Breakfast for Lunch: Two Eggs at Sugarbowl

An unexpected lunch at The Sugarbowl led me to try something from the breakfast menu. I had two eggs cooked to my order of over easy, served alongside potatoes and toast. Smoked salmon was substituted for the bacon which came with it by default. My eggs were perfectly cooked, and the home made potatoes were wonderful. My portion of smoked salmon was great. No complaints here!

Fringe Food - Version 2014

For the fourth year I was on the Multimedia Team volunteering at the Edmonton Internatinoal Fringe Theatre Festival. As a result, I had several meals and snacks on the Fringe grounds. I won't even bother to illustrate the mini doughnuts and popcorn which were delicious staples of my afternoon snacks. I will, however, present a photo of my annual green onion cake.

After trying their beef garlic steak at Taste of Edmonton, I was eager to have a real portion from Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse's food truck. For $9, the serving of steak was exactly the same as Taste of Edmonton's, with the addition of a dollop of potato salad. Still delicious, but quite pricey.

A good value was the Chilli Chicken from New Asian Village. Large chunks of chicken were atop a bed of saffron rice and a few seasoned potatoes. If only the wasps left me alone long enough to enjoy it!

While the portion seemed deceptively small at first, the Chicken Tikka from Zaika Indian Bistro was packed with rice and chicken, which was flavourful without being too spicy. The salad on top added some fresh crispness to the meal. I was so impressed, I actually had this on two separate shifts.

Folk Fest Food - Version 2014

I spent most of this past weekend at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. In addition to enjoying some great music, I also enjoyed some great food. In some ways, I find the Folk Fest has the best selection of festival food. Here is a look at what I consumed.

I was thrilled to find out that Padmanadi had a booth at the Folk Fest. I had a plate of vegan ginger beef with rice, and added the lemon prawns. This was a very satisfying lunch.

Although I pack plenty of water with me, other cold beverages are very welcome, like this refreshing lemonade from Lemon Heaven. I don't find it too sweet (someone contemplating buying some asked me) and you get plenty of ice which melts down into cold water.

Another Folk Fest regular item for me is the veggie Pad Thai from Numchok Wilai. The tangy sauce is not too spicy at all, although I could have done with some more tofu.

A frozen treat that I can rationalize as bring somewhat healthy is this chocolate covered frozen banana. I added chocolate chips as my topping. Chocolate comes from a bean. Therefore this was a serving of fruit and vegetables. Right? Right?!?!?

My ascension to the top of the hill required me to get some caffeine to keep me going. This iced cappuccino, with two shots, did the trick.

There was also a popcorn truck at the top of the hill. Sometimes, some salty popcorn is the only thing that will do. The kernels were nice and large.

I have never tried a bannock burger, so I leapt at the chance to have a veggie version from Native Delights. The patty was a rather plain soy burger, with some lettuce and tomato. The bun was the main attraction, of course - a crispy, greasy, fluffy affair that totally filled me up and removed the craving I had for French fries.

Back to Numchok Wilai, this time I tried the green tofu curry. This was definitely my culinary discovery of the weekend. Lots of tofu in a spicy, rich green curry sauce on top of a generous portion of rice, adorned with bamboo shoot slices. I could have shared - but I didn't!

Finally, from the same place as the frozen bananas, came a slice of cheesecake on a stick to which I added - you guessed it! - chocolate chips. It was quite a decadent dessert. The cheesecake was vanilla and chocolate swirl, and was as large a piece as one would get for dessert in a restaurant.

Heritage Festival 2014

The August long weekend marks the annual Heritage Festival, a time for cultures to come together to celebrate with music, dance, crafts, and - most of all - food! I got started at Hungary with langos, the famous fried dough treat that I am never able to finish. It is like an Elephant Ear, but thicker.

Afghanistan always has the best kebabs in the park, as far as I am concerned. Two long skewers of seasons ground beef with grilled tomatoes and peppers - I ended up going back for more later!

My other favourite festival dish also comes from Afghanistan: bolani. The crispy, spicy bolani reminds me of a cross between a crepe, potato pancake, and green onion cake. The side of yoghurt dip cools it down and elevates the flavour. Any suggestions on restaurants in Edmonton that serves Afghanistan cuisine?

From Egypt, I had a falafel wrap. It wasn't dry, or too spicy, and the sauce had a good flavour. It was a little small, but I had no regrets.

Cameroon is the newest addition to the countries featured at the Heritage Festival, and I tried their puff puff and fried plantain. The latter is a common item at many of the African pavilions. The plantain was cooked tender and caramelized, with a flavour that alternates between starchy and sweet. Puff puff is like a big doughnut hole, except chewier and with a sort of syrupy flavour. Very pleasant for my sweet tooth.

What can you get for one food ticket? A single doughnut from Kenya! The small triangle was crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and had a bit of a spice to it.

Chile won the honour of having the best food of the festival, according to the judges. The meat empanada is second to none, for sure: a huge dough-filled extravaganza of beef, spices, hard boiled egg, and black olive. It is unique and very filling.

I always bring water with me to festivals as I don't like to spend money on drinks, but the orange/pineapple/banana juice slush from Ecuador was a refreshing way to end my visit. It tasted tropical and it was cold. Enough said.