a chocolate tour- with Tasty Tours!

So very excited to be joining Tasty Tours on a chocolate tour in about 30 minutes time! These tours are great little snippets to find out more information about chocolate, visit shops and taste some treats! I'll be tweeting (@beyondumami) about all the various places I visit and do a blog post shortly after the tour. Tasty Tours also has a sweets tour, if sweet candy & sugary treats are more your thing! Click on over to Tasty Tours for more info! 

Taste of Edmonton - July 19-28, 2012! (A preview)

The Taste of Edmonton (ToE) is a huge event for businesses and restaurants that occurs every year in Edmonton in July. This year, I along with other food bloggers from Edmonton (Michelle from The Tiffin Box, Diane from Argenplath, Sharon from Only Here for the Food and more) were invited to the ToE 2012 media launch party! It was certainly an exciting opportunity to meet some of the chefs and owners from participating restaurants, and of course to get a sneak peak and taste of the food! 

Now, Edmonton is known for being Canada's festival city! With Race Week Edmonton and  Edmonton's Capital Ex all coinciding together, July will be packed with festivities for Edmontonians to participate in. 

This year's ToE 2012 will include new participating restaurants including TZin, Guru, Share (at the Westin), Caffe Sorrentino, Irie Foods on Whyte and more! Now, for those of you that have been to this event over the years and found that menu items are repetitive, have no fear! 65% of the menu being offered at ToE 2012 will be new! So with that being said, here are some of the dishes that we sampled during the lunch hour at the Schoctor Lobby of the Citadel Theater. 

Caprese Salad from Lit Italian Wine Bar (new item)

Maple Bacon Poutine from Hudson's Canadian Tap House

Chickpea Salad from Caffe Sorrentino 

Panzanella Salad from TZiN Wine & Tapas

Prawns on skewers from Zinc 

Prawn Pita from Zinc

Food Truck Fare from Smokehouse BBQ (@smokehousebb)

Prime Rib Stuffed Mini Yorkshire Puddings from On the Rocks

             

Whiskey and Dark Chocolate Ribs

from the Share Restaurant (Westin Edmonton)

MAC Scone Sundae from Fairmount Hotel Macdonald

The Hat Signature cupcake (red velvet filled w/ chocolate ganache)
only available at The Hat made by Delish Custom Cakes and Sweets

Mocha Cannoli (there will be assorted available)
from the Italian Bakery Edmonton.

yummy desserts from the media launch including
Nutella Cornetto from Caffe Sorrentino

GF cookies from Molly's Eats Food Truck (@MollysEats)

There were a couple more items that we sampled that day, which I unfortunately was not able to capture. However, you can certainly catch a glimpse of other dishes on Michelle's, Diane's, or Sharon's post of ToE 2012! The real standouts for me were the whiskey and dark chocolate ribs, the prawn pita and each dessert available that day (I'm a lover of all things sweet!). Echoing Sharon's thoughts, I'm hoping that dishes such as the maple bacon poutine or the yorkshire pudding would be more fresh on the days of the event given that these dishes, as well as others that needed to be served hot, had been prepped for some time before we had a chance to taste them. 

In my haste to finish this post (as it has been sitting in my drafts for some time), I almost forgot to mention the two food competitions occurring on July 22 and July 23. On July 22, three local food bloggers (Michelle, Phil and Teresa)  will be creating an original food truck entree to be judged by 3 chefs. On July 23, three different food bloggers will be paired off with a chef in a "Cooking with the Stars" BBQ cook-off event. It will likely be a black box competition, mirroring that of Chopped. Cupboards will be stocked with common necessities and it will be an exciting event! So, remember to check it out on July 22 and July 23 starting at 11:30am at Churchill Square. Taste of Edmonton (@TasteofEdm) will also be hosting a draw to win front row seats to either of these cook off events! Follow them on twitter and answer those 3 questions correctly for a chance to win! Drawing occurs this Friday @ 1pm.  

Tickets for food items can be purchased from Tix on the Square in advance or in the square on the days of the event. If you purchase them before the event begins than you can enjoy a 10% discount. One sheet is $30 at original price. 

Taste of Edmonton starts this Thursday July 19! Hope to see you all there!

An amazing crepe recipe

Now that summer is finally here alternative dinner options are welcomed! Crepes are nice light fare and are perfect for summer! What I love about crepes is that they can actually be eaten savoury or, what we often see, sweet.  The crepe recipe that we have gotten lots of mileage from in our household is the one from Jacques Pepin.

Ingredients

• 2 large egg
• 3/4 cup All purpose flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter + more for pan (we actually do not put butter in our batter but use it for cooking on the pan instead)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, flour, milk, salt and sugar until smooth. The batter will be thick.
2. Whisk in the water, oil and melted butter (the butter can be skipped if you want)
3. Heat a 6-inch pan (or any flat pan- we use a stainless steel one) or a non stick skillet and rub with a bit of butter. Tilt the skillet to distribute the butter evenly.
4. Add about 2 tbsp of batter (we use a ladle to put in how much we need; as long as it thinly covers the entire pan). Tilt the skillet to distribute the batter evenly. Pour away any excess batter back into the bowl.
5. Cook over moderately high heat until the edges of the crepe curl up and start to brown. approx. 45 sec.
6. Flip the crepe and cook for another 10 seconds, until a few brown spots appear on the bottom.
7. Tap the crepe out onto a baking sheet (or parchment paper)
8. Repeat with remaining batter to make up to 12 crepes. You may need to butter the skillet a few times as time progresses.

*note* heat low to medium heat first since you don't want to burn the crepe too fast.  Once you see the edges turn then it is ready to be flipped. You can make a whole stack of crepes by stacking one on the other. Cover with a towel/plate to keep them warm. 

This recipe can be used to make savoury crepes by skipping the sugar and filling the crepes with slices of cheese, sandwich meat, spinach leaves, tomatoes, mushrooms and more!

For dessert crepes you can put chocolate, strawberry/better compote (made with frozen fruit, butter & sugar in pot on stove top), or any types of fruit. Enjoy!!

ACME Meat Market Ltd.

So it's been a long time since I posted (I know!) mainly due to the intense amount of work I've been going through at work.  However, I need to write this post as I have certainly found the butcher for us here in Edmonton. Acme Meat Market Ltd. has been our go-to place for all things meat as of late. The meat that you can get at Acme is incredibly fresh, tasty, and service is excellent! 

I have been especially enjoying their lamb chop steaks- which have cooked perfectly well either on the pan and then finished in the toaster oven or even barbecued. They have some good cuts of meat for sure! I'll let the photos below do the rest of the talking.

Today is also National BBQ Day, so if you want to enjoy some sun and the BBQ, head on over to ACME to get some of those finger licking lamb pork chops, beef steaks, chicken thighs, sausages or whatever amazing meats they have just butchered up for you! 

As a side note: In no way or form have I been endorsed by Acme to do this post. I just really love the meat they have - especially those lamb pork chops! Oh, and I hear their aged steaks are also delicious!  

Chicken Thighs from ACME 

Chicken Thighs with a White Wine and Garlic sauce

Lamb Chop Steaks

Packages of Lamb from ACME

Lamb Chop Steaks from Acme Meat marinating
(each as big as my hand)

After pan searing, finishing up the lamb chops in the oven until rare (134F)

Great Tasting Lamb Chop Steaks from ACME Meat Market Ltd!

Amazing tasting and simple meal

T-Bone steaks ready for marinating

BBQ lamb chop steaks 

ACME Meat Market Ltd.
9531 76 Avenue NW
Edmonton
Hours: Tues-Friday (9am-6pm); Sat (8:30am-5pm); Sun-Mon (closed)

http://www.acmemeatmarket.ca/  (you can sign up for Meat Mail)
http://www.facebook.com/ACMEMeatMarket
twitter: @acmemeatmarket

Mac 'n Cheese Monday

Today is Mac 'n Cheese Monday!

Mac 'n Cheese is perfect for a rainy day, sick day, sunny day or really (who am I kidding) any day! Today's Mac 'n Cheese is extra cheesy and creamy due to the soubise sauce that is literally poured over and mixed into the pasta, the layers of cheese added to make a crispy top and then the baking & crisping that is needed to make this Mac 'n cheese so darn delicious! 
This Mac 'n Cheese is adapted from Michael Ruhlman's Twenty: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook.Rulhman has great step by step directions throughout this recipe (as well as many others in this book). Certainly made me feel that I could confidently make a soubise sauce without too much effort or the fear of making a mistake. The results are simply fabulous. 

Ingredients:
For the Soubise sauce (French white sauce) - makes about 2 cups 

• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, sliced & diced
• salt
• 1 shallot (chopped)
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk (I used 1%)
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp sherry cooking wine
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1-2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Pasta

• 340g macaroni (elbow pasta), or penne or anything you have. 
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 455g grated Gruyère (could also use Cheddar, Comte, Emmanthaler all combined together)
• 30g Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 55g panko bread crumbs

Food notes: Soubise sauce calls for 6-7 gratings of fresh nutmeg. I didn't have any. There was also the addition of 1/4 tsp smoked paprika which I also didn't have! As a result, I just added more cayenne pepper (1/2 tsp). The pepper does add a hit of spice to the dish so if you have little ones or guests that aren't well versed to spice you can leave it out. This recipe also calls for a LOT of cheese! I found that 350g of Gruyère with some additional for the top of the dish was more than enough (this is also because I ran out of the right cheese and had to buy some sharp cheddar for the top) 

Pasta directions (you can cook the pasta while making the sauce):
1. Cook the pasta until al dente.
2. Drain and let the pasta sit in a large bowl until the sauce is done. 
3. Pre-heat oven to 425F/220C.

Soubise directions:

1. In a pot melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat with a pinch of salt. Add the onions to this pot. Cook the onions until they are caramelized (stir often!).

2. In another pot (3rd picture-above), melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat, add 2-3 pinches of salt, and the shallots. This pot will be the start of your soubise sauce. 

3. Once some of the water has evaporated from the butter (approx. 1 minute), add the flour.

4. Stir with a flat-edged tool in order to prevent the flour from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

5. Once the flour mixture looks and smells 'toasted' (it should also be all stuck together) gradually whisk in the milk. 

6. Keep whisking and use the flat spoon to prevent the flour from sticking to the bottom.

7. Allow the sauce to simmer and thicken. 

8. While stirring, add in 2-3 pinches of salt.

9. Next, add in the white wine vinegar, sherry, fish sauce, dry mustard, black pepper and cayenne pepper (if you're using).

10. Once everything is well mixed, add the caramelized onions to your soubise sauce (above-3rd picture to the right).

11. Ensure the onions are heated through by mixing the onions into the soubise sauce.

12. Using a hand blender (if you have) purée the sauce in the pot. If you don't have a stick blender, transfer the sauce to a blender and process.

13. Keep the sauce warm over the stove.

14. Add half of the Gruyère (228g) to the soubise sauce. Stir until well melted. 

15. Pour the soubise sauce over the cooked pasta. Mix well.

 16.  Butter a square ovenproof baking dish with melted butter (approx. 9 X 13 X 23). 

17. Pour the mixed pasta in the baking dish. 

18. Sprinkle the rest of the Gruyère over the top of the pasta.

19. Sprinkle the top with Parmigiano-Reggiano chese (I used a pecorino for this one).

20. Toss the panko with the melted butter. Spread over the top of the pasta.

21. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30minutes at 425F/220C. 

22. After 30 minutes, remove the foil cover and bake until the cheese is golden brown and crisp! This can be done by turning on the broiler/grill option on your oven. Takes about 5-10 minutes in my oven.

23. Enjoy!!! Rulhman also notes that you can prep this pasta earlier in the day before baking or refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Just spread the panko topping right before baking. I'm thinking that you can also freeze this pasta.  However, I for one will not be able to freeze this dish as it's way too tempting to eat right away! 

Quinoa Chickpea Salad

Finally, it feels like spring is here to stay (in Edmonton)! Spring to me means the beginning of more colours showing up and pushing away the drabness of winter.  Here's an easy and healthy recipe to try that will hopefully lift your spirits as we move into Spring. 

Quinoa and Chickpeas! Who knew they could be such good friends and make your lunch or dinner so incredibly healthy! For this recipe you will need the following:

Ingredients (6-8 servings):

• 1-2 roasted red or yellow pepper (can use the canned ones) - sliced
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 onion (diced)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 can of chickpeas (rinsed & drained)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup dried cherries

Directions:

1. Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve under cold running water (this helps prevent the quinoa from slipping away as you wash & makes it easier to drain the water out). 
2. After rinsing, drain water from pot.
3. Add 2 cups of water to the quinoa.
4. Bring the water to a boil (stir occasionally), then decrease to low heat and cover.
5. Allow the quinoa to simmer while covered for 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.
6. Fluff quinoa with a fork, turn off heat and cool quinoa to room temperature.
7. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onions once hot and cook onions until they are soft & appear translucent.
8. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute or two.
9. Remove garlic & onion pan from stove and allow to cool to room temperature.
10. Lastly, assemble the salad. Combine the quinoa, roasted red pepers, chickpeas, dried cherries, salt, pepper,  and lemon juice together. You can also add some more olive oil to mix everything together. 
11. This Quinoa & Chickpea Salad can be eaten straight out of the fridge, room temperature or even warm.   Enjoy!

I found a lot of inspiration for quinoa recipes from this book: Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood

Dual coloured Macarons - Using Pierre Herme's method

The macarons for this month's macaron challenge looks almost like christmas - which may be fitting for some days in Edmonton (since it snowed)! This month's mactweet challenge #29 was to create "Colour my World Macarons". Macs could either have different tops or bottoms or even different colours in the shell! I have yet to venture out into creating different colours in the same shell, so I decided to do two different coloured shells & use two different techniques. Pink shells were made with the French Meringue method while green shells were made using an Italian Meringue method; described within Pierre Herme's Macaron book.

I'll go into detail about this method (the green shells) in the next post. One thing I noticed is that while the French Meringue method required a lot of trial and errors, Pierre Herme's method was quite successful on the first try. Pierre Herme is true to everything he embodies as his recipe created consistent, sturdy, shells with feet. 

Enjoy the rest of the pictures! These are macarons filled with matcha buttercream and either a lychee jelly or raspberry jelly filling.