new spirits in the rockies
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise has a new collaboration with Canmore’s Wild Life Distillery: Fairview Winter Gin and Untamed Signature Whisky. The gin is the perfect nip for the chilly season, with juniper and other winter spices, grapefruit and saskatoon berries to create that gorgeous colour. The small batch Alberta rye whisky has spent three and a half years in white American oak barrels specially chosen by the Chateau. Beautiful aromas of black pepper, mint and forest floor, wildflower honey and muscovado sugar. It won the Judges’ Selection Award for Canadian Rye at the 2023 Alberta Beverage Awards. “Both of these distinctive spirits capture the essence of the Canadian Rockies,” says Sam Clark, regional manager of bars and mixology for Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and Fairmont Banff Springs. More into the no/lo? Stay tuned for the Chateau’s upcoming collab with Seedlip.
nait’s first ever all-women team compete at ika culinary olympics
The NAIT all-woman IKA Culinary Olympic team from L-R: Jillian Sampson, Aimee Rossetti, Miranda McElwain, Crystal Higgins, Veronica Martens, Danielle Parjan, Suzanne Boulet.
This winter, Suzanne Boulet, Crystal Higgins, Veronica Martens, Miranda McElwain, Danielle Parjan, Aimee Rossetti and Jillian Sampson, along with their coaches, NAIT instructors Troy Lymburner, Chris Short and Enrico Caparas, will fly to Stuttgart, Germany for the IKA Culinary Championships, February 2-7.
“It’s by far the most prestigious and challenging competition the NAIT culinary team participates in,” says NAIT cooking instructor and team coach, Troy Lymburner.
Since 1990, IKA has taken place in Germany every four years, with 1800 participants from 67 countries. NAIT has been sending teams for 20 years. The 2024 team competes in the Community Catering category, the only team from Canada in this tough category (primarily military and professional chefs) and the sole team made up of early career and student chefs.
They have been practicing for over a year. “It’s a lot of late nights and early mornings on practice days, and it takes a lot of balancing to handle both school and team expectations,” says Baking and Pastry Arts student Miranda McElwain.
The team’s menu features Canadian (and Albertan) field mushrooms, kidney beans, maple syrup, wild blueberries and raspberries and wild rice, in keeping with the theme of sustainability and plant-forward dishes.
It’s been a community effort, with consistently sold-out practice lunches at Ernest’s and sponsorship from Alberta Chicken, Freson Bros., Blackjacks Roadhouse and Pratts Food Service Alberta to raise the $80,000 the team needs.
“We’ve been working so hard. It’s all very exciting,” says team captain Crystal Higgins, full-time sous chef at the Royal Glenora Club and mom of two. “It’s extremely busy, but we have the determination to want to do it. Our team mindset is that this is our one and only chance, so let’s put the time, effort and passion into this and come home with a gold medal.”
feed the soul dining week
Nadine Lewis (L) and Patricia Ross, owners of Cafe Caribbean and Feed the Soul participants
“When I got Covid,” says Rochelle Ignacio of Feed the Soul Dining Week, “I stayed home and started watching High on the Hog on Netflix. “It made me think, how can we start telling the story about black food in Edmonton? Why can’t we do a food week that focuses on the broader black community on a city-wide scale? People connect over food and the stories and food can be used an anti-racism cultural text.”
Forward to now and the second annual Feed the Soul happens February 2-11. This is a passion project for Rochelle, her day job is director of diversity, equity and inclusion for a national charity. Business consultant Sara Awatta is the co-lead.
“We are a volunteer-driven team,” says Rochelle. “We are really excited about our second year. Restaurants, food business and caterers join this year to share their food and stories.”
“Feed the Soul was great for our restaurant,” says Jennifer Robertson, proprietor of Sauce Modern Caribbean. “My aunt Linda Joyce had catered for 20 years; her dream was to open a restaurant. She didn’t live to see it opening, in many ways Sauce is a tribute to her.” Jennifer’s roots are in St. Vincent and the food there is different from, let’s say, Trinidadian or Jamaican. Like the sauces, especially sorrel sauce. “We spend a lot of time making our sauces. My mom draws on a lot of Caribbean spices and flavours and fruit.” The must try dishes at Sauce? “Lindeal’s Roti Platter, her signature dish, and the pan-sared basa,” says Jennifer.
Nadine Lewis and Patricia Ross, owners of Cafe Caribbean, are not only cousins, they are best friends. “We are the only Trinidadian restaurant in Edmonton,” says Nadine. “Pat does the baking, I do the cooking. Our food is a melting pot of Indian flavours, creole, African even Lebanese. Opening a restaurant has been amazing, but more work than I ever imagined.”
A big hit at Café Caribbean is a street food dish called doubles—fried dough (paratha) with curried chickpeas, cilantro, tamarind chutney and grated cucumber. “A particular ingredient in our food is chadon beni, whatever you are cooking, it goes in everything (also known as culantro, similar to cilantro, but more pungent).
“We had a catering business (along with full time jobs) cooking for our church and other clients. During Covid, we started selling food out of our house. A lot happened during Covid which made you think, what do you really want to do?
“We were blown away by the reception, by the kindness, the appreciation during Feed the Soul week. We love feeding people.”
Find the people, the places and the menus of Feed the Soul Dining Week at feedthesoulyeg.ca.
what was the best thing you ate or drank last year?
Was it a dish in a local restaurant? Something from the farmers’ market? A vegetable in your CSA? A cocktail? A beer or spirit from a craft brewer or distillery? Nominate it for the Tomato Top100. Nominations open January 5 and close January 26. Nominate at thetomato.ca.