Text 16277, 90 rader
Skriven 2011-10-03 13:02:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
Ärende: Trip 7
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Wednesday I took a turn cooking and created a hamburger and potato
casserole thing using up all of Raine's leftovers which were getting
out of control. It was judged satisfactory and a nice change of pace
by all.

On Thursday they had to depart for a wedding in Salmon Arm B.C.
while we had to get to Edmonton for Roslind's Friday dental
appointment. We arranged to spend one more day with Lexi and Charlee
by taking them to Edmonton and handing them off at the end of the
trip, as they were continuing to Calgary that night. Lyle grew up
in that part of the world and knew of an alternative route to bypass
the paving. It was a tertiary highway, recently upgraded and paved,
running from Gregoire Lake just outside of town to Lac La Biche
which is near Athabaska. Unfortunately a truck had overturned near
Lac La Biche, spilling a load of hazardous cargo and the road was
blocked for 24 hours so we had to turn back and return to Fort
McMurray (175 km each way) and go down the main highway. So again a
4 hour trip became a 4 plus 8 hour trip.

We had started the day with BK breakfast sandwiches but Lexi ordered
poutine. As it wasn't a kid's meal it didn't come with a toy, so I
had to buy one! When we finally got to a truck stop half way between
Fort Mac and Athabaska after the aborted shortcut, we were famished.
When I pulled into the Wandering River Cafe, Lexi went into her
restaurant critic mode, "This place is good. We've been here before.
They do a good grilled cheese and the waiter is really nice too."
They had made a good previous impression on the staff too as they
were welcomed warmly by the waiter and his brother the cook who came
out of the back to say hello. Roslind had a taco salad, I had a
bacon mushroom burger and the kids had grilled cheese sandwiches.
The kids and I shared one order of fries, which turned out to be
huge, basically three servings on a single plate.

When we hit Edmonton we caught up to Raine and Lyle at a Joey's Only
Seafood place which pleased the kids ("Oh boy, popcorn shrimp!"). We
made our goodbyes there and drove over to Roslind's mom's place
where Hank had prepared a huge meal of roast pork, two roast hocks,
mashed potatoes, gravy and mashed rutabagas (which were quite good
as he uses a lot of butter and a pinch of brown sugar).

Hank and Olive are both in poor health with mobility issues so they
don't go out to restaurants any more, so for Friday's lunch I
ordered takeout from a nearby Chinese place, a venerable institution
previously known as Schezwan Cuisine, for 40 years the best place in
the west end if not the city. The second owners ran it into the
ground in less than a year and it was now run by the third set of
owners and re-named the Chinese Dumpling House so I was willing to
try it again. The food was OK but not extraordinary to the point
where one waxed lyrically, like it did in the old days. We had some
very good shrimp and pork dumplings, standard fried shrimp, very
mild, bland and sweet ginger beef that wasn't very gingery (which
Hank loved even though I knew it was sub- standard) and some very
plain noodles. We (mostly me) also had cold roast pork sandwiches
with grainy brown mustard.

Hank and Olive both grew up in the country so they garden on their
apt. balcony in containers, buy produce in bulk seasonally and still
can, pickle and make jam. Their tiny balcony produced an incredible
amount of tomatoes so we ended up receiving a large bag full.

I also found time Friday to make the booze run and stock up as
Alberta has much lower taxes than the NWT.

Friday night we hooked up with Roslind's friend Lily who is half
Italian and half Slovenian with a Hungarian uncle. She knows the
Edmonton dining scene well, so let her pick the restaurant. We
ended up at Sorrentino's, which has four locations in Edmonton, just
in time for their September mushroom festival menu.
(www.sorrentinos.com) Lily had mussel and calamari fettuccine with
assorted wild mushrooms, Roslind a mushroom and cheese pizza and I
had lamb chops with mushrooms and spinach. The house red was Santa
Cristina Chianti Superiore, a fine Chianti but not in the classic
style as it made with 10% Merlot. Deep ruby red, intense fresh
fruit aromas, soft tannins and lingering fruit in the finish.

Saturday we started home, eating at the same places in High Level
(seafood pasta and Greek salad made with kalamata olives, artichoke
hearts, peppers, red onions and feta, no lettuce) and Fort
Providence (steak sandwiches).

Cheers

YK Jim


... I conserved fuel by traveling mainly downhill.

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