Just...Get Cooking!

We had a busy, but oh so enjoyable weekend!  Friday night we had two couples over for drinks and pasta, Saturday was filled with errands and then off to dinner at a friend's house and Sunday, we found ourselves as willing participants on a pilot cooking course!  Yes, we met a lovely and talented lady who is just launching her new company, GET COOKING, and she was kind enough to invite us into her home and newly installed commercial kitchen for a absolute wonderful afternoon of casual company, great food, wine and fantastic instruction - what a treat!

Kathryn Joel, chef and entrepreneur relocated her blended family to Edmonton about a year and a half ago and has submersed herself into the local food scene.  But more than just a chef, she believes in supporting local businesses, farmers and retailers with one simple goal - cook with as much high quality, local food as possible.  Needless to say, we have more in common than just our given name: follower of the slow food movement and a believer of using quality ingredients in simple, straight forward applications which yield a delicious end product on your plate.

Not only talented in the kitchen, she is well versed in the local scene and can share with you her top restaurant pics, favorite stalls at the local farmers market, great butchers, food retailers and where to find new ingredients finally emerging in Edmonton!

Take a look at her website:

http://www.getcookingedmonton.com/

Our 2.5 hour cooking class was in a classic chef's table style, and food on the menu was inspired by French Bistro cuisine:

Gougeres - a french-style cheese puff made from choux pastry

Celeriac and Green Apple Salad with Creme Fraiche - another fantastic recipe using celery root, think a new twist on your favorite slaw recipe!

Moules a la Mariniere - mussels steamed with wine and fresh herbs

Roast Rack of Lamb with a Fresh Herb Crust - beautiful and easy to make!

Bananas and Pears en Papillote - literally fruit steamed in paper.  A perfect end to a fantastic meal!

Here are some pictures (not mine, the better photographer!) to pique your interest:

Our friend Al with Chef Kathryn, learning how to make choux pastry - lots of beating.  Today, Al is at the gym working on his other arm!

Local Creme Fraiche, found at The Italian Centre Shop

Hubby, ever so patiently prepping and cleaning the lamb bones - great job!

Mussels in the pot with wine and fresh herbs

A perfect Farmers Market pear, ready for dessert!

Roasted lamb resting before cutting, notice the nice prep job on the bones!

Students getting involved prepping the salad and gougeres!

I think safe to say, a good time was had by all!  Thank you Kathryn for opening up your beautiful home and stunning new kitchen, your warm hospitality and natural ability to teach was a breadth of fresh air!  David and I look forward to attending more classes in the near future and being regular readers of your website - a great place for all things food and local!

FINALLY!

Finally, I can take a breath after holding it for - forever!  YUP!  Crave Cupcakes, my favorite little cake store has finally opened in Edmonton! (three weeks ago to be exact)  Located conveniently on Calgary Trail just south of Whyte Avenue (and to my delight but my hips dismay) on our route home from work/school!  For those that prefer landmarks, it is about three storefronts north of Planet Organic Market.

Jenna and I made our mandatory "civic duty" checkout on Saturday morning, and yes, quality control was taken and confirmed before happily retreating to our SUV to scarf back not only the delightful cupcakes, but some good old fashioned Whoopie Pie cookies!

You will find the same decor, selection, and most importantly, quality, here in Edmonton - just like the original Crave Cupcakes in Kensington, Calgary!

First comes love, then comes dessert

Sunday we launched the new Spring line of Stella and Dot here in Edmonton - a great time had by all - good music, good vibe in a boutique hotel, great company, and of course, fantastic jewellery.  In the back of the room I couldn't help but notice there was a table filled with what looked like upside down lollipops.  En route to the exit, my guest and I stopped and researched it a bit.  It seemed to be some sort of confection to celebrate the launch - something covered in white chocolate and decorated with the signature Stella colours.  Candy, or better still, maybe cake?  As we picked one up, the bottom of one was dark, while the other was vanilla - YES - cake!  It was like a mini cupcake on a stick.  I have to admit, I took more than one, and, when in the safety of my own home, I tried, I loved and I craved more!

Thank goodness I took a business card - Love Inc, a local company specializing in custom dessert tables for all occasions.  Simply brilliant.

Lindsey Wheatley, Owner/Designer of Love Inc.

http://www.eventsbyloveinc.com/

"Whether you're planning a stylish shower, a lavish wedding or a whimsical birthday, Events by LOVEinc. will bring a sweet touch to your special event! Each dessert table we create is treated as a unique project and is specially designed to fit each client. Not only are our dessert tables fashionable and fun but also delicious! We incorporate delicious desserts, unique decor, bold fabric and gorgeous paper to bring our designs to life. Our Dessert Styling service is the answer for those clients that want a truly unique and custom feel to their dessert table."

Well, what is on the website is the extent of my knowledge to date about Love Inc.  But I can tell you a bit about the cake pops I tried - the chocolate cake was dense, very moist and exceptionally rich - a beautiful, deep chocolate made with top ingredients.  Dipped in a white chocolate and bite size, my only complaint is that I didn't take the whole tray!  The vanilla cake, I think was a walnut cake - it too was exceptional.  Rich flavour and very moist - in my opinion, a nut cake has to be exceptionally moist and this one did not disappoint.

My goal over the coming month is to learn more about the woman and the company that boasts the tag line "first comes love, then comes dessert.:  Why?  Because I am an advocate of local companies, woman entrepreneurs and above all, exceptional product - and this tiny taste checked all the boxes!
For those blog lovers out there,  here is Lindsey's blog http://eventsbyloveinc.wordpress.com/

So, if you have a special occasion coming up, or even an event through your business, I'd encourage you to support the local entrepreneurs and creative minds of the city, and give Lindsey a call:

(780) 952-8312
lindsey@eventsbyloveinc.com

Dreaming of

A day off, already!  So, January 3rd has passed, first day back at work and already I am dreaming of time off.  That's what happens in the winter, and when you have a desk job I suppose!

My top pics for a day off in Edmonton:

• Wake up, naturally! (No alarm clock)

• Pilates reformer class at Pilates Body Beyond.

• Breakfast or a midday snack at The Duchess Bakery  http://duchessbakeshop.com/

• Spot of lunch with your honey, too many options to choose from in this city!

• Farmers Market to catch some fantastic produce or locally grown organic meats.

• Italian Centre Shop to try and convince them to bring in Italian flour (Caputo 00) for homemade pasta and pizza!  Leaving with a great selection of produce and a new Italian cheese to try at home!

• Indigo with my daughter, hang out and fumble through the new releases while enjoying a hot chocolate followed quickly by a visit to the Pet Shop to swoon over the new selection of puppies and onwards to the movies!

• Explore an area of Edmonton - choose a location (Windermere, Riverbend, 124 street, Callingwood,etc) and explore the locally run shops, bistros, bakeries and specialty shops!http://www.shoplocalguide.ca/listings/edmonton_small_press_association  One recent find was a new specialty cheese shop in Riverbend with an exclusive selection of cheeses, preserves and accompaniments for a fantastic cheese platter, not to mention a good selection of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

• See Kristie at Studio J Spa downtown, a special treat for a therapeutic massage or reflexology - she is fantastic!  http://www.studiojurbanspa.com/

• Try a new recipe, and make a great dinner for my family!

• Get baking with Jenna - anything with chocolate or caramel works for us!

A simple pleasure in life - chocolate

Simple pleasures. Chocolate. What a wonderful thing, a fabulous word - it rolls off your tongue and instantly a smile is on your face and contentment is yours. Right?

Chocolate has a rich story behind it, and over the years I have realized it is as complex and varied in nature as wine or coffee. Some people spend years learning the intricacies between foods from different regions: how it's grown, processed and even how the soil and temperature react to create a unique product. Truth be known, the same is true for chocolate. You can experience not only chocolate from different areas of the world like the Caribbean, Mexico, Ecuador, Madagascar and more, but the percentages of cocoa, the processes and what additives make the final product, will alter the mighty cocoa bean's flavour and texture dramatically.

It's simply a joy for food lovers to chat with professionals who spend there life dedicated to their art: be it French cuisine, regional Italian foods, sommeliers, bakers or chocolatiers. When you come across those with a true passion for what they do and pride in what they produce, you typically find an enthusiastic individual who also wants to share this insight, educate and let you taste a slice of what they love. Why? In hope it is contagious. Thankfully for us in Edmonton, we have such a confections shop in Sweet Lollapalooza.

http://www.sweetlollapalooza.com/

Come and spend some time in this divine chocolate boutique! You will not only consume yourself with wonderful samples enthusiastically shared by both employees and the creator, but receive a warm welcome and eagerness to share their knowledge. If you have a question about chocolate, what goes best with what, or how to use ingredients to bring out the best results, Brett and his staff cheerfully and confidently offer their experience and preferences.

The cornerstone product of this boutique has to be the buttercrunch - a sandwich of decadent buttercrunch flanked with creamy milk chocolate and finished with crushed nuts. This is a favorite of mine for host gifts, family, friends and business associates. You can't go wrong. In fact, the one word that is echoed in response to this product is - addictive. Probably because the texture is so smooth and the buttercruch is full of flavour and not too sugary. My daughter and husband can consume mega quantities!

But don't stop at buttercrunch - there are beautiful handmade chocolates as far as the eye can see, made with the best quality ingredients from exotic teas, mint, orange, cherries and a selection of liqueurs, all scenting a specific type of chocolate that best suits the clever combination of ingredients. Brett does a fantastic job. We are also fans of his Haute Chocolate - I don't think I need to say anymore on that subject. And if you like your chocolate chip cookies dipped in chocolate - look no further.

For those living outside Edmonton, nirvana is still close at hand! You can order your favorite chocolate delights online. Few things are guaranteed in life, but an order from Sweet Lollapalooza will ensure divine chocolates in beautiful wrappings every time.

K

Mmmmmmm bakeries.....

Ok, I have sugar on the brain. It must be the two-weeks-before-vacation-watch-what-you-eat mindset, so instead, I'll highlight some great bakeries around town that take you around the world!

Viva Mexico! You can find yourself in a Mexican pasteleria if you head to the Whitemud Crossing to "Ye Old Bread Shoppe". I know, it doesn't sound very authentic, but one step inside and you are transported through food to Mexico. Opened almost a year by a family from Guadalajara, they supply not only an assortment of cookies and pastries, but empanadas and corn tortillas. The biggest secret: order a cake. Not only a cake, but the traditional birthday and celebration cake of Mexico - tres leche cake, and you will not be disappointed! In my family, pastel tres leche (three milk cake) rules.

Craving for a french croissant, madeleine or macaroon? Then the Duchess Bake Shoppe on 124 Street is your destination! I made my first trip in November of last year and have not been disappointed! Not only is this a well executed French Bakery and Bistro from the decor to the beautiful food, but they use Valrhora chocolate, the king of all that is good, in their baking! My favorite though, has to be their lemon tart - best in the city!

If your heart desires a true French Brioche bread, take a trip to 99 Street and visit The Tree Stone Bakery.

Looking for authentic European cakes, try The Artistic Bake Shop on Calgary Trail.

Dinner party coming and looking for Italian desserts? I'd suggest heading to the old standby: The Italian Centre Shop on the southside, or even venturing downtown to the the original location in little Italy where several stores are at your disposal.

There are a multitude of cultural bakeries in town: Portuguese, Asian, Lebanese and German to name a few. If you are seeking a traditional, all-around good bakery for both sweets and bread, BonTon and Bee Bell are Edmonton landmarks.

Enjoy the fantastic supply of globally-inspired and locally grown bakeries around Edmonton!

K

The Search for the Perfect Cupcake

I love the feeling you get when you walk into a cupcake shoppe - it is an assault on the senses! The smell of wonderful sweetness is masked only by the powerful whiff of perfectly risen cakes just out of the oven. The wonderful bright combinations of colours, patterns, ribbons and bows - what only a girl could dream about, and it instantly lifts my spirits!

Of course, to love cupcakes is to amplify this experience tenfold, and I am in trouble - not only do I love sweets, I have a daughter that hasn't fallen far from the tree! We have made it our civic duty to taste test every cupcake in every shoppe in this fair city! Don't get me wrong, this is no easy task! Yes, the cupcake looks like a simple treat, but there are many properties which have to align to make them worthy to consume. First, the cake: is it dry or moist, too delicate to hold the heavy mound on icing on top or it crumbles from the action of removing the cake from it's wrapper? And then there is the icing: too sweet, too bitter, too buttery or even a taste of petroleum in the mouth (trust me). Many problems exist when creating the perfect cupcake.

We have a selection of shoppes to choose from in Edmonton: Fuss, Flirt, The Cupcake Shoppe, Whimsical, Babycakes and now in Sherwood Park, Hey Cupcake. And unfortunately, my vote goes to hopping in the car and driving south to Calgary for CRAVE cupcakes!

http://www.cravecupcakes.ca/

Over the years Crave has perfected the art of the cupcake - a beautifully moist cake (most of the time) with a great assortment of flavours from mint, lemon/lime, strawberry, coconut and chocolate AND all natural flavours! The icing is fantastic - not too sweet, not too buttery and no chemical taste, only a rich and flavourful butter cream icing with fruit purees mixed in. If we have to select a cupcake store in Edmonton, my daughter points towards Whyte Avenue to Flirt or the Strathcona Farmers Market.

However, on Saturday we made the trek to Sherwood Park and my daughter fell in love with Hey Cupcake's peanut butter cupcake. Not only is the icing an intense peanut butter flavour, but the cake is made with peanut butter and chunks of chocolate chips! We found the cupcakes to work well when consumed right away, but the few that were brought home for dessert where heavy and dry by the time the BBQ was done.

If you like to travel with your stomach, the big cities of Chicago, LA and of course, NYC have a multitude of bakeries to pack on some extra pounds! Last year in New York I dragged my dear husband through Rockefeller's Square to the famous Magnolia Bakery - ( http://www.magnoliabakery.com/ ) line-up for cupcakes, yes. Worth it, not really. Very disappointing. Icing too sweet, cake too dry. Maybe the baker was off that day....

I am secretly hoping my travels take me to L.A., so I can experience the cakes of Sprinkles, the landmark cupcake shoppe in Beverly Hills.

http://www.sprinkles.com/

For now, the next adventure is Treacle, in London, England. Only open on a Sunday (thankfully we land on Sunday morning) and the most popular bakery in England! If the Brits can do anything in the culinary world, it's cakes and sweets!

Above all, remember to take some time and enjoy a bit of sweetness in your life!

K