Blog Archive
Past posts, all categories
Kuppershnuck: A Volga German Casserole
This morning on CBC Edmonton AM radio, I spoke with Mark Connolly about casseroles. What is it that we love about them, and what is it that we don't? And why have they lasted on this ever-changing culinary landscape? Casseroles are easy to make and they don't need to...
There are Good Things in the Badlands
A three-day getaway to southeast Alberta not only appeased my physical need for wanderlust, but the beauty of the area with its wide-open spaces and spectacular sunsets did wonders for the soul, too. If you're feeling the need to bust out, consider heading to this...
The Importance of Thumbs and Empathy
This might not sound like a very big deal to you, but yesterday, I was able to give a near-perfect thumbs up. That got me pretty excited because for the past four months, I haven’t been able to straighten my thumbs, at all. In February, I developed a reaction to...
Narayanni’s – 10 Years Later
The first restaurant review I did for CBC Edmonton AM was of Narayanni's, a family-owned restaurant just off Whyte Avenue. It was September 2010. I hid my little notebook under the table and peppered the owners' daughter, Youmashni, with questions. She was so gracious...
French Comfort Food: Rabbit Braised in Cider
Rabbit braised in cider (lapin au cidre) is a classic French dish that looks fancy, sounds fancy but is super easy to make. It's a great dish to make if you want to impress someone or sit down to a Sunday dinner of comfort food. Want to pull out all the stops for Mom...
Food Trucks Host Pandemic Popup May 2
It may be a small convoy that gathers this Saturday in the parking lot of Smokehouse BBQ at 15960 - 109 Avenue, but if this popup launch proves successful, Terry Sept of Smokehouse BBQ says his hope is that more food trucks will join in a second event. Bully Food...
Prepare to Eat Local: Lakeside Farmstead Cheese
The table in Jeff and Coralee Nonay’s kitchen is a beast. At 108 inches long and 40 inches wide, the weighty, hand-crafted beauty can accommodate a dozen diners. Today, the chairs are pushed aside to give people better access to what it has become: the biggest...
I’m Bored – a poem for kids (and parents!) in the time of COVID-19
To kick off National Poetry Month, I'm sharing a poem I wrote a few years ago—in the days before COVID-19, when school was a thing. "I'm Bored" is a poem about a kid having to stay home "with nothing to do." My hope is that parents who now have their kids at home due...
3 Steps to Easy, Perfect Oven-Braised Brisket
So here we are, self-isolating in this time of the Coronavirus and comforting ourselves with good books, long naps and video chats with friends and family who live far away. Now, more than ever, we need to choose home-made food over high-processed, nutrient-poor foods...
Grieving in the Time of Crisis: A Tribute to My Dad
We laid Dad to rest last week on a cold, snowy day in central Alberta, a day that saw Canada gripped by news of COVID-19. He was a month shy of 89 and was beleaguered with several health problems but he did not die of the Coronavirus; the doctors suspect an aortic...
Dagu Rice Noodle – CBC Review
For such a simple concept, soup is a pretty fascinating dish. I mean, all you do is add bits of things to water and let it all cook and yet the end result is something beautiful, nourishing and complex. Soup reflects culture, history and the land. A bowl of soup has...
Mimi’s Pub and Restaurant – CBC Review
Mimi's Pub (11403 - 40 Avenue) is an aesthetically pleasing pub/restaurant on Edmonton's southside. Whenever an independent restaurant opens in an area typically populated with chain restaurants or no restaurants at all, I always get my hopes up that the food will be...