Be our guest
Challenge the conventions of food, drink and hospitality at Host Edmonton, May 22-24. Local and international hospitality experts and chefs share tips, tricks, techniques, drinks and dishes, plus there are plenty of parties and tastings to fill out the rest of your plate. Go back to basics with Kevin Kossowan, build your culinary brand with Christine Cushing, get your Prud’homme beer certification, cook like a sexy Ukrainian with Brad Smoliak and discover new ways to pair wine and food with the Tomato’s own Mary Bailey. Tix, starting at $40, at hostedmonton.com. Don’t miss the kick-off featuring the Sheepdogs.
Get grilling The newest ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen cookbook is now available. From the Grill features delicious recipes for the grill, including sides — we loved the kale and mango slaw — and a really great barbecue sauce, along with simple instructions and cooking tips from the Blue Flame Kitchen. Buy the book, $15, at atcoblueflamekitchen.com, or at Save-On-Foods, Safeway and Chapters/Indigo stores. Want a taste of From the Grill? Check out the recipe for braised pork tacos. |
Holy Porkapalooza!
Southern smoke meets big Alberta sky at Porkapalooza, Edmonton’s first southern barbecue championship, sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) with over $10,000 in prize money. There are many ways to enjoy Porkapalooza: enter a team; become an official KCBS BBQ judge; visit the Pro-Am Chefs Cook-off or the Porkaplooza Father’s Day Brunch, or just bring the family down for great food, music and fun. Featured are special guests Danielle Dimovski, the Diva Q from Travel and Escape’s BBQ Crawl and Brian Misko from House of Q. Visit porkapalooza.ca to enter a team for competition, sign up for the KCBS judging course or for tickets to the ProAm and the Father’s Day Brunch. Otherwise it’s come one come all to Hawrelak Park, June 14 and 15, from noon on.
Never lose your wine again The practical and useful Wine Writer pen is ideal for claiming your wine glass, and much less irritating than a charm hanging off said glass — who can remember which charm belongs to whom anyway? The non-toxic ink writes on glass, ceramic, melamine and hard plastic, dries in about a minute, doesn’t smudge, and comes off with soap and water. The set of three pens is available in metallics or in soft multi-colours, perfect for spring, just in time for wedding season. Terrific for cheese trays, or use on a buffet and to identify plant pots. Find the Wine Writer at Call the Kettle Black, the Pantree, Bella Casa and other fine housewares retailers. $13/set. |
Gold medal chefs
Check out this stellar lineup for 2014 Gold Medal Plates: Shane Chartrand, Sage; Keoma Franceschi, Massimo’s Cucina Italiana; Andrew Fung, XIX Nineteen; Sachin Joshi, L2Grill; Brayden Kozak, Three Boars; Blair Lebsack, Rge Rd; Shane Loiselle, Daravara; Lindsay Porter, Mercer’s Catering; Doreen Prei, Edmonton Petroleum Club; Ben Staley, North 53. Edmonton’s Gold Medal Plates competition heats up Thursday October 23. Funds raised support athletes in reaching the Olympic podium. For tickets and sponsorship information visit goldmedalplates.com.
Barley is the new kale Want to eat more ancient grains but can’t think of anything to do with barley other than making soup? This new cookbook is for you; Go Barley, written by Pat Inglis and Linda Whitworth, has over 100 recipes featuring the nutritious grain in recipes from breakfast to dessert. Barley’s marvelous nutty flavour is put to good use in recipes ranging from apricot and barley-stuffed pork tenderloin to chocolate-dipped almond biscotti. Yum! Go Barley, Touchwood Editions, $24.95. |
See it in the city
The next time you are wondering what to do tonight, check out SEETY NOW, seetynow.com, an innovative new website for entertainment and food. Seety Now has partnered with Gold Medal Plates judges, food writers and entertainment experts in Montreal, Winnipeg, and Edmonton. Vancouver and Calgary are coming soon. “We started Seety Now because everybody always asks, what to do tonight? says CT Duong, founder. “We are the one-stop shop for what’s happening today, not next week, not next season — cultural events, live music, concerts, sports, nightlife and dining carefully chosen by our team of experts.
“Up until now if you were traveling, the only option really was Trip Advisor, but I want to discover the city as a local. Seety replaces that wooden box of pamphlets in the hotel lobby.”