Eat Alberta 2014

 

This weekend I set my alarm, woke up nice and early, packed my knife and apron, and headed to NAIT for the fourth annual Eat Alberta conference. It's a full day of workshops, cooking classes, and lectures about food, with a focus on local ingredients and conscious eating. A whole day of talking about food. I was in heaven. 

 

We were told a "small continental breakfast" would be served, so I was expecting muffins and coffee. Needless to say the beautiful breakfast buffet shattered those expectations! 

 

Global's Jennifer Crosby, our MC for the day, said a few words about Eat Alberta and got the morning kicked off.

 

John Schneider of Gold Forest Grains was the keynote speaker for the event. He gave an eloquent, impassioned speech about the importance of eating local and supporting independent farms. He also spoke about the rarity of heirloom grains and seeds, and why we should seek out farmers/food suppliers who cultivate non-GMO crops. John was earnest, funny, and inspiring; I really enjoyed his talk.

Michael Kalmanovitch from Earth's General Store gave us some great tips on waste reduction and explained some of the science behind composting in our first session of the morning.


In "Nose to Tail Pork" we watched professional butcher Elyse Chatterton (@elysechatt) expertly section half a pig, explaining the different cuts as she went. Elyse and Jeff Senger from Sangudo Meats (@Jeff_Senger) described the factors that affect the quality of the meat, as well as how this particular pig was raised (i.e. not in a factory farm). Any squeamishness we might have felt at first was dispelled right away - the tone was matter-of-fact and respectful.

Elyse scored the skin of a cut of pork belly and rolled it up tight. I can only imagine what the crackling on that bad boy would be like after a bit of roasting!

We got some hands-on practice making different cuts... and using the bone saw. 

After a lovely lunch of fresh breads, cheeses, soup and other treats (almost all of them made in house by the talented kitchen staff at NAIT), we went back into the kitchen for "Curry with Alberta Pulses" with Michelle Peters-Jones of The Tiffin Box. Michelle explained how even Indian dishes can be made with local ingredients, especially if they contain chickpeas or lentils (Canada is the world's top exporter of lentils, most of which come from Alberta and Saskatchewan). She toasted and ground her own spice mix, which, as you'd expect, was 10x more fragrant and nuanced than anything you buy at the supermarket.

The spice mix, with green cardamom, cinnamon, and cumin (to name just a few).

The finished products! We each got take-away containers of these lovely, flavourful curries. I heated mine up last night with some naan and fresh cilantro and it easily fed two of us (with leftovers!).

The last session of the afternoon was potato tasting with Chef Nigel Webber (@ChefWebber). He gave us an historical overview of the potato plant, and the different variations cultivated throughout the centuries. Chef Webber also talked to us about the starch and sugar content of different types of potato, and how this would be reflected in different cooking methods. We sampled four types of potatoes, both raw and cooked, to get a feel for their starchiness, sweetness, and waxiness. The blue potatoes on the right were not only beautiful, but I thought they tasted the best too - even raw.

At the end of our afternoon, we convened to listen to some interesting speakers from three controversial fields in the local food community - urban bee keeping, raw milk, and urban chickens. Currently, none of these things are legal in Edmonton, but arguments to change current legislation are strong.

At the end of the day, we had a "Wine Down" (I think "Wine Down" needs to become a regular thing in my life), where we got to sample maple whiskey, raspberry or rhubarb wine, and a tasting board devised by Allan Suddaby (@allansuddaby) from Elm Café. More delicious, local, handmade treats to cap off an amazing day!

This has got to be the coolest/most grown up party favour I've ever left with. Two cuts of fresh pork and two tasty, healthy curries. SCORE.

I am so, so impressed with Eat Alberta. It was efficiently run, brimming with unexpected treats, and full of knowledgeable food professionals who were eager to answer questions and teach their trade. All the attendees I talked to were in high spirits and excited to be there; a full day of eating, making, and talking about good food was a true pleasure, and I felt like I was really among "my people". I hope I can keep going for many years to come.