April 11 2017

small plates, big bottles

Here’s a fun idea for dinner — small plates with big bottles at Rge Rd’s (10643 123 street, 780-447-4577, https://www.rgerd.ca) Big Bottles in the Butchery, Tuesday, April 25 from 5pm. Think tapas-style dining and drinking. Come with a group and order a magnum, or enjoy a glass (wine really does taste better from big bottles) as well as growlers from local breweries. No reservations required; expect to make some new friends with their communal seating.

And… don’t miss the Henry of Pelham winemakers dinner, Thursday, May 4, 6pm, $100/++, call 780-447-4577 to book.

dig in!

Enjoy great spring gardening moments and learn some new cooking tips from celebrity chefs Corbin Tomaszeski and Desiree Nielsen at the spring Dig In Festival, April 29 and 30 at Hole’s Enjoy Centre (The Enjoy Centre, 101 Riel Drive, St Albert).

Check out seminars on growing hops for beer and kombucha, growing sprouts and microgreens, mushrooms, herbs or tomatoes; cooking workshops and brunches and dinners. Brunch or dinner ticket holders get special access to the workshops. Find the full schedule at https://diginstalbert.ca.

have a heart for mental health

Help CMHA-Edmonton provide direct support to individuals and families affected by mental illness at the 10th Annual Gala Dinner at the Chateau Lacombe Hotel (10111 Bellamy Hill). Carmen Leibel, CTV Edmonton, is the MC, and Denise McLaren will share how she helps women in prison rebuild their lives. The cocktail reception starts at 6pm, followed by a three-course dinner at 7pm; art-themed silent auction. TIX: $210/p or $1,600/table, https://edmonton.cmha.ca/events/2017-heart-mental-health-gala-dinner. Presented by Angus Watt Advisory Group and National Bank Financial.

on the easter table

After a visit to the Sybille Kuntz estate last year we became ardent fans of her wines. We loved the purity of the fruit, the clear expression of the soil and the vibrancy of the flavours. Her specialty is dry Riesling (the designation is called trocken, which means fermented to almost bone dry, with less than nine grams per litre of residual sugar.) Sybille and her husband, Markus-Kuntz Riedlin, farm 30 acres of vineyards on grey Devonian slate above the small town of Lieser, near Bernkastel. Sybille has practiced organic agriculture since the ‘90’s; the vineyards were certified biodynamic in 2016. The wines are superbly balanced, elegant and racy, ideal with Easter turkey or ham or to serve with Easter brunch. Find at Color de Vino, Liquor Select and other fine wine shops.

cut like a chef

Dull knives are dangerous and smash food. Knifewear (10820 82 Avenue, 587-521-2034, knifewear.com) wants to save you from being dull and cutting your finger off. Learn to sharpen and keep your blades in tip top-condition with their hands-on classes: Cut like a Chef, 9am Saturdays, 9am and 10am Sundays, and the Sharpening Class, on Thursdays, 6pm. Call the shop to book, $65 each.

on the easter table

After a visit to the Sybille Kuntz estate last year we became ardent fans of her wines. We loved the purity of the fruit, the clear expression of the soil and the vibrancy of the flavours. Her specialty is dry Riesling (the designation is called trocken, which means fermented to almost bone dry, with less than nine grams per litre of residual sugar.) Sybille and her husband, Markus-Kuntz Riedlin, farm 30 acres of vineyards on grey Devonian slate above the small town of Lieser, near Bernkastel. Sybille has practiced organic agriculture since the ‘90’s; the vineyards were certified biodynamic in 2016. The wines are superbly balanced, elegant and racy, ideal with Easter turkey or ham or to serve with Easter brunch. Find at Color de Vino, Liquor Select and other fine wine shops.

out of the box cooking

Food banks across Canada, including Edmonton’s Food Bank, have increased their focus on nutrition and now teach users how to get the biggest health benefit from food. “Increasing food literacy encourages clients to adopt a nutritious diet. At Edmonton’s Food Bank we ensure our food purchases provide healthy options, including both fresh and non-perishable food,” says Marjorie Bencz, the executive director of Edmonton’s Food Bank. To help boost the educational efforts of food banks, 15 of Canada’s top chefs and dietitians, including Zinc’s exec chef David Omar and dietitian Emily Mardell, created nutritious recipes, which can be made for under $15 for four servings. For every share or download of Out of the Box: Healthy Family Pasta Meals on a Budget, Catelli Foods will donate servings of pasta to food banks, with the goal of donating one million servings. Download a copy of the cookbook at www.catelli.ca.

Vegetarian Bowtie Pasta with Greek Yogurt

chef David Omar, exec chef Zinc Restaurant in the Art Gallery of Alberta, from Out of the Box: Healthy Family Pasta Meals on a Budget.

Cook bowtie pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in a large sauté pan on medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic until soft, approximately 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until pan is almost dry, approximately 5 minutes. Add pepper, asparagus, zucchini and diced tomatoes. Mix in basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Add olive oil when the peppers are slightly softened but still crunchy. Toss cooked pasta with vegetable mixture. Place into 6 bowls and top each with ½ T yogurt. Garnish with parsley and cheese. Serves 6.