Gastronomic happenings around town
It was play. It never felt like a job.
“I feel good about it,” says Stasia Nawrocki about closing her successful Southgate store, Dansk, after 37 years. Dansk was a national leader in home décor, kitchen equipment and tabletop. “Two weeks before Christmas I finally decided. We still had two years on our lease but I thought ‘that’s it.’ I feel joy, and satisfaction.
“After we announced that we would be closing, customers were coming in every day to tell me the difference my decorating ideas had made.That was the best part, coming up with new ideas about entertaining and helping people arrange their homes, that’s my joy.”
Stasia is also responsible for the Scrubby (the indispensable, brightly-striped squares suitable for cleaning everything, sold everywhere).
“I saw them 30 years ago, in Poland, my sister-in-law used it for washing dishes. It turned out someone made them in their garage. We imported them for years and when the owner decided to retire, my brother-in-law bought the business.”
What’s next? “We are going on holiday. I’m sure I’ll come up with something to do with entertaining and decorating, but right now we need a break. And I’ll always keep fundraising for the Stollery.”
sweet rosemary
Cococo’s new, award-winning Rosemary Fusion bar is a trip, an intense herbal tang of rosemary and thyme coupled with habanero’s heat and a surprising hit of crunchy sea salt, gentled by dreamy-rich, high-quality milk chocolate. For a taste treat, think of pairing with the savoury flavours of charcuterie, parma ham, aged cheeses, even olives. Or, nibble away, square by square — this is a bar for chocolate lovers.
talking pizza
“Our prosciutto pizza is a perennial favourite,” says Clint Zaifdeen of the West Edmonton Mall Famoso beside the Cactus Club. No wonder. It’s made with prosciutto, arugula, parmigiano reggiano, with olive oil, garlic and oregano (they call it bianca sauce). “We have seasonal pizzas as well — smoked salmon, the chile lime chicken avocado. But the big hit is the Cavoletti, a new favourite available for a limited time only; fresh mozzarella, pecorino romano, gorgonzola, bianca sauce, roasted Brussels sprouts, prosciutto crisps, with dates, walnuts and a drizzle of honey.” Get it while it’s hot.
drawing on heritage
Le Creuset’s new Heritage Collection draws on the company’s extensive archives of iconic cookware designs and revives classic pieces used for preparing traditional French cuisine — all in fabulous colours — marseille, cherry, fennel and the brand new soleil (pictured). The impermeable enamel finish is fired at temps as high as 1200ºc making it impervious to daily use. It’s safe for temperatures from -53ºc to 260ºc making it truly freezer-to-oven-to-table; microwave and dishwasher friendly, virtually non-stick, worth every penny. Prices range from $85-$150 for pieces that last a lifetime and look good just as long. Available at Bella Casa and other fine kitchen shops.
an apple a day
NAIT Culinary Arts students competed in the 2013 Sobeys Apple Challenge. Their brief? Come up with some exciting ways to use apples. It was a delicious experiment, by all accounts.
“It was a great experience,” says Vinod Varshney, chair of the School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts at NAIT. “It challenged the students to develop creative ideas and put their thoughts into practical preparation of the dishes.”
The grand prize, a $500 Sobeys gift card and $500 from BC Tree Fruits, went to Heena Kim for the Trio of Apple Wonton Tasters. Andrew Bishop took home a $250 Sobeys gift card and $250 from BC Tree Fruits for his Asian inspired Apple Salad Rolls; and Jillian Gordon won a $150 Sobeys gift card and $150 from BC Tree Fruits for the Apple Mac and Cheese.
Our photographer Johwanna Alleyne remarked that “the top two dishes were really memorable. The apple wontons were a great show of subtlety and flavour pairing and the savoy cabbage and apple rolls were an outside-the-box vegan dish.”
“All these students were competing for the first time — to see the calibre of food they prepared was just marvellous,” says chef Varshney. “We are quite amazed and proud of the talent we have in our future chefs.”