November 23 2016

a don’t miss dinner

The Collaborative Chef Fundraiser Dinner, , Saturday, November 26 at Ernest’s (NAIT) dinner features four Nait culinary alumni, Steve Buzak, Shane Chartrand, Lindsay Porter, and Paul Shufelt. The menu sounds delish — lightly-smoked salmon with chimichurri emulsion, maple and soy-braised wild boar belly, bison pastrami, a chocolate-themed, Peruvian-influenced dessert, followed by artisan cheeses. Funds raised go to education programs by the Edmonton chapter of the Canadian chefs organization, http://edmontonchefs.ca. Tix: $195/pp, call 780-471-8685 or email twright@nait.ca, 6pm start.

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get into a little monkey business

There may still be a few tix left for Monkey Business, five courses paired with five wines, $89/pp at The Glass Monkey (5842 111 Street, Lendrum Shopping Centre, 780-760-2228, theglassmonkey.ca, Wednesday, November 23. Contact Janine to book, 780-760-2228.

the girl can cook

mya-picTeresa Spinelli told us about Mya Wyley, a semi finalist in the Little Potato Company Little Chef contest on the Marilyn Denis Show. This girl can cook. Mya handles ingredients and equipment like a pro; many don’t know the cloth under the cutting board trick, but Mya does. And she’s only eight! Watch her demo her Triple Toe recipe here: http://www.marilyn.ca/LittleChef?vid=987788 and vote for Mya here: http://www.marilyn.ca/littlechef until November 27.

cinq à sept

Have a glass of wine and do good at the YegWomen in Wine Cinq à Sept at Zenaris, Tuesday, November 29, from 5pm to 7pm. Tix, $9, includes a glass of Prosecco and antipasti bar: https://www.eventbrite.ca. Funds raised go to the Lurana Shelter http://www.canacal.com/lurana/.

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sauce your pizza, provide a meal

Every Christmas, Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria partners with Mealshare to provide one meal for each jar of their Campania sauce sold. This is the hand-milled fresh tomato sauce used on Famoso pizzas, but is available by the jar only once a year, through this program. Mealshare is a social enterprise that allows patrons to turn dining out into helping out. The partnership began in 2013, when Famoso sold 4320 jars, raising $11, 500 and has grown to 6108 jars last year, which raised $23,000 ($52, 500 in total so far). This year 6420 jars will be sold to provide meals for youth in 17 communities across Canada.

“We like what Mealshare stands for.” says Justin Lussier, Famoso’s CEO and co-founder. “Dining out is a privilege. Mealshare helps us think beyond ourselves, to think about the person who is struggling to have any sort of meal whatsoever.”

Famoso’s Campania Tomato Sauce is available at 28 Famoso locations across the west and Ontario while quantities last, $8 per 500mL jar. www.famoso.ca/campania.

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it’s good to have some blind enthusiasm

We are getting excited about the Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Company complex taking shape in Ritchie — new digs for Acme Meats, Transcend Coffee, a bike shop and a gastropub helmed by chef Christine Sandford (who, incidentally, will be cooking in Paris this Christmas). Four blocks away will be the Barrelhouse, featuring a brewhouse specially designed for sour and farmhouse-style beers, a coolship for spontaneous fermentation and, yes, a whole whack of barrels. Rob Monk (Yukon Brewing and Spinnakers, Victoria, BC) heads up brewing at the brewpub. Doug Checknita, a graduate of the Olds College brewing program, will be putting experience gained at Calgary’s Brew Brothers, Quebec’s Le Trou du Diable and Brussel’s Cantillon and La Brasserie De La Senne to work as head brewer at the Barrelhouse

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one stop shopping

Hotel and restaurant suppliers Russell and Hendrix have merged to create Russell Hendrix Foodservice Equipment. Russell Food Equipment, founded in 1938, operates fourteen distribution and three manufacturing facilities across the country. Hendrix Hotel & Restaurant Equipment, founded in 1981, has nine locations and three distribution centers. No word yet if both locations in Edmonton will stay open. Not quite as earth shattering as the takeover of Monsanto by Bayer earlier this year, but interesting nonetheless.