tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82312958248418325112024-08-29T02:05:19.778-07:00westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-52320737341342418112011-06-07T05:11:00.001-07:002011-06-07T05:11:15.360-07:00 <IMG class=articleleadphoto title="First selection Omar Salgado of the Vancouver Whitecaps poses for a photo during the 2011 MLS SuperDraft on January 13, 2011 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. | 2011 Getty Images" alt="First selection Omar Salgado of the Vancouver Whitecaps poses for a photo during the 2011 MLS SuperDraft on January 13, 2011 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. - First selection Omar Salgado of the Vancouver Whitecaps poses for a photo during the 2011 MLS SuperDraft on January 13, 2011 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. | 2011 Getty Images" src="/OmarSalgado131126201cl-3.jpg" width=220 height=123> Published Friday, Mar. 25, 2011 12:53PM EDTLast updated Friday, Mar. 25, 2011 1:20PM EDT<ASIDE class="articleseealso articleseealsoheader">1 comment <P>Vancouver Whitecaps FC, after thumping Toronto FC in their Major League Soccer debut, has just scored the most important goal of its young and increasingly promising season.</P><P>In a surprise move, international soccer officials have approved a special exemption to let 17-year-old Omar Salgado play for the Whitecaps before he turns 18 in September.</P><ASIDE class="articleseealso entry-content-asset"><P>The addition could significantly bolster the Whitecaps already-seemingly impressive offensive, which netted four goals at home against TFC last Saturday. Salgado scored the first goal for the Whitecaps in a March 6 exhibition win against the Seattle Sounders.</P><P>Salgado’s official Whitecaps debut will probably be at home at Empire Field in east Vancouver on April 16, against Chivas USA in the Whitecaps’ sixth game of the season.</P><P>Until then the young striker is on international duty, training with the United States U-20 national team in preparation for regional championships in Guatemala, which end April 10. The U.S. is favoured to advance, which means Salgado will be away for the U-20 World Cup, missing as many as a half-dozen Whitecaps matches in July and August.</P><P>Still, it’s a big boost for the Whitecaps to have Salgado in their arsenal earlier than expected. He had otherwise been set to play on his 18th birthday on Sept. 10 on the road against the New York Red Bulls.</P><P>“Omar is a great talent and will be an important player to the club,” coach Teitur Thordarson said in a statement on Friday morning. “To have the news that he will be able to play from this point on is great for us, as Omar has already showed us that he can play on this level.”</P><P>International soccer rules prohibit the international transfer of players younger than 18 to professional clubs outside their home country. Salgado is from El Paso, Tex.</P><P>In January, Salgado became the unlikely No 1 pick in the MLS SuperDraft. The Whitecaps, ahead of the draft, made it clear they were looking to pick Darlington Nagbe, a college star in the United States. But Nagbe, a Liberian, was concerned about playing in Canada and how it could affect his application for U.S. citizenship. So the Whitecaps picked the raw yet intriguing Salgado first, and Nagbe went No 2 to the Portland Timbers, the Whitecaps’ expansion rivals.</P><P>Salgado will be paired on offence with Eric Hassli, who was imported from FC Zurich in March to add scoring firepower- and in the game against TFC delivered immediately, scoring the first goal in the 15th minute to put the home team up 1-0 and again in the 72nd minute to extend the lead to 4-1.</P><P>Salgado, who like Hassli stands 6 foot 4, has been antsy to play official games for the Whitecaps. “It’s very frustrating for me,” he said on the wait in an interview with The Globe and Mail in early March after a practice.</P><P>On Friday, in a statement, Salgado said: “I am excited for the opportunity to contribute to my club on the field and I will continue working hard, so that I am ready when that day comes.”</P><br /><p><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/top-pick-omar-salgado-cleared-to-join-whitecaps/article1956698/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=National&utm_content=1956698" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-62305808843732280932011-03-24T11:42:00.000-07:002011-03-24T11:42:00.441-07:00 <P>A committee of farmers market advocates, community members and producers has been working on the development of the Southwest Edmonton Farmers Market for quite some time. Now, it looks as though the new market will be held on Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the parking lot of the Lillian Osborne High School at 2019 Leger Road. The tentative start date is May 19th.</P><P>This is excellent news, as people in the southwest have had to drive a long ways to get to fresh, farmers market produce.</P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/02/25/more-news-on-a-farmers-market-in-the-city-s-southwest.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-17032224246498395292011-03-24T07:52:00.000-07:002011-03-24T07:52:00.794-07:00 <P>Michael Schmidt, an Ontario dairy farmer and advocate of raw milk, was in town this week, speaking to a group of Slow Food Edmonton members at the Edmonton Public Library. Valerie Rodgers Lugonja, a local blogger who also runs cooking courses, was at the event. Here is her report. </P><P>Also, here is a link to a Global Television report on the same issue. Another source for this story is Michael Schmidt's own blog, The Bovine.</P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/02/25/reports-on-the-raw-milk-movement-around-edmonton.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-86079727156479116852011-03-24T04:47:00.000-07:002011-03-24T04:47:00.179-07:00 <P>Just home from holidays, and right into the frey. Yesterday, I observed and interviewed the warm and wise likes of celebrity Chef Susur Lee (check out Brian Gavriloff's photo gallery of the event) and today I wrote a couple of stories about his visit to NAIT. Now I'm ready to bash back into the blog. Lots of things are happening and I'm going to tell you about them, but remember, sometimes I cleverly plant mistakes in my blog, just to tease the readers who are incensed by this, and feel the need to blast off blustery missives. I love you too!!</P><P>So, without further ado:</P>* Local home economist and cookbook author, Deb Anzinger, is hosting a free session on cooking with fresh herbs at the southside Planet Organic on Tuesday, March 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.* There will be an indoor farmers market underneath the pyramids at City Hall, running Saturdays until the 104th street  outdoor City market opens in May. I love this idea, having attended the Christmas season market at city hall in December. It's warm and cosy and fun down there, and there are lots of great vendors. Here is a Journal story about this new market, which runs until May 14th.<BR>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/03/15/time-to-clog-the-blogosphere.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-79476294359532345582011-03-24T00:22:00.000-07:002011-03-24T00:22:00.588-07:00 <P>Downtown Dining Week, sponsored by the Downtown Business Association, starts March 4 and runs through to the 13th. More than 30 restaurants are taking part in the event, which sees reduced prices on lunch and/or dinner menus. This is a great time to check out restaurants you've always wanted to see, or just to give yourself a winter treat.</P><P>The DBA has donated four certificates to four downtown restaurants - Niche, Khazana, Tzin and brunch for two at the Sutton Place Hotel. The gift certificates run from $25 to $60 in value. </P><P>If you'd like to enter a draw to win one of the certificates, please send an e-mail to livingwell@edmontonjournal.com. Put Downtown Dining Week in the subject line. Include your name and day time phone number in the body of the e-mail. The names of the winners will be published on the Downtown Dining Week website, and winners must claim their prize at the downtown office of the Edmonton Journal. The deadline for the draw is February 28th. Winners will be drawn on March 1. </P><P>I'm off today - YAY - for a two-week period. See when I return!</P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/02/25/downtown-dining-week-goes-on-even-though-i-m-on-holidays.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-79366904793828468712011-03-23T19:44:00.000-07:002011-03-23T19:44:00.158-07:00 <P>There is high excitement in the culinary community as Chef Lee, one of the most acclaimed chefs in North America, begins a five-day intensive teaching program at NAIT, where the master chef and restaurateur will be teaching students in the culinary arts program.<IMG border=0 alt="" src="/0243susur.jpg" width=250 height=250></P><P>The program is part of the Hokanson Chef In Residence program, which kicked off in 2009 with Vancouver chef Rob Feenie, and then again in 2010 with Toronto chef David Adjey.</P><P>Chef Lee's resume is exhaustive, beginning at the age of 16 when he was an apprentice at Hong Kong's  renowned Peninsula Hotel. He later moved to Toronto, opening his first restaurant, Lotus, in 1987. Since then, Chef Lee has been an international culinary consultant, and is at the helm of several restaurants in Toronto,  Washington, New York and Singapore.</P><P>The restaurant and travel guide, Zagat, has dubbed Lee a "culinary genius." Food and Wine magazine, which calls Lee one of the Ten Chefs of the Millennium, alongside other food artists such as Ferran Adira of Spain's Bulli restaurant.</P><P>I have the great good fortune to be observing Chef Lee this afternoon as he instructs students at NAIT. Then I get to interview him! If you've got questions for him, tell me right now and I'll try to slip them into the conversation. Check the Journal website Tuesday for my story, along with a photo gallery from this afternoon's demo.</P><P>The picture at right is from the cover of Lee's cookbook, co-written with Jacob Richler.</P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/03/14/chef-susur-lee-is-in-e-town-from-march-14th-to-18th.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-10184179192030912242011-03-23T15:12:00.000-07:002011-03-23T15:12:00.399-07:00 <P>This recipe is found in Lee's cookbook, Susur:  A Culinary Life (10 Speed Press, 2005). It has been adapted by StarChefs and yields four servings. In Wednesday's Journal, we'll have something a little less ambitious for those among us who quiver at the thought of making our own squid ink dough.<IMG border=0 alt="" src="/2318susur.jpg" width=250 height=250></P><P>Lee is in Edmonton at NAIT until Friday, teaching students in the culinary arts department. Wednesday, the school hosts a lunch with Lee, and, yes, I'm going. Yay! I'll be tweeting about it, and posting some photos with those tweets. Can't wait.</P><P>Lobster-Filled Squid Ink Ravioli in Lobster Consomme<BR>Ingredients: <BR>Lobster Ravioli Filling: <BR>2 sheets gelatin <BR>1 cup (250 mL) lobster consommé <BR>4 shiitake mushrooms, finely diced <BR>1 (1 ½ pound) boiled lobster, tail meat diced <BR>Pinch of sea salt <BR>1/4 teaspoon (2 mL) cayenne pepper <BR>Freshly ground black pepper </P><P>Squid Ink Dough: <BR>1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour <BR>3 tablespoons (50 mL) hot water <BR>3 tablespoons (50 mL) squid ink <BR>3 large eggs </P><P>Additional: <BR>1 egg white <BR>1 cup (250 mL) lobster consommé <BR>2 tablespoons (30 mL) shao hsing wine <BR>Pinch sea salt <BR>Pinch ground white pepper <BR>Onion oil <BR>4 ounces lobster claw meat, for garnish <BR>4 lobster tentacles, for garnish <BR>4 chives, for garnish <BR>1/4 cup (50 mL) cooked lobster roe, for garnish <BR>Spirulina powder </P><P>Method: <BR>For Lobster Ravioli Filling:<BR>Soak gelatin leaves in water. Remove leaves and squeeze out excess water. Place in stainless-steel bowl over pot of simmering water and melt. Add cold lobster consommé and mix well. Transfer bowl to refrigerator and chill for 1 hour to set. When set, remove and dice. Toss with mushrooms and lobster tail meat. Season with salt and peppers and return to refrigerator until ready to use. </P><P>For Squid Ink Dough:<BR>Using a stand mixer with dough hook, combine the flour and water and mix until dough forms. Continue mixing while adding squid ink. Add eggs, one at a time, until dough is smooth and almost black. Transfer dough to a work surface dusted with flour and knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Divide dough into 2 balls and roll out each to make a rope. Flatten each rope into a strip and, using a pasta machine, run each strip through decreasing settings until setting 4 is reached. Let noodle sheets dry for at least 45 minutes before cutting (if sheets are sticky, dust with flour).</P><P>Once dried, lay each sheet out on flour-dusted countertop. With a 4-inch (2.4 centimetre) cookie cutter, cut out 4 ravioli tops. With 3 ½-inch (2 centimetre) cookie cutter, cut out 4 ravioli bottoms. Dust with flour to prevent sticking. On baking sheet, arrange bottom ravioli rounds. Spoon 1/4 cup (50 mL) of ravioli filling in center of each. Brush egg white around edges of ravioli and place each top over filling. Enclose filling in ravioli circles, making sure there are no air pockets, and pinch to seal.</P><P>In medium pot, bring lobster consommé to a boil with wine. Season with salt and pepper. Place each lobster ravioli in soup bowl oiled very lightly with onion oil. Pout hot consommé, about ¼ cup each, over ravioli. Transfer bowls to steamer and steam ravioli in consommé for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.</P><P>To Serve:<BR>Slice lobster claws into 4 portions. Use lobster tentacles to skewer lobster claw slices. Insert ends of tentacles into chives. Garnish each bowl of ravioli and consommé with lobster roe, skewered claw slice, and sprinkling of spirulina.</P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/03/15/here-s-a-classic-susur-lee-recipe-watch-for-more.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-60557309309230629892011-03-23T12:11:00.000-07:002011-03-23T12:11:00.720-07:00 <P>Chicken, chicken, chicken. In the winter, when I'm not using the barbecue, I despair of what to do with chicken or pork. Here's an article from the Chicago Sun Times that suggests brine as an easy fix. </P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/02/24/bored-to-death-of-chicken-brine-it.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-21227040969957158112011-03-23T07:38:00.000-07:002011-03-23T07:38:00.623-07:00 <P>If you have a bulk food club, a wild food club, are involved in community supported agriculture, or are in some way linked to food production and sales outside of the traditional supermarket, there is an upcoming event you might be interested in. </P><P>It's on March 20 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Nina Haggarty  Centre for the Arts (located at 9702-111th Avenue).  The event, called Beyond the Supermarket, aims to create connections among organizations and individuals who produce food and are interested in expanding their reach to consumers beyond grocery stores, and even beyond farmers markets. The event is being held to coincide with Seedy Sunday, a seed-swapping event for gardeners.</P>For further information, go to http://www.slowfoodedmonton.ca/?p=172.You can apply to have a free booth at beyondthesupermarket@gmail.com.</P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/02/25/just-food-edmonton-and-slow-food-edmonton-c-host-march-food-event.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-7607228643143445652011-03-23T04:02:00.000-07:002011-03-23T04:02:00.300-07:00 <P>I've visited three different Pho places recently, and I'll be talking on CBC radio's drive home show about those places on Friday at roughly 4:40 p.m.</P><P>Pho, in case you don't know, is Vietnamese noodle soup. There are Pho places all over the city, and even one chain (Pho Hoa, with four locations in Edmonton). The soup itself is fairly simply, generally made with a flavourful charred onion and beef-based broth, and thin slices of various beef cuts - from ordinary sirloin, to cuts most people don't each much, such as tendon, flank and even tripe (stomach). Pho is seasoned with distinctive spices such as star anise, fennel, and cardamom.</P><P>The fun thing about Pho, though, is the condiments. It's served with hot sauce, Thai basil, bean sprouts and lemon or lime wedges. Some say that Pho is influenced not only by French cuisine (remember that France once occupied Vietnam) in terms of its use of beef, but also by Chinese food culture. The latter theory is rooted in the fact that Chinese cuisine is big on balance of flavours (bitter, salty, sweet, sour and spicy) and that the Pho condiments give an opportunity for people to please, and balance, their own palates to their own taste.</P><P>I tried three places for Pho in my wanderings. One was Phobulous (8701-109th Street) in the Garneau area. This is a popular spot for students and is a bit more upscale than the other Pho places I tried. It also had a broad-based, Vietnamese food menu with lots of options for things to eat if you don't want Pho. I enjoyed the Pho beef broth, which was strongly flavoured with star anise (I love star anise). </P><P>The second place was Pho Tau Bay at 10660-98th Street. It was casual in the extreme, a good place to grab something quick. It closes from Monday to Thursday at 6:30 p.m., so make sure and leave yourself time. The menu here was almost entirely Pho based, and the service was speedy and efficient. The hot sauce was...hot, and delicious. </P><P>The third spot was Ninh Kieu, located just down the street from Pho Tau Bay at 10708-98th Street. Again, the menu featured lots of other Asian foods and (Pho aside), I loved their green onion cakes. By the time I went to Ninh Kieu, I had the condiments down pat, and really enjoyed mixing my soup with lots of sprouts and lemon for extra crunch and tang.</P><P>Pho is filling, and inexpensive, with all the places I tried offering big bowls for less than $10.</P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/02/25/friday-i-ll-be-talking-about-pho-on-radio-active.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-56356393598463705902011-03-23T00:27:00.000-07:002011-03-23T00:27:00.359-07:00 <P>Local blogger and CBC 740 radio "food explorer" Twyla Campbell recently visited this American-based chain to check out their burger fare. Here is a link to her review, on her blog at http://weirdwildandwonderful.blogspot.com/</P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/02/25/five-guys-burgers-and-fries-opens-in-sherwood-park.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-38482271516375855682011-03-22T20:17:00.000-07:002011-03-22T20:17:00.517-07:00 <P>I want to thank readers so very much for all their contributions to our Soup Stories series, which wrapped up on Wednesday in the Journal. This last one comes from Louisa Bruinsma. While it's seasonal, reflecting one of Louisa's annual Christmas traditions, it is a heart-warming tale, just the kind of idea to tuck away for next year.  Here is Louisa's story, and her recipe for Ginger Yam Soup.</P><P>"I am a self-professed Christmas Grinch: I don’t do gifts, though my husband makes the annual trek to Ikea on the first Saturday of December for the tree. Beginning in mid-November, we avoid stores and malls.</P><P>But -- not the carols! My Christmas is our annual Soup ‘n Sing party. Friends who love to sing are greeted by candles in the snow, the candles creating perfect columns of glowing light. Once inside the door, smells of cinnamon in mulled wine entice them further into our home. They toss coats onto our bed (not enough room in the closet), grab a mug of wine, and head to the basement. Then for an hour we sing around the piano. </P><P>It really is who you know that counts. What a gift to have accomplished musicians like Dr. Joachim Segger (piano professor from The Kings University College) and Dr. Marnie Giesbrecht (his wife, organ professor at University of Alberta) willing to accompany the singing. I book them as early as I dare, since Christmas is the busiest time of the year for musicians.</P><P>At our first Soup ‘n Sing, we sang the old traditional carols, and made a feeble attempt at the Hallelujah Chorus. Over the years we became bold enough to attempt more Messiah pieces. And last year Joachim and Marnie brought choral sheet music which we sight read. One year a jazz musician performed some wonderful renditions of carols, and, each year, Joachim and Marnie (also known as Duo Majoya) treat us to Mozart for four hands.</P><P>It used to be the custom in old city missions for residents to listen to the preacher before they could eat in the soup kitchen. But we make people sing before they can eat their soup. Soup is the menu, self-serve: pea soup, borscht, ginger yam, and a favourite from my good friend, Donna --spicy peanut soup.</P><P>Other treats miraculously appear on the buffet table (think parable of the loaves and fishes): a tray of veggies, my friend Evelyn’s signature cinnamon buns, Maria’s amazing pie. It’s great to have friends who hail from the “what-can-I-bring” school. It makes entertaining easy. (You only need to put those candles in the snow and clean the bathroom! And – be sure to check with the neighbours about where your guests can park, particularly when the windrows block the street.)</P><P>For what is Christmas without carols? My husband and I grew up in Dutch immigrant families, and the lump that develops in our throat when we sing the Dutch carol “Ere Zij God” (Glory to God) does make it seem like there is some hope for peace in the world.</P><P>Soup ‘n Sing Ingredients</P><P>Dozen tea light candles in the snow</P><P>Plonk for mulled wine</P><P>“What-can-I-bring” friends who love to sing</P><P>Gifted friends who play piano</P><P>Sheet music for singing</P><P>Copies of Messiah</P><P>Hearty appetite for soup</P><P>Tolerant neighbours who will share parking in front of their house</P><P><B>Louisa’s Ginger Yam Soup</B></P><P>Melt app 2 TBSP butter in a large soup kettle.</P><P>Add ½ tsp red pepper flakes (omit if you don’t like spicy food), app 3 TBSP chopped ginger, 3 cloves minced garlic and stir together until translucent.</P><P>After mixed, add 1 Litre of chicken stock.</P><P>While this is cooking, peel 2 medium size yams. Cut into chunks and add to soup mixture</P><P>Cook until soft, then puree everything in blender or food processor.</P><P>Just before serving, add 1 can of coconut milk and a ½ lime. Cook just until boiling point.</P><P>Garnish with either fresh chives or parsley. (If you enjoy a spicier and more colourful addition, add one green jalapeno pepper cut very fine, just before serving.) Add a half lime to the pot for some extra zing.</P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/02/24/the-final-soup-story-in-our-saga.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-70562517787210750692011-03-22T16:13:00.000-07:002011-03-22T16:14:10.916-07:00 <P>Every month, Delux Burger Bar has a Celebrity Chef who designs a signature burger for that month. <IMG border=0 alt="" src="/0410Nicola5F00web.jpg" width=250 height=250></P>February saw Global Edmonton's Nicola Crosbie (chief meteorologist for the station) create a Nicola Burger - a juicy beef burger with cambozola, pancetta, arugula and black currant mayo - served on a whole wheat flat bread.</P>So far, the Nicola Burger has busted previous Celebrity Chef burger sales records, with 1763 burgers sold, triple the previous record holder. Nicola has beat her own goal of selling 1,000 burgers.</P>Delux is donating $1 from every burger to Nicola's favourite charity - the Edmonton Eskimo Women's Ovarian Cancer Research Endowment Fund. Nicola's mom died from ovarian cancer 13 years ago. Here's a shout out to Nicola for her efforts, and to Delux for the charitable contribution.</P>The photo was taken by  Edmonton photographer Bruce Clarke.</P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/02/24/foodie-and-tv-host-nicola-crosbie-sells-delux-burgers-for-charity.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-90079465526389633072011-02-28T00:16:00.000-08:002011-02-28T00:16:00.276-08:00 <P>Even as we spoke, Danny Turner, who started the organic food delivery system with his wife Miranda back in April, had to run because a shipment of beets, shallots and onions from two family farms near Coaldale (near Lethbridge) had just arrived, and his unloading guy had gone home for the day. <IMG border=0 alt="" src="/4628box.jpg" width=250 height=250></P><P>With some 500 regular customers (people ordering shipments to their home at least every two weeks), the business is very nearly to the point where the owners can give themselves a salary. Danny expects to hit 400 weekly deliveries this month. Last April, when first we spoke, the business had 120 customers.</P><P>"Momentum is starting to carry us," says Danny of the unexpected growth. "It's word of mouth."</P><P>Danny and Miranda Turner are thirtysomething parents of two small boys who wanted to build a business that would both support their family and an organic food delivery system. For roughly $50 a week (including a charge for a sustainability fund to purchase emission offsets), customers of the Organic Box can pick  from among a number of organic items to be delivered year-round. </P><P>Where possible, those products are local (they have a dozen local producers), but the Turners also carry things like organic oranges and bananas, and try to find those nearest to home. For instance, the oranges come from California, not Florida. The Turners strive to have all products certified organic, but also have some producers who use organic practices, but aren't certified.<BR></P><P>The Turners were inspired in their effort by their time living in San Francisco, where the local food movement has been big for years. Plus, Danny's thesis for his master's degree at Oxford University in England examined a business model that is now the backbone of the Organic Box. </P><P>For more information, go to theorganicbox.ca,or phone 780-469-1900. </P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/02/05/the-organic-box-burgeoning.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-2554137557818987652011-02-27T19:41:00.000-08:002011-02-27T19:41:00.076-08:00 <IMG class=articleleadphoto title="Police with man in handcuffs." alt="Police with man in handcuffs. - Police with man in handcuffs." src="/web-prison-hand1174165cl-3.jpg" width=220 height=123> Greenspan and DoobPublished Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011 5:00AM ESTLast updated Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011 7:13AM EST66 comments <P>Everyone wants to reduce crime and use resources effectively. But the Conservative government’s “tough on crime” agenda would have you believe that crime is increasing and can only be reduced by using tougher penalties. This assertion is wrong, as is a study by an Ottawa-based think tank that reviewed the 2009 Statistics Canada report on crime. </P><ASIDE class=articleseealso><ASIDE class="articlesidebar s3of12"><P>The study, by former Alberta Crown attorney Scott Newark for the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, suggests that violent crime is increasing, contrary to the Statscan report and all reasoned examinations of existing data. Mr. Newark’s study is filled with problems: It compares figures that can’t be compared. It presents figures that are inaccurate. And it ignores evidence supporting the conclusion that crime is, in fact, decreasing. </P><P>Mr. Newark criticizes Statscan for not including crime rates for all criminal offences. This information is available to anyone in the world on Statscan’s website. The figures clearly show (see Column 1 of our table) a substantial decrease over time. It’s no wonder Mr. Newark only chose to criticize, rather than present the numbers. </P><P>The violent crime rates presented in Statscan’s report are reproduced in Column 2 of our table. It shows that, since 2000, the violent crime rate</EM> went down each and every year. Mr. Newark’s study offers only three figures (of numbers of crimes, not</EM> rates, thus not correcting for population increases) for 1999 (291,000), 2004 (302,000) and 2009 (443,000). The 2009 figure corresponds to current Statscan data; the 1999 and 2004 figures use a narrower definition of violence. </P><IMG alt="" src="/co-greenspan-ne1198343cl-6.jpg" width=459 height=258> — The Globe and Mail/Statistics Canada</P><P>Mr. Newark’s 2009 figure includes an additional set of offences – criminal harassment and uttering threats. These two newcomers to the category of violence constituted 22 per cent of all violent offences. Mr. Newark makes it clear that he’s aware of the change in definition, but ignores it in his table and doesn’t refer to the data that we have reproduced in Column 2 because it doesn’t support his erroneous conclusion. </P><P>It’s easy to make crime look as though it’s going up if one provides numbers that are wrong or misleading. Mr. Newark offers what he calls “youth violent crime” for three years and shows “rates per 100,000” for these years: 956 (for 2001), 1,498 (for 2004) and 1,887 (for 2008). He then concludes there’s been a 100-per-cent increase in youth violent crime. </P><P>The data from the Statscan report he’s critiquing are in Column 3. Mr. Newark’s starting point (2001) is clearly wrong; he says in his table that the number is 956 (rather than 1,957, the true number), thereby supporting his erroneous conclusion that there’s been a large increase in youth violent crime. Had he reproduced the correct figures for these years in his table, one couldn’t conclude that the youth violent crime rate had gone up. </P><P>There are other problems. In an attempt to explain away the fact that homicide rates have unambiguously decreased since the mid-1970s, Mr. Newark suggests that “homicides are arguably decreasing because of the increased quality of medical care,” presumably turning murders into attempted murders. Although he must know, as a former Crown attorney, that attempted murder doesn’t require life-threatening injuries or, indeed, any injury, he still suggests that medical care is a likely cause for the failure of homicide rates to increase. For this to be true, there should be an increase in attempted murder rates. Column 4 shows no overall increase in homicide rates in recent years, and Column 5 shows no consistent trend in attempted murder rates. </P><P>It appears that for people such as Mr. Newark, Statistics Canada is never wrong as long as it reports that crime rates are increasing. If it says crime is decreasing, then it’s never right. The fact of the matter is that crime rates have nothing to do with tougher laws or harsher sentencing. The fact is that crime rates go up and down. In recent years, they’ve gone down. </P><P>Edward Greenspan is a Toronto criminal lawyer. Anthony Doob is a professor of criminology at the University of Toronto.</EM> </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opinion/crunch-the-numbers-crime-rates-are-going-down/article1913808/?cmpid=rss1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-31353151254429744692011-02-27T15:03:00.000-08:002011-02-27T15:03:00.451-08:00 <P>Learning to bake bread reminds me of having a baby. For one thing, there is  small, soft, beautiful smelling bundle to fuss over. But also, there is a fairly rigorous schedule to be maintained, and my bread can't be left alone for very long. Indeed, I feel guilty that I went out for supper, and didn't get to proofing my bread until a bit too late. Now, it's 9 p.m. (my bread is yawning and rubbing its eyes) and I've just divided my dough (which has been rising for four or five hours) into two loaves.  It's proofing in my slightly-warm oven, a.k.a. the nursery.</P><P>Thanks to the readers who offered me malt - I ended up finding some at Bosch Kitchen Centre.</P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/02/07/baking-bread-still.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-25667137836457788592011-02-27T10:31:00.000-08:002011-02-27T10:31:00.483-08:00 <P>Well, I just took my bun out of the oven. It looks less like a loaf of bread than a skull, something hunched in a kidney pan after an autopsy. Clearly bread, like a baby, has a life of its own.</P><P>Here's hoping it tastes better than it looks, but it certainly didn't puff out like the Rustic Sourdough I made during my NAIT class did. Hmmm. Hard to imagine which of the many steps involved in this process was not quite right. Was the proofing not long enough? Kitchen too cold? Oh no, did I forget to burp after nursing?</P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/02/07/hmmmm-not-sure-about-my-bread.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-90483362768858298672011-02-27T06:56:00.000-08:002011-02-27T06:57:21.735-08:00 <IMG class=articleleadphoto title="" alt="" src="/ttcfunding1147041cl-3.jpg" width=220 height=123> Published Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011 10:23AM ESTLast updated Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011 10:36AM EST20 comments <P>Transit workers in Canada’s largest city face losing the right to strike as the province moves decisively toward declaring their work an essential service.</P><P>The McGuinty government will introduce legislation on Tuesday, banning Toronto Transit Commission workers from walking off the job.</P><P>The proposed bill, which will receive first reading in the legislature on Tuesday afternoon, follows a request by Toronto Mayor Rob Ford to ban transit workers from striking. In December, city council voted 28-17 in favour of making future strike action by transit union members illegal.</P><ASIDE class=articleseealso><P>“We have received a proposal from Toronto city council. We have listened to them. We have talked to representatives of the workers as well and of course we have heard from many Torontonians,” Premier Dalton McGuinty told reporters on Tuesday morning, shortly before the legislature begins its spring session. “Whatever we do, it’s all about helping the people of Toronto, ensuring that their needs are being met.”</P><P>More than 100,000 Torontonians rely on public transit to get around the city every day, so when workers walk off the job, as they did briefly in 2008, commuters are left stranded and the economy loses an estimated $50-million a day.</P><P>Time is of the essence in introducing the legislation. The first of three collective agreements with unionized transit workers expires on March 31. Union leaders have promised not to strike during the upcoming round of talks for a new agreement.</P><br /><p><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/province-to-table-bill-on-making-ttc-an-essential-service/article1915753/?cmpid=rss1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-86088199862192495842011-02-22T03:25:00.000-08:002011-02-22T03:25:00.957-08:00 <P>Those of you familiar with Brygette McNamara's line of dips, seen at the City market throughout the season, will be pleased to learn that Brygette's products are now available at the Italian Centre on the north side. (That's at 10878-95th Street 780-424-4869.) The dips for sale are Fetaterranean (a feta cheese based dip), the Shiraz with Portabello (my personal fav) and Parmigiana Reggiano. You might have seen Brygette demonstrating the products in the store over the last few months. </P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/01/28/brygette-of-bamboche-world-cuisine-at-northside-italian-centre.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-60236198982543644022011-02-21T23:04:00.000-08:002011-02-21T23:04:00.107-08:00 <P>Next year, commercial shipping could disappear from the St. Lawrence Seaway, devastating the Great Lakes economies and throwing thousands of people out of work, thanks to an obscure regulation passed by the State of New York. </P><P>“As it stands right now, they have a regulation that comes into play in Jan. 1, 2012 that ships won’t be able to comply with,” Tim Meisner, director-general of marine policy at Transport Canada, said in an interview. </P><ASIDE class=articleseealso><P>“So unless there are some changes to their rules or regulations, it’s a reasonable possibility” that much of the economic activity on the Seaway will shut down. </P><P>No one really thinks it will go that far. But New York and the shipping industry are locked in a game of environmental chicken, and no one as yet seems ready to blink. </P><P>It’s all about ballast water. Ships whose holds are not full take on water (ballast) to maintain stability. When they approach port, they flush the water out. </P><P>But in flushing, species picked up in one body of water can enter another. That’s how the zebra mussel and more than 180 other invasive species made their way into the Great Lakes. </P><P>The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has imposed rules that require ships to flush their ballast water out at sea. But the New York state government thinks the new rules are too lax. So back in 2008 it set its own standards, which are far, far tougher than the IMO rules. They go into effect on Jan. 1. </P><P>You can’t enter or leave the Seaway without transiting New York waters, so New York has the power to effectively shut the Seaway down. </P><P>The shipping industry protests that the technology doesn’t exist to meet the New York rules. But environmental organizations maintain that the ships’ owners are dragging their heels. </P><P>“Our theory is, let the standard be set, and that will drive technology that will figure out how to meet that standard,” said Marc Smith, policy manager for the National Wildlife Federation. Governments have been doing exactly that for decades with fuel-emission standards. </P><P>Mr. Smith dismisses any notion of the Seaway being shut down, saying that the regulations have numerous “off-ramps” to exempt vessels in the event the technology doesn’t catch up in time. </P><P>Besides, he points out, New York in any case would have trouble enforcing the new rules because the state lacks the authority to board and seize ships. </P><P>But the ship owners are emphatic that their vessels will not enter New York waters if they cannot comply with the ballast water standards because they would lose their insurance. </P><P>“Seaway traffic will stop,” if the regulation is implemented, Terence Bowles, president and CEO of Canada's St. Lawrence Seaway Administration, warned recently. “New York is being unreasonable on this particular issue. All the carriers are extremely concerned about it.” </P><P>The regulation survived a legal challenge – states, like provinces, have the right and duty to protect water quality within their borders –so the best hope now is to get New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, to set aside the regulation. The problem is that the governor is a big supporter of the new rules. </P><P>Nonetheless, Mr. Meisner is optimistic that a way will be found around the impasse. The consequences simply don’t bear contemplation. The iron and steel industry and agricultural exports, to name just two, couldn’t survive without the Seaway. The Canadian government is lobbying heavily in Albany to get the new rules postponed. </P><P>The Council of Great Lakes Governors, of which the premiers of Ontario and Quebec are full members, has done fine work in recent years in protecting the water quality of the Great Lakes. </P><P>Wisconsin would also like to see stricter ballast-water standards. If New York temporarily suspended the new regulations, the council could look at setting a Seaway-wide standard, with Ottawa and Washington ratifying whatever was agreed on. </P><P>Here’s hoping all sides figure something out. Fifty million tons of shipping annually depends on it. </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/environmental-standoff-threatens-traffic-on-st-lawrence-seaway/article1896937/?cmpid=rss1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-54994828475299989342011-02-21T18:04:00.000-08:002011-02-21T18:04:00.681-08:00 <P>Edmonton is going to get another farmers market, this one in the southwest. In the planning stages for months now, the market is to be located in the parking lot of Lillian Osborne High School, 2010 Leger Road. It will likely be held on a Tuesday or a Wednesday between 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., depending on what the vendors collectively decide. The exact date for the new market kick-off is yet to be determined, but odds are it will be sometime in late spring or early summer. Watch this space for details as they emerge.</P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/01/25/edmonton-gets-a-new-farmers-market.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-7894798210128930062011-02-21T14:52:00.000-08:002011-02-21T14:52:00.686-08:00 <P>I'm learning something about soup during this series. You wouldn't believe how many people don't use a recipe. I am virtually helpless without a recipe for most things, but it's true that soup does allow one to be a bit loosey-goosey about ingredients, and that's a good thing.</P><P>Here is a little story from Food reader Bev Mills about the soup she makes for her grandchildren:</P><P>"Funny I never reply to things like this but often when I read the Food section of the paper it invokes some memories of times gone by…as did the soup article. I make homemade soup often and of course have my favorites…hamburger soup, taco soup, broccoli/cheese.   But the absolute best and the one that is made the most is good old chicken soup, the cure all for all ills.  I remember my own mom creating chicken soup and turkey soup, especially if we had been sick and the same holds true in my home over the years.</P><P>I can never see a chicken or turkey carcass go to waste and have even dragged them home from church turkey suppers .  I am even so bold as to save the deli chicken carcasses and simmer them. Nothing in my mind is better than homemade stock and homemade chicken stock is soooo easy.</P>Take a stock pot, the bones, water, a few carrots rough chopped, celery and onion.  Pepper, maybe a little thyme, some chicken base powder and bring to boil. Simmer  30 minutes .  I freeze it and bring it out when I have the yen to make soup.</P>With all the flu that went around our family this past month I have made good old chicken soup several times, it seems to bring comfort and is easy on the tummy.  My grandson, after last week's bout of flu, gave me the ultimate compliment. He's five. "Your soup is awesome Nana and it makes me feel good."</P> Nana’s Chicken Soup</P>Homemade chicken stock</P>Chopped carrots, onions and celery</P>Bits of cooked chicken</P>Season to taste</P>Noodles are optional (and of course the grandkids like the alphabet ones)</P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/01/26/more-soup-stories-from-food-section-readers.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-65936300381038647082011-02-21T10:48:00.000-08:002011-02-21T10:48:00.619-08:00 <P>Mississauga’s long-term business plan is calling for a host of ambitious city-building projects at the same time as revenues from new developments are tapering off, prompting city staff to float the possibility of an 8-per-cent tax increase in this year’s proposed budget.</P><P>While the talk in Toronto is of cutting bus routes and freezing property taxes, the city to the west is looking to increase public transit and build new bicycle lanes.</P><ASIDE class=articleseealso><P>The contrast is something of a role-reversal for the GTA’s two largest municipalities. Mississauga was once alternately lauded and disparaged for what was seen as a simple, pragmatic approach to governance, avoiding tax increases but doing little to stitch its freeway-separated subdivisions into a greater civic whole.</P><P>Now that the city has almost exhausted the available land to expand on, the fees from developers that used to fill municipal coffers have dried up and planning has shifted inward.</P><P>By the end of 2012, a series of guideways and dedicated lanes will allow buses to travel the length of the city from east to west unimpeded by traffic. The city also wants to add more than 300 kilometres of bike lanes and trails.</P><P>The city foresaw its current situation, to some extent, in the 1990s, when it set aside budget surpluses to make up the shortfall when development charges tapered off. The money, however, is running out, and some politicians say they didn’t anticipate costs would rise so much.</P><P>Councillors, however, remain adamant they can improve services while keeping tax increases far below 8 per cent, and have begun examining the budget in detail.</P><P>“Every position staff is asking for, we’re scrutinizing and looking at if it’s something we need or if it’s something we can do without,” veteran councillor Pat Saito said.</P><P>The challenge, she said, is finding surgical cuts to make, as opposed to slashing and burning. For instance, council rejected a blanket hiring freeze in favour of a plan to hire new staff on contracts.</P><P>“Being a business person, I’m not going to just sit and take what comes through on the agenda,” said councillor Ron Starr, who is looking for more detailed breakdowns on where departments are spending money.</P><P>The city has also seen lively public input on the budget, much as it did with its city-building strategic plan. Many of the locals who pushed for an ambitious strategy for developing the city have also spoken out against large tax increases.</P><P>Dorothy Tomiuk of the citizens’ group Miranet suggests city hall consider going into debt –something it hasn’t done since the late 1970s – to find the money for its projects. She argues that, when times were better and the city froze taxes, it simply deferred the inevitable rise in costs. Now, it must take a long view and show how the year-to-year budget fits with its long-term goals.</P><P>“We want to see alignment between the budget and the strategic plan,” she said. “We don’t just want to see a budget that keeps the lights on.”</P><P>Other GTA municipalities, meanwhile, have watched Mississauga and taken note.</P><P>“We are very mindful of the fact that we will be facing, in the future, aging infrastructure that will need to be repaired or replaced,” said Vaughan mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, whose city is socking away money in a reserve fund and undertaking a review of its services this year.</P><P>The new mayor has provided a list of questions councillors and staff must consider about each budget item, ranging from whether the city can partner with private business to deliver the service to whether there is enough money to fund it at all.</P><P>These efficiencies may help the city whittle down the 5.4-per-cent tax increase proposed in its operating budget, closer to the higher end of projected increases in the GTA this year. On the lower end, Brampton is eyeing an increase of a little more than 1 per cent and Markham’s budget chief said the town is likely to break its two-year run of frozen taxes with a modest increase.</P><P>In Mississauga, meanwhile, politicians are clear about the challenges ahead, facing them with some of the city’s well-known pragmatism.</P><P>“We are doing more with less, but at some point, you reach a saturation point of the efficiencies you can get,” councillor Saito said. “And we’ve pretty much reached that point.”</P><P>Mississauga’s budget committee is next scheduled to meet in early March.</P><br /><p><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/mississauga-eyes-8-per-cent-tax-increase-in-proposed-budget/article1907271/?cmpid=rss1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-63645285191543641162011-02-21T07:19:00.000-08:002011-02-21T07:19:00.394-08:00 Published Monday, Feb. 07, 2011 12:19AM ESTLast updated Monday, Feb. 07, 2011 12:37AM EST3 comments <P>A snowmobiler is dead after a weekend avalanche in northern B.C.</P><P>Barry Finnegan of Bulkley Valley Search and Rescue says his group was called Saturday afternoon to an area about 20 kilometres south of Smithers.</P><P>Mr. Finnegan says it appears two people were snowmobiling on a popular trail known as The Microwave when one of them climbed up a slope, triggering the slide.</P><P>The avalanche buried a snowmobiler below, who Mr. Finnegan says was apparently stopped to snap some photos.</P><P>Mr. Finnegan says the snowmobiler who triggered the slide was able to dig out his friend, but that person, whose name hasn't been released, died at the scene.</P><P>An increased avalanche risk and poor weather prevented search-and-rescue crews from recovering the body during the weekend, but Mr. Finnegan says they'll try again on Monday.</P><br /><p><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/snowmobiler-dies-in-avalanche-near-smithers-bc/article1896754/?cmpid=rss1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8231295824841832511.post-36156615062476053362011-02-21T02:21:00.000-08:002011-02-21T02:21:00.167-08:00 <P>Celebrity Chef David Adjey is shooting  a segment of his Food Network show The Opener, which follows newbie restaurateurs as they open their brand new eateries. He's working with the as-yet-to-open Edmonton restaurant, Pampa, a Brazilian steakhouse at 9929-109th Street.<IMG border=0 alt="" src="/6327035F00David5F000068.jpg" width=250 height=250></P><P>"It's very showy, it's very entertaining," says Adjey of Pampa. "They've got outfits and they come out with swords and they've got this marble salad bar that holds a hundred items that (the owner) drove up from Brazil. I think he's got something really unique.</P><P>"But he's in way over his head, he's out of dough...I've got to help this guy, get him ready."</P><P>At the helm of Pampa is grill master Oscar Mauricio Lopez and Brazilian chef Joao Antonio Dachery. The restaurant was scheduled to open in February, but Adjey says that will be tough to achieve without the paint on the walls still being wet.</P><P>The Opener's Pampa episode is the last one in the second season of this Food Network show, which airs every Wednesday at 9 p.m.</P><P>"We're going out with a bang on this season," says Adjey. "This young guy has (invested), with his family and friends, a million dollars and a million is a lot of money to lose. There is a lot of stuff on the line for this guy, and that's why I'm here."</P><P>That's Adjey at right in this photo supplied by Food Network Canada. You will also know him from his popular program, Restaurant Makeover, also on Food Network.</P><P>Stay tuned. I'm going on the set of The Opener this week to watch as Adjey counsels Pampa owners on how to get this project off the ground.</P>Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment.You must have a javascript enabled browser to submit a comment. <br /><p><a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2011/01/25/celeb-chef-david-adjey-in-e-town-for-the-opener.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>westcoasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06030389585394011911noreply@blogger.com0