It’s all about the warmth at indoor farmers market
Official kickoff for Sherwood Park venue takes place on Wednesday The Sherwood Park Farmers Market, running for over 35 years in the community, has moved indoors from Festival Place to a new, permanent location at the Sherwood Park Community Centre (401 Festival Way). The official kickoff for the move (which actually happened in September) is on Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Agora room of the centre. The move offers Sherwood Park folk a bonus — a venue for the Wednesday night market that offers heated underground parking for the cold winter nights.
The opening will feature face painting, music and other family-friendly events. For further information, contact market manager Sonja Shank at 780-464-3354, or email manager@sherwoodparkfarmersmarket.ca.
Registration for the fifth Okanagan Food and Wine Writers Workshop has opened.
If you’ve ever meant to set aside some time for yourself to work on your food and wine writing, this workshop, taking place from May 9 to 11, 2014, is the first step.
I have been twice to the OFWWW, organized by Edmonton food writer Jennifer Cockrall-King. Each time, I learned a great deal, and, at the same time, ate and drank some wonderful food and wine, and took part in topnotch culinary activities in Kelowna.
Cockrall-King always brings in top talent to lead workshops, including writers, publishers and editors throughout the food world in Canada and the United States. Kelowna chefs serve up great meals, and the whole event is set on the idyllic shores of Lake Okanagan. Presenters are still in the works, but the location — the Cove Lakeside Resort — will serve as a luxurious home for the two-and-a-half daylong event.
Until March 15, participants can take advantage of an early-bird rate of $495, which covers all the food, wine, activities and workshop sessions. Contact jennifer@ foodgirl.ca for further information or to register. okanaganfoodandwinewritersworkshop.com
A new coffee shop in Sherwood Park has opened, rooted in an intriguing, community-based concept. Common Ground was launched by two local Moravian pastors, Ian and Eileen Edwards. The coffee shop is a commercial (albeit not-for-profit) venture, located outside of a church, and run with the support of local volunteers. The menu boasts home made, healthy and hearty foods, fair trade coffee and specialty tea. Common Ground is at 50 Brentwood Blvd. More information is available at 587-269-4808 or on Common Ground’s Facebook page.
The latest addition to the burgeoning food scene on 124th Street — Daravara — opens on Saturday, Feb. 1 for lunch at 11:30 a.m. It will stay open until ... late.
The restaurant is the inspiration of local chef, Shane Loiselle (Zinc, Harvest Room) and Sue Kiernan, who owns Empress Ale House on Whyte Avenue. Kiernan is running the bar at Daravara, and Loiselle is in the kitchen with his brother, chef Jeremy Chance (Hundred, MKT).
Loiselle says Daravara is named for a lake in Ireland, where Kiernan fished with her dad when she was but a wee girl. But the food isn’t exactly Irish. Loiselle describes it as French meets Canadian and American regional cooking, with some Latin spice thrown in for good measure. It’s located at 10713 124th St. Phone 587520-4980
Local budding entrepreneur, Jenna Carton, has just launched a new business called VegPalette. It’s a home-delivery (or pickup) service that creates vegan and vegetarian meals for those who are busy and don’t have time to cook. Meals include Ethiopian injera bread with lentil stew, chana masala with chick peas and fair trade quinoa and Thai green curry. For more information, contact Carton at 780-937-3764 or email info@vegpalette.ca. Website: vegpalette.ca.
Six female chefs join forks at the Edmonton Petroleum Club for Taking it to Heart — a fundraiser for the Heart and Stroke Foundation on Monday, Feb. 3. Tickets are $75, including tax, tip, entertainment and prizes, for a six-course meal featuring gourmet dishes that are heart healthy, and made with canola oil. Tickets are available through eventbrite.
The Edmonton Journal, in conjunction with Newwest Travel, is hosting another culinary tour — our third so far. This one is to New Orleans — home of the muffuletta and fried alligator — from May 8 to May 13, 2014. Join me for numerous, highquality food experiences, including a cooking class, a food and history walking tour, a live-jazz brunch and a steamboat dinner cruise.
We’re staying at a fivestar hotel a block off Bourbon Street. The cost is $2,950 per person, based on double occupancy. For details, call Newwest at 780-432-7446. newwestravel.com