Epiphanie Chocolate

Dan    Calgary & Area, Restaurants     calgary, chocolate, dessert, downtown, eating out

There are so many situations when a box of chocolates can come in handy; Christmas parties, Valentine’s Day, your anniversary, forgetting your anniversary, apologizing to your girlfriend…Well, whatever your situation, rest assured that Epiphanie Chocolate has got you covered! Nestled into the small 1400 block of 11th St in downtown Calgary, this little chocolate shop has got a lot in store for you.

Owners, John & Debra Fleck have a passion for making one-of-a-kind chocolates with flavours ranging from caramel (of course!) and vanilla to more exotic selections such as earl grey delight and Turkish rose. My favorite choice of the bunch was probably the double smoked bacon flavour (bacon is tasty in just about everything, isn’t it?). It was not only the taste of the chocolates that amazed me, but also the design. Some were so beautiful they resembled mini pieces of art, especially the mango and saffron swirl! Almost too nice to eat.

Debra, a self-taught chocolatier, is constantly experimenting with new flavor profiles. When I stopped by the shop in July, the newest member of the Epiphanie famiy was a cola flavoured chocolate topped with a Canadian flag. Feeling patriotic? Now you can eat your feelings! Her creativity is evident, not only in taste, but in how she moulds her chocolates. Red-hot lips, frogs, soccer balls, and guitars (filled with pop rocks!) are just a few of the examples of what you can sink your teeth into.

To read the rest of this post and to check out some more great photos head over to Food Network Canada’s website by clicking here!

Have a Bite! in Inglewood!

Dan    Calgary & Area, Restaurants     bite!, calgary, eating out, grocery, high-end

Sick of plain old steak & potatoes? Bite! Groceteria & Caffé (Bite! for short) is located in the heart of the Inglewood district of Calgary. Originally a specialty supplier to restaurants around the city, it is now a destination for anyone who is ready to add that little something special to their culinary creations. From the only pasta in the world to be used in a 7-star resort (no joke!) to locally-made marinated veggies, this place has it all.

Aside from a shared love of all things culinary, co-owners Julie Denhamer & Doug Toub created Bite! because of a lack of specialty grocery stores found in the city. They strive to be a store where the aisles and shelves are far beyond the standard fare of your neighbourhood chain. There is a nice balance between local or Canadian products and imports from around the world here.

Surely a specialty grocery store like this would have some unique items. Have you heard of le 1608 cheese? Well, neither had I until Doug brought out a slice for me to taste. At first whiff, the pungent smell was overwhelming, but the taste was definitely satisfying. Interestingly enough this cheese comes from a type of cow exclusive to the Quebec region of Charlevoix, and is now considered to be endangered.

So…endangered cheese? How cool is that? Although, I would feel bad eating an endangered cheese sandwich…

To read the rest of this post and to check out some great photos head on over to the Food Network Canada website by clicking here!

Molly Malone’s in Kensington

Dan    Calgary & Area, Restaurants     beer, calgary, eating out, patio, pub

When I’m in the mood for pub food, a beer, and good quality people watching, Molly Malone’s in Kensington is a pretty safe bet. Rooftop patios are hard to come by in this city, so they should be cherished! The bar’s menu is what you’d expect from your typical neighbourhood watering hole. Deep-fried appys, pizzas, sandwiches, burgers, and items perhaps slightly (and I stress the slight) Irish-inspired.

The food isn’t going to change your life, but it’s pretty good, always hot, and most importantly, consistent. I shared the mini yorkshire puddings and their BBLT (extra ‘B‘=brie) with a friend. I am a sucker for these puddings, and the horseradish mayo accompaniment adds a nice zip. The sandwich was good as well, the produce was fresh, sandwiched in between whole wheat bread with generous amounts of brie and bacon. A mountain of fries came with the sandwich (maybe I should of opted for the salad?), which was definitely too many for one person!

Overall, I do really enjoy going to Molly Malone’s, it has one of the best rooftop patios in the city, never too windy. I always have good service, and the patrons in general are fairly jovial! If you’re sitting along the bar facing north, overlooking Kensington Road, you get the added bonus of people watching, and we all know Kensington is the best neighbourhood for people watching.

Roasted Apricot Baby Potatoes

Dan    Appetizers & Co., Recipes     appetizer, apricots, autumn, potatoes, quick, vegan

What you’ll need…

1 lb baby potatoes

1/2 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup pecan halves

2 garlic cloves

1 yellow onion

1 TBSP fresh rosemary

1 TSP dried oregano

olive oil

coarse sea salt

pepper

I felt all rustic making this side dish the other night. Definitely more of an autumn recipe, a season which seems to be swiftly approaching! Hey, where did my summer go?

This is so easy. Are you ready? Start off by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. While it’s heating up, chop the onion, apricots, and mince the garlic. Place all into a bowl with the baby potatoes and pecans.

Add in your spices, a good sprinkling of sea salt, some olive oil, than toss until everything is evenly coated. Place into a mid-sized roast pan and cover with tin foil. Pop the pan into your oven and roast, covered, for 35 minutes.

The smell is amazing! Enjoy!

Serves 4

Total cook time…45 min

A Midsummer Night’s Pork Roast

Dan    Mains, Recipes     apricots, dinner, pork, roast, summer, swiss chard, tomato

What you’ll need…

1 center cut pork loin (3.5-4lb)

1 sweet onion

3 cloves garlic

2 fresh apricots

1 cup baby arugula

1 tomato

4-5 swiss chard leaves

2 TBSP sundried tomatoes

1 TBSP dried oregano

2 TSP himalayan (pink) salt

1/2 cup red wine

1/2 cup white vinegar

salt & pepper

olive oil

Alright, so this recipe is a little bit quirky, but hey, I’m a quirky guy. It’s definitely a bit of a whimsical & summery roast presentation, hence the unique name. Mr. Shakespeare, this one’s for you!

First things first, get your oven preheating to 350 degrees. Take a small pot, fill 2/3′s with water, add the 1/2 cup of white vinegar as well, and bring to a boil.

While you’re waiting you can chop the onion, tomato, apricots and mince the garlic. Place the onion & 2 of the now minced garlic cloves into a mid-sized pan on medium-high heat with some olive oil. When the onions have softened add in the chopped tomatoes and apricots. Add the oregano, 1 TSP himalayan salt turn to low heat and let simmer for 6 minutes. When the time’s up, fold in the baby arugula and remove from heat.

Now that your water is boiling, just quickly blanch the swiss chard leaves. 20-30 seconds in the boiling water will be long enough. They’re now perfectly pliable and will wrap easily around your pork roast! Set aside until you’re ready to wrap! The vinegar just gives the swiss chard a bit of a kick.

If you’ve never ‘roll cut’ a pork loin, the easiest way to explain it is to cut into the loin in a ‘c‘ shape starting an inch from the top and ending an inch before the side. The loin should then fold open easily. Take the tomato-apricot mixture and place into the pork. Fold back up, wrap with the swiss chard leaves (each leaf should be able to wrap around the loin once width-wise). Tie up with 3 pieces of string (also width-wise) and place into a roast pan.

In the bottom of the roast pan add the 1/2 cup of red wine, remaining garlic and himalayan salt. Cover with the roast pan with tin foil, poke a few holes and place in your pre-heated oven for 45 minutes.

When the time comes to unwrap, you will have an intensely moist pork roast, with an awesome filling, not to mention a delicious jus at the bottom of the pan. I took the jus and sauteed up some fresh beans and garlic with it, tasty! Any seasonal veggies would be a great accompaniment.

Shakespeare would be proud!

Serves 3-4

Total cook time…1 hour

C’mon Calgary, let’s Salsa!

Dan    Calgary & Area, Restaurants, Thoughts     calgary, festival, salsa, summer

Do you ever feel like that jar of salsa sitting in your fridge isn’t quite as delectable or refreshing as you wanted it to be? Do you ever think to yourself ‘Is there a festival somewhere out there that has a salsa that’s just right for me, a salsa I can really get behind?’ Well, I’m here to tell you that there is, in Calgary. Once a year (the last Sunday of every July, in fact!) the business district of Kensington shuts down its 2 major streets for its annual Sun & Salsa Festival.

This year 43 different businesses in the area participated in the festival’s salsa competition. Competitors included restaurants, bars, coffee shops, tea shops, cell phone companies, banks, and more! It’s anyone’s game in this salsa war, where one can claim the title of either ‘best tasting,’ ‘most creative,’ or ‘best presentation.’ Of course, the various entries completely ran the gammit, ranging from from store-bought salsa to one made exclusively for dogs (a ‘most creative’ candidate?). Here is a run-down of my personal favourites this year…(in no particular order!):

1. Naked Leaf: A tea shop whose ingenuity resulted in a peach salsa accented by spiced green tea. Sweet and peppery, I wish they were selling it in bulk!

2. Broken Plate: Feta, cream cheese, roasted red peppers, a secret blend of spices…Ok, I feel like they’re definitely blurring the line between salsa and dip, but it tasted fantastic, as always. They have the 2008 & 2009 ‘best tasting’ trophies to prove it.

3. The Bottlehouse Beer Parlour: I didn’t want to pick a favorite, but alas, my heart was won over by this pub’s submission. Peruvian Chili Lime Salsa. All ingredients were fire-roasted, with just enough chili for a respectable (medium) amount of heat, and an aftertaste of lime that cooled your tastebuds! Ok, I need that recipe!

To find out my other favorite salsas, the WINNING salsa, and some more great  photos head on over to Food Network Canada’s website by clicking here!