The Birch Patio… another great reason to visit the Devonian Botanical Garden

07 Saturday Sep 2013

Posted by Delena Rose in Devonian Botanical Garden, restaurants

Tags

al fresco, Alberta cafe, cafe, cappuccino, coffee, Devonian Botanical Garden, Elm Cafe, kaitas, patio, pickle soup, recommended restaurant, summer dining, The Birch Patio

One of my favorite cafes in Edmonton is Elm Cafe, located on 100, 10140 117 Street. I usually order a large cappuccino and either sit indoors, enjoying the ambience of the tiny cafe and the current art hanging on the walls; or I sit outdoors on their equally tiny patio to take in the weather and changing seasons while sipping the best cappuccino I have ever tasted.

You can imagine how happy I was to visit the Devonian Botanical Garden (DBG) last spring and find that Nate Box of Elm Café had opened The Birch Patio.

The Birch Patio offers a unique and tasty menu of al fresco treats and showcases many local producers, including fresh produce grown right there at the gardens. The menu changes daily and is inspired by the seasons. The Birch Patio also offers a selection of beer, wine and seasonal libations.

On my visit in May, I had the kaitas sandwich and the pickle soup; both were very tasty. Last month, I simply had a cappuccino and a gourmet cookie (double chocolate).

If you’ve taken in any of the DBG’s date nights (June-August) this past spring and summer, then you would have had the opportunity to experience one of The Birch Patio’s themed dinner menus and activities, including long-table dinners, country fair, summer in Paris, seniors’ night and summer dances.

The DBG closes its doors for the season after October 14^th so be sure to stop in even if only for lunch or a mid-day snack in a beautiful location. It will be well worth the drive!

Click here to go to The Birch Patio’s website. (They offer catering!)

Click here to go to the Elm Cafe’s website. (They offer catering!)

Click here to go the the Devonian Botanical Garden’s website.

The Birch Patio Hours

May 1-31 11 am – 3 pm weekdays  10 am – 5 pm on weekends

June 1 – Sept. 2  10 am – 6 pm daily and Date Night Thursdays until dusk

Sept. 3 – Sept. 30 11 am – 3 pm weekdays  10 am – 5 pm on weekends

Oct. 1 – Oct. 14 (Thursday – Sunday only) 10 am – 3 pm

silverton chocolate coffee cake

08 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by Delena Rose in cook

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Tags

baking, cake, chocolate, chocolate cake, coffee, coffee cake, snack

Have you noticed how hard it is to find a good coffee cake these days? I’ve been craving coffee cake for weeks now and finally decided to hunt in my collection of cookbooks for a good recipe. Today, I found one that is moist, flavorful and goes perfectly with, well… coffee!

Silverton Chocolate Coffee Cake

3/4 cup freshly brewed espresso or 2 tablespoons instant coffee powder dissolved in 3/4 cup boiling water

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons instant coffee powder

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 eggs, separated and at room temperature

1/2 cup organic granulated sugar (or natural sweetener of your choice)

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons hazelnuts, toasted and peeled

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 egg white

pinch of salt

powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper or waxed paper. Grease the paper and set aside.

In a saucepan over low heat, combine the brewed espresso, chocolate, coffee powder and butter, stirring occasionally until melted. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Slowly whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until well blended.

In a food processor (or large mortar and pestle), process the 3/4 cup of toasted hazelnuts until finely chopped, about 20 seconds. Add the flour and cocoa and process for 10 more seconds. Measure out 1 cup of the chocolate batter. With the machine running, gradually add the mixture to the food processor through the feed tube to form a paste. Stir the paste back into the batter and beat until well blended.

In a large bowl, beat the 4 egg whites with the salt until stiff, glossy peaks form. Whisk about one-quarter of the beaten whites into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining whites until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until firm, about 30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out slightly sticky. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool. Unmold, remove the parchment paper and place the cake on a plate. Chop the remaining 2 tablespoons of hazelnuts and sprinkle in the cake along with the powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Resource:

Perry, S. (2001). The New Complete Coffee Book: A Gourmet Guide to Buying, Brewing, and Cooking. Vancouver, BC: Raincoast Books.

pinolata (pine nut bread)

16 Thursday Feb 2012

Posted by Delena Rose in cook

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coffee, Italian loaf, loaf, pine nut, pine nut loaf, pinolata, sweet bread, tea, tea bread, Tuscany

This cake is often encountered in Tuscany, where pine nuts are plentiful and not very costly. It is not a dish to end a meal, but rather one that is served for breakfast or brunch, or for merenda, a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. ~Lorenza de’ Medici

Pinolata (Pine Nut Cake)

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

½ cup unsalted butter, softened plus 1 tablespoon for the pan

½ cup sugar

3 eggs

½ cup pine nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

In another bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Then add the flour mixture. The dough should be quite soft.

Butter a loaf pan and dust with flour. Pour the dough into the pan and sprinkle with the pine nuts. Bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry.

Remove from pan and cool completely on a rack before serving. Enjoy with coffee or tea.

Note: I prefer to add the nuts right into the batter rather than sprinkling them on top as I find the nuts tend to all fall off of the top when I slice and serve the loaf.