What a great looking recipe!
Reminds me of my Great Grandmas Gingerbread. I gave it a whirl last night and even thought I used buckwheat (which is pretty grainy) I found the batter to be really loose and easy to work with. I browned the butter the way I always do, which differs just slightly from how those instructions say, but I got lovely cracked nicely puffed gluten free cookies.
here is what I tried http://eatingwithsole.wordpress.com/2...
the recipe certainly has merit and makes a great start to a cookie. I chilled the dough a while before scooping and dredging.

I don't know if I have helped but I would say try it again, because the measurements seem very balanced, and the rich flavour is so nice and nutty.

OMG black bean brownies

12 dried prunes coarsely chopped + It is really important to use organic prunes, because we will make a sauce with the fluid they are reconstituted it.

in a small pot quickly simmer the prunes in 1.5 cups of water

use the prune simmer as a double boiler to melt about 2/3 cup of quality dark bittersweet chocolate, in a glass bowl.

use a submersion blender to puree the water and prunes, into a sweet syrup, add this and the melted chocolate to 1/2 cup oil (or melted natural buttery spread) and then 2/3 cup organic cane sugar + 1 tbsp pure vanilla, and mix well.

sift 1 cup of black bean flour

1 cup brown rice flour

and 1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

add these to wet mixture and bring batter together and add 1/2 cup course chunks of a good quality fair trade dark chocolate

pour batter into small square pan lined with baking parchment

bake at 350º for about 35-40 minutes, for a nice soft centre, 45-50 minutes for a firmer centre.

your welcome!

you know my favourite topping for the rosemary crackers is a nice ash goat cheese and balsamic fig jam! DIVINE COMBINATION!

Hi Operagirl,

I used to own a gourmet bakery and we produced this type of boutique expensive crackers, and I have made about 5 million of these, so here are a few tips from a pro:

Before freezing the loaf allow it to dry in the open air overnight, to avoid any mushy-ness when slicing after thawing later. Alternatively you can just leave it for a day or two uncovered and not freeze it at all.

When I was just testing the recipe out at home before going into production I used a small home size deli slicer which worked like a dream.

As for pans I tried them all. the best was aluminum pan oiled with canola oil and lined with parchment.

The other flavour combinations I developed were:
Star Anise with Apricot and Pepper Pecan and Mango Chilli with flax and sesame seed.

Also I found after selling the company and making crackers to serve at my own parties etc, I just kept powdered buttermilk on hand, so I could whip them up any time, and not have to use up a huge jug of buttermilk!

And my final tid-bit for you, the bigger the pieces of fruit and nuts in the loaf, the more visually appealing the crackers will look.

happy cracker making

I made gluten free HEMP CHOCOLATE BROWNIES the other day.. hands down all time best ever brownie I have eaten or made!

In a mixer bring together;

2 fresh eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 tsp sea salt

9 whole dates, pitted and torn into quarters

2 Tbsp each: unsulphured molasses, honey, and brown rice syrup

1/2 cup of almond butter

1/2 cup of organic hemp flour

1/2 cup pure cocoa power

1/2 cup of chocolate pieces (I just cut up a chocolate bar)

1 tsp baking power

Combine everything together and pour into a prepared small square pan.

Sprinkle the top with organic hemp seeds and more pieces from your chocolate bar.

Bake at 325º for 20-25 minutes. Don’t worry about pulling a toothpick clean, the inside will set as it cools. Just make sure the top is firm-ish

dig in while they are warm.. its so worth burning your fingers for!

Special diets can be sooo challenging to cook for! both in a restaurant and at home!

My partner has been through the food sensitivity ringer over the past two years!
I was a vegetarian for years and now I have been cooking, Wheat free, gluten free, cow dairy free, night shade free, and meat free (aside from chicken and eggs) luckily we keep laying hens and often have roosters in the freezer.

Anyway We can't go out and eat anything except sushi, and as I don't eat seafood it's veggie rolls all round (that means i get the tempura rolls all to myself!)

I started blogging about all these special dietary recipes and challenges a couple years back http://eatingwithsole.wordpress.com/ . My guy is pretty lucky I was a gluten free and vegan baker back in the day!

THIS IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVS!
Mark the Chef is fabulous and is really involved with sourcing food locally, he knows and promotes his farmers.
We often make the trip out to enjoy dinner or lunch.
It is also the perfect way to end a Saturday morning at millarville market.
Hands down worth the drive over and over again.

spragg meats is advertising 1/2 a pig for $240 (i think) i noticed a sign at the market today. their meat is free range and all natural, great stuff!

I have bought big bundles of bison from CRMR before and I know that Buffalo Horn Ranch has some package deals too!

He is still doing catering, and you can order from him still in bulk (at least I did last summer) I just tried looking for his email, and couldn't find it. sorry, I will post if I can track a number down for you.

HaHa,

I have to agree the font is terrible! and they should add a witch doctor to the hire list.. that place needs a total curse removal sweet grass voodoo dance!

I would love to see a successful business use that great space... but no one has pulled it of in year and years.

The concept sounds good, I will cross my fingers for the beer parlour!

CFM doesn't host that many actual farmers (especially this time of year) If your on a budget and wanting to shop locally, try some of the smaller community markets which will start up soon. I know that the low prices of big box stores can be tempting, but there is really something to be said about supporting local growers. SPUD is also a good option for produce if your on a budget, simply because you order online.. so impulse spending isn't really an issue, I find that it's really easy to plan and budget your meals if you use a service like SPUD (which delivers organic groceries direct to your door). Me i love shopping for food, and often hit 3 stores just to put a meal together, but simply because I love food hunting, and talking to farmers, when ever I can.

Some of the produce booths at CFM (specifically the two large ones) just sell imported produce identical to any large grocery store, just over priced and re packaged to look "market fresh" I never shop at these booths, but I adore Sylvian Star Cheese, Cookbook Co, Ladybug, P&S, Valalta Bison, and Spragg Meats! and on occasion I indulge in a cheese blintz with jam!

Noble Duck, Is a Southern Alberta all natural duck farm. They sell mainly to restaurants, but I would certainly call them and inquire directly or call Galimax Trading (a Lethbridge distributor for Noble Duck) and inquire as to who sells their duck retail.

Possible Fresh Kitchen.

If you keep it local I am sure you will get fresh, not frozen duck!

Community Natural Foods carries a great brand of rice noodles called SOBA KING, they are in really pretty frosted packaging. They have a wild rice noodle, as well as a corn noodle blend and a really yummy pumpkin ginger flavour. They are a tad expensive, but they have good tooth, for GF noodles that is huge! I make them all the time, and i think they are the best rice noodles by a mile.

I would call REA's and ask them... They make my hands down favourite Tiramisu in town

Our old local neighbourhood Chinese Restaurant in Acadia (on Acadia Drive) Had AMAZING hot and sour soup , especially when served over sizzling rice! In fact I won;t even eat it any where else, it just doesn't compare!
Golden Gate Restaurant 403-259-2777
14-430 Acadia Drive Se, Calgary, AB, T2J0B2

personally i don't really like Chinese that much.. it's so greasy.. but I really enjoy the food here!

As for Wonton Soup Kings off Barlow Trail is really popular!

Nicks' of Nicks pizza, has a son Tim (Tim's pizza) and he makes AMAZING GF pizza crust! He sells his ready to bake pizzas at farmers markets over the summer, but I think you can also get them from both Nicks' steak house / pizza locations, and I also know that Tim is planning to open a Deli in the NW soon.

UNA!
gets my vote too! and the zucchini ribbons, OMG! Yum

Have you been to the NEW Earths General Store location? Huge expansion, and they have FOOD now! its a great development. I think Edmonton is a sadly lacking in natural food variety, but you guys make up for it with your booming farmers markets in the summer!

I think unquestionably whole foods is that way, maybe worse.

SO???

Has anyone been here in 2010?
Or even have a review since the wonder team took over the kitchen?
Sounds like a slam dunk, but I would love some feedback that is current, as it's my daughters birthday soon, and she really wants to eat up there before we move away from Calgary, I was thinking just dessert, but by the time you pay $14 to get to the top, you might as well eat and entree so your lift is free... well that is if it's going to be good!

TOTALLY AGREE on the Wildrose front! that would be great! Not sure what Fergus & Bix would have on tap though if that happened.

Well I must say I am not at all surprised, but still it is sad too see that it couldn't be resurrected, or ever launched successfully.

IMHO both attempts were missing the essential market ingredient: FARMERS > therefore fresh produce. Just a thought, but seemingly overlooked by both operators!

hmmm i was there in Jan, and the rings were pretty darn good, still sweet and hot!

bravo!

CHEERS!

Well I am pretty shocked to read all the GOOD reviews... I don't think that Alloy is on par with Capo or the Ranch in any way shape or form. period.

Girlswithafork: I am sorry your romantic night way a bust I had an even worse experience about a year ago there, and will not go back there again.

true mac: trivial in my opinion is pretty valid when you are parting with a couple hundred dollars for a meal!

If I pay $200-$300 for a meal, I want to be pampered, I want impeccable service, and I want divine food. At Alloy this is not going to happen, better to spend my hard earned dollars at Capo or Teatro's where I will get more than I pay for.

While Alloy is beautiful yes, They are not on par with Calgary's greats.

Ok Folks..

List in Progress:

Restaurants

Rouge
the Ranch
Coup
Cilantro
Farm
River Café
The Rimrock
Route 40 Soup Company
Saskatoon Berry Farm
Reader Rock Garden
Lady Bug Café
The District
Velvet
Open Range
Catch

Catering / Take Out

Fresh Kitchen
Farm to Fork
Red Tree Kitchen
Forage
Infuse
Phil & Sebastians
CRMR at home
Janice Beaton Cheese

What am I missing?
:)

Wow Rosetown! Great addition! I love the map feature!
Looks like SW Calgary needs some Indian Food!

WOW! Morwen sound like you guys are doing wonderful things! What is the growing zone where you are?

MY GARDEN IS MY BEST EVER GREEN GROCER FOR FRESH FOODIE FINDS!

Absolutely I grow my own food! I don't trust to many people to provide me safe food.. but what I grow I know and adore. I have been learning to harvest my own seeds too, and I have 3 years of successful heirloom organic gardening under my belt, and I just can't imagine my life with out my summer abundance!

Where else can you get handfuls of organic tiger tomatoes and rainbow swiss chard, along with bushels of basil and giant zucchini's and buttercup squash for free?

My garden is my favourite place for dinner inspiration!