Blog Archive
Past posts, all categories
Stephen Baidacoff and the Black Box Challenge at Get Cooking
As I type, eight of Canada's brightest young chefs are competing in the Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship competition in Vancouver. By the time I'm done writing this, the winner of the $10,000 and stage (internship) at a top international restaurant may have already...
Lunch on the Bus – Alberta Open Farm Days
A few weeks ago I received an invite to lunch from Catharine Bangel who handles public relations for the Alberta Canola Producers. The second sentence caught my eye, specifically the part about Chef Blair Lebsack of Edmonton's RGE RD (restaurant and rural dinners)...
Rocky Mountain Icehouse: No Hotspot
For this followup to my CBC on-air review, I was just going to post pictures and leave it at that, because, as they say, a picture(s) is worth a thousand words. But then my righteous indignation kicked in and I just couldn't let it go. A month ago, I ran into a couple...
Restaurant Review: Qué pasa, El Cortez!?
An exorbitant amount of talent, work and (obviously) money went into creating El Cortez Tequila Bar & Kitchen just north of Whyte Ave on Gateway Boulevard. If a category exists for best restaurant interiors, award-winning music video director Michael Maxxis, the...
Rostizado by Tres Carnales – Winner Winner Pollo Dinner
It's been three years since Chris Sills, Dani Braun and Edgar Gutierrez opened the doors of Tres Carnales and introduced authentic Mexican fare to Edmontonians. To say the city has embraced their "tacos for the people" would be an understatement. Their success...
Sunday Cocktail: The Florida Belle
This refreshing cocktail's roots stem from the Ice Pick, a classic southern drink made of vodka, iced tea and lemon. My Florida Belle is a riff on Kim Haasarud's Southern Belle recipe from 101 Mojitos & other muddled drinks. Ms. Haasarud's recipe calls for...
Sunday Cocktail: The Red Head
The base model for this cocktail is the Sweet Cherry Ginger Spiked Soda from www.spoonforkbacon.com. I didn't have any fresh bing cherries or St. Germain (Elderflower Liqueur) so I switched it up a bit and used blueberry syrup and cherry cordial instead. I've called...
Thanks, Nate, for District Coffee
I think coffee houses could save the world from all that is wrong and evil. People sitting down and conversing with others over aromatic cups of espresso and lattes: no one is ever in a rush to leave a coffee house, and I doubt world dominance is ever discussed over...
Hot Rosemary-Garlic Ricotta Dip. Simple. Easy. Delicious.
My daughter requested a meatless meal — which was great because it was a warm summer evening and a heavy, involved meal was not appealing to me either. I had a container of ricotta in the fridge and a baguette on hand plus fixings for a salad. A quick internet search...
A Taverna – A Portuguese Treat in Edmonton
When we walked in to A Taverna, a group of men clustered around the bar were watching a World Cup soccer game on TV. In between great gulps of beer, the men would yell and cheer, or, depending on what was happening, complain. It was loud, it was exuberant, and it was...
Taste of Edmonton: Picks and Pans
Taste of Edmonton: Picks and pans - from CBC.ca (The online version can be found here. But, if you want to stay and visit, go ahead and read my article below. ) By Twyla Campbell, CBC News Posted: Jul 21, 2014 4:57 PM MT Last Updated: Jul 21, 2014 5:37 PM MT The Taste...
Million Thai – Restaurant Review
I have a soft spot for ethnic restaurants, especially when the owners are people who have come to Canada to make a better life for themselves and feed us the foods of their native country — I'm speaking specifically, in this post, about Million Thai, a new restaurant...