nai nai mie online noodles, uccellino reopens, new blind enthusiasm beer, plus easy summer cooking: cucumbers

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noodles, delivered

Cat Lee-Hannley loved the noodles her grandparents made so much that she started an online noodle business called Nai Nai Mie.

“Our noodles are made in-house by hand from a family recipe that has been passed down from my late grandparents,” she says. “They owned a noodle shop in Indonesia where I used to spend my summers when I was a kid. I loved watching my grandpa make the noodles from scratch. The smell of fresh noodles always brings me so much comfort and joy.”

Nai Nai Mie sells three individual noodle kits (chicken mushroom, spicy chicken mushroom and beef) with all the trimmings; party kits (sets of four) and naked noodles which is five servings of just noodles. Buy their deliciously slurpable noodles at nainaimie.ca; the Uproot Food Store uprootfoodstore.ca; Good Goods Co. goodgoodsco.ca, or, if you are in Calgary, at Alberta Grocery, albertagrocery.ca

Right now, Nai Nai Mie is running a campaign for the Edmonton and Calgary United Way—20 per cent of all sales will be donated to the All in for Youths program to help youth living in poverty—until September 7.

Nai Nai Mie noodles
Photo courtesy Jinsei Media

uccellino reopens!

We are over the moon that Uccellino has reopened (the staff member tested negative) with all the appropriate safety measures in place. Make a reso (resy.com) to enjoy arancini and savoury crostini; toothsome house-made pasta, such as the butter and sage tagliatelle or fusilli with chicken and artichoke; crispy sablefish with a summer farro salad, or, go with a bespoke tasting menu with or without wine pairings. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 5pm-10pm, 10349 Jasper Avenue, 780-426-0346, corso32group.com.

uccellino

new beer from blind enthusiasm

Fabhelles, the latest bottle conditioned beer released by the Ritchie brewery, is described as ‘a clean lager with a bright gold colour and a heavy floral aroma of honeysuckle. The low bitterness lends itself to a honey-like flavour with a crisp finish.’ The beer, featuring German Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops, is the result of a friendship between Blind Enthusiam’s head brewer and his colleague at German brewery equipment maker BrauKon. Curious? Purchase Fabhelles from the stand in front of Biera (9570 76 Avenue), Tuesday–Sunday, 3pm–10pm, or order from the online shop, shop.blindenthusiasm.ca.

Blind Enthusiasm Fabhelles
Fabhelles

the edmonton brewery pass is here: save money and get a t-shirt

Explore Edmonton has created a free digital brewery pass for several of YEG’s craft beer spots: Endeavour, Omen, Campio, Alley Kat, Sea Change, The Growlery, Bent Stick, Polar Park, S.Y.C and Towne Square. Receive a variety of discounts on your first pint, your first flight, growler fills, takeout and merch. Ready to load on to your phone: exploreedmonton.com. Thirsty already.

explore edmonton brewery pass

new issue on stands now!

tomato cover september october 2020

easy summer cooking: cucumbers

The fresh, just-pulled-off-the-vine cucumbers available right now at the farmers markets are startlingly good. Vibrant, yet delicate in flavour and so crisp and refreshing. Eat them daily while in season—low in calories, high in minerals, antioxidants and vitamin K.

Besides being a delivery system for hummus, cucumbers are delicious in a sandwich or on a burger for extra crunch. Cucumber also pairs well with shrimp, feta cheese, dill, melon. After I get tired of eating them sliced paper thin and doused with vinegar and salt, I like cukes with assorted chilies, jalapeno, or red pepper flakes, the coolness of the cucumber providing a foil for the spicy heat.

For sandwiches, slice lengthwise with a knife or on a mandolin. When making a salad try to keep all the chopped things the same size. Your tatse buds will thank you.

Make this delicious cold cucumber soup with tahini from Falastin, by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley: palestinefairtradeaustralia.org.au.
Make a salad with the last of the Okanagan watermelon, slivers of black olives and chopped cucumber.
Make a Trinidadian chow, or something like it: 2-3 small cucumbers, chopped; large handful of chopped cilantro; small jalapeno chopped (or more if you like it spicy); juice of one small lime, salt and pepper. Toss together, that’s it. Great with grilled steak.
Make a dressing with soy sauce, sesame seeds, sesame oil, rice vinegar and sriracha. Slice a few cukes thinly (or spiralize if you have a spiralizer). Mix with the dressing. Delicious with grilled chicken or cold rice noodles.
Add to your smoothie.
Make a cocktail with Eau Claire’s Flourish Gin. Muddle chopped cucumber, lime zest, juice of one lime, a lemon wheel and sugar. Add to the gin in a shaker and shake for about 20 seconds. Strain into a high ball glass and top with sparkling water or soda. Garnish with cucumber ribbons and lemon wheels.

summer cucumbers