Food | Travel | Family | Life
Pizza lovers rejoice. It’s that time of year, where eating pizza does the city good. It’s YYC Pizza Week, a 10-day event put on to support local business and Calgary Meals on Wheels. There are over 40 pizza restaurants participating with a new menu item in one of four different categories: thin, thick, gluten-free and unique. Partial proceeds from every pizza sold goes to Calgary Meals on Wheels. Head on over to yycpizzaweek.com to find out more.
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Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had a great weekend with a delicious meal enjoyed with family. Luckily I had help with dinner prep from Q, who happily helped with making dessert.
We have had the kids in the kitchen from an early age. From measuring out flour or rolling out dough, there is always something for them to do to get them involved. We learned early on that if they have a hand in making a meal, they are more likely to eat it.
I was excited to be invited, along with Q, to the Canada Beef cooking event in partnership with Canadian Living. This was an interactive session, “Cook With Us”, that allowed us to learn from the folks at the Beef Centre, and arm the kids with basic skills to be confident in the kitchen.
The event took place at the Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence where we were invited to cook with several other families. Each family worked as a team to create one course for a meal to be enjoyed by all at the end of the evening. Of course beef took centre stage and the meal included meatloaf, sliders, stew, a stirfry and a roast.
Q and I were tasked with making mozzarella-stuffed mini meatloaves. We were joined virtually by Publisher Sandra Martin from Canadian Living who helped us prepare the dish. I have to admit, I’ve never made meatloaf. Maybe because I’ve always had this perception that meatloaf is dry. Well, this sure did change my mind! The meat was super moist and the flavours were fantastic. This recipe was a hit, especially with Q who made me promise that we would make it again at home. We did, and it tasted amazing the second time around as well.
The October issue of Canadian Living has a dedicated feature on families cooking together along with some great beef recipes. You can find the recipe for the mini meatloaves here.
Thanks to Canada Beef and Canadian Living for a fun evening!
The Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival is happening in Calgary next week. This is a great event that features wine, beer and spirits from all over the world as well as tasty food from more than 45 local restaurants.
Taking place at the Stampede Park BMO Centre, this is always a fun event. Visit with chefs, winemakers and brewmasters and discover your favourite eats and libations. The event takes place on Friday,
October 14, 5 – 10 p.m, Saturday, October 15, 12 – 4 p.m. and Saturday,
October 15, 6 – 10 p.m. Tickets are available online at
www.rockymountainwine.com. Sampling coupons are required for sampling and are available for purchase onsite.
Want to go? Win a pair of entry tickets to the afternoon tasting session on Saturday, October 15 from 12-4pm. The winner must be 18 years or older to win. Click here and enter to win on my Facebook page. Good luck!
There are a lot of things happening this coming weekend in Calgary. So many great events, can’t wait!
YYC Pizza Week (#yycpizzaweek)
This is the third year for YYC Pizza Week which runs from September 23 – October 2. With almost 50 destinations participating, this event raises money for not one, but two charities in the city – Calgary Meals on Wheels and 100 Men Calgary. Grab a friend and feel good about all the delicious pizza options. Check out the website for more info.
Calgary Home + Design Show (#CHDS16)
The Calgary Home + Design Show runs from September 22 – 25 at the BMO Centre. Calgary’s top chefs will be on hand for some cooking demos on the Trail Appliances Cooking Stage. Chefs Neil McCue of Whitehall, Paul Rogalski of Rouge and Duncan Ly from Foreign Concept will be a treat for all the local foodies. And of course, I can’t wait to check out all the great ideas to beautify and decorate my house. Be sure to check out Cory Christopher, who showed me how to make this beautiful terrarium! Buy your tickets online and save $3. Visit calgaryhomeanddesignshow.com for more info.
7th Annual Food for Thought event (#FoodForThought)
On September 25, REAP Business Association is hosting one of Calgary’s favourite food events. This event boasts 22 sampling stations and emphasizes how local food and sustainable practices make a difference. I love that this is a family-friendly event so even my little foodie can enjoy it! Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
There’s been a lot going on the last couple months in Calgary. From restaurant openings, new menus and celebrations, it’s been busy! Here’s what’s been happening!
PZA Parlour
This new restaurant is located in the SW, taking over the space that was once home to Red Robin. The decor is great and the restaurant features a planter wall and even a Vespa.
I came for a bloggers dinner and we were treated to an amazing meal!
From crispy calamari to cheesy pizza to the best doughnuts topped with Nutella!
Thomsons Restaurant Summer Menu
I was invited to check out Thomsons new summer menu. We tried their Apple & Brie Grilled Cheese as well as their signature dishes like their Steak Bites made with Alberta Beef. I also loved their nachos, especially with their lime sour cream.
They have quite a list of cocktails to enjoy as well. Perfect for enjoying on their patio.
Second Cup Reimagined
Second Cup Coffee Co. unveiled its first-ever cafe of the future in Calgary. With a completely new look, you would never guess that this was a Second Cup!
Some of the items that stood out were:
The Slow Bar which features the Steampunk – a coffee brewing system that is uses technology to brew the perfect cup of coffee.
A Wireless Charging Station
Community Wall Mural
The new concept store in Calgary is located in the Braeside Shopping Centre.
Veg-In YYC
Veg-In YYC is a new vegetarian cafe open in Downtown Calgary. From sandwiches to burgers, these meals are made using the freshest ingredients. These vegan and vegetarian dishes have an east indian influence. Don’t forget to get your chai or lassi!
Good Earth Coffee House opened its first location on 11th Street in Calgary 25 years ago! Since then, its grown to over 45 locations nationwide. Congrats on your anniversary!
There’s something about being in a room of bloggers who get what you do.
Who all stop to take pictures of food before devouring it and who
appreciate good food. A meeting of like minded people and a
learning-filled few days. That’s what I got to do a couple weekends ago. I
headed to Montreal for the third Food Bloggers of Canada Conference. I
had such a great time at my first one last year in Vancouver and
couldn’t wait to go again.
I was happy to discover that a few fellow Calgary bloggers also made the
trek – Heather, Merry and Bernice. I also finally met Ginni, who I
somehow never connected with when she lived in Calgary.
I reached Montreal on Friday
and met Nicole at the airport. Luckily she reached out
so we shared a cab to Le Westin, in old Montreal. We
quickly checked in and registered and got an amazing swag bag. Thank
you to all the great sponsors, you totally spoiled us!
We had a couple of hours before the party got started and so headed out
with a group of bloggers for an informal tour of Old Montreal, led by
Aimee. We stopped at Olive and Gourmando for a quick pastry. The place
was crowded and for people who wanted to dine in, there was a 45 minute
wait. Nicole and I shared the chocolate ginger bar. It looked like a
great place.
We then headed to Maison Christian Faure, a French pastry
shop. It was a beautiful store with macarons, cakes, ice cream and
pastries. I had the almond croissant which was buttery and delicious.
We
then headed to the maple shop, Canadian Maple Delights. We were able to
sample some of their syrups and were given a little tutorial on the
difference between the dark syrup and the light. My favourite thing in
the shop was the maple taffy. They poured the maple syrup on ice and you
were able to roll it into a wooden stick. It was so good! It was a nice
introduction to Montreal with the cobblestone streets and the old
architecture and a fun way to meet my fellow bloggers before the
conference got underway.
Before dinner, there was a cocktail reception where we ate delicious
appetizers and met with some of the sponsors. It was a fun event, meeting with people who I only knew of online.
Dinner that night was sponsored by the Turkey Farmers of Canada. Our
appetizer was Turkey confit rillette with a blueberry basil vinaigrette,
crostini and a sundried blueberry and arugula salad. It was very tasty.
Our entree was Turkey paupiette with goat cheese and butternut squash
purée and turkey sausage wontons with sage buerre blanc. It had looked
like I had licked my plate, so that should give you an indication of how
delicious it was.
Dessert was a little bit different as it also included some Turkey. The
brioche bread pudding was served with dolce de leche, carmelized apples
and a smoked turkey skin brittle. I was surprised to find that
underneath the apples, there were chunks of Turkey! Dinner was followed
by a preview of Devour the Food Film Fest.
Saturday
morning’s breakfast was fantastic! Sponsored by Burnbrae Farms and
Gourmet Garden, we were treated to a poached egg breakfast bar. Chefs
made us a bowl with roasted potatoes, a choice of vegetables and Garden
Gourmet herbs. This was then topped with a poached egg and cheese. A
great start to the day for sure.
We were inspired (and fed) by keynote Ricardo, entertained by emcee
Mairlyn, motivated by Meghan Telpner, educated in copyright and contest law by Lesley Ellen Harris and Sarah Huggins and SEO by Casey Markee.
Lunch was sponsored by the Dairy Farmers of Canada and we were spoiled
with some great grilled cheese sandwiches. I had the duck with
carmelized onions alongside some roasted tomato soup. Comfort food at
its best.
My sister came to visit me from Ottawa for the day so we spent the
afternoon walking and exploring. We made a stop at Juliette et Chocolat.
There was a wait for a table so we opted for take out. It was fun
watching all the creations come out of the busy kitchen. We shared a
very rich hot chocolate and a brownie cookie. It was a nice time to be
in Montreal, all the leaves looking beautiful in red, orange and yellow.
Dinner that night was sponsored by Canadian Lentils. The food was great
but my pictures were not, there was no light to take the pictures.
You’re just going to have to trust me that it was all beautiful.
We
started with smoked and fresh trout tartar with brown lentil blinis and
an apple lentil sprout and fennel salad. Our entree was a lentil strudel
curry on braised beef cheek in a lemongrass coconut sauce. Dessert was
lentil chocolate cake. During the courses, we were entertain and amazed
by Cirque Eloize – the strength and contortion abilities of the
performers left us in awe.
Sunday’s
breakfast was sponsored by Half Your Plate and was another winner. We
had bagels from St. Viateur with lox and cream cheese and a huge
assortment of fruit.
We had another great day of sessions learning about photography from
Andrew Scrivani, enjoying a panel discussion from Farm and Food Care Canada, and being inspired by Davida and
Ayngelina who turned their blogs into a business.
To get the true Montreal experience, they brought Schwartz’s Deli to us
and we enjoyed smoked meat sandwiches complete with pickles, coleslaw,
chips and black cherry cola for lunch. We had the opportunity to meet
with brands and make connections, a new thing they tried out this year.
All in all, it was a great conference. I met some friendly, inspiring
bloggers, ate some really good food and learned a lot! The weekend was
about taking a leap and from what I learned, I was able to set some
goals in order to do that.
A huge thank you to Melissa and Ethan, who planned another successful
conference. All your hard work definitely paid off. Looking forward to
the next one in Toronto in 2016!
Starting on Friday, it’s everyone’s favourite week – YYC Pizza Week! What better way to support Meals on Wheels than by stuffing your face with delicious pie at participating restaurants. With so many options to choose from, you could technically have pizza for every meal – all for a good cause, of course.
I was happy to participate once again in the Food Blogger Pizza Challenge. We were supposed to pick two out of the four ingredients from The Italian Store to come up with our creation. The four ingredients were: fig spread, homemade pesto, ricotta, pitted assorted olives.
I chose to use fig spread and ricotta and Hubby helped in creating the Fiery Fig BBQ Chicken Pizza. The fig spread was used in creating the fiery bbq sauce. Made with the spread, poblano peppers, ketchup, balsamic and spices, the sauce was tangy and sweet and oh so good. We literally licked the pot clean.
I topped the pizza with cheese, bbq’d chicken and red onions. Once out of the oven, I topped the pie with ricotta fresca, which added a creamy, cool component to the pizza.
The pizzas from all the challengers will be posted on Friday where you’ll have a chance to vote. Be sure to visit a participating restaurant next week and support Meals on Wheels!
Fiery Fig BBQ Sauce
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 TB fig spread
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 poblano pepper, roasted
salt
pepper
oil
sriracha, as hot as you like it
Heat some oil in a pan and add the onions and garlic. Add the ketchup, vinegar, fig spread and spices and cook for a few minutes. Add the mixture to a blender along with the pepper and sriracha. Blend until smooth. Enough for one pizza.
It looks like the weather is going to be gorgeous in Calgary this weekend. If you’re looking for something fun to do outdoors on Sunday, you should definitely check out the World Partnership Walk at Prince’s Island Park.
Taking place for over 30 years, the Walk has raised almost $90 million for international development programs and initiatives. This year, Q and his cousins have gotten together and formed a team. If you’re looking to make a donation, feel free to sponsor him here.
This annual event boasts great entertainment, and of course, delicious food! This year, there are six food vendors to fill our bellies – Africana, A Fine Balance, Bubbles & Subs, Fiasco Gelato, Waffles & Chix, Calgary Mini Donuts and Subway. It’s going to be so hard to choose!
Click here to find out more information. Hope to see you there!
A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend an evening with some fellow bloggers learning about Catelli’s Healthy Harvest Ancient Grains Pasta from none other than Chef Lynn Crawford!
Catelli’s new pasta is made with five ancient grains – quinoa, amaranth, teff, sorghum and millet. Currently available in Western Canada, the pasta is available in three cuts – Spaghetti, Spaghettini and Rotini.
We were so lucky to have Chef Lynn make us a couple of tasty treats. The first was Rotini in a Marinara sauce topped with cheese and fresh mozzarella. The second was the Spaghettini, tossed with pesto and cheese. So delicious!
She shared some great tips with us – use the stems of cilantro, think salty sea when salting the pasta water, never rinse the pasta after cooking for sauces to better adhere to the pasta.
Chef Lynn then proceeded to show us how to make her Chilled Noodle Salad with Ginger Wasabi Dressing. We then headed to the kitchen to make it for ourselves.
It was such a fun and memorable evening! Want a chance to win a one year supply of Catelli Healthy Harvest Ancient Grains pasta? Enter below!
Chilled Noodle Salad with Ginger Wasabi Dressing
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 8 min
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 pkg (340 g) Catelli® Healthy Harvest® Ancient Grains Spaghettini
2 cups (500 ml) snow peas, thinly sliced diagonally
1 cup (250 ml) shelled edamame
1 small English cucumber
2 cups (500 ml) napa cabbage, finely shredded
1 cup (250 ml) red pepper, cut into matchsticks
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1/4 cup (60 ml) cilantro leaves
2 tbsp (30 ml) black sesame seeds
Ginger-Wasabi Dressing:
1/4 cup (60 ml) seasoned rice vinegar
3 tbsp (45 ml) canola oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce
2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
1 tsp (5 ml) lemon zest
2 tsp (10 ml) brown sugar
2 tsp (10 ml) sesame oil
1 tsp (5 ml) grated fresh ginger
wasabi to taste
Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain well. Rinse under cold water until well chilled; transfer to large bowl and set aside.
In a pot of boiling water, cook snow peas and edamame until tender-crisp. Drain and rinse under cold water until well chilled; set aside.
Meanwhile, halve the cucumber lengthwise and use the end of a spoon to scoop and discard seeds; cut cucumber into julienne strips.
Ginger-Wasabi Dressing: Whisk together rice vinegar, canola oil, soy sauce, lemon juice and zest, brown sugar, sesame oil and ginger. Season with wasabi to taste.
Add cucumber, snow peas, edamame, napa cabbage, red pepper, green onions and avocado to noodles; toss with enough dressing to coat.
Garnish with cilantro leaves and black sesame seeds.
Tip: If you have time, you can chill the noodle dish by refrigerating for 1 to 4 hours.
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It’s Oscar Sunday! Although I haven’t seen a lot of the nominated movies, it’s a great excuse to have a party. If you’re looking for an appetizer, here’s a tasty one!
Toasted baguette rubbed with garlic topped with a refreshing ricotta spread that’s brightened with lemon and basil – yum!. This crostini is complete with a topping of crispy lentils. The ricotta makes it nice and light while the lentils add some crunchy substance. It was hard not to eat them all myself!
I became a fan of crispy lentils after trying it on a pasta dish at the Food Bloggers of Canada Conference. They are so easy to make, just tossing some cooked lentils in the oven with a little bit of olive oil. It took about 25 minutes and a couple shakes throughout the process. The crisped up lentils are great on their own but perfect as a topping.
What are you serving at your Oscar party?
Lemon Ricotta Crostini with Crispy Lentils
1 baguette
300 grams ricotta cheese
1/2 large lemon, juice and zest
2 TB chopped basil
1 cup cooked lentils
olive oil
salt
pepper
Spread the lentils on a baking sheet with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.
In a bowl, combine the ricotta, zest of half a lemon, juice of half a lemon and the basil. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut the baguette into slices, drizzle with olive oil and toast.
Add a spoonful of the mixture on the toasted bread and top with the crunchy lentils. Enjoy!