Entries from February 2010

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

Chinese New Year Dinner: Shanghai Grill

For this Chinese New Year, my family opted to eat out, saving my mom some grief in the kitchen. My parents had tried Shanghai Grill a few months back with friends, and after a positive experience, wanted to take us there.
Mack and I met my family there on New Year’s Eve, but had to call [...]

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Edmonton’s Downtown Dining Week: Stagnant and Uninspired?

Though superhero Daryl Katz has been in the news of late for his plans to singlehandedly revitalize downtown Edmonton, it shouldn’t be forgotten that the city’s core has been on a steady upswing over the past few years. From the Paramount Theatre reclamation by the City Centre Church, to the trendy development of the 104th [...]

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

The Cooking Chronicles: Pigs Without a Blanket

No, the actual name of the recipe we made is Toad in the Hole, but I couldn’t resist (especially when there doesn’t seem to be a satisfying explanation of why a dish made with sausages has such a name to begin with).
After our successful meal of red wine-braised sausages, we decided to give another Irvings [...]

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Food Notes for February 23, 2010

March is shaping up to be a busy month – but I guess that’s no excuse to let my weekly notes lapse until today. Anyway, better late than never…

If you haven’t signed up for the Edmonton Foodie Meetup yet, but are intending to join us, please leave your name (and restaurant choice) on the wiki [...]

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

Culinary Q & A with Valerie Rodgers Lugonja

Occupation: Professional Educator (BEd) in my 30th year of teaching with Edmonton Public Schools. I am an Early Childhood Specialist (ECE Diploma), with two other “majors”, or specializations: English Literature, and Fine Art (drawing) I am currently teaching Foods, or cooking to about 200 grade 7-9 students every 2 days, for the second year. [...]

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

The Cooking Chronicles: Lentil Burgers

In an attempt to reduce our overall meat protein consumption, Mack and I have been deliberately substituting meat alternatives in some of our meals – tofu in stirfrys, chickpeas in pasta, lentils in curries. More than anything, we’ve found the variety quite refreshing, and sometimes even a time saver (lentils, for example, cook in a [...]

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Extreme Sticker Shock: Noodle Noodle

Two co-workers and I decided to indulge in a dim sum lunch last Friday to celebrate Chinese New Year. With only two options within reasonable walking distance for our one hour break, we chose Noodle Noodle over Urban China. Though I hadn’t been to Noodle Noodle in years, from what I remember, the prices weren’t [...]

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

The Cooking Chronicles: Carrots Two Ways

Carrots are underappreciated, too often relegated to a mere supporting role in dishes – grated into salads, julienned into stirfrys, sliced into stews. So I was happy to come across two recipes that cast this versatile, humble vegetable into the spotlight.
Recipe 1: Spiced Carrot Soup
A Compliments Magazine recipe for spiced carrot soup was our first [...]

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Edmonton’s Food Bank: Expressions of Hunger Contest

In high school, a few girlfriends and I volunteered for Edmonton’s Food Bank, back when the main warehouse was still located downtown, just off Jasper Avenue. Our weekly task centered around repackaging dry or fresh goods so individual portions could be placed in hampers. I remember marvelling at how well coordinated the Food Bank [...]

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Food Notes for February 15, 2010

Though I wouldn’t expect anything less, Canada is embroiled in Olympic Fever! I have to say I am enjoying my share of the Vancouver coverage, but there seems to be a daily limit of how much I can watch. In other news, have you taken a look at the plan for Fort Edmonton Park yet? [...]