The Food Blogger Dinner at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald

Last Tuesday I had the amazing opportunity to meet Executive Chef Serge Jost at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald's Harvest Room. Not only did I share a meal with Chef Serge but I had the chance to cook with him as well! I along with a few food bloggers and food lovers experienced an interactive dinner as a part of the Fairmont Macdonald's second annual interactive dinner. When we arrived at the Harvest Room, there were beautiful 3 course menus laid out for us to read and then cook! Yup, you read that right. The only way we would be able to enjoy an amazing dinner that night in the Harvest Room was to first cook it up ourselves! Thankfully we did have help!

So, let me introduce you to the cooking/food loving team! At the back row from left to right is Brittany Watt (from Harvest Microgreens),  Chef Jost, Lindsay (from Edible Woman), me, and Santana (our delightful server). Then in the front row is Linda Hoang (Linda-Hoang.com) and Cindy N (from Let's Om Nom). 


We were quickly split into three teams of two by Chef Jost and made our way into the Harvest Room kitchens! Everyone was super excited and thankfully each team of two only had to prep and cook one dish. Linda and I had the awesome opportunity to be paired with Chef Jost to make the appetizer course. 

There were many components to our "Beets & Goat Cheese" appetizer which was composed of a beet gastrique, quail egg, spiced hazelnuts, apple cider vinaigrette, celeriac, candy cane beets, watercress & argula. Now, since our dish was first up we had to work quickly! Under Chef Jost's directions we lightly roasted nuts over a cast iron pan (seasoned with pepper & salt) to make goat cheese cubes, prepared celeriac mousse cubes (prepared in the Thermomix and flash frozen), yellow beets cubes, prepare a cider vinaigrette, and quail eggs.

Look at the beautiful colours in the goat cheese! 

While we were sweating away (literally as cooking next to the oven is hot!), the main course and dessert team were also working hard to prepare their dishes.

Top to Bottom: Sea Bass being filleted, Cindy preparing a dessert component, Brittany & Nicole preparing the gnocchi, and Lindsay preparing a part of their dessert. 

As we prepped and cooked the appetizer with Chef Jost we learned so many tips and tricks. First of all, Linda and I were given many reminders to always taste our food! Also that all dishes should have a nice balance of acidity to it.

Thanks to Lindsay for capturing this photo of us! 

After a flurry of activity to prep all the components for our appetizer we were ready to plate! First, I painted the beet gastrique onto the plate with a brush and then the rest of the components went onto the plate. 

Once we returned to the table Linda and I were greeted by an amuse-bouche composed of a passion fruit and watercress pesto. A perfect way to start dinner!

Then, our own appetizers were served to the whole table - a beautiful Beets & Goat Cheese appetizer! Out of all the components I really loved the celeriac mousse (the white cube in the foreground which is solidified with agar agar), followed by the goat cheese cubes infused with roasted nuts.

Finally, Linda and I could relax and enjoy some of this gorgeous bread while those making the main finished up their preparations and got them ready to serve.

Wow! The entree team did an awesome job with their Panseared Sea Bass on top of a saffron 7 herb gnocchi, summer vegetables (including turnips- the white veggie) topped with a warm rhubarb vinaigrette and a crispy kale leaf. The main was also paired with my favourite Sauvignon Blanc from Oyster Bay New Zealand.  

The last course was dessert. Lindsay and Cindy worked hard to get every single one of their sweet green salad & pink grapefruit desserts to not only taste amazing but to look the same! Yes, there were veggies in the dessert! Chef Jost said that he liked adding something unique and unexpected to a dish. In this case the lettuce leaves were tossed with vanilla and olive oil. Under that was a sweet mesclun, grapefruit sorbet and a creme catalane. A very bright, creamy and cool dessert to end an amazingly unique night.

It is not often that I can say that I not only dined with a chef but also cooked a meal together with him! It was such a great evening to share in amazing food and sit down with Chef Jost during dinner. He talked about how anytime he makes a dish he is never finished and pushes further to make it better. He also believes very much in using real food to make healthy dishes where you can taste the actually "taste the food". 

This was honestly the highlight of my week (or month!). If you haven't had the chance to visit the Harvest Room go and make a visit. Also this year marks Fairmont's centennial so there are a number of events including high tea (with loose leaf tea) and their equally amazing brunch that you can partake in! As well, for those having limited time during the week there are now "45 minute experience" 3 course lunches that are available for $24. 

Fairmont Hotel Macdonald
Harvest Room
10065 100th Street 
Edmonton, AB
(780) 429-6424

You can also follow Chef Serge Jost on twitter!

Duchess Bake Shop Memories and a Giveaway

Mini Paris Brest Pastries from Duchess Bake Shop.

Duchess Bake Shop is our favourite place for fine French baked goods and pastries in Edmonton. Dan and I have visited since Duchess opened, and have brought many friends, family, and out of town guests for a taste of France in Edmonton.

Back in 2009, Dan and I had been attempting unsuccessfully to make macarons in my small galley kitchen. When Duchess opened in October 2009 to great fanfare, we were very keen on visiting specifically because of their macarons. We learned that one of the owners, Giselle, had become fascinated with macarons while in Japan and had spent time perfecting the homemade macaron. This inspired me in my pursuit of the elusive homemade macaron. If you've followed along in my journey, you would definitely see all the different macarons I've baked.

Behind the counter at Duchess Bake Shop in 2010 

Even though we visited Duchess many times over the following months, it played a special part during a memorable day in May of 2010. We were invited to an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what happens in the kitchen before the doors opened. Little did I know that the invitation was just part of a series of special surprises Dan had planned before he proposed to me!

Behind the scenes in Duchess' kitchen in May 2010.

Dan & I in Duchess in 2010 (we look so young!)

As many of you may have heard, Duchess released their self-titled cookbook last Wednesday (November 12, 2014). This cookbook resonates with me not only because there are beautiful pictures accompanying the step-by-step instructions, but also, this is the first cookbook where I've tried every item!

A tower of croquembouche at the cookbook launch!

A tower of Macarons.

Giselle Courteau at the Duchess Bake Shop cookbook launch.

Giselle has generously given two signed copies of Duchess' cookbook as a giveaway for two lucky readers! This giveaway is only open to readers who live in and around Edmonton or in Calgary. If the winner(s) resides in Calgary or area you must be able to meet with me in Calgary on either Saturday November 29, 2014 or on Sunday November 30, 2014. Arrangements will be made if the winner(s) live in Edmonton or greater area.

You can also purchase their cookbook in Edmonton at Provisions or online. Good luck to everyone and I look forward to reading your bake shop memories.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Green & Gold Community Garden - University of Alberta Farm

When I first became a University of Alberta Farm heritage egg supporter, I would pick up our eggs on Saturday afternoons at the University of Alberta Farm. In the summer and in the Fall, I would often see signs up talking about the "Green & Gold Community Garden".  I never knew what they meant by the "garden" at first, until I went to another Heritage Egg event. One Saturday in August we decided to make a stop by these gardens after we picked up our heritage eggs. The gardens are actually located in the Alberta Farms area (close to the Saville Sports Centre) and down the road from where we pick up our eggs.

The Green & Gold Community Garden is a beautiful place! Gorgeous flowers, luscious produce and the air even seems fresher in this part of Edmonton!

The beets are bright & big!

An assortment of squash & zucchini for purchasing.

The garden grows a variety of squash, lettuce, herbs & kale!

Fresh artichoke! 

There are also flowers that you can purchase as well.

All the prices are reasonable at the Green & Gold Gardens. The gardens are all volunteered run and all the proceeds go towards the Tubahumurize Association in Rwanda.

The colour in the swiss chard is just amazing! Look at those large leaves!

The Green & Gold Community Garden is truly a magical place. It is a great place to consider purchasing fresh farm produce for a good cause, an educational opportunity for the kids or just to walk around on a Tuesday evening or a Saturday morning.

Find out more about the Green & Gold Garden on their website and also to see what produce they have each week. 

Green & Gold Garden

http://www.greengoldgarden.com/

Tuesdays: 6:30-7:30pm

Saturdays: 11am-1pm

Jacek Chocolate Couture -104st Opening!

If you know me or have been following my blog, you know that I love all things sweet (like macarons). So, you can imagine that I was beyond excited when I learned that Jacek Chocolate Couture was opening a downtown 104st location. 

Opening day was the first day of August! At the opening, there was a live mannequin wearing chocolate jewellery! She did an amazing job staying in the various poses for a period of time.

Upon our arrival into the store my friend and I were greeted with trays of beautifully created champagne truffles. They almost looked too pretty to eat (don't worry, we made sure we tasted them all!)

The 104st store is well stocked with chocolate bars as well as all of their seasonal and petite bar truffle collections. 

We couldn't say no to the gin and tonic truffle either! 

Here is Jacqueline Jacek, the owner, busy talking to customers amidst the hustle and bustle in the store. 

More chocolate truffles to sample. 

All the gorgeous truffles waiting for you to purchase!

After much deciding, I came home with a custom designed box of chocolates. 

Most of the chocolates I selected came from Jacek's Summer 2014 collection with the exception of two from the Petite Bar Collection.

 Top to Bottom: Periwinkle (Cassis coulis covered with a smooth blonde ganache), Chartreuse (Pistachio Gianduja & milk chocolate ganache covered in dark chocolate - yum!), Turquoise (Blueberry jasmine tea steeped in milk chocolate and enrobed in dark chocolate - light jasmine tea flavour as you inhale with a finish of dark chocolate) and Magenta (Market beet reduction with red velvet ganache).

The Magenta was super unique given that Jacek uses fresh beets from the market and reduces it in order to create the chocolate. The red velvet ganache worked very well with this chocolate. I would definitely recommend getting the Magenta while it is still available. 

The inside of the Periwinkle pictured on the Right. This one was very tasty as the slight tartness of the cassis coulis was offset by the smooth blonde ganache surrounding it.  

Petite Frank and Petite Stella from the Petite Bar Collection on the Left side. 

You can find these tasty chocolates at either one of the store locations in Sherwood Park or on 104th st. in Edmonton. Jacek chocolates can also be found at many locations near you; all you have to do is check their page to find a location.

Jacek Chocolate Couture

10140 104th St.

Edmonton, AB

(780) 705-9927

Closed Sundays

http://jacekchocolate.com/

Twitter: Jacek104th

Sage Restaurant - Signature Series of a Taste of Europe

Last Thursday, I attended the Media Dinner at the Sage Restaurant (located in the Casino River Cree) for Chef Chartrand's Sage Signature Series. The media dinner was a peek at the upcoming Taste of Europe menu which is a 6 course tasting menu available at Sage from August 26 until August 31 for $49 (drink pairings are an additional cost). 

When each beautiful dish arrived at the table, Chef Chartrand explained the inspiration behind each dish and that each dish paid homage to one of his favourite European chefs. Each dish was essentially Chef Chartrand's interpretation of the dish.

Each drink pairing was explained in detail and how it would pair with the particular dish that we were going to enjoy. 

We started with Spain for the first course with a dish inspired by Chef Jose Andres of a clams and chorizo sausage al ajillo and crispy ensalada. The egg yolk in this dish was perfectly creamy, the clams fresh and the flavours balanced well with the chorizo sausage. 

This dish was paired very nicely with a Cava Baron De Valls Brut from Catlyuna. Cava means double fermented and as such resembles a sparkling wine like champagne and this was a great drink to start the meal. 

The second course took us to Germany with a dish inspired by Sven Elderfeld of a beef goulash, braised cabbage, potato-gherkin cream and spelt bread. 

The wine paired with this dish was a Andreas Bender Pinot Noir 2011 from Pfalz. I must say the beef goulash paired very smoothly with the Pinot Noir. The wine was not too spicy on the palate, as the cream and goulash provided a smoothness that you don't often taste with a Pinot Noir. 

The third course brought us to Italy with a dish inspired by Massimo Bottura consisting of beautiful springy tagliatelle with veal osso bucco, roasted romaine and balsamic foie. A Nero Di Troia from Pugia was paired with this dish. This wine is a single varietal with no sulphites and is made in a stainless steel barrel. Needless to say, it paired very well with the veal osso bucco.

A 1448 Premium Whisky Ale from Perthshire arrived next to be paired with the fourth course of the night. This whisky ale is very unique as it is made in previously used oak barrels. It is naturally light and has a slight flavour of orange peel. 

Our fourth course of the Sage Signature Series was inspired by Marc Pierre White of England with Chef Chartrand's creation of a deconstructed cottage pie. Crispy kale and pecorino sat on top of mashed potatoes, finely diced carrots and lamb.  

Our fifth course of the night took us to France with a dish inspired by Alain Ducasse. Chef Chartrand also explained that this dish's portion size was a little smaller given our previous plates. The coq au vin was amazingly soft with the burgundy emulsion and a gruyère gougères. I loved the gruyère gougères (think golden cheesy puff!) as it was super soft with a nice hint of gruyère.

For our last course of the night, we had a Kirsch Based Cocktail rimmed with spicy cinnamon and brown sugar.

The last course of the night was also a feat in itself as the culinary team managed to bake 50 soufflés and serve them at the same time. This swiss chocolate soufflé was inspired by Chef Peter Goossens of Switzerland and was paired with a Crème anglaise. The decadence of this dessert went very well with the dessert cocktail. 

Chef Chartrand and his team did an amazing job on the Sage Signature Series. It was a great opportunity to visit Sage and to partake in such a great dinner. You can certainly see Chef Chartrand's creativity in the plating and interpretation of classic dishes but his creativity is also evident in the flavours that he puts together. If you have the chance to try this time's Sage Signature Series, go book a table as the Taste of Europe Signature Series is only available this week.

Sage Restaurant

300 E Lapotac Blvd.

Enoch, AB

twitter: @SageRiverCree