Category: cooking

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.

Happy Chinese New Year!

I can’t take credit for any of the food on our table on Chinese New Year – my Mum took care of everything, including honouring Mack’s request for spring rolls. I’ll let the pictures do the talking:

Spring Rolls

Deep Fried Egg Roll with minced pork

Shrimp and Vegetable Stir-fry

“Gold Coins” (deep fried pork)

Steamed Sole

Braised Sea Cucumber with Chinese Mushroom

Happy Chinese New Year to those celebrating!

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.

Culinary Q & A with Diane Begin-Croft

Occupation: PR

What did you eat today?

Nothing yet, just Orangina.

What do you never eat?

Salmon, sardines, oysters, Kinder Surprise and white chocolate (none of the above are actually chocolate)

 

What is your personal specialty?

Sweet & sour spare ribs. Actually it’s my mom’s recipe, but it’s a big hit especially with plain rice.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

Chopper (hand or electric) to make fresh salsa. I just hate cleaning it. My one cup coffee maker also ranks quite high.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

For sure I’d have gazpacho with croutons and tiny cubes of veges, beef tataki, beef carpaccio, a nice salad with misonaise dressing and the rest would probably be Mexican food, like a whole buffet when you go to a resort. I never eat this much, but what if the end is delayed…

Where do you eat out most frequently?

At work, in the NAIT Common Market or Bytes, just because it’s there. If I were to venture out somewhere I’d have a chicken Texas BBQ Ranch wrap with noodles at Badass Jacks.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

Just outside of Edmonton, there’s a restaurant in St. Albert called The Cajun House. It’s my favourite place to go because it’s cozy and the food is fantastic. Ernest’s Dining Room at NAIT for the Friday lunch buffet is also one of my favourites, when we can get in.

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat?

I was going to say Paris for the cheese, but I think I’d probably go to the south of Spain to have some gazpacho and yummy tapas. Restaurants typically open at 9pm for dinner, which works great for my night owl schedule. (then I’d go to Paris for breakfast)

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.

Culinary Highlights: 2008 Edition

Though I didn’t get away to far-flung food havens in 2008 (compared with my travel-filled 2007), I still had a great year, continuing to explore the culinary scene in Edmonton and beyond.

So again, in no particular order, here are a few of my culinary highlights from the past year.

 

My first experience with foie gras at Characters (in paté form, unfortunately)

 

I heart the brioche bread course at Wildflower

 

Warm Chocolate Cake from the Red Ox Inn

  • Continuing to be thoroughly impressed by the dining scenes in Calgary and Vancouver.

 

Duck Confit and Steak Sandwiches from Calgary’s JAROBlue

 

Montreal Smoked Meat Omelette from Calgary’s Galaxie Diner

 

Divine Butternut Squash Ravioli from Vancouver’s Cactus Club Bentall 5

Vancouver’s Vij’s famous Lamb Popsicles

 

Me and Amanda in The Cocoa Room

Roasting gradient example at Transcend

  • Experimenting in the kitchen much more than I expected, and throwing my first-ever dessert party in the spring and a housewarming party for Mack and Kim in the fall.

 

Melting Moments (one of the five desserts we served)

 

Apple-Cheddar Turkey Burgers (slider-versions served at the housewarming)

  • Contributing to FoodTV and to Vue Weekly, in the process getting the opportunity to meet some of Edmonton’s upstart chefs and restauranteurs.

Margherita Flatbread at Devlin’s (Executive Chef Sebastian Lysz, the focus of my first published piece)

 

TASTE! of Summer at St. Albert Grain Elevator Park

Here’s to an even better 2009!

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.