer are opening Rooster Café & Kitchen at 10732 82 Avenue, the former home of the Artisan Resto-Café. Their vision is a community-focused cafe and breakfast joint serving local farm ingredients and locally prepared goods, open seven days a week. “We want to show that supporting local producers and farmers is highly applicable to the breakfast market,” says Charles. Opening this fall.

Yaay! The Ave needs a good modern breakfast spot.

The eagerly awaited Biera (Ritchie Market, 9570 76 Avenue, 587525-8589, biera.ca) opened this summer. Check it out for a whole lot of deliciousness, starting with the exceptional bread with three toppings — olive oil, whipped lardo and a house-made kefir butter. The snack hour from 4pm-6pm is ideal for a Blind Enthusiasm beer and some snacks like lobster mushrooms with summer savoury on toast. The exec chef is Christine Sandford.

Jordan Watson’s Cartago (8204 106 Avenue, 780-394-4242, cartagoyeg. com) opened mid-August bringing some much needed energy to Forest Heights.

It’s a beer lover’s nirvana with a decent curry wurst. Love the well-curated beer list (both tap and bottle), the Germanstyle, easy to share menu, the exposed concrete and the art.

Wishbone (10542 Jasper Avenue, 780-757-6758, eatwishbone.ca) is now open for lunch Monday to Friday.

The menu has two excellent daily soups, a couple of hearty autumn salads and a really great burger. Wishbone is also a terrific after work spot — $2 oysters and $8 bubbles and tonics from 4-6pm Monday to Saturday. Check it out!

The Local Omnivore, 10933 120 Street, 780-660-1051, thelocalomnivore. com) is offering unique and tasty versions of diner classics on their new menu coming later this fall: country fried steak and eggs with a jalapeno corn and bacon gravy; a bone-in pork chop on rice with pan gravy and the Cobb salad comes with their inimitable bacon.

The new Farrow (9855 76 Avenue) opened mid-August in Ritchie. Find all your fave sandwiches there, and, bonus, the new location is bigger, is open every day and has pastry! Open 7am-3pm.

Juniper Bistro (9514 87 Street, 780490-6799 juniperbistro.com) has a slew of heartier vegetable dishes planned for the fall menu, including a toothsome mushroom bread pudding. Makes you almost wish for colder, crisper days.

Thinking Christmas parties. No, it’s not too early to book the date and get that out of the way. XIX Nineteen (5940 Mullen Way, 780-395-1119; 150 Bellerose Dr #104, St Albert, 780-569-1819, dinenineteen.com) is ready to help you do just that. Check out the new fall menus for dinner and brunch. (XIX St. Albert is on Open Table’s 50 Best Brunches List.)

32 September October 2017 | The Tomato

Justin Benson ups the hot dog game with the eagerly awaited Mayday Dogs (10363 104 Street, Mercer Warehouse) opening this month. Mayday’s story starts with a steamed gluten- and nitrate-free hot dog from Bear and the Flower, fresh Vienna Bakery buns, milkshakes made with Pinocchio ice cream, tater tots, tall cans of beer, wine and cider, and a chef ’s special once a month, the first from Daniel Costa. And, expect to eat your dog sitting on the stoop. Closed Sunday Monday. Coming soon from Justin is the Brewery District’s Frontier Handheld later this year.

More restaurant action in south Edmonton; chef Lindsay Porter and Evonne Li are opening London Local in the Cured space at 2307 Ellwood Drive SW. Expect a 60 seat gastro-pub in late October. Chef Porter will also be appearing on an upcoming Guy’s Grocery Games.

Boulangerie Bonjour (8608 99 Street, 780-433-5924, yvanchartrand.com) has new hours. They will be open 8am-4pm Wednesday through Friday and from 7am-4pm Saturdays.

cooking classes Check out the full lineup of fall cooking classes at The PanTree (220 Lakeland Drive, Sherwood Park, 780-464-4631, thepantree.ca). In the meantime these caught our eye: Mexican Tacos and Salsa with chef Israel Alvarez, Tuesday, September 5, 6pm, $95; Delicious Breakfasts with Amanda Cook, Wednesday, September 6, 6pm, $85.

New at the Ruby Apron Cooking School (780-906-0509); Thursday, September 7, learn to cook some delicious Indian food with Michelle Peters Jones of The Tiffin Box, 6pm, $110. On Sunday, October 15, learn to make French macaron with Ashley Gevenich of DandyLion Confections, 1pm, $105. As well, the Ruby Apron has a series of sourdough classes on offer. Find the complete fall schedule, therubyapron.ca.

wine tastings, happenings and events Enjoy the tastes of the sunny south of France at the Gerard Bertrand Wine and Tapas Tasting at Privada Wine Bar (21 Perron Street, St Albert, 780569-5479, privadawinebar) with brand ambassador Nicolas Galy, Tuesday, September 5, 6pm, $55. Tix, email info@privadawinebar.com.

Fans of premier Argentina producer Luigi Bosca will not want to miss the Luigi Bosca Wine Dinner at The Edmonton Country Club (6201 Country Club Road, 780487-1150) Friday, September 8, 6:30pm, $90++. Tix, email alex.milic@ edmontoncountryclub.com.

Enjoy five delicious Miguel Torres wines paired with five courses at the Miguel Torres Wine Dinner at the Northern Bear Golf Course (51055 Range Rd 222, Sherwood Park, 780-922-2327), Tuesday, September 12, 6:30pm, $95.

Tix, email cindy@northernbeargolf.com Meet Jorge Ramos, export director of the Taylor Fladgate Partnership at a Croft, Taylor Fladgate and Fonseca Port Tasting at Wine & Beyond Windermere (6276 Currents Drive, wineandbeyond.ca), Wednesday, September 13, 7pm, $35.

Discover how well port can work with a variety of foods at the Taylor Fladgate Fine Ports Dinner at Ernest’s at NAIT (11762 106 Street, 780-471-8676), with special guest Jorge Ramos, Thursday, September 14, 6pm, $95. Tix, email twright@nait.com.

Taste what’s new at the Hicks Fine Wines First Annual Fall Open House (150 Bellerose Dr., 780-5695000, hicksfinewines.com) Saturday, September 16, 2pm-4pm. On Thursday, September 28, 7pm, enjoy An Evening of South African Wines, $30. Tix, call 780-569-5000.

what’s new and notable Get your Chianti on at the Ricasoli Wine Dinner at Vaticano Cucina (10310 45 Avenue, 780-250-1110, vaticanoyeg.com) Wednesday, September 20, 6pm, $95. Tix, call 780-250-1110.

Or the Ricasoli Winemaker Dinner at Fairmont Hotel Macdonald (10065 100 Street, 780-424-5181, fairmont.com), Thursday, September 21, 6pm, $99.

The Edmonton Epicurean Society holds the first dinner of their season at Café Linnea (10932 119 Street, Holland Plaza, 780-758-1160, cafelinnea. ca) Tuesday, September 26, 6:30pm, $100pp non-members. The menu and wines look amazing. To book dinner or for more info, email membership@ EdmontonEpicurean.com.

Upcoming events at Aligra Wine & Spirits (1423, 8882 170 Street, Enrance 58, 780-483-1083, aligra. com) Wine 101, Wednesday, September 27, $45 and Bourbon & Biscuits on Wednesday, October 11, $40.

On Tuesday, October 3, enjoy the wines of Sartori at Sorrentino’s West End (6867 170 Street, 780-444-0524, sorrentinos.com), 6:30pm $95++, with Serge Leveque, brand ambassador. Tix, 780-444-0524.

Love Sherry? Meet Maria Alvear from Bodegas Alvear at Hicks Fine Wines (150 Bellerose Dr., 780-569-5000, hicksfinewines.com), Friday, October 20, 6:30pm, $30. Tix, 780-569-5000.

The Joseph Drouhin Royal Wine Dinner with Laurent Drouhin is at Ernest’s at NAIT (11762 106 Street, 780-471-8676), on Wednesday, October 25, 6pm. Enjoy five wines with four courses and meet Laurent Drouhin, $95.

Email twright@nait.com to book.

product news La Boule (8020 101 Street, 780-7602253, laboulebakery.ca) now has bread — a country loaf made with their starter named Hank, and a baguette (a double

pre-ferment, using both a poolish and Hank). Both breads have a lovely open crumb. Available after 10:30am, Tuesday-Sunday, $5 each.

The tiny and charming FanFan Pâtisserie (10330 80 Avenue, 587-5249899, fanfanpatisserie.com) opened mid-July. There are daily croissant and pâin au chocolate, adorable bite-sized tarts, individually-sized cakes in several flavours, as well as ice cream and gelato.

It’s a pastry lover’s dream, good coffee too. Open Tuesday-Friday, 8am-6pm, Saturday, 8am-4pm and Sunday, 9am-2pm. Closed Mondays.

Check out the Heart of the Home (12539 102 Avenue, 780-705-4928, heartofthehomeyeg.ca) for back to school items such as attractive lunch bags and efficient bottles. The ZOKU 16 oz. double-wall suspended glass core bottle with a locking cap and glass thread-free mouthpiece works with both hot and cold — a truly superior bottle, $50.

325 YEARS OF PORT PERFECTION This opulent and seductive Limited Edition aged tawny port honours Taylor Fladgate’s 325th anniversary and their expertise in blending the finest cask aged ports.

TAYLORFLADGATE.COM #TAYLORSPORT PROUDLY REPRESENTED BY:

TO FIND A RETAILER VISIT: LIQUORCONNECT.COM/791646

Support The Pan Tree’s (#550, 220 Lakeland Drive, Sherwood Park, 780-464-4631) fifth Annual Chili Cook Off: Strathcona County’s RCMP vs Firefighters, September 16, 12pm3pm. Tickets $8 in advance, $10 at the door, or $30 per family. Expect some friendly trash-talking as the RCMP try to win their title back. Tickets on Eventbrite. Don’t forget to bring some cash for the silent auction. Proceeds to Kids with Cancer Society.

It’s wine season! The Little Italy Italian Centre Shop (10878-95 Street, 780-424-4869, the italiancentre.ca) is now taking orders for fresh California wine grapes — Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Valdepina and three white grapes. There is also 100 percent not from concentrate California wine juice available. Call 780-424-4869 to order. Free delivery within city limits, some restrictions apply.

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

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The Tomato | September October 2017 33

Beer Guy

Peter Bailey

Cask and firkin / the cask ale trail

Cask ale trail #YEG

One second a full pint was in my hand. The next second the glass was empty. So went my introduction to cask beer.

From north to south, you can follow the cask beer trail in Edmonton, visiting some fine pubs that offer cask beer on a regular basis. Here’s a six-pack of favourites.

On a trip to New York City in the early 2000s I wandered into The Ginger Man — one of the best beer bars in the world according to beer writer Michael Jackson.

Named after the novel by J.P. Donleavy and located between the Morgan Library and the Main Branch of the New York Public Library, The Ginger Man fit both my book dork and beer geek personas.

A busy place with a crush of after work people in expensive suits, I found a small space at the long bar, next to the tall tap handles for cask ale. I ordered up a pint of pale ale and it was a revelation: very lightly carbonated, almost flat, cool not cold, gently bitter and extremely drinkable. I was a cask ale convert.

Cask beer or cask-conditioned beer is the traditional British pint, unfiltered and unpasteurized ale — generally English bitter — which is conditioned in the cask (also called a firkin) from which it will be served. Residual yeast retained in the beer enables a secondary fermentation to occur within the cask.

The beer is alive and maturing when the cask is at the pub, relying on the skills of a cellarman or publican to complete the brewing process and serve the beer properly. The beer is drawn from the cask by a hand pump known as a beer engine or simply by gravity. It is served at cellar temperature to best reveal the subtle fruity and malty flavours and aromas. Cask beer is slow beer: it must be handled with care and attention, and its delicate nature means it doesn’t travel well, so it is usually local. Without added carbonation, pasteurization or adjuncts, once the cask is tapped the beer must be consumed within a few days, so it is usually fresh.

The attributes that make caskconditioned ale special also make it more expensive for brewers. After World War Two, British brewers phased out cask beer in favour of filtered, carbonated kegs which were cheaper and easier to use. But some British beer drinkers were

unhappy with the changes and fought back, forming the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) in 1971. CAMRA’s aim is to promote and protect traditional beers, specifically cask-conditioned real ale.

With over 100,000 members in the UK and over 200 local branches, CAMRA is one of the most successful consumerbased organizations in the world. More importantly, CAMRA brought cask ale back from the brink and has helped millions appreciate quality beer, the brewers who make it and the pubs that serve it.

On this side of the pond, craft brewers have been more interested in reinventing tradition than preserving it. But there has been a growing interest in cask beer in recent years. In Calgary, a CAMRA chapter was founded a couple years ago, and Dandy Ales brews in the English tradition, with their living beers all naturally conditioned in bottles, kegs, and casks. Locally, beer writer Jason Foster organized Edmonton’s first cask night at the Sugarbowl in 2010. Foster notes that there has been slow but steady progress towards cask’s acceptance with regular cask nights around town.

A real success has been cask events staged

by Edmonton Beer Geeks Anonymous, led by its founder Shane Groendahl.

Launched in 2011 with six breweries, EBGA’s Real Ale Festival has grown each year. The 2017 Festival (on September 9) welcomes casks from 32 breweries, mostly Albertan, and 450 cask ale fans.

Groendahl told me that brewers enjoy the opportunity to experiment, trying different hops, spices and fruit, as well as the chance to showcase their beers for beer fans who love being able to try special beers that are one-offs, unique each time they’re made.

Groendahl has tried some unusual beers over the years of the festival, but says his favourites are “straight-up cask-finished beer, no crazy dry hops, no spice, no fruit — just pure beer. Those are the ones that shine for me.” Reminds me of that subtle but spectacular cask ale years ago in NYC. You never forget your first cask.

34 September October 2017 | The Tomato

Arcadia Bar, Westmount Darren McGeown first opened Arcadia next door to the public library in St. Albert but moved into Westmount on 124th Street in 2014. McGeown likes to zig where others zag; it’s a vegan food menu and it’s all and only Alberta craft beer. Just six taps, but there’s always something new and interesting available (recently from Annex Ale to Zero Issue).

They tap a cask twice a month, Mondays at 7pm.

Beer Revolution, Oliver Opened in 2013, Beer Revolution is Brewster’s craft beer bar venture. Food is unique pizzas baked in a brick oven plus gourmet sausages. There are 24 craft beer on tap, and they all rotate so there is always something new to try. They are open to new breweries and have hosted many tap takeovers (where a single brewery takes over a number of taps).

They tap a cask weekly, Fridays at 5pm.

Craft Beer Market, Downtown Go big or go home. Starting with the first location in Calgary’s Beltline in 2011, Craft has opened large beer barns across Canada, including Edmonton in 2013. Great rooftop patio. Over 100 beer taps, plus a dozen rotating. They have a dedicated beer engine at the bar, with a cask tapped Tuesdays at 4pm.

Watch for their Caskapalooza fundraiser, with casks from 20 Alberta breweries.

The Underground, Downtown Around the block from Craft, The Underground was Edmonton’s first big craft beer bar in 2012. Aptly named, the Underground is a level below Jasper Avenue and has the feel of a rumpus room from back in the day (What’s a rumpus room? Ask a boomer.) With over 70 beer taps, regular tap takeovers and new beer debuts, the Underground is no slouch in the beer department.

The Next Act and Accent Lounge, Strathcona Neighbours across 104th Street, just off Whyte Ave, The Next Act and Accent Lounge are two sides of one coin. Accent Lounge is more old world, slightly more formal and European, including its beer selection which includes Euro classics like Pilsner Urquell. Next Act is more new world, more casual and North American, with its 12 beer taps almost all Alberta. Both hold periodic cask nights.

Situation Brewing, Strathcona A first for Alberta is Situation Brewing’s daily cask offering – every day at 5pm.

As Situation is a brewpub the cask doesn’t have to travel too far! The cask complements Situation’s other fine brews, including the Iconic Milk Stout and the Page Turner IPA. Refined pub fare like the lamb burger or four varieties of mussels plus big windows and chic industrial decor make every visit a charm.

On average, Peter Bailey is about 60 per cent book dork and 40 per cent beer geek. He’s @Libarbarian on Twitter and Instagram.

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