Olive Chicken

Cross-posted from Calgary is Awesome.

A couple weeks ago, while we were still in the midst of Stampede, B. wanted to eat something "Stampede-ish" without going to the grounds. Since I hadn't remembered the last time I've eaten fried chicken, we decided to head down to Olive Chicken to give their "KFC" (Korean Fried Chicken) a try.

The tiny restaurant is located at the corner of a Korean strip mall on 10th Ave, next to Community Natural Foods. There are a few tables available, but they mostly do take-out. Everything is fried to order in olive oil, hence the name.

While the chicken is obviously the star of the show, Olive Chicken has obviously been trying to expand its menu, offering poutine, fried vegetables, rice, salad and pickled daikon in addition to its signature dish.


We decided to maximize the amount of food we tried by ordering a small Half & Half ($11.50), which had three pieces of their Crispy Fried Chicken and two pieces of their Hot & Sweet Sauce Chicken.


The Crispy Fried Chicken lived up to its name - the skin was well-seasoned and crispy, while the meat was hot and moist. The chicken wasn't greasy at all, and despite olive oil's strong flavour, you couldn't really taste it in the chicken.

The Hot & Sweet Sauce Chicken is the same fried chicken slathered with what tastes like Thai Sweet Chili sauce. The sticky, sweet and spicy chicken provides a nice flavour contrast from the plain Crispy Fried Chicken, but I think I prefer the crispier skin of the latter.

We also tried the Fried Veggies/Veggie Fries ($4.99), which included battered carrots, kabocha squash, broccoli and onion rings.


Since I'm already a fan of broccoli tempura when I go out for Japanese, the deep fried broccoli was an instant favourite - I love how the batter gets tucked into each of the little bittersweet florets, adding a burst of crunch and salt. B. voted the kabocha squash as his favourite - the light crispy batter giving way to the soft and sweet vegetable. In the end though, having fried chicken and fried vegetables was a little heavy for us - we'll probably opt for the salad next time.

Last but not least, we grabbed a side of Pickled Daikon ($1 or free with all large chicken orders) to help lighten things up and cool things down.


This simple little bowl of cubed pickled daikon was such a good idea. It was cool, sweet with just a bit of tang, the perfect complement to a deep fried meal.

All in all, I really enjoyed my trip to Olive Chicken - the food is cheap, good and the service is very friendly (I believe it is family-run). Unfortunately, fried chicken is not something I eat a lot of, so it will probably have to be a trip I make only once or twice a year!

Olive Chicken
1324 10 Ave SW
Calgary AB T3C 0J2
(403) 457-4649
Open Tues-Sun 11 AM-9 PM. Closed Mondays. Free parking and street parking available.

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2012 Resolutions Check-Up: June

I can't believe it's past the middle of July already... where has the time (and the summer) gone?

Anyway, here is my monthly self-bashing as I continue to make minimal progress toward my goals.

Clear my plate
As I mentioned last month, one of my jobs "quit me" at the end of June, which is why I'm blogging a *touch* more often. I unfortunately already have a couple other things on the go, like a new website(!) and moving in with B. (!!) I also will eventually move this blog over to Wordpress... so I've had to learn to say "No" to other things.

Be a tourist in my own city
I ran City Chase with one of my kickboxing buddies - not exactly a "tourist attraction", but a great way to experience the city! We did some "bootcamp" activities at Stanley Park, jumped off the dive towers at Talisman Centre, dressed up as Mounties and sang the national anthem en français Fort Calgary, made paintings at 4Cats and tried a bunch of ice cream at Village Ice Cream to name a few.

In terms of real tourist stuff, I went to Toronto for the Dietitians of Canada conference, where I met up with friends I haven't seen in too long, ate at a few restaurants, attended the first annual Go Gourmet! event at the beautiful Steam Whistle brewery and also caught a free Flaming Lips concert as part of NXNE.

Drink at least 1 L on non-work days
Still struggling! And sometimes slipping on work days too! Sip, sip, sip!

Get at least 7.5 hours of sleep per night (i.e. 10:30-11 PM bedtime) at least one night per week
Ugh. Totally did not happen. I was hoping that being in Toronto and having no plans after the conference would mean getting to bed earlier, but instead, it just meant making plans so I would stay up late! What's worse is that a lot of these sad faces represent nights that I've gone to bed past 12 and sometimes even close to 1 AM :S So far, moving in with B. has helped a little bit, especially since I don't have to wake up as early as I used to, but still struggling with getting to bed before 11.

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Village Ice Cream

Cross-posted from Calgary is Awesome.

Although Village Ice Cream has been officially open for less than a month, it already feels like an old friend. I'd first heard of Village Ice Cream from a friend who had a chance to try some of the flavours when the shop first opened up - back then, owner Billy Friley sold ice cream for a few hours on Friday afternoons. The concept of artisan, small-batch ice cream featuring local ingredients sounded interesting, and when I found out what some of the flavours were, I was even more intrigued. So I was pretty bummed when I thought people could only get their ice cream fixes on Friday afternoons.

In June, I ran City Chase and was surprised to find that it was a ChasePoint! The ice cream was starting to melt a little, but I got to blind taste test and identify the cardamom, huckleberry, maple pecan, toasted coconut and salted caramel ice creams. I guessed the last two right, and came close enough to the others that I passed the test!

Actually, I guessed cardamom too - after a couple bites, I recognized the distinctive herby taste (in university a girl on my floor recommended I chew on some to settle an upset tummy), but thought to myself, no one would ever make that a flavour! So I guessed chai, but after the volunteer who was running the ChasePoint said, "I'll give you that," I blurted out cardamom so I hope that counts :P

Anyway, I was super-excited to finally hear of their grand opening and to find that they are usually open late! B. and I headed down after supper on the rainy Saturday, after most of the crowds had gone, for some 2-for-1 ice cream goodness.

I'd tasted many of the flavours at City Chase, but I decided to sample the rich, creamy, subtly flavoured Village Vanilla Bean (which B. eventually got) and the light, fruity Hibiscus Juniper sorbet. The staff pointed out that the ice cream is definitely a higher fat product, and that no one else in Calgary does the same thing. (Yes, there is gelato, but that is made of milk instead of cream.) You could really taste the difference between the ice cream and the sorbet.

I finally settled on a single scoop ($5) of the seasonal flavour that day - Oaxacan Chili Chocolate. The rich chocolate was spiked with cinnamon and chili. So good. I've heard that they might bring it back as a regular.


Since it was 2-for-1, we decided to spring for the waffle cones ($1) handmade in store. B. loved his, but I found it a bit thick, hard and a little difficult to chew through some parts. It cut the roof of my mouth :(

Last Saturday, B. and I walked the 3K from his house to Village. B. decided to go for something more daring, so he tried the Guide's Mint. Inspired by the Chocolatey Mint Girl Guide cookies, the guide's mint is fresh-tasting, not too sweet and dotted with chunks of homemade chocolate cookies. Again, I went for the seasonal flavours - the Mango was good, but a little too subtly flavoured for me, but the Lemon Poppy Seed was bright and refreshing. I went for a sugar cone this time.


On the walk back, we went up the 5th Ave Flyover (Yes, there's a walkway there!) As fireworks from the Stampede's Light Up the City exploded into the sky - we saw fireworks coming from three locations! Awesome.


So far, all the ice creams I've tasted at Village Ice Cream have been very creative and not sickly sweet. I can't wait to find out what flavours Billy will have up his sleeve next! (If not, I have yet to try that Bolivian Roast Coffee... also I think I'm the only person in the city who thinks the Salted Caramel is too salty! ...Please don't hate me for not liking your beloved Salted Caramel :P) I'm looking forward to more 3K walks this summer! (Have to earn that ice cream, you know.)

Village Ice Cream
431 10 Ave SE
Calgary AB T2G 0W3
(403) 261-7950
Open noon-11 PM every day. Free parking available.

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Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I'm pretty sure foods like taco salad and tortilla soup are just excuses to eat chips at a meal...

...sounds good to me!

So I know with our mini-heatwave and rolling blackouts, it's hardly the time to be sharing a recipe for soup. But hear me out -

a) I'd like to believe that not all my readers are from Calgary.

b) The slow-cooker is arguably the best thing for cooking in the summer because it doesn't heat up your house and you can throw the ingredients, turn it on, hang out outside (or go to work), then come back to a delicious meal.

c) It's always hot wherever "Tex-Mex" food comes from.

d) I'm slow at blogging - get over it! :P

This recipe comes from my friend Mallory's blog, Total Noms. I love her recipes because they all are super-easy and delicious! Also, if you are in the States, you must check out her and her friend Anya's online cookie shop, Mile End Bakery. They make gluten-free (and gluten-containing) cookies and ship them all across the States; they will also hand-deliver the cookies to you if you live in the NY/NJ area (specifically Astoria, Manhattan, Jersey City or Hoboken.)

Back to the soup - first, you brown some chicken breasts...


Then you lay them at the bottom of your slow cooker and top them with a bunch of veggies - garlic, onions, canned chiles, tomatoes - plus a bit of chicken broth and a dash of cumin.


This soup is a quickie for a slow-cooker soup - only four hours on low, then you're ready to garnish with avocado, cilantro, cheese, lime, chips and eat!

Mallory's original recipe recommends slicing up some tortillas and stirring them into the soup... I like sprinkling chips on top to keep things crispy. We went extra indulgent and bought some of those new Fire Roasted Chipotle Tostitos!

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Adapted from Total Noms
Makes 6 servings

• 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
  
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  
• Salt & pepper, to taste
  
• 1 × 4 fl oz/127 mL can green chiles, drained
  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 yellow onion, diced
  
• 1 × 28 fl oz/796 mL can diced tomatoes, including juice
  
• ½ cup (125 mL) chicken broth
  
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) cumin
  
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) cilantro, chopped
  
• 1 lime
  
• Tortilla chips, crumbled (about ¼ cup per serving)
  
• ½ cup (125 mL) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
  
• 1 avocado, diced and tossed with lime juice to prevent browning

1. Heat up a pan over medium-high heat. Pat your chicken breasts dry with a paper towel, then season both sides of each breast with salt and pepper. Once the pan is nice and hot, add oil. Carefully place the chicken into the pan, and let sit for 5 minutes before flipping to the other side. The goal here is NOT to cook the chicken through, but you want to see a nice brown crust forming on the outside chicken to add flavor when it’s slow cooking. Let sit for another 4-5 minutes on the other side, then remove from pan and place chicken in slow cooker.
   
2. In a separate bowl, combine chilies, garlic, onion, tomatoes, chicken broth and cumin. Stir well and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 4 hours. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker to a cutting board and using two forks, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. Return to the slow cooker. Adjust seasoning and add additional chicken broth or water if it's too thick.
   
3. Once the soup is ready, stir in cilantro. Serve in soup bowls, topping each with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, diced avocado and a squeeze of lime.

Nutrition info: 252 calories, 14 g fat (4 g saturated), 31 mg cholesterol, 18 g carbohydrate (5 g fibre, 5 g sugar), 13 g protein, 423 mg sodium. An excellent source of vitamin B₆, vitamin E, potassium and selenium. A good source of niacin (vitamin B₃), pantothenic acid (vitamin B₅), folate (vitamin B₉), vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, magnesium and phosphorus.

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Rouge & White Garden Party recap

Cross-posted from Calgary is Awesome.

On Thursday I had the honour of being invited to the Rouge & White Garden Party hosted by Rouge Restaurant, a fundraiser benefitting the Hotchkiss Brain Institute. A large red-and-white tent was set up in the Rouge garden, and people dressed up in their best red and white outfits (with a bit of a Stampede twist) to attend the carnival-themed event. There was a man juggling on stilts (who made me walk under them... awkward), a face painter, a girl doing tricks with a hula hoop, a tarot card reader, and of course, lots and lots of good food.

But first, after a long day at work, I couldn't help but make my way over to the bar, where I treated myself to a sangria. The bartender told me it had been stewing for three weeks, so it was extra boozy.


A few local chefs donated their time to this event, cooking up tasty appetizers for all the guests. Connie DeSousa and John Jackson from CHARCUT did a fancy version of the popular Stampede treat, the corndog, with a house-made turkey sausage studded with truffles and pistachios, battered and fried on the spot before drizzled with mustard.


I'm not sure if I should be ashamed or proud to admit that this was the first corndog I've ever had. Either way, my tastebuds were spoiled.

Derek Dammann of DNA Restaurant in Montreal flew in with an Asian-inspired dish - Braised Pork Belly with Pickled Watermelon Rind:


The pork belly simply melted in my mouth, but didn't taste greasy, and contrasted nicely with the sweet-and-sour pickled watermelon rind. I loved the Asian flavours in this from the sesame, chilis, basil, mint and cilantro. DNA is now on my must-try list if I'm ever back to my old stomping grounds!

Cam Dobranski and Xavier Lacaze from Muse, Brasserie Kensington and Winebar Kensington combined modern with classic, with some crisp, duck fat-fried potato chips and onion rings topped with a hearty cassoulet and queso fresco, served with a side of spicy aioli. This was definitely a favourite among the many foodies I ran into at the event.


SAIT Instructor Michael Allemeier, formerly of Teatro and Mission Hill Winery, served up one-bite appetizers of marinated cherry tomatoes and grilled queso fresco drizzled with pesto oil. I wasn't sure if I could finish it all in one bite, but I managed to get it all down!

Last but not least, the sous chefs at Rouge (Chef/Owner Paul Rogalski was schmoozing with all the guests) served up Ginger-Fried Sweetbreads:


Sweetbreads (usually the thymus glands of an animal) might be a little scary for some, but I've had them a couple times already so am somewhat familiar. In this dish, they looked and tasted sort of like chicken, except with a deeper, meatier flavour. Again, I liked the Asian flavours and the sweet-and-sour crisp slaw on top.

Aside from the food stations, servers walked around with additional treats like sliders, pork tacos, snow cones and churros... we were definitely stuffed and spoiled!


I had a really good time at the event and hope this will become an annual festival... I'm excited to hear how much Paul and his team have raised for the Hotchkiss Brain Institute!

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