Ask a friend if they want to go “scavenging” and likely they would expect to be diving into dumpsters to sort through dripping piles of garbage. Prejudices like this are what drove authors Anneli Rufus and Kristan Lawson to write The Scavenger’s Manifesto.  They wanted to redeem the reputation of scavenging.
It is not all dumpster diving, according to Rufus and Lawson.  Scavenging is any way of acquiring goods for less than full price—anything from going to garage sales to bargain shopping. And do they ever make it sound appealing!  Not only does it sound fun, scavenging seems to be the answer to all the latest concerns.
How can I find funky vintage clothing?  How can I reduce the amount of waste that is going into landfills?   How can I save money in these uncertain economic times?  “Scavenge!” say Rufus and Lawson.  No one sings the praises of scavenging quite like these two.

They even believe that scavenging has a spiritual element.  A certain amount of faith is required, and coming across a particularly great find can push an “alleluia” from the lips of even the staunchest skeptic.
Covering everything from the philosophy and evolution of “scavenomics,” to the spiritual component, Rufus and Lawson provide a comprehensive guide on how to become a scavenger.  Start slowly, they say.  Do not feel pressure to jump head first into a dumpster or eat half eaten food.  Begin by checking out the local thrift store and keep an eye out for free boxes on the side of the road.

If that’s as far as you ever want to go, no problem.  There is no rule that says a scavenger needs to dig through garbage.  It’s all about being comfortable and having fun. So go out, have fun and join the ranks of vultures, coyotes and hyenas!  Some things in life really are free.

Roasted Beet Soup

Bowl $7.75    Cup $5.25

Deep Dish Quiche

“Greens Eggs and Ham Farm” Duck Sausage, with corn, red pepper and ginger.

Served with your choice of soup or honey greens. $14

Rosemary Shrimp and Golden Potato Flatbread

Oven baked roasted rosemary potatoes and shrimp with tomato sauce on pita bread.

Served with honey greens or soup.    $15

BBQ Chicken Pita

Chicken breast in a pita topped with cheddar, spinach, caramelized onions and raspberry aioli.

Served with your choice of honey greens or soup.  . $14

Lemony Baby Clam Linguine

White wine cream sauce with oregano, baby clams and Asiago.

Served with a garlic toast point. $16

Pork Skewers

Marinated pork and pineapple skewers topped with yogurt dressing

Served over a bed of rice   $17

Recipe:

Sweet Pea and Artichoke Lasagna (we modified this recipe from Bon Appétit)

16 ounces artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups whipping cream, divided
1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh basil leaves
2 (15-ounce) containers whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 pound peas
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 (8- to 9-ounce) package no-boil lasagna noodles (12 noodles)
4 cups coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (about 1 pound)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush 13×9x2-inch glass baking dish with oil. Mix artichokes, 1/2 cup cream, and basil in medium bowl. Purée remaining 1 cup cream, ricotta, and next 4 ingredients in processor. Spread 1 cup ricotta mixture over bottom of prepared baking dish. Arrange 4 noodles in single layer over ricotta, breaking noodles as needed to cover. Spread half of artichoke mixture over. Spread 2 1/2 cups ricotta mixture over artichokes. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese over. Repeat with 4 noodles, artichoke mixture, 2 1/2 cups ricotta mixture, and 1 cup mozzarella.

Top with 4 noodles. Spread remaining ricotta mixture over, then sprinkle remaining 2 cups mozzarella over. Tent with foil, sealing edges.

Bake lasagna 30 minutes. Remove foil; continue baking until bubbling at edges and brown on top, about 25 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

When an ancient Sitka spruce fell down dead, a small community was devastated and the world took notice.  Not only was the tree three hundred years old, its needles were golden, something considered scientifically impossible.   Born on the mythic Queen Charlotte Islands, the tree’s beauty was legendary.  Not only was it a tourist attraction, it was sacred to the Haida people.

John Vaillant tells the true story of the life and death of the golden spruce, centering the story on a surprising protagonist—the man who cut down this remarkable tree.  His name is Grant Hadwin, a timber scout turned activist who had been profoundly affected by the disappearing forests.  Driven by a mixture of madness and frustration, he took a chainsaw to the tree in an unusual statement against the slaughter of old growth trees.

In true journalistic style, Vaillant covers a variety of perspectives.  He relays the pain of the Haida natives after the tree’s death, and also provides context for Hadwin’s actions. The felling of the Golden Spruce is a tragedy.  Heartbreak echoed throughout the Queen Charlotte Islands when it was killed. Vaillant doesn’t mute this grief.  What he does do is investigate some positive change that grew out of the tree’s death.

Even in death, the golden spruce inspired life, becoming somewhat of a compost for change.  A wave of environmental activism emerged and was fueled by increased awareness about the slaughter of old growth trees.  Now that the eye of the media was on the logging industry they could not longer carelessly crash through forests, wreaking ecological destruction.
The Golden Spruce is a dedication to a beloved tree, the story of the community surrounding it and a haunting reminder of humanity’s effect on the natural world.

Review by Meghan Mast

A movement is afoot—a worldwide civil society movement that is mostly unseen and focused around hope.
Paul Hawken, one of the most influential environmentalists of our time, chronicles a “story, without apologies of what is going right on this planet, narratives of imagination and conviction, not defeatist accounts about the limits.”

He’s absolutely right.  Having been influenced by optimism himself, the book breathes life into pertinent issues again.  There is positive change happening in the world, and inspiration is what we need in order to get involved.

Hawken first sensed something was going on during his fifteen years spent touring and speaking about the environment.  He was amazed by the discussion that occurred in the audience after his lectures.  People would get together, networking and discussing.  Humbled by the realization that he had been focusing on the negative while his attendees were living out the positive, Hawken’s worldview was transformed.
Too often, he realized, environmentalism has been defined by what it is against instead of what it is for—inspiration and renewal.

Intrigued by the individuals he had met, Hawken began to explore the breadth of organizations involved in what he sensed was a largely invisible, powerful movement.
What he found is an abundance of groups of all different forms and voices, all working towards the same goal of making the world a better place.

While the range of participants is huge and diverse, so is the complexity of injustices around the world.  Diversity is pertinent in addressing the world’s pain.

To empower readers, Hawken includes a guide to project areas being pursued by environmental and social justice groups.

Infused with solid hope for humanity, Blessed Unrest is the fresh air that a jaded population is gasping for.

15% OFF Ridge Restaurant Food. Must present coupon. Expires June 30/09.

For printable coupon click here.

Adults $30 | Seniors $20 | Children  (under 12) $16

780.439.0041

The Dish and Spoon :: Hiring Prep Cook / Delivery Driver
Full Time Days
Wage $13/hour plus benefits
Contact Carole at 780 488-6181 or email info@thedishandspoon.com

This 3-course option is available for 5-6 pm reservations and all evening on Sundays.

It includes: your choice of soup or salad, a main course and a dessert - chosen from our 5-course menu.

Make your reservation online: thebluepear.com or phone 780 482 7178

For Jennifer McLagan, the world is divided into two kinds of people: those who appreciate fat and those who are afraid of fat.  The majority of people fall into the latter category, equating eating fat with getting fat, a misconception that began in the 1970s.

Coronary heart disease was identified as the leading cause of death, and when saturated fats appeared guilty, people’s grocery lists changed in a hurry.  In many households, margarine replaced butter, meat was made leaner, and skim milk became popular.  Hydrogenated vegetable oils replaced natural fats, a shift that had people consuming less mono-saturated fats but more trans-fats.

Instead of this shift improving the health of the general population, just the opposite has been happening.  Obesity rates continue to grow and coronary heart disease is still prevalent.

Not only has the anti-fat fad been negative to our health, it has also sucked the pleasure out of eating.  Many people cannot eat without analyzing how their meal might affect their health or weight.  Food has been labeled either “good” of “bad,” perpetuating a feeling of guilt around mealtimes.

Having grown up savoring and being nourished by fat, Jennifer McLagan decided to write a cookbook that would defy the Jack Sprats of the world, and defend her much-loved ingredient.  A spunky cook from Australia, she loves fat and can’t imagine food without it.

She is unabashedly the bard of butter, sings the praises of suet and has a surprising love of lard.  Despite her passion for fat however, McLagan is no Dr. Atkins’s follower.  She encourages a healthy balance of food outside the fat family but insists that natural fats again be given a more prominent role in our diet.
Writing with intelligence, wit and authority, McLagan weaves historical and personal anecdotes between decadent recipes.  The result is a real-food revelation and ultimately the redemption of fat.

Jesse Chambers first became interested in the restaurant business because it provided flexible hours that allowed him to travel and pursue his passion for snowboarding.  Beginning as a line cook and working his way up to a full apprenticeship, Jesse is now a partner in the entire Food and Beverage operation for The Montgomery Glen Golf and Country Club in Wetaskawin.

1.  Who have been some of the instrumental people who have really encouraged you throughout your experience in the restaurant industry?

My parents, for sure, and grandparents.  We’ve always tried to make things from scratch and experiment at home.  My grandparents would always put on massive meals and we would help them.  They’ve really influenced me a lot and been very supportive, for sure.  Aside from that, a lot of other chefs have helped a lot.

2.  What are the most significant joys and struggles of being an independent restaurant owner?

The joys are that it is very satisfying to do some of the stuff that we’re doing.  Making people happy, experimenting, being there for people’s special occasions.  Some of the struggles are obviously labor, trying to find skilled help, having enough help.  The hours, I guess.

3.  How is your family involved in the restaurant?

My wife has a full-time job as a Justice of the Peace for the provincial courts, so she’s very busy with that.  But she does the books for the restaurant, she does our daily balance.

4.  How are you involved in the community around you?  Do you support any charities, local or larger?

We do as much as we can.  We are a member of our Chamber of Commerce as well right now.  We donate our time and services for certain fundraising events—we cater to wine galas and silent auctions and stuff.  Any fundraising stuff like that we’ll gladly donate our labor and stuff to.

5.  Where do the ideas for your food come from?

Different experiences.  Traveling around, trying new things.  The nice thing about having a restaurant at a golf course is that there is always typical golf course but then there is also room for an element of creativity.

6.  Where does the restaurant’s name come from?

The restaurant is at Montgomery Glen Golf and Country Club.  It’s the golf course’s grill.  And ‘glen’ is actually an old Scottish term for golf course.

7.  What are some of your interests/hobbies outside of the restaurant?  Do you get a chance to enjoy these or is that a rarity?

As much as I can, I snowboard.  My wife is from Fernie and we have a little condo there that I try to go to when I get a chance.  In the summer I mountain bike and I also enjoy collecting wine.

8.  What is your biggest pet peeve?

Laziness and lack of effort.  People who can’t self-motivate themselves is a pretty big pet peeve.

9.  Have you done much traveling?

Yeah, I do a lot.  I really enjoy going to tropical places in the winter.  I went on a produce tour of Salinas, California.  It’s one of the biggest produce suppliers and I wanted to see where our produce comes from in the winter.  It was really interesting.  I wanted to see how they do it, how they produce it.  Very interesting.  In the summertime we try to shop locally.  We have organic growers that we buy from in the summer, but in the winter we can’t.

10.  When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

For a while I wanted to be a pro-snowboarder.  That’s what I was trying to do.  I gave it everything I had and I didn’t quite have enough, but I still love it.  Working in the restaurant business is a great lifestyle to have though, because I’m off Monday and Tuesdays and then there’s nobody on the hills.

11.  Anything else you’d like to add?

I guess that, yeah, our main focus at The Glen’s Grill is to do what we do and to do it well.  We try to make as much as we can from scratch.  We make our own pastas, we make our own bread.  That’s our focus.  We want to be reasonably priced and offer fresh, homemade quality food.

“Original Fare has helped us a lot. It’s nice to know that aside from the pool of friends and family we have, we also have a large organization that if we need to, we can turn to. They’re constantly supporting us and we’d like to support them as much as we can.”
-Clayton Little

1. When did you first become interested in the restaurant business?

Garrett: When I finished university, another one of our partners and I looked into the possibility of opening a bar around Whyte Avenue. We didn’t find anything for a while and then this place became open. So we put a team of investors together, made an offer and then we got it. After running the place for a bit we realized it wasn’t really suited to be a bar, it was more suited to be a restaurant. So we changed our focus, renovated and re-branded it. Decided it would be a restaurant and lounge. Clay was one of the investors we approached, so I don’t know if you have a different story there, Clay.

Clayton: Yeah, we had no real restaurant experience before. I had worked in a kitchen before, but nothing much beyond that. We got lots of help from our chef, and we kind of fell in love with the restaurant industry and realized, even though we were young, the bar scene wasn’t for us.

Garrett: In a restaurant, you have more of a relationship with your clientele and take more pride in what you’re doing than with a bar.

2. Who have been some of the instrumental people who have really encouraged you through the starting and maintaining of your restaurant?

Garrett: When we first took over Milan’s restaurant he stuck around for a bit, helped us get going for the first couple months. Our chef has been the backbone of this business. If he hadn’t stayed here, it wouldn’t have worked. Then there’s Deb Gordon who designed our new menu. She’s a chef, basically who creates dishes. We hired her to create our new menu for us. Probably sixty percent of our menu is from her. It went over really well, the dishes are great.

Clayton: We hired a bar manager when we initially thought we’d be more of a lounge. He was a friend of Garrett’s from university and he helped us with a lot of the renovations. He taught us a lot about maintaining margins in sales. He worked with us for about three months.

Garrett: He had worked in a bar setting for a long time so he knew how day to day stuff ran with employees. It was helpful for us to work with him for that three months.
My dad did most of the renovations. He was a renovation home contractor so he helped us out. That was huge. Simon, another one of our friends, his mom is an interior decorator, so she helped us pick out the fabric and the draperies. Clay’s dad was a huge help as well. He gave us a professional loan. He runs a law firm so he’s always supported us with purchasing gift certificates for his staff. Our families have been a big help for us. We’re just young, so we don’t have that much.

Clayton: One of the things that our families really do for us is coming here to eat. Even on a slow day, having one of my brothers come in is really nice. My brothers come in almost every Friday, sit down and have a beer with me or something. My mom will bring her friends in for wine tasting.

3. What are the most significant joys and struggles of being an independent restaurant owner?

Clayton: It’s been a really great education. For me, I’ve discovered the joy of food and the joy of fine liquors and beers. I’ve met a lot of new people. One of my biggest joys is having a home base, somewhere I can always go and a group of people I can rely on. I also just like being here. I’m almost never at home, because I’d rather be here. For some of the struggles, money is always an issue I guess as with any flourishing business. We also don’t get a chance to have a so called “normal life” because we have to look after our restaurant. It’s kind of like having a child, I always say. You have to look after it all the time when it’s young, but as it gets older it can look after itself. Our restaurant is still in the toddler stage and needs its hand to be held every once and a while.

Garrett: The biggest joys for me are those really great nights where it’s really busy and everything runs so smoothly. Everyone is really happy and I can go talk to customers, shake their hands and they’re so pleased. You feel like you’re on top of the world, like you have everything right. The struggles would be, like Clay said is the fact that it’s like a kid and you can never be away. Then there are the times when for two or three nights in a row it’s quiet and you start to question yourself. Getting a nice review is a nice joy too. We had a review, and one of the focuses they had was that we were so young and running a restaurant. That made me really proud that I was doing something with my life at a young age.

4. How are you involved in the community around you? Do you support any charities, local or larger?

Garrett: We’ve donated a lot of gift certificates to fundraisers. We’ve supported several different cancer runs, U of A medical students and police auctions. In addition to that we do a lot with the local art scene. A big part of our clientele comes from the theatres. We’ve sponsored a lot of plays, especially during the Fringe. Last year we sponsored four fringe plays. That included offering discount cards to everyone involved with the theatre companies, monetary sponsorships of the plays. We threw launch parties for them here. Actors would come and act out scenes in front of our customers to build a buzz for our play. We’ve hosted media events.

Clayton: One of the biggest things is giving them a place to come to. Actors love to treat themselves to dinner and drinks and we like that they choose us and want to be as hospitable to them as possible. We also support local businesses in the area by offering VIP cards to employees of local businesses on and around Whyte Avenue. A lot of people in this area work in the retail industry and they don’t particularly make a lot of money, but we want to give them a chance to experience Accent as well.

Garrett: We also have a partnership with Shadow Theatre where we cater their openings for free. In exchange for that we get to put up signs in their building and in their playbills.

5. How large a role do ethics play in your choice of products? Do you buy locally/organically/fair trade?

Garrett: We try to buy as much as we can from the Italian center in terms of produce, cheese and meat. After that, Wholesale fills in the rest. We buy some of our specialty goods from Lucky Number Seven. Our chef is Asian, so he likes some of the Asian based stuff from them. We support Alley Kat, the Edmonton Brewery. We have a really good relationship with them and are very happy to serve their products.

Clayton: In the summer we get a lot of business from the farmer’s market, so we try as much as we can to get produce from them. It’s sometimes difficult because though we seem small, we’re a fairly large organization and it’s hard to get all our food local. We buy as much as we can though. I like to go to the farmer’s market because I think they have some of the best produce in the city.

6. Where does the restaurant’s name come from?

Garrett: We wasted so much time coming up with a name. Finally, I think it was Simon’s mom who had a friend suggest Accent on Fourth, but we took off the Fourth and stuck with Accent.

7. What are some of your interests/hobbies outside of the restaurant?

Garrett: I play soccer and dodge ball. I’ve been to Las Vegas about four times since we’ve opened. I play poker, so I go down there sometimes. With a larger group of us involved in the place we’ve got a bit of leeway that way. I don’t want to be away often because I want to stay involved and help make the place better, but if I want to go away for a few days, it’s possible.

Clayton: I’ve actually developed a lot of interests because of Accent. I’ve become interested in the finer beers, finer whiskeys, discovered the joy of sitting down with friends. I also play cards as often as I can with my close friends, get a chance to watch a movie, maybe even make a movie as that’s still a huge ambition of mine. We have some regulars who are involved in the local film scene. Sometimes we even use the place as a set for a documentary, and there was a crime flick here once. Furthermore, like Garrett was saying, we have the freedom to make our own schedule.

8. Have you done any traveling?

Clayton: I’ve been to England, France and Belgium. One of our other investors and I have an idea to take a trip to Europe together to find the perfect pub and perfect European restaurant. To do a bit of research and bring it home. Bring a bit of a cultural influence to the city that is of our own design. That idea is still floating so we’ll see.

9. When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Clayton: When I left high school I went to the University of Alberta and took film courses. I wanted to be a filmmaker. That kind of happened simultaneously with this venture, so I’ve since left that behind to focus more on this. I’ve sort of wanted to be a filmmaker since I was little.

Garrett: I know that since high school I always wanted to own a business, but I never thought it would be a restaurant. I went to university and took business, and I was an accountant for a while. I definitely didn’t want to be an accountant when I was a kid. Things change. Everyone goes through a lot of careers in their lifetime. I’m happy where I am now.

10. What is your biggest pet peeve?

Garrett: There is a lot of time pressure to get everything ready for opening the restaurant everyday. Sometimes people who move really slowly can be a pet peeve of mine. Sometimes I think there are two different kinds of people in the world, not black or white, rich or poor, but people who are in a rush and people who aren’t in a rush. Usually I’m in a rush, so people who aren’t in a rush bother me.

Clayton: Mine would be small things that go wrong here. I have no problem dealing with a monstrous reservation or having a server mess up an order or having the kitchen being understaffed and having to do the dishes or make food. The things that bother me are if the beer doesn’t pour properly, there’s a chip in the wall, something doesn’t match or there’s a draft