Category: food

Coffee Oasis: Marcello’s

Beckoning through the glass and beyond the courtyard of Telus Plaza was the mysterious Marcello’s (10025 Jasper Ave, Unit #63).

I’ve been meaning to go for months since seeing what looked like an independent coffee shop across the way from my morning Second Cup, and now, having been, I wonder why I didn’t make the trek over sooner.

Marcello’s, it turns out, bills itself as a “market & deli”, has locations in six cities in Canada, and offers much more than just coffee. With a self-serve hot breakfast station featuring scrambled eggs, sausages, and home fries, a plethora of freshly-baked muffins, and a convenience store selection of dried cereals and sweet treats, even picky eaters would not go hungry.

As for coffee – count me amazed – Marcello’s serves no less than two dozen varieties of coffee every day, with more than a handful of flavoured varieties (my personal favorite). At $1.50 for a medium, it is also slightly cheaper than a similar-sized jolt at Second Cup.

Look to Marcello’s when you’re short on change, want more coffee options than Second Cup has to offer, and desire to avoid jostling for space and seats in the nearby Starbucks.

Marcello’s in Telus Plaza

Hot breakfast options

Muffins galore

Coffee, coffee and more coffee!

The Cooking Chronicles: Apple Cranberry Crisp

Like picking the perfect restaurant for a special occasion, I agonized in a similar manner over what dish I should make for a dinner Mack’s Grandma was hosting.

Desserts to be served with berries (zabliogne, trifle) were out of the question due to the fruit being out of season, and heavier choices (chocolate cake) wouldn’t have paired well with the healthy salmon she was serving as a main course.

As a last resort, I browsed the Food Network Canada site (much more quick scan-friendly than the American version, in my opinion), and came across Anna Olson’s recipe for Apple Cranberry Crisp. It seemed the perfect spring dessert – warm, rustic, and light.

Using frozen cranberries and Granny Smith apples (Mack had fun with the apple corer), it was a cinch to pull together. We placed the fruit in a glass baking dish, topped it with the crumble, and snapped on a lid to transport it to Grandma Male’s house. We had to borrow her oven to heat it up, but the timing worked superbly; it finished baking in the time it took us to dine on the main dish.

We ended up serving the crisp with a scoop of Smarties ice cream (only $1 at Superstore’s “Dollar Days”!) instead of the vanilla we bought and absentmindedly left at my house, but the chocolate added some nice sweetness. The apples were lovely – warmed through and softened somewhat, accented with bursts of cranberry freshness and a citrus note reminiscent of summer days.

I highly recommend this dessert – it would be ideal served on an outdoor patio in the spring.

Crisp before baking

Crisp plated and partially eaten

Salmon with Dill Sauce, Stuffed Potatoes, and Salad (Mack’s favorite!)

Grandma Male, Bry, and Tom peruse old photos after dinner (absolutely lovely picture)

Big Box of Meals: IKEA

I spent an inordinate amount of time at IKEA (1311 102 Street) this weekend.

After an initial furniture-buying spree on Friday, Mack and I ended up returning to the big blue giant on both Saturday and Sunday to pick up odds and ends.

Though the environment wasn’t too happy with our errand-running, this did give us ample opportunity to try out the many food items IKEA has to offer. With cheap, fast, crowd-pleasing eats, the edible fare made the many trips there less of a drag.

Day 1: Supper

A discovery of the coolest little carts made my day. For those ordering multiple plates of food (or having to carry more than one tray back to the seating area), IKEA now ingeniously offers push carts that accommodate up to three trays!

Tray carts

I’ve written about their meatball plates in the past, so I won’t go into any more detail except to say that I am always satisfied with the consistent quality of their food.

Day 2: Breakfast

Trying to make the most of our day, we thought it would be best to start off early and shoot for the economical $1 breakfasts offered in the restaurant until 11am daily.

For one dollar, a small croissant, two sausages, home fries and a scoop of scrambled eggs can be had. Of course, most patrons opt to buy a drink or two as well, helping with the profit end of things. Even for a few extra dollars, there’s nothing like starting off a weekend in the bustling, bright airport-hangar of a cafeteria.

Who doesn’t love a good deal?
Day 3: Brunch

By the time we reached IKEA on Sunday, we had already missed the breakfast window, but I was actually keen on having something sweet anyway. The bistro on the main floor (next to the Swedish food mart) serves takeaway items like hot dogs (only 50cents!), soft drinks, and ice cream.

On that day, I decided upon the $2 cinnamon bun and coffee combo. While the bun could have been warmer, for that price, my complaints wouldn’t go very far.

Cinnamon bun

Probably encouraged by all of the children running around with similar confections, Mack decided to top off his carb treat with a non-fat frozen yogurt cone ($1).

Imitation ice cream makes Mack happy

So whatever you’re looking for – home furnishings or food – IKEA has it.

The Cooking Chronicles: Flourless Chocolate Cake

Though I typically try to bring either an appetizer or a main to potlucks, I thought if there was ever an occasion to break that rule, our lunch gathering at work on Wednesday was one such day.

Having experienced the sublime richness of a flourless chocolate torte at Culina last week, I was decidedly focused on recreating that cake with a Tyler Florence recipe. I had meant to pick up a jar of dulce de leche topping at Superstore, but ended up substituting whipped cream instead.

For anyone with high cholesterol, I would recommend staying far away from this cake – 9 separated eggs later, we were halfway to completion. Mack helped me whip the egg whites into stiff peaks while I melted the semi-sweet baking chocolate and butter over a double boiler. Unfortunately, a lack of instruction reading on my part meant that we ended up folding the chocolate mixture into the whites, instead of the other way around, though it didn’t result in a too-deflated cake at the end.

For whatever reason, the cake took more than double the recommended time in the oven, but seemed to turn out okay. Overall, it didn’t provide me with the Culina reminiscence I was looking for, but was a sweet treat that tasted like a cross between a chocolate cake and a brownie. The whipped cream provided some needed coolness, but I think this cake would work best chopped into pieces to top a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a sundae.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

The potluck spread (we look like a fairly healthy bunch, don’t we?)

Random Notes

Weekends really are for blogging!

  • A new tea shop is now open in Edmonton: Felicitea Tea Lounge (15047 Stony Plain Road) serves all kinds of tea, both hot and cold, including bubble tea.
  • The Globe thinks that Vancouver has replaced Toronto as the new culinary capital of Canada.
  • Teatro La Quindicina will be back on May 1st with their first show of the season, a double billing of What Gives? and the brand new Revenge of the South Sea Bubble.
  • Broadway Across Canada released their 2008-2009 season recently, which includes Spamalot, Hairspray, and Annie. After the sound debacle at The Producers last year, I am hesitant to risk being disappointed again.
  • House is finally back tomorrow in its new time slot!
  • World Malaria Day was on Friday, April 25. Take a look at a striking photo slide show on the Globe & Mail website of images captured by children and youth in Liberia and Rwanda. Image #13 is incredibly haunting.
  • After three days of blizzard-like conditions this week, I am happy that the weather is finally cooperating. Because of the snow, I was particularly amused by this sign:

Springtime in Edmonton

The Cooking Chronicles: Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Bisquick is a life-saver.

For the second time this weekend, Mack and I turned to the dry mix to simplify a meal, this time using the off-the-box recipe for pancakes, supplementing them with a handful of chocolate chips. Mack finished his off with some sliced bananas and syrup.

Not difficult or a cooking accomplishment, Bisquick pancakes are still a great way to start off a morning!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes (with bananas!)

The Cooking Chroincles: Better Butter Chicken

For Jeanie and Chris’s housewarming/Jeanie’s birthday party, Mack and I made Better Butter Chicken, an Indian favorite from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry. I had helped with this recipe at May’s house last year, but for some reason, couldn’t really remember the steps involved.

I wasn’t sure if using a rotisserie chicken (as opposed to cooking raw chicken) would result in dry-tasting meat, but actually, it turned out fine. Mack did a great job de-boning the bird, flaking off large chunks of meat, while I prepped the ingredients for the base. We followed the instructions closely, with the exception of adding an entire ~750mL can of diced tomatoes. To Mack’s surprise, between the two of us, we were able to pull this recipe together in just over a half an hour.

While some of the guests complained that the dish wasn’t spicy enough, I personally prefer a milder version of butter chicken. Of course, with the ease of the recipe as a whole, it wouldn’t be difficult to incorporate chilies or more chili powder into the sauce to taste.

Thanks for inviting us to your house, Jeanie (and Chris)! And happy birthday!

Better Butter Chicken

In the kitchen

Andrea & Gord

Playing “Rock Band”

Watching “Rock Band”

The Cooking Chronicles: Savoury Waffles

Inspired by a food trend as reported in Cosmopolitan (yes, Cosmo), Mack and I decided to make Savoury Waffles for dinner.

Given that it was Friday and we were both lazy, we resorted to using Bisquick to make the waffle base. It was the first time either of us had used a waffle iron, so it took a bit of trial and error for us to know how much batter was needed for the “perfect” sized waffle (not too thin, etc.).

Once the waffles were done, we topped them with shredded turkey breast, sliced white mushrooms, and a generous handful of medium cheddar, and placed them under the broiler to melt the cheese. Five minutes later, the “pizza waffles”, as Mack called them, were done.

I chose to garnish mine with a bit of green onion, which provided a nice sharp bite, but really, any food item with that amount of cheese would taste satisfactory. Mack wanted to know how we might make the waffle portion taste less like a breakfast dish for next time, but I wasn’t sure.

The savoury waffles weren’t bad for a quick dinner fix, but they definitely weren’t the picture of healthy that we should have been going for.

Savoury Waffles with turkey, mushrooms, cheese and green onion

Healthy Eats: Cafe Mosaics

I met Amanda for lunch at Cafe Mosaics (10844 82 Avenue) on Friday, just before our intention to browse the shops on Whyte Avenue.

I had only been to the Cafe once before, less than a year ago for dinner. I remembered it to be charming, with decent service and solid entree options. Though our main reason for choosing Cafe Mosaics that day was to use the 2-for-1 coupon I had, I thought it would be a good opportunity to giver their lunch menu a try as well.

Arriving at about a quarter after 1pm was a bad idea – with no tables and no real room to stand by the door, perhaps we should have planned for a later meeting time. At any rate, I waited patiently to no avail for one of the two waiters to acknowledge my existence, and perhaps give me an estimate on the time for a table. I ended up having to approach them at the counter myself. Thankfully, things went a lot better after I sat down.

With vegetarian and vegan takes on sandwiches, soups, and salads, Amanda and I were “forced” to eat healthy. I was impressed that the sandwiches came with a choice of one of five sides, including soup, house/Caesar salad, chips and salsa/hummus, hashbrowns, or rice. She squirmed a bit with her order, but decided to take a risk on the Tofu Clubhouse ($10.95) with its thinly sliced grilled tofu, lettuce, onion, tomato, cucumber and cheddar, and a Caesar salad. I decided on the Grilled Mozza Pita ($10.95), with tomato, mozza, spinach and onion and a side of their daily soup.

Our plates arrived hot not too long after we ordered – no surprise since the restaurant was emptying out by that time. Amanda said that she barely registered the tofu in her sandwich, but that her salad was a little overdrenched with dressing. My pita was a great combination of fresh vegetables, with a generous amount of cheese binding the filling together, and best of all – would be an easy dish to duplicate at home.

Though we were left wondering if every table except ours was given a complimentary slice of chocolate cake, we couldn’t argue against the value of an $11.50 (excluding tip) lunch for two.

Interior (I love the bread clock!)

Menu

Tofu Clubhouse with Cesar Salad

Grilled Mozza Pita with Vegan French Onion Soup

Culinary Q & A with Gord

Occupation: Retired Student. Couch Tester. Human Garbage Disposal.

What did you eat today?

I had to answer this so early in the morning. Unfortunately it’s exam season, so my dietary habits are about as poor as they can be. I’m back on the Coffee (a food group unto itself) and while I do normally enjoy a muffin at the bus-stop, I’ve been working on emptying the fruit bowl before it goes bad. Therefore, I had a mandarin for breakfast. I can tell you with certainty however, that I’m having Garage Burger for dinner. More on that later.

What do you never eat?

If I were starving, I would eat anything. See occupation. However given the nature of modern western gluttony, I have my pick of what I don’t eat. After hearing a story about Lobster, it is one of the last things I would ever order. I won’t go into detail, because it would ruin Lobster for you as well.

In the interest of being polite, I’ll eat my brussel sprouts or kidney beans. It’s extremely rare for me to leave something on my plate. However I’ve become quite accustom to cutting the gristle off my meat and throwing out the toast which I burn too badly.

I guess to that end if something is cooked poorly, I’ll let you know by leaving it behind.

Overcooked steak is gross. I don’t eat leather.

What is your personal specialty?

In regards to my favourite foods, or what I prefer to cook? If I had to make a meal for a king, it would be my Monolithic French Toast.

Thick sliced raisin bread is the only way to go. Cut the bread in half before you go any further.

Crack your eggs into a square shaped Tupperware container, into which bread naturally fits. A round bowl is not conducive to this exercise.

Adding water or milk to your eggs is a mistake. Adding cinnamon to this step makes more sense than adding it after cooked. Keep in mind that you must strongly whip the eggs and cinnamon, in order for it to mix properly (if at all). Leave the bread pieces in the egg longer than you think you need to. You want the bread permeated all the way through, not just on the surface.

With a single half-piece of bread added to the un-oiled frying pan, slide the second half-piece soft side to crust, such that the pieces smoosh into each other a little. Continue this practice until the pan is filled with 4-5 pieces of bread, all intertwined. Pour some of your egg-batter between any remaining spaces, and wait for it to cook. Once cooked, allow it a little longer. Not burned, but enough that it is nearly dry on top. Once that point is reached, you should have only 1 solid mass to flip.

Because you’ve left it longer on the first side, cooking on the second side is primarily to allow it to brown. Sliding the Monolithic French Toast off the pan onto a plate is your last step. Personally I suggest butter or margarine WITHOUT syrup. If you didn’t leave the bread in the batter long enough, your toast might be dry and still require some syrup.

If you’re feeling too skinny, add Mangoes and Whipped cream for a sugary delight.


As for my specialty to devour, Toad in the Hole with beef Gravy is my favourite. Effectively a massive YorkShire pudding with breakfast sausages dispersed throughout, smothered in delicious gravy. Ok, now I’m making myself hungry.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

I’m a sucker for a sharp knife. Without that, any kitchen is an exercise in frustration. However since I don’t want to steal Andrea’s answer, I’ll select the Banana Peeler. The hardest object in a kitchen to find. Confidently ask someone to fetch if for you. Observe their progress,

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

First and foremost, my plate better be served warm. There are few things worse than food served on a cold plate. Now onto the stuffs.

Prime Rib Roast, rare.
Chunky Mashed Potatoes, gravy.
Large Slice BBQ’ed Vegetables (green beans, red & green peppers, onion) with Sea-salt and Balsamic Vinegar.
Ontario Grown Peaches & Cream Corn on the Cob with a stick of butter for rolling.
Yorkshire Pudding, gravy.
Yorkshire Pudding, gravy.
Yorkshire Pudding, gravy.

All this served on a spaceship bound for somewhere that the world isn’t ending.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

The Garage Burger Bar. Proximity to school as well as the fact that my grandfather bought me $100 in gift certificates for Christmas present an excellent opportunity for a broke student to eat out on a bi-weekly basis.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

It really depends on what you’re looking for. Unfortunately I find as places get popular, their quality of operation declines for pursuit of the almighty buck.

I was a huge fan of Pita Pit’s Chicken Cesar Pita years ago. But as they got popular their quality tanked. Same goes for Funky Pickle’s Hotdog & 3 Cheese Pizza.

Chicago Deep Dish pizza (downtown location) has the GREASIEST thickest Pizza you’ll ever eat. 1-2 pieces is enough to fill ME. That speaks volumes.

Richard’s Donair in Sherwood Park has the best Jumo Donair I’ve ever had. But those are ‘After Bar’ food ideas. If you’re looking for quality dining or a personable dinner experience you have to broaden the scope.

‘A taste of India’ in Sherwood Park has an excellent Indian Buffet. I discovered the restaurant only after my sister worked there as a server. They bring their cooks over on temporary visa’s from India. The recipes are family secrets and their Nan-bread is the best you’ll have.

“Where everybody knows your name” is a typical business practice that keeps me coming back.
Chicken for Lunch and sister restaurant The Lingnan, have had my business for many years for their personal attitude and quality food. The Garage Burger bar is in the same category. The food’s good too (Amy’s Chicken and Cajun Burger are my staples respectively).

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

While I don’t want to sound pompous, we live in a multicultural country where all of the best things on the planet are brought to us directly. I’ve had Pizza in Italy. I’ve eaten french bread in France. I think that Canadians have taken the base idea from these foods, and isolated their strongest points. Alternatively, like with the ‘Taste of India’ example, those international cooks can come to us! While the foreign experience is an interesting change, I do so enjoy my cuisine in Canada. Granted some Canadian is a big place and poutine gets better the further East you move…

However there are international things I’ve always wanted to try. I refuse to drink Guinness until I’m at a bar in Ireland. That’s the only way to know it’s the real experience. Belgian beer also makes Canadian beer look rather silly.

I’ve always wanted to try Rat. I figure there are only a few places in the world where that’ll ever happen. I’ve also heard good things about Kangaroo.

Finally, living in Edmonton it is impossible to come across quality fresh fish. Something about being a land-locked province I guess. Luckily if I want sushi or fish in general, my brother lives in Richmond, walking distance from several fish markets.