Category: food

Thanksgiving 2008

Mack and I were extremely fortunate that we were able to have not one, but three Thanksgiving dinners this year! Best of all, there was very minimal cooking required of us, as our only food contribution this weekend was in the form of basic mashed potatoes.

First, Jane was hosting a small gathering at her apartment, for which we prepared the potatoes.

Mack is ready to mash and roll

Jane and Yi-Li deserve many accolades for their first-ever turkey. It turns out they had cooked the bird breast-down, which may have been one of the reasons why the meat – both dark and white – turned out so moist. While there was a lot of other food to choose from, including vegetable soup, sweet potatoes and salad, the turkey was the definite star.

Turkey

At the table

My plate

Mack using chopsticks to eat pumpkin pie

Night two was at the Haights’, Mack’s grandparents on his Mum’s side. The table setting was beautiful, and almost every piece of china matched, including the bowl that held the mashed potatoes. At this dinner, like at Jane’s, there was also more food than anyone could finish, from steamed carrots from the garden to ham and perogies.

Dinner table

Cute napkin holder

My plate

Homemade apple pie (using apples picked by Mack’s Uncle)

The best treat that night was getting to see the adorable Peanut and Skippy again.

Tonight, my Mum prepared an “Asian Thanksgiving” – no turkey, but a few dishes including my absolute favourite – sweet and sour pork.

Sweet and sour pork (yum!)

I hope you all had a great holiday as well. Mack’s photo set is here.

Filipino Buffet: Fat Jakks

My friend and I met for lunch on Friday at Fat Jakks (10126 107 Avenue), a restaurant of her choosing. I had never been before, but really, what better guide could I have at a Filipino eatery than the person who introduced me to the cuisine in the first place?

Though I was able to walk to Fat Jakks, I noticed parking was quite tight around the area. And as the restaurant doesn’t have its own designated parking lot, I would recommend arriving early in order to guarantee yourself street parking.

My friend was a few minutes late, but that allowed me time to preliminarily survey the buffet, menu, as well as the decor. My friend told me later on that the space had been fully renovated after the former owner of the Palabok House (another popular Edmonton Filipino restaurant) moved to this new property. Fat Jakks features a dance floor, a flat screen television, and all new furnishings – I would imagine they are hoping to host their share of holiday and special occasion functions in the coming months.

Interior

The menu was surprisingly short, though filled with dishes I couldn’t help but be curious about. In particular, there were three types of spring rolls (Vietnamese, Shanghai, and Manila) listed on the first page, and another catch-all page with dishes from Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Like most Asian restaurants that attempt to be more diverse than their kitchen should be, I decided to stick with Fat Jakks’ Filipino roots and paid the most attention to the section of the menu titled “Philippines’ Best”. My only knock on the restaurant was the inaccessibility of this page, as none of the dishes were explained. Though I’m certain the friendly waitress would have been more than happy to elaborate, for the patron’s ease, I would have appreciated brief dish descriptions underneath each name.

At any rate, once my friend arrived, she decided the buffet was the best way to go, as most of the dishes contained on the “Phillippines’ Best” page were represented in the buffet. Just $9.95 (offered only on Thursdays and Fridays), I couldn’t think of a better deal to sample 15 hot dishes plus a number of desserts.

Buffet line

Many of the dishes seemed very similar to ones I’m used to eating at home, so though the meal was filling and thoroughly satisfying, I didn’t find it a wholly unique experience. That said, I did have a few favourites, including the stir-fried vermicelli noodles, stir-fried beef, and the oh-so-tender beef brisket. The Manila spring rolls turned out to be very similar to the Chinese version I am used to, except that the filling looked and tasted like it had been compounded together with a mash of some kind, as opposed to visually distinct individual ingredients.

My first plate

My friend’s first plate (we had two each)

By the time we had our fill of the entrees, we barely had time (or room) for dessert. Of course, it was difficult for me to pass up an opportunity to try some Filipino sweets, so we headed to the hidden table to investigate our options. I ended up with a piece of custard-like coconut dessert and part of a tart made of cassava. The former was my favourite – not overly sweet, and light enough not to tip me over the scale.

Our dessert plates

Given that the restaurant was only graced by five other parties during our stay, I am hoping that the word spreads quickly about Fat Jakks. Clean, efficient and economical, their buffet is hard to beat.

Fat Jakks
10126 107 Avenue NW
(780) 485-2557
Monday, Wednesday-Saturday 11:30am-10pm, Sunday 12-9pm, closed Tuesdays

The Cooking Chronicles: Friendship Cookies

The cookbook I most remember from my childhood was a dog-eared, coil-bound Company’s Coming edition. I knew at some point I’d start my own collection of these seemingly indispensable books, and last year, I did. My first, Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen, supplied the recipe for Mack’s absolute favourite cookies, and on Wednesday, I turned to it again for an intriguing recipe for Friendship Cookies.

Calling for cake mix, water, oil, 1 egg, and white chocolate chips, it was the simplest chocolate cookie recipe I had ever come across. I was interested to see how the final product would turn out (and wondered how many experimental batches were made before the version made it to print).

I should have sifted the cake mix (it would have saved a lot of time trying to pound out the lumps), but other than that, it was a straightforward dump-and-combine recipe. I did only end up with about half of the four dozen that the recipe claims to make, but that was fine, as I couldn’t complain about having to put in much effort at all.

The cookies were soft out of the oven, and remained so the day after baking. The off-classic combination of dark cocoa with white chocolate was nice as well.

I just wonder about the name – one would assume that friends would be worth more trouble than a cleverly-developed secondary use of prepared cake mix.

Friendship Cookies

Contributing to Vue Weekly!

I’m pleased to include the link to my very first article for Vue Weekly, which was published today. Seeing my name in a print byline for the first time was pretty special, I have to admit, but more than that, I’m really proud of the article that I contributed.

I had the privilege to sit down and chat with Sebastian Lysz of Devlin’s a few weeks ago, and I have no qualms with saying that he made the interview easy. He was very open to answering my questions, and gave me more information than I needed to craft a coherent piece.

Because of our conversation, I probably won’t be able to objectively review Devlin’s while Lysz is at the kitchen’s helm, but then again, that’s why I have access to a fantastic Guest Blogger (heh).

I hope you enjoy the article!

The Cooking Chronicles: Individual Chocolate Cakes

While my Mum was busy carving and plating a Greens, Eggs and Ham duck she had roasted, I started on a quick dessert I had caught on a segment of Martha Stewart Living for Individual Chocolate Cakes.

A run to the supermarket gave me all of the ingredients I would need, and though I probably should have included a Pyrex glass bowl on that list (I cracked yet another non heat-proof one), my second batch escaped similar oversights.

After I combined all of the ingredients, I poured the mixture into four ramekins and put them in the fridge for safe keeping until we finished with the main course. When the plates were cleared, I turned on the oven and baked the cakes for the recommended ten minutes.

While two of the cakes came out perfect, the other two were still a bit underdone in the centres, and oozed a thick (warm) chocolate batter as I inverted them onto plates. That was a good time to rework the word “lava” into the name of the cakes I presented to my family, and they didn’t know the difference. Done again, I would have left them in the oven a touch longer, though really, the cakes were fine moist, especially when served with vanilla ice cream.

This would be a great dessert for a girls night in or an evening in front of the fire – pulled out from the fridge and into the oven when indulgence is called for.

Individual Chocolate Cake

Food Notes

  • It’s your last chance this year to soak up the outdoor market atmosphere at the City Centre Market this Saturday and bid adieu to the wonderful producers that grace 104th Street, at least until May 2009.
  • Hundred Bar & Kitchen, previewed in Bistro last week, is hoping to open this week. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Chris Lachance.
  • Devlin’s has delayed the launch of its fall menu (which was initially slated for September 30). The cocktail lounge hopes to begin offering its seasonal dishes in the next few weeks.
  • The Hat Resto-Pub (the latest incarnation of The Silk Hat), is set to open on October 24.
  • Xtreme Asian Fusion (I still don’t know if this, or Phobulous, wins the award for worst Asian restaurant name in the city) received a favourable review in the Journal this week. Count me surprised, but then again, I was so off-put by the name that I would need prodding to walk through the eatery’s doors.
  • I was wondering about the south side location of Cafe Select, as it seemed to be closed during prime dining periods whenever I passed by. I noticed the other day that the interior has since been gutted, and the location removed from the website. I’m guessing this second branch was losing money for the company?
  • An interesting Q & A with Eugenio Rodrigues, co-owner of the Doggie Style Deli, the only restaurant in the city that literally caters to the dogs.
  • It’s one of my favourite commercial events of the year – when Starbucks releases their red cups and holiday drinks. Expect cups in stores on November 4th, with drinks to follow on November 28th. Details here.
  • The New York Times read my mind: I was just thinking about alternative uses for my rice cooker, and then this great starter article appeared.
  • Mack sent me a link to a convenience product that seems wholly unnecessary: peanut butter slices.
  • Given my terrible track record with finishing novels, it’s a miracle I ever completed reading Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma at all. It was a testament to the book itself – Pollan’s ease of translating some fairly complex processes into layman’s terms and his delicious curiosity into the subject made it an enjoyable read. The chapter about Polyface Farm was my definite favourite, and made me appreciate ecosystems in a way I never thought possible.
  • I tried the new Signature Hot Chocolate at Starbucks, pricey at $3.69 for a tall. It is quite a rich drink, good for those cold winter nights in front of a fire, but definitely not something I’d have every day.

Starbucks’ Signature Hot Chocolate

  • While it probably isn’t the best time to be lurking in dollar store aisles to hunt for cheap food deals (with the breadth of food scares lately), I can’t seem to resist a good bargain. Dollarama had boxes of “Pad Thai” for sale, which I bought for my emergency food cabinet at work. I had it for lunch the other day, and have to say it was quite disappointing, and not at all like the photo. Thankfully, it was only a dollar. What’s the best deal you’ve swiped for $1?

 

Pad Thai

 

Pad Thai prepared

The Cooking Chronicles: Autumn Housewarming

While I love hosting parties, they seem to take a lot out of me. Mack (and Kim’s) housewarming party is a good example.

They moved into their new apartment in May. I offered to help Mack with the housewarming preparations (mainly around menu planning), and started thinking about summer-appropriate foods to serve. June soon gave way to July, then August, and finally September, when Mack at last chose a date for the belated celebration.

To befit the cooler weather and seasonal produce, I felt a menu overhaul was in order. As well, I wanted to incorporate dishes that Mack himself would serve, namely, share plates and comfort food. And for my twist (something wholly unnecessary, but really a pleasure for me to work out) – the inclusion of at least one ingredient obtained from a local producer or manufacturer in each dish.

With those parameters in place, the following menu was born:

Housewarming menu (“lamb” should read “turkey” – I had lamb on the brain for some reason)

Every dish could be made or assembled in advance to be heated up just prior to guests arriving. The only tricky item was the turkey sliders, which would be formed that afternoon, but pan-fried while guests were snacking on other things – an entertaining faux-pas, I’m sure, but we were pretty attached to serving the mini burgers.

We spent most of Friday evening (after the debate, of course) in the kitchen, baking up cupcakes, cookies, and pita chips.

The idea for Chocolate Chai Spice Cupcakes were inspired by a similar flavour offered at Whimsical Cupcakes to celebrate the season. I found a recipe online that appealed to me even with the added step of grinding the spice mixture myself. It was a pretty fragrant mix that I wasn’t sure would work with the chocolate, but it turned out to be an interesting combination, great paired with a cup of coffee. The tops of the ‘cakes ended up being much too dry and crumbly, but that could have been a result of leaving them in the oven a few minutes too long. This was also the only item on my menu that lacked a local component, though I was so tempted to head to Kerstin’s to pick up some dark chocolate.

Chocolate Chai Spice Cupcakes

The unusual Coffee Shortbread recipe came to me by way of Flickr, which I followed to a blog. A modified Martha Stewart recipe, we used freshly-ground Transcend-roasted coffee in our cookies. The only instruction we neglected was “properly” chilling the shortbread before baking. I found the shortbread a little on the bland side, unfortunately, though Mack disagreed with me and gobbled up the leftovers once the guests departed.

Coffee Shortbread

We were up early on Saturday morning to head to the City Centre Market and ensure we had the pick of produce and meat. It was a lovely way to start a fall day, as though it was cool enough to remind us that cooler weather was ahead, the sun was bright and full of optimism for the weekend.

Back at the apartment, while Mack cleaned and tidied up, I continued with the food prep. Giada de Laurentiis’ Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables was the easiest to start with. I wasn’t sure the bowl we had on hand was big enough to combine everything, but it turned out all right. Once this dish was assembled, I put it in the fridge, and would start heating it only after the nachos were out of the oven. I think this would be a great recipe to pull out for an autumn potluck – great texture, color, and a cinch to make. Leftovers also heat well in the microwave for a nice lunch the next day.

Colorful vegetables (Kuhmann’s squash made up the local ingredient)

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

By the time I was done with the pasta, the ground bison meat we had picked up from Medicine Man Bison that morning had defrosted. The chili recipe I chose was something between the Medicine Man’s and another I had seen in Food for Thought magazine, primarily because I could not find the “Louisiana dip mix” called for in the former recipe. I had never made chili before, but after this experience, I will definitely make it again – the result was a delicious payoff for something so easy. The ground bison was notable – virtually no fat appeared when I browned it in the skillet, and at $12.50 for 2lbs, it was a decent price to pay for good quality meat. After I incorporated all the ingredients, we transferred the chili into my Mum’s borrowed slow cooker and let it simmer until the party started. It was a great dish to have on hand, as for those dropping by later in the evening, we could guarantee them something hot to eat. 

Hearty Bison Chili

Next were Rachel Ray’s Apple-Cheddar Turkey Burgers, something Mack and I had experimented with two weeks before. This time however, mini versions were on tap, built with Italian Bakery baby buns we picked up at the Italian Centre, and Greenvalley lettuce we bought at the Market. Though the turkey itself turned out to be resilient to over-cooking, done again, I’m not sure I would make them again for a large, informal group gathering. Trying to balance conversation/hosting duties while cooking the slider patties was too difficult a task.

Getting the buns ready (yes, I realized the burgers were missing apple slices…after Mack pointed it out)

Apple-Cheddar Turkey Sliders

Last but not least was assembling Mack’s Slammin’ Cheese Nachos – an item Mack would probably make and serve if he were to host the party on his own. We layered Don Antonio’s tortilla chips with mozzarella and cheddar cheese with diced olives, jalapenos, and roma tomatoes from Gull Valley Greenhouses. Kim suggested that we use glass pie dishes for the nachos which was a great idea – it meant we could bake and serve the nachos in the same container.

Mack’s Slammin’ Cheese Nachos

Once everything was in the fridge and ready to go, we were able to start setting up the table and the apartment itself.

Buffet-style

Drink bucket (the only true “relic” from my summer party plans, and one I wasn’t willing to give up)

Though there seemed to be some issues with the door buzzer (and people not being able to find the apartment just behind the fire doors), everyone made it all right. We had suggested that guests eat something prior to arriving, as I didn’t think we would be able to make enough to feed fifteen hungry mouths, but perhaps it was the wrong strategy to take, as many of our friends arrived with full stomachs.

Between nibbling, chatting, fun with fortune cookies and Transformers, it was a good night overall. And with the house broken in, it’s only a matter of time before the apartment will play host to another gathering of friends.

In the living room

Thanks to everyone for coming (and to my Mum for helping us out)! Mack’s photo set is here.

EDIT: I neglected to thank Jane in my post for bringing the hummus to go with the pita chips. Thanks again, Jane!

The Cooking Chronicles: Chicken Pesto Pot Pies

I had made pesto with some leftover fresh basil I bought at the farmer’s market a few weeks ago, intent on using it for a recipe for Chicken Pesto Pot Pies I saw in the fall issue of Our Compliments magazine. I finally had the chance this weekend.

We cheated with the potatoes, and used the store-bought powdered variety as directed in the recipe, but as we were using made-from-scratch pesto and cooking the chicken ourselves, I figured it was a fair trade off. We bought individual aluminum pie plates, and once we tossed the filling together, we divided the coated vegetables and chicken between the containers and topped them with scoops of mashed potatoes. We baked them for just under half an hour, and they were done, sizzling with some of the excess olive oil in the pesto and smelling wonderful.

Though the surface of the pies didn’t get as brown as they did in the magazine photo, the top of the potato round was somewhat crusty. The pies were essentially a shepherd’s pie made with pesto instead of gravy, but while I can’t say that the pesto flavour was distinct, these pies tasted lighter because of the gravy substitution – and had the benefit of a vibrant green color instead of a drab brown tinge.

We had a few leftover pies for supper the next night too, and as indicated in the recipe, these are great to make in advance and freeze for emergencies. I will be making them again.

Chicken Pesto Pot Pie

No Complaints: The Lingnan

It’s funny (and tragic) how it sometimes takes national bodies to draw attention to local institutions, but I found that this was the case with The Lingnan (10582 104 Street).

Food Network Canada chose the family behind The Lingnan to feature on their upcoming season of Family Restaurant, to begin airing January 2009. I saw the article in the Journal earlier this year, and noting the connection between the restaurant and Chicken for Lunch (Amy’s sons run the joint), convinced Mack to join me there for dinner on a random weekday.

Exterior

I had no complaints over the aesthetics of The Lingnan. The upstanding sign atop the building, eye-catching even two streets away, draws one’s attention to an area where a Chinese restaurant is a little unexpected, situated across from a dated business facility and behind an emergency response team office. Once through the (slightly shady looking) door, we were greeted by a cool, lush interior that we could not have predicted from the outside. Everything from the mirrored walls to the paneled ceiling was beautiful, even if slightly over-the-top. The high ceiling and open dining room made the space seem larger than it actually was, and afforded diners (amounting to about ten tables by the end of the evening) a sense of privacy. Although the restaurant is very obviously geared towards Western sensibilities (much like Blue Willow), I didn’t mind it because of their earnest, well-intentioned approach.

Dining room

The waiters, dressed in a “traditional” jacket (definitely over-the-top) were polite and surprisingly personable. After perusing the menu, Mack’s pick was his usual benchmark ginger beef ($12.50), while I was craving fried noodles. Though my original selection was a dish called “Crispy Noodles Chow Mein”, our adept waiter steered us toward the “Chinese Style Aristocratic Chow Mein” ($13.75, with shrimp). I guess I needed some instruction on reading the menu as it was exactly what I had in mind.

Menu

Drink menu in place of the more common Chinese zodiac (guess they’re really pushing the cocktails)

Mack’s Lingnan Pi Jiu with a hint of ginseng (brewed by local microbrewery, Alley Kat)

Before our dishes were brought to us, our waiter set up two metal plate warmers. Though a nice touch, we found them to be quite ineffective. At any rate, our food was out in no time.

Mack was quite happy with the ginger beef, noting that it was a “close second” behind Pagolac’s version. I found it pleasing enough – a decent beef-to-batter ratio and a tangy sauce that was slightly spicy. The chow mein was fine as well, with a reasonable quantity of shrimp included, and enough fried, crispy noodles to quash my craving. Mack didn’t like the soggy noodles in the centre of the dish, but I love the textural contrast and their sauce-laden goodness.

Ginger Beef

Chinese Style Aristocratic Chow Mein

The Lingnan, while offering nothing out of the ordinary in terms of solid Western Chinese dishes, does so in a clean environment and efficient manner.

Mack should pose like this in every picture

The Lingnan
10582 104 Street
(780) 426-3975
Monday-Thursday 5-11pm, Friday & Saturday 5pm-12am, Sundays & Holidays 4-8:30pm

Team NAIT Goes for the Gold!

Though it seems the world has just recovered from the massive spectacle that was in Beijing, over fifty countries are gearing up for an Olympic competition of a different nature.

Occurring once every four years, the Culinary Olympics take centre stage in Erfurt, Germany from October 19 to 22. NAIT is once again fielding a Canadian contingent, consisting of four individual competitors and a team of managers and coaches. The institution has represented Canada quite well in the past, winning two gold and two silver medals in 2004 and three gold medals in 2000.

Wanting to allow local purveyors of social media to comment directly on events at NAIT, Mack and I were invited to observe the team’s marathon 24 hour practice session over the weekend.

A competitor rests after lunch

Our arrival on Saturday afternoon was timed perfectly – we were able to join the group for lunch. Over a plate of chicken and mixed vegetables, we learned more about the gruelling preparation and the competition itself.

Coaches and competitors chatting in the kitchen

Though I was disappointed to find out that there wouldn’t be a tasting component to the session, we soon found out why. Being a “cold competition”, the food (while edible) would be judged on appearance alone, with criteria including food preparation, plate composition and presentation. Each item on the plate (including sauces) also require three layers of glaze, a time-consuming process as individual layers take time to set. As competitors only have twenty-four hours to ready their entries, much of the food will actually be prepared in NAIT’s kitchens to be transported overseas.

Glazing

All four competitors are recent graduates, but the Culinary Olympics are open to even those with many years of professional experience, making the task even more daunting for these young men. It was amazing to see the exquisite attention to detail. For example, an assembly glazing line ended with one chef poised with a heated needle, examining freshly glazed food for air bubbles to pop. Though all competitors start with a theoretical 100 points, deductions are made by judges for even the slightest mistakes and imperfections.

Looking for air pockets

Plates plastic-wrapped to prevent soiling (brought to you by Saran!)

After a quick tour of the massive kitchen (a baker’s dream!), we went home with intentions of returning at 8am the following morning to see the fruit of a hard night’s labour.

We were astonished with the transformation of the dining area. White plates of gleaming food greeted us, poised under spotlights on elegantly-decorated tables.

Desserts (those “bills” are made entirely of chocolate)

Absolutely stunning platter

Having been told each dish should mimic the portion size to be expected in a restaurant, I think I was expecting more food to be present on each plate – I probably could have gobbled up the intended three-course meal in an instant. And though the glaze was meant to preserve the vitality of each exhibition, it seemed to sap the “life” out of some dishes. At the end of the day, however, there was no question the amount of planning and work that had gone into every creation.

Lamb

Lobster (the frisse looks great glazed)

Salmon

Quiche (I just had to take a picture of it)

 

Beautiful tart (and no, that’s not ice cream you’re looking at – it’s lard made to look like ice cream)

As we snapped photos, coaches and past Olympic participants were offering their feedback on how to improve their dishes – sauce too dull-colored, an additional protein needed, an extra garnish. All competitors took the criticisms in stride, jotting down notes to learn what else they could do to earn a medal score.

 

Jack receives some suggestions

Thanks to NAIT for the invitation – it was a great experience to see these young chefs in action. Best of luck to Team NAIT in Germany!

My (small) photo set is here, Mack’s here, and NAIT’s here.