So while I wouldn’t call myself a foodie, I would call myself a food-lover. (I know, lame, because as if there are any food-haters.)  I like thinking about food, in general. I like looking at recipes, even ones I know I’ll never get around to making.  Mostly I enjoy reading others’ thoughts on ingredients, gear, and restaurants…call it cooking vicariously, if you like. Because the availability of all these things varies so much geographically, it’s always a pleasant surprise when you come across a blog that refers to restaurants and stores you can actually visit, and ingredients you can easily find!

Lucky for us, Winnipeg has several good food bloggers/writers, and I’ve rounded up a list of some of my regular reads. Have I missed anyone?

• Dine Out Winnipeg: Restaurant reviews, tips, events, etc. Very extensive archives.
• Breakfast Connoisseurs: Two funny dudes on an eternal quest to find the city’s best breakfast…. their website is the only place you can find hours, payment details, etc., on a lot of small places. Extra props for the hilarious podcast!
• Savour Winnipeg: Monthly roundups of foodie events, gossip, and other local news.
• Winnipeg Eats: A great mix of food politics, recipes, tips on using local produce, etc.
• Zollipop: Zolli writes about local ingredients, local restaurants and her cooking adventures, generally accompanied by lovely photos.
• Cake-ology: Company blog for the Exchange’s Cake-ology Bakery.
• Food Musings: A mix of personal posts, recipes, reviews, and more. I fell for the cute heart pictures at the end of each post!

I’m looking forward to this summer for a bunch of food-related reasons. One, we’re hoping to do some container gardening of a few herbs and veggies this summer (we’re gardening newbs; baby steps!). Two, we picked up a composter at the city’s compost & rain barrel sale a few weekends back. So even though we have no use for compost right now, by this time next year we should have some of the nice, rich stuff to help grow more veggies, and we can stop throwing a big proportion of our kitchen scraps into the garbage. Three, I’m excited for trips to the Farmers’ Market (though I cringe at the long drive down to St. Norbert) and to u-pick some berries. Lastly, and this may be delusional, but I’m hoping that being off on mat leave will afford me time to do more cooking and experimenting in the kitchen.

Do you have food-related summer traditions or activities you’re excited for? Do share!

–via ChrisD.ca

Giant vat o' prunes

As the descendant of almost entirely British Isles stock, I’ve always felt a bit, well, culture-less. The Christmas and New Year’s traditions of French-Canadians, the Passover rituals of Judaism, and the immense pride of anyone with an ounce of Scottish ancestry have been a source of fascination and, to be honest, envy for me.

While I love my own family’s unique traditions (a jar of olives in my Christmas stocking = awesome!), none of them particularly connect me to a greater cultural group, and this has always been a bit regrettable for me.  That’s why I find it so enjoyable to participate in others’ traditions, and a couple weeks ago, I had just this opportunity!

Like all provinces, Manitoba has lots of ethnic and cultural groups, and the Icelandic are one of them.  Lucky for me, my husband’s aunt happens to be Icelandic, and around this time every year, she rounds up whoever’s interested to have a vinetarte-making marathon. I don’t think I’d ever heard about this layered prune dessert until I moved to Manitoba, and if you’ve never heard of it, you’re probably thinking, “Hmmm, that sounds… appetizing.” Trust me, it tastes better than it sounds! Part of the appeal of the dessert is in the making: with five (or seven, depending on who you ask) thin layers of dough, these little cakes are simple to make but require time and patience. Vinetarte is not overly sweet, so you can eat a lot of it in one sitting. If that’s not the sign of a great dessert, I don’t know what is.

Rolling the dough

My sister-in-law and I arrived at Chez Vinetarte at 10am and spent the day mixing and rolling out the dough (getting the dough to the perfect consistency is a true art, I learned) and cutting out round layer after round layer. Our recipe was adapted from a Riverton Hnausa Lutheran Church cookbook that’s about two decades old. I learned lots of tips and tricks along the way (Costco is the best place to buy pitted prunes, and you have to poke the layers with a fork before they go into the oven or else they’ll bubble up like crazy) and am already looking forward to next year’s marathon.

By 5pm, our team of five had made almost 40 cakes, which would be divided up between us and stored in our freezers for the coming year. One will go home to Alberta with me at Christmas, to my mum who loves a good vinetarte and remembers them fondly from her Winnipeg days.

Like most ethnic specialties, vinetarte is not without its controversies. Five layers or seven? Iced, or not? Sprinkles on top of the icing, or not? No matter which options you go for, the result is delicious, and partaking of it is one of my favourite ways to enjoy another culture. (And hey, Winnipeg Cat loves it, too.)

Are you a vinetarte fan? Any recommendations on where people can buy one pre-made?

The saucepan lid as cutting device

Layers galore!

One layer prunified

The finished product

According to my trusty “Manitoba Book of Everything” this is what kids here often say instead of “Trick or Treat!”. I’d never heard of it until I moved here, and sort of have the idea that it might be something people used to say (see  Aaron Schwartz remembers Halloween in Ashern, MB and Willy Cole remembers Halloween in East Selkirk, MB) but do they anymore? I’ll find out!

Growing up in Alberta we said “Trick or Treat!”, but also joked around with a little song that went “Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat” – how charming, now that I think of it.

Did you grow up saying “Halloween Apples”?  Or something else?

• La Cocina tortilla chips
• Morden’s chocolates
• Half Pints Stir Stick Stout
• Green Bean – Hot 103 “Coffee with a Purpose” Red River Roast
• Canoe brand Shoal Lake Wild Rice
• Greetalia Honey Dill Sauce (yes, you read that right!)
• DD. Leobard Winery Raspberry Wine
• Nutty Club Chicken Bones
• Old Dutch chips

To hold the bounty... this tote bag from Weirdos of Winnipeg

We bundled it all up in a Weirdos of Winnipeg canvas bag and pinned on some cool Confusion Corner and Louis Riel buttons.

We had to make sure all the items would survive the drive to the Coast sans refrigeration, so cheese (New Bothwell, perhaps?), pretty much anything Peak of the Market, and frozen perogies were out of the question. We would have liked to add some Pic a Pop and ManitoBars, in there, too, but we ran out of time to track them down

While a couple of these items immediately came to mind, we turned to the Manitoba Food Processors Association’s Manitoba Made food guide to get more ideas. We’re not locavores by any stretch, but it did feel good to collect such a lovely bounty of locally-made food!

Hopefully I’ll get out to the Coast to visit Laurel before too long, and I’m sure I’ll lug along some more Half Pints, as this is my favourite Manitoba product to share with out-of-provincers.

What’s your favourite local food item? What do you like to get visitors to try when they visit?

It took a bit of prompting the Friday before, but Laurel did finally agree to accompany me. I know that wacky excursions on early weekend mornings aren’t always popular, but I was armed with my grandma’s beet leaf borscht recipe and a burning desire to get cooking that afternoon. Thanks to the Vancouver-like weather we’ve had this summer, it was of course raining on our drive out to St. Norbert. Arriving at our destination we discovered you can either a) scour the streets for free parking, or b) simply drive into the big lot and pay $2 for a spot. We chose the easier and quicker option “b”.

As we exited the car a kind gentleman struck up a conversation with us (he noticed my out-of-province plates) by asking if we drove all the way from Alberta just for the farmers’ market. This devolved into a discussion of which grower offers the freshest chickens. He showed me his. I gagged internally as I haven’t eaten meat for 9 years. Dead birds in plastic bags aren’t my “thing”. It was charming, nonetheless. Manitobans are so kind and eager to strike up conversation! (at least, they are in farmers’ market parking lots)

After our experience with Winnipeg garage sales – and the lessons I supposedly learned about bargaining – I should have known better than to accept a first offer. One key ingredient for grandma’s borscht is fresh dill. I mean, a lot of fresh dill. When I saw a bunch of the stuff for $2 my initial reaction was “is this $2 day? A couple bucks for parking and now $2 for dill? Sweet!” I snapped it up quickly. However, by the time I was buying beets at the next stand I discovered a much finer, more full bunch of dill for $1.75. WHA-WHA-WHAT? By this point Laurel saw what was happening and began to help keep me calm.

As I was selecting hearty carrots at the next stall I noticed another ample bunch of dill…for $1.25! I ultimately broke down and bought it. In the end I used both bunches of dill in the borscht recipe (I doubled the instructions grandma gave me) and it was well worth it to have extra. The lesson I can impart with regard to farmers’ market shopping is that when you’re new to the game, always “do a lap” before you commit to a location. Check out the prices each vendor has set for their produce, and then make your choice from that point. Don’t jump the gun and prematurely purchase. Take your time and ease into the experience of shopping for farm fresh, local produce. It’s worth it!

Our tweets from the farmers’ market adventure:

Aaron: If the rain doesn’t stop the farmers and the Market, it can’t stop me! St. Norbert bound!

Aaron: Picking up @formerhasbeen for our adventure…hope she has her umbrella and her produce-picking hat on!

Laurel: Just got coffee with @directedreading, now off to the farmer’s market!

Aaron: It is raining less now! Had to pay 2 dollars for parking and just got advice on fresh chicken

Laurel: Ugh, just got dumped on by a tarp puddle.

Aaron: Mission accomplished! Green onions, dill, potatoes, carrots, beets…yum! Laurel got, um, soaked!

Laurel: Where were the eggs, St. Norbert farmer’s market?

Aaron: At Smitty’s for a post-Farmers Market breakfast…the special today is chocolate chip waffle; I heard “shellfish”waffle!

According to the St. Norbert Farmers’ Market website, this season is going to be their longest to-date, and they are open Saturdays from 8am – 3pm (June through to Halloween), and also on Wednesdays from 1pm – 7pm in July, August, and September only.

But it’s the time of year when the tap water in Winnipeg begins to emit a certain taste and odour, one that’s undeniably musty and… algae-esque.

Now, we’ve got it pretty good here in the ‘Peg, when you consider that water in other parts of the Prairies can be quite unpalatable. As a child, my family visited a great-aunt in Carnduff, Sask, and I was offered juice or iced tea to drink. I said water would be just fine. “Are you sure?” the great-aunt asked. When I said yes and took my first sip, I immediately regretted it. It was like drinking dirt. And I remember this as clear as day, all these years later!

We’ve been drinking purified water since last summer’s algae invasion, even though the water generally tastes okay in the winter.  We just sort of got into the habit of picking up a 19L bottle once a week or so, and usually it’s okay if we run out and drink tap water for a few days. But not right now – I can’t stomach the smell or taste – it is distinctly mouldy to me.

But I have a nagging guilty feeling about this. I know that in a lot of parts of the world, they only dream of having clean, safe water like ours. My conscience, like many others’, tells me that it’s crazy to support an industry that sells water, which is a basic human need. I worry that buying purified water sends the message that I don’t trust the city’s water treatment process, which isn’t true. There is no doubt in my mind that tap water is clean and safe.

So a part of me tells myself that I really cared about this issue, I would just drink tap water and be done with it. The only reason I buy water is that I like to drink a lot of it, and straight up… I’m not into adding anything to it to mask the taste. My sister-in-law was over the other day and asked for some water. When she said tap water would do, I silently marvelled at her moral superiority, secretly hoping she just has no tastebuds.

So, what to do? A Brita-type jug/filter doesn’t offer a significant improvement (plus, I have no patience for them). Do those under-counter purification/softening/conditioning systems work?

Winnipeggers, I need your help on this one. Do you drink tap water for all or part of the year? How do you cope with our algae-infused water? Does one eventually just get used to it?

Sure, lots of cities have ice cream shops, but what sets Winnipeg’s apart is the fact that they’re only open seasonally. Never in my life had I seen a DQ “closed for the season”… but it happens here. Just another weird and wonderful thing about Winnipeg, and another excuse for me to write about food

Not all of my ice cream experiences in Winnipeg have been out of this world, but it’s ice cream, right… even bad ice cream is good!

Sub-Zero Ice Cream – 298 Jamison

Maybe the first Winnipeg ice-cream shop I visited, this one’s a short walk from our house, and therefore a frequent stop. Sub Zero is a sweet little neighbourhood shop with an even sweeter story behind it – you’ll have to visit to find out (and to see the awesome jelly-bean print countertops). You can get hard and soft ice cream (try the soft pistachio!) and choose from an impressive list of parfaits, flurries, etc. Shel at 411 on the 204 gave it a rave review the other day, and now I’m jonesing to try the Cherry Blossom parfait.

Kool Deelites - 430 Harbison

This one is also within walking distance for me, but I’ve only been once. I had delicious mango frozen yogurt and my co-ice-cream-consumer had a “baby monkey tail” that didn’t go over too well – maybe it needed to be fresher? Still, it’s close and I’d give it another try.

Sweet Tops - 949 Henderson

Sweet Tops is located next to the memorably-named Public Meats and has an impressive array of ice cream. I had a dip cone, which fell apart before the girl even handed it over the counter to me – a cup and spoon were necessary! But I’ll probably go back to try some different flavours of hard ice cream.

BDI – 766 Jubilee

There’s been more than enough written about this institution, but truthfully, I don’t quite get the hype. It’s set in a lovely neighbourhood, and it’s been around for 50-odd years, but it seems that the city’s fondness with it has more to do with nostalgia and childhood memories than particularly above-average quality. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying BDI’s overrated, just that I think you need to have years of experiences going there to really appreciate it. And I’m doubtful it really is the BEST ice cream in the city. That being said, I tried something delicious with vanilla soft serve, Spanish peanuts, and chocolate sauce there – like a DQ Buster Bar, only classier – and will definitely go back next time I’m in that neck of the woods.

Leo’s Gelato - 130 Provencher

If I am going to walk over a bridge to get a dairy dessert, it’ll probably be to go to Leo’s on Provencher, right over the Riel Esplanade. During my years in BC, I developed quite a fondness for gelato and I getting a cup of it on a hot, sunny day. Nothing beats Dolce Amore on Commercial Drive in Vancouver, but Leo’s is a great place and has a good selection of flavours – way more than the average hard ice cream bar. The citrus flavours are spectacular, and the chocolate hazelnut’s a great choice, too.

Another place I haven’t tried but am excited to: Banana Boat (390 Osborne), that cute shop on Osborne that displays wedding proposals, birthday wishes, and the like. What’s not to love about that?

Anyway, there you have it – a small roundup of ice-cream shops in the ‘Peg.

Where’s your favourite ice cream shop? Any recommendations?

5. Saffron’s (Corydon): We went for a weekday lunch and hoped Saffron’s would deliver in all aspects – a great patio with an excellent view of the street, therefore good people-watching. But our experience was that the view was the best thing we could say about it. Our coffee was cold, and the 10″ pizza was grossly overpriced. We really wanted to like it, but would not go back. The highest rating we gave Saffron’s was 4 out of 5 umbrellas for each of the view, people-watching, and comfort. Sadly it failed on all other accounts.

4. Cousin’s (Sherbrooke): We were intrigued by this one, never having heard of it and not knowing what to expect. The patio is on the corner of Sherbrooke and as such there’s lots of foot and vehicle traffic. The patio itself is nothing special and seems to have been added just because there was room to do it, but this was made up for by the knowledgable and friendly waitress who recommended the veggie burger. It didn’t disappoint and we’d definitely go back. Great place for a quick lunch, but nothing in the way of atmosphere. We scored Cousin’s with a full 5 drink umbrellas for their delicious veggie burger and great selection of beer for such a small spot.

3. Bar Italia, a.k.a. “Bar I” (Corydon): We came here on a Sunday evening and quickly realised that this place appeals to certain demographic (which we find ourselves rapidly outgrowing!). The Bar I patio is perfect for people-watching, and seems to be as much about being watched as it is about doing the watching! Our food was okay; our coffee-based drinks were good. Bar I’s large patio can accommodate a lot of diners (a plus) and smokers (a negative). All in all, a good place to come with a pack of friends (to nurse a hangover, maybe?) but not romantic at all, and not the sort of place you’d want to bring your parents. Bar I receives top marks for  its party atmosphere and ranks high for service. Definitely a patio you’d hit for drinks after work on a Friday…or a Monday for that matter.

2. Confusion Corner (where else?): We came here for brunch on a Saturday and had the rooftop patio to ourselves. We loved the comfy, cabana feel of it and pretty much had a dedicated waitress. While there was no view to speak of (couldn’t see the namesake confusion corner) and therefore no people-watching, it was sheltered from the elements and had a cozy feel. Our food and drinks were great and we enjoyed our visit. A good place for a date, brunch with the folks, or a large group meal. Great atmosphere. For the service, party atmosphere, and protection from the elements Confusion Corner rates high in our books. This spot, despite a view of the parking lot, also offers comfortable seating and fantastic ambience.

1. Inferno’s Bistro (St. Boniface): We truly saved the best for last. We had a light dinner and drink on a weeknight, and from the moment we came into the patio, knew we had found our winner. The patio is secluded and cozy, and the food and drink were delicious. Service was a bit slow, but it’s not really the kind of place you come to in a hurry anyway. We thought it would be the perfect place to have a long, lazy dinner and drinks – either for a romantic date or as a group of friends. Definitely would be a classy place to bring visiting relatives. Awarding Inferno’s 5 drink umbrellas for their fantastic food and intimate, romantic atmosphere was easy.

Conclusion: It was hard to pick a winner; all these places were vastly different from each other. The appeal of Bar I is the complete opposite of the appeal of Inferno’s, but they both ranked well for us in different regards. Confusion Corner was a positive experience, too. We’d go to Cousin’s again for the food, but not the atmosphere. Saffron’s is out totally for us, which is too bad, because it is a great location and has potential.

Throughout the week, we had a lot of people ask, why didn’t you go to [such and such a place]? We were surprised that no one suggested (to the CBC) the rooftop at Tavern United. Also recommended was Pasquale’s, Pony Corral on Pembina (where the patio is right on the river), and the Red Cactus (on Corydon). These are the places we’re looking forward to checking out later this summer; however, where would you say has the best patio in the city, and why? Keeping in mind aspects such as view, atmosphere, food, drink, and comfort – where else should we visit during the next few months? Have you had a particularly bad or good experience on a Winnipeg patio, or do you lament a Winnipeg patio of the past? We’d love to hear all about it! Ahh, summer…

• Are you serious?
• But you’re from Alberta! (I got this when I lived in BC. As if being raised in Alberta means you are automatically a beeficionado!)
• Oh, you must be vegetarian. (I get this one here, from people who know I lived in Vancouver. I’m not.)
• So, you aren’t jealous of this blue rare steak I’m devouring before your eyes?
• Wait – you don’t eat bacon? (Bacon’s a white meat. I could never give it up.)

To clarify, I don’t eat beef, lamb, emu, or bison.  (I don’t eat shellfish either – imagine how fun that was for me in BC!) I’m not an animal rights activist, I just don’t like it. And to be honest, I read Fast Food Nation a few years back, and after what I learned about the beef industry, I decided I never had to defend my decision not to eat beef again. The only other person I know who doesn’t eat red meat is Aaron, who’s been a vegetarian since college. He and I have been known to enjoy a “Don’t eat beef? Here, have some devoid-of-protein, carb-olicious pasta!”  dinner or two in our day! We’ve been accused of every name in the book: fussy eaters, demanding eaters, unadventurous eaters, bad Albertans… you name it. Not that I’m complaining. I’m fully aware that this is a choice, and when in Rome…well, don’t criticise what the Romans are eating.

One thing that all of us Wo’MHers have observed since moving here is that Manitobans have a profound love of their meat, and specifically, beef.  And I would hazard a guess that they love their meat more than most other provinces – maybe even the other prairie provinces.  I don’t really have any proof of that, it’s more of a sneaking suspicion. I once overheard a lady at the grocery store tell her friend she didn’t need to buy any meat because she’d just bought “a beef”. A beef?? Is that “a cow”?  (And could you also purchase “a pork”?) Also, I had never heard of a “meat draw” or “meat raffle” or “meat bingo” until I moved here, and now I see them advertised at Legions, community centres, and billboard galore (see Ian‘s hilarious comment on Laurel’s roadtrippin’ post). Apparently a meat draw is an event unto itself; perhaps something like a social – an all-night affair where the biggest prize is a cow, and the smallest prize is something along the lines of bacon and eggs.

Okay, apparently meat draws also exist in BC, so I must have been living under a rock out there.

All this has me thinking about what it’s like for non-meat-eaters in Manitoba. I have to admit, unless you set out to dine at a specifically vegetarian restaurant, the Manitoba pickins can be slim for someone who chooses, for whatever reason, not to eat meat. The West Coast was heaven for anyone with dietary preferences: no matter what your desire (organic meat, exotic meat, regular meat, no meat, soy substitutes) most menus had something suitable for you. In my travels throughout Canada and the US I’ve noticed that people are more accepting, and restaurants more accommodating, of meat preferences on the Pacific side.  West Coasters be warned: the veggie burger is not a standard option here in Manitoba.

Manitoba’s love of meat logically and obviously stems from its agricultural industry, and it reassures me to think that people here seem more likely to buy their meat from local farms where they may actually know the farmer and his practices.  Why is this? Winnipeg certainly seems to be more in tune with its rural neighbours than the average big city, where the line between city and country and their respective cultures seems to be more defined. And I have to admit, Manitoba also has a healthy love of fish, which I’m totally on board with.

So, fellow Manitobans old and new, please share your meat stories. Do you frequent meat bingo? Buy beef by the cow? Or on the flipside, are you vegetarian or non-beef-itarian and have trouble explaining this to meat enthusiasts? Where do you go when you’re jonesing for a good veggie meal? Can anyone vouch for the famous vegan po’ boy?

*I wanted to say “obsession with” instead of “love of” but thought that might be a bit judgmental