Category: Cooking Chronicles

The Cooking Chronicles: Cheater’s Calzone

Sometimes a person needs a shortcut. For me, that meant buying some frozen bread dough from Save on Foods to help me along in a weekday calzone attempt (something I feel slightly guilty about after reading that Chris makes from-scratch bread every week). We had used that particular brand before for our dessert pizza experiment last year, but having not defrosted it correctly meant that the dough was difficult to roll out into the appropriate shape. This time, I was convinced that I could defrost the dough properly.

On that weekday, I made sure to hit “defrost” on the microwave, and watched the dough carefully. At about the seven minute mark, I stopped the machine, but it was already too late – the dough had already started to cook, resulting in a hard crust in places. Mack did his best to roll it out without a rolling pin (that would have been handy), but we ended up creating two individual, thick-crusted pizzas that night.

Over the weekend, in order to make use of the leftover toppings we had purchased, I tried to defrost it the conventional way by taking out the frozen dough in the morning. Of course, had I read the instructions more carefully, I would have known that the dough was meant to be defrosted in the fridge, instead of at room temperature. As a result, after I let the dough rise in a warm oven (where it exploded into a shape three times the size of what we started with), a thin crust had formed on the dough.

This time, however, emboldened with a rolling pin (hurrah for Winners, my favourite housewares store), Mack was able to roll out a eight or nine-inch sized crust, so we figured it was large enough for a two-serving calzone. We spread tomato sauce over half of the dough, and topped it with mozzarella, pepperoni, and fridge-gleaned red pepper and tomatoes. We folded over the dough, sealed it with some water, and pressed down on the edges to further enclose the pocket. I brushed the top with a bit of vegetable oil, and put it into a 375 degree oven (I used a Real Simple recipe as a guide). After about twenty minutes, our calzone was ready, nice and golden brown on the outside.

Pepperoni, Tomato and Red Pepper Calzone

I was afraid that there would be a bit too much dough, but as it had been rolled fairly thin, it was all right. Having been helped along by pre-made dough, it was a straightforward recipe that was perfect for two. I would make it again, although I would hope that the third time would be the charm with actually defrosting the dough correctly.

The Cooking Chronicles: Fried Rice

Fried rice is a dish I was a little afraid to make on my own. As my Mum’s versions have always been so tasty, I figured that my own attempt would never live up to her standard.

In an effort to use up some leftover rice in the fridge, however, I picked up some BBQ pork in Chinatown on Friday (at Tasty BBQ, 10632 97 Street, 780-428-3383) and asked my Mum for a few pointers. She advised me to scramble the eggs first, take them out, then fry up the onions and pork. Next, she told me to add the rice, peas, cooked eggs, and heat them through. Lastly, I was to season the mixture with salt and white pepper.

I did exactly as I was told, and was very happy with the result. The pork was a tad dry (not sure if the fact that the pork sat in the fridge overnight influenced this), but other than that, it tasted very similar to my Mum’s rice.

 

Fried Rice

I will definitely be making this again. Thanks Mum for the guidance!

The Cooking Chronicles: Pad Thai

It seems after years of holding out and not buying cookbooks (instead, choosing to rely on printed recipes gleaned from the internet), the floodgates have opened. I mentioned buying Diners, Drive Ins and Dives a few weeks ago, and along with that, also ordered Trish Magwood’s James Beard Award-winning Dish Entertains. I especially like the book because of its beautiful pictures, which not only provide satiating shots of food, but also really great serving and presentation ideas.

I’d been eyeing the recipe for Vegetarian Pad Thai for some time (a Food Network version, similar, but not the same is here), and finally got around to purchasing the needed “Thai essentials”, as she calls them. Of course, not being able to live without some protein in the meal, I decided to add shrimp to the mix.

I put Mack in charge of making the sauce, while I washed and prepared the vegetables and began heating up the noodles. Our only missing ingredient was chili flakes, so we were forced to substitute chili powder. As expected, this impacted the desired flavour and resulted in more sweetness than heat in the final product.

When we finally poured the sauce into the wok, it looked like an overwhelming amount of liquid to be incorporating. Surprisingly, the noodles soaked up most of it, and we ended up with a dish that wasn’t too wet or dry. I made sure to be overly generous with the amount of chopped peanuts I included on my finished portion (as I find some restaurants tend to scrimp on them), and for the most part, our pad thai was satisfying. It didn’t pack enough heat for reasons mentioned above, and for Mack, was too sweet for him. Done again, we’d make sure to have chili flakes on hand, and reduce the amount of sugar added.

Pad Thai

As this was our first try at a Thai dish (and one that looked remarkably easier than Chez Pim’s more authentic, but time consuming version), we were very happy with the result. I’m sure this is just the beginning of many happy returns to the pages of Dish Entertains.

The Cooking Chronicles: Banana Chocolate Pancakes

I had no idea the Food Network show Diners, Drive Ins and Dives had an accompanying publication until I stumbled upon it while on Amazon one day. As Mack and I love the show (and have to make sure we’ve already had a meal prior to watching an episode), we ordered up the book right away, and were keen to see which recipes he selected to include in the book.

It arrived last week, and while I didn’t have time to sit down and read it, I was surprised to find that the book was filled with more than just recipes – two-page profiles of choice establishments provided a context for the recipe, and potentially bridge readers who may not be familiar with the show.

Flipping through, I was intrigued by a recipe for Chunky Monkey Pancakes, knowing that there were overripe bananas and a can of orphaned whipped cream begging to be used. I modified it a bit, however, as Mack doesn’t like nuts, we didn’t have chocolate chips on hand, and wrapping an entire banana with a pancake didn’t make sense to me.

Instead, I drizzled Nutella in place of chocolate chips on the dollop of batter (a great trick that I only just learned that works so well versus trying to incorporate additives at the batter stage). It burnt a little, but was manageable. Also, I sliced the bananas and heated the cinnamon-dashed fruit in a skillet of melted butter, and Clinton Street-style, sandwiched the slices in the middle. I finished the plate with a dusting of icing sugar, tower of whipped cream, and more bananas.

Banana Chocolate Pancakes

These banana chocolate pancakes were definitely too indulgent for an everyday breakfast, but were a nice weekend treat.

The Cooking Chronicles: Coconut Crusted Salmon

Salmon seems to be my default weekend meal – somewhat fancier than a stir-fry I would typically make on a weekday, but still an easy and no-fuss meal.

We decided to walk to get the needed groceries for Michael Smith’s Coconut Crusted Salmon last weekend, which meant a short trek to Safeway. We usually get our fish from Save-On Foods, but were willing to give Safeway a try. Turned out they didn’t have a great selection – their filets in the cooler were quite a bit larger than what we were used to when compared with Save-On, and were only skinned on one side. We knew we wouldn’t be back for our salmon needs, but on that occasion, swallowed our grocer choice and bought a large filet to share.

The recipe was easy to prepare- we ended up just patting three sides of the salmon with coconut instead of using a Ziploc bag as directed. While the salmon was in the oven, I prepared some vegetables and rice to serve alongside the fish.

The fish came out with a nice crust, and was perfectly cooked on the inside – flaky and tender. The nuttiness and crunch of the coconut made the main seem a bit like a dessert course, but Mack and I both thought it was missing an accompanying sauce. I think Trish Magwood’s mango salsa or a pineapple chutney would make a nice side.

 

Coconut Crusted Salmon

Comparing recipes, I liked the Roasted Salmon recipe I made a month ago better, but I’m sure our experimentation with salmon varieties will continue!

The Cooking Chronicles: Coffee Creme Brulee

There are some kitchen gadgets, that while extraneous to day-to-day cooking, are justifiable. A food processor, for example, has so many uses that the expense incurred (and precious cupboard/counter space needed) could be rationalized – sauces, dips, bread crumbs, dough…the list goes on. Others, such as a mini kitchen blowtorch, are less reasonable. Though being able to make my own crème brulee was always an interesting idea, practicality got in the way of the purchase.

Fortunately, I had thoughtful friends who bought one for me for my birthday, and six months after the fact, I finally used it. Using Bob Blumer’s recipe, which seemed less taxing than many I came across (it removed a stovetop folding step), I made six Coffee Crème Brulees. While I had to be careful while pouring the water bath that surrounded the ramekins, the directions to bake it until the mixtures just slightly “jiggled” were spot on.

I took them out to cool, then, excited to finally use the torch, spread the necessary sugar on top of the custard. I took the torch out of the box, and then…couldn’t use it because I hadn’t thought to fill it with butane first. At this point, I wanted to eat one, so used Blumer’s suggestion of putting it under the broiler for a few minutes. The combination of too much sugar and not watching the dessert resulted in an overly-burnt crust. I was hoping the torch would allow for better control.

The next evening, I went to Burlington Tobacconists on Whyte to pick up some butane. For whatever reason I thought the gas would come in a disposable canister, to be inserted into the torch, used, then replaced. Instead, the butane came in an aerosol can. The staff person showed me how to fuel the torch (three second intervals is best, he said), and played around with the flame controls. I was set.

Back at home, I put Mack (and his pyrotechnic tendencies) in charge of the torch. He pulled the switch down and pushed the button (similar to how a butane lighter works), releasing an uncontrollable ten inch flame. It took us a while to finally realize we needed to tip the torch at an angle to make it release a small blue flame that we could utilize. A few minutes of concentrated effort later, we had a bubbling, golden brown crust.

The torch at work

Mack was surprised that the crust was solid all the way through, and like at an expert restaurant, required a quick wrist tap to break through to the custard below. He didn’t like all of the sugar, but I loved all of sweet crunchy bits. The custard was flavoured with instant coffee (and minus the stovetop step), was actually thicker than I wanted, and slightly more overpowering than I am used to. Vanilla bean, plain and simple, is my favourite, so I likely will have to try out an alternative recipe to see if I can achieve a lighter consistency.

Coffee Creme Brulee

It was fun being able to make one of my favourite dining out desserts at home. Thanks Annie and Janice!

The Cooking Chronicles: Prosciutto wrapped Asparagus

Needing a last-minute starter to bring to a housewarming this weekend, I flipped through Giada de Laurentiis’ Everyday Italian for inspiration, as I knew the hosts would be serving lasagna as the main course.

The recipe for Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto caught my eye, as not only was it simple and elegant, but it required only two main ingredients, and could be served at room temperature.

We picked up the needed items at Sobeys Urban Fresh (convenient for us, as we had just stopped at deVine Wines for a bottle of local en Santé wine to give as a gift), and headed to Mack’s place to assemble the appetizer.

This was my lesson in cooking seasonally, as while the Peru-grown asparagus seemed all right at the store (and would have been fine for most uses), by the time I had finished roasting them, the spears looked downright sad. The recipe in the book had also directed us to use a teaspoon of salt and pepper each – way too much seasoning – something my brain should have overridden. Paired with the savoury prosciutto, however, the salt content was normalized a bit, and I’m happy to say the dish was a hit.

Prosciutto wrapped Asparagus

My plate of lasagna, caesar salad and garlic toast.

Yi-Li’s triumphant Hazelnut Torte

Thanks to Warren and Leslie for hosting a great party!

The Cooking Chronicles: Cap’n Crunch French Toast

Inspired by a dish I saw made on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, I made Cap’n Crunch French Toast over the weekend (improvised, without the recipe I linked to). In theory, the dish excited the child in me – a crunchy, sugar-coated treat for breakfast? Score!

I put Mack to work crunching up cereal with a potato masher and a large Ziploc (though we found later that it was actually easier just to use a rounded plastic spoon in a flat dish to do the same), while I readied the dredging concoction of eggs, milk and cinnamon. In hindsight, we should have bought some white bread for this experiment, as the wheat cut through the sweet flavour we were trying to achieve in a negative way, but we went ahead with what we had on hand.

After soaking up a slice of bread, I did my best to coat both sides with crushed cereal. For whatever reason, it didn’t work as well as I had seen on the show, but we did our best and placed it on the pan.

It turns out medium-low heat works best, otherwise, the Cap’n Crunch just burns – we found that out the hard way. We also discovered that a finer-ground cereal makes a better crust, as it encouraged an even cooking process. The result was a golden-brown, thoroughly crunchy coating, and a still-eggy quality in its interior. The Cap’n Crunch didn’t provide a distinguishable flavour however – nearly any sweet, non-chocolate cereal (Corn Puffs, Fruit Loops, etc.) would likely create a similar taste.

Cap’n Crunch French Toast

Though it was a novel way to start the day, we will likely stick with our regular French toast recipe.

The Cooking Chronicles: Cheese Fondue

After our successful experiment with chocolate fondue earlier in the year, Annie, May, Janice and I met up again to try our hand with the warm-weather appropriate cheese fondue.

Janice hosted the event this time around, searched out a recipe, and did most of the heavy-lifting with ingredients, roasting a number of vegetables which were ready by the time the rest of us showed up. We did all contribute in one way or another though, either bringing wine, the cheese, or additional ingredients to be dipped, so it felt like a team effort in many ways.

Once everyone had arrived, we got started melting the grated Swiss gruyere into the simmering white wine. The mixture thickened nicely once all of the cheese had been added, and we transferred them into two small fondue pots placed at both ends of the table. The spread included the requisite vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, zucchini and mushrooms, among others), bread, garlic sausage, nacho chips (for “gourmet” nachos), and fruit for dessert.

 Annie uncorking the wine

Janice at the stove

The spread

We found rather quickly that the nearly two cups of wine the recipe called to was way too much – the fondue mixture reeked of wine, so much so that the flavour overpowered anything we dipped. Still, fondue was a great way to catch up with everyone, as we casually worked our way through the food on the table. The roasted potatoes and garlic sausage ended up being my favourite things to dip.

At the table

Me and May

It was great that all of the vegetables had been either blanched or roasted, as it allowed us to enjoy them without cheese adornment as well (“raw” would have been fine, but as with most vegetables, they taste better roasted).

 Janice shows what is left of the cheese

Thanks again Janice for hosting! Cheese fondue is a great winter treat, though next time, we will be definitely be mindful of the amount of alcohol we should be adding.

The Cooking Chronicles: Eggnog Pancakes

I am a bit of a fridge nazi. Nothing makes me happier than being able to piece together a meal with neglected ingredients slightly past their prime. It is likely tied also to the fact that by purchasing groceries now on a regular basis, I actually know firsthand how expensive food really is.

Though frugality shouldn’t have played a part in Mack’s birthday meal, it did somewhat – a 2L carton of eggnog was fast approaching its expiry date in his fridge, and though I can’t stand to drink the stuff, I find it slightly more bearable when diluted in recipes.

Mack’s opinion on the seasonal drink is quite opposite of mine, though if he had his way, eggnog would become a popular flavouring in more than just his favourite cookies. So after printing off a recipe for Eggnog Pancakes, I was ready to prepare a breakfast starring his beloved drink.

The recipe is perfect for doubling (which I did, so he could have pancakes the next day as well), and used common ingredients most would have on hand. The instructions advised to leave the batter for five minutes, which allowed the baking soda to react, creating an airy, voluminous batter I’ve never before seen with pancakes.

I probably should also not have scooped such heaping spoonfuls onto the griddle, as the puffy batter retained its fluffy shape on the pan, and did not have time to cook through before the sides burned. I dressed up a stack of the pancakes with icing sugar, a handful of blueberries, and two candles, though in hindsight the sugar was a bad idea (ending up as a casualty of blowing out the candles).

Eggnog Birthday Pancakes (it’s a kind of “cake”, right?)

Mack enjoyed his birthday breakfast though, primarily because the eggnog flavour was not overpowering. The pancakes themselves were also wonderfully fluffy – the tell of a from-scratch vs. Bisquick batter.

Seeing as he still had about half a carton remaining, more recipes that make use of eggnog may be on the horizon.