The Cooking Chronicles: Chocolate Truffles

Mack’s Grandma mentioned a while back that she liked chocolate truffles, so I thought this season would be a good time to try out the recipe I picked up at the Truffology 101 session I attended a few weeks back.

I bought milk chocolate callebaut chunks at Save-On-Foods, along with a bulk container of golden syrup. I measured out the ingredients on a small baking scale I have at home, and prepared the ganache as directed. I covered the resulting mixture with saran wrap and placed it in the fridge to cool overnight.

In the morning, I pulled out the glass bowl to discover that the mixture hadn’t really solidified into the clay-like consistency I was expecting – it was more like a thick syrup. As a result, I spread the mixture out onto a sheet pan, and put it in our equivalent of a “blast chiller” – out on our back step, hoping the –25 weather would help matters. Half an hour later, the mixture still hadn’t congealed to the necessary thickness. I did some digging on the internet, and found that the substitution of golden in place of corn syrup may have been the problem, though our scale was another potential point of failure.

My Mum, always quick on her feet, suggested that we mix in Oreo cookie crumbs to serve as a binder. While it helped somewhat, the “truffles” still didn’t quite hold their shape, and the dry crumbs made coating the external layer with cocoa, confectioner’s sugar, coconut, or sprinkles a little difficult. The final product, though less attractive than the truffles I had put together during the session, were a nice treat, as they had the added texture of crushed cookies in the mix. We put together enough to fill a small box, and poured the rest of the ganache into a freezer bag.

 

Chocolate Truffles

Other failed attempts as reported on the internet resulted in people having a ready-made fondue base, or at the very least, frosting for a future cake. So the bag I now have in the freezer will serve some concrete purpose at some point, in addition to reminding me never to use golden syrup in place of its corn-based counterpart.

A Cold but Tasty Reception: Thai Valley Grill

Annie introduced me to Thai Valley Grill (149-4211 106 Street NW) on Friday night, a tiny eatery tucked right next to the Whitemud Crossing Library. Located near her school, she had been to the restaurant once, and was eager to see what else they had to offer.

I didn’t expect the establishment to be busy, but it was packed during our entire visit. To be fair, Thai Valley seats around forty patrons, but the majority of diners who entered had the air of regulars, a sign of a healthy business. The decor reminded me of a charming French bistro – nice tapestry curtains, forest green carpet and ceiling, and worn, slightly mismatched wooden furniture. All in all, a comfortable setting for the evening. My only qualm with our table was its proximity to the door – on that cold winter night, we were reminded of just how chilly it was outside every time new customers arrived. I felt even worse for the couple seated right next to the door, as they kept their coats on for their entire meal.

The menu had a sense of humour to it, rarely encountered in the Edmonton restaurant scene: “Our dishes can be tempered to your taste, mild, medium or hot, even Thai Style if you dare!!! Fire extinguishers are available and include milk, bananas and slices of cucumbers. Speedy delivery costs extra. If all else fails, we have an assortment of ice cream.” Both Annie and I decided on the Pad Thai ($12.95), Thai style stir fried rice stick noodles with shrimp, chicken, bean curd, green onion, bean sprouts, roasted peanuts and egg.

Annie told me that the kitchen had been slow during her last visit, so we were both surprised when our dishes were delivered fairly promptly. The lettuce and carved carrot garnish were nice touches, and made up for the use of plain white china (compared with some other Thai eateries in the city). Our plates came with a small vessel of dried pepper flakes for us to add to taste, but I was fine with the semi-sweet sauce that thoroughly coated the noodles. I appreciated the liberal quantity of green onions included, which provided a crunchy boost, but I wished for more tofu and larger shrimp. While the dish wasn’t as flavourful as Syphay or Bua Thai‘s version, it was pretty good as a whole.

Pad Thai

Annie opted for a sweet ending for the meal, and ordered the mango with sticky rice ($5.95). Garnished with whipped cream, mango syrup and a cherry, the dish was nicely presented on a square plate. For someone who doesn’t really enjoy mango, I have to say, the combination of the warm, chewy rice with the ripe fruit was actually quite tasty.

Mango with Sticky Rice

Thai Valley Grill provides a nice refuge from “mall food” for those at the nearby Southgate Shopping Centre, or a low-key, comfortable venue for a small party. But to be on the safe side, make sure to call ahead for reservations first.

Thai Valley Grill
149-4211 106 Street NW
(780) 413-9556
Lunch: Monday-Friday 11:30am-2pm; Dinner: Sunday-Thursday 4-9pm, Friday-Saturday 4-10pm
Appetizers $4.95-13.95, Entrees $11.95-17.95, Dessert $3.95-5.95

The Cooking Chronicles: Toasted Party Nuts and Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

I usually stick with tried and true recipes for my holiday baking regime (I’m partial to the festive appearance of Mini Linzer Cookies), but for one couple, I had to cater the recipe to their dietary needs. Thankfully, a trip to the library wasn’t in vain, and I found two recipes that would work well – Toasted Party Nuts and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

The first recipe was quick to execute, and made my kitchen smell absolutely divine – I heated oil and a spice mixture containing cumin, cayenne pepper, ginger powder, cinnamon and onion salt over the stove, then tossed it with a cup each of pecans and almonds. After fifteen minutes in the oven, topped with some kosher salt, they were done. While the spices aren’t immediately discernable, they kick in as an aftertaste. More than anything, I’d be likely to pop these in the oven before guests arrive just for the aroma; “essential oil” air fresheners don’t hold a candle to the real thing, heh.

Toasted Party Nuts

As for the cookies, I didn’t have raisins on hand, but the cranberry substitution I used worked nicely with the applesauce added to decrease the overall amount of sugar needed. The recipe asked for the oats to be toasted (and cooled) prior to incorporation with the batter, which was an extra step that I wasn’t sure I could taste in the final product. Overall, they were a lighter, less saccharine cookie than I am used to – the only downside was that the reduced fat and sugar content meant the cookies keep for a very short period of time.

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

The preliminary comments from the gift receivers were positive ones, so I may end up making up more batches of both recipes.

Not my Slice of Pizza: Santo’s Pizza and Steak

Our work team was fortunate enough to be treated to lunch this week at Little Italy’s Santo’s Pizza & Steak (10821 95 Street NW). It seems Santo’s was the designated backup, as Sorrentino’s couldn’t accommodate our group of twelve. At any rate, I enjoy any opportunity to try a restaurant off-the-beaten path, particularly one I likely would have never stumbled upon on my own accord.

Just before noon, the lounge we passed by on our way to the dining room was busy serving a few patrons who definitely seemed to be regulars. The dining room itself was quite small; our party literally took up half of the space. A short while later, another large party was seated directly behind us. It turned out to be a rather unfortunate placement for the waitress – more than a few coats were knocked off chairs as a result, and required her to do quite a bit of maneuvering to get through the tight space between. She did an admirable job overall of catering to refill requests despite this inconvenience, particularly as she was the lone staff member on the floor.

The menu seemed to focus on pizzas and pastas, though to be fair, a number of sandwiches and entrees also occupied some real estate. The Meat Lovers pizza ($12.65) with beef, ham, pepperoni, salami and sausage ended up winning my order, mostly because I just had pasta for dinner the night prior.

Though not quick, I would give the kitchen credit for handling our meals in a fairly efficient manner. I would imagine the delay in the delivery of some dishes was handicapped more by the fact that there was just one waitress available.

For the record, the 12 inch pizza was big enough to provide me with lunch for an additional two days. However, as quality wins over quantity most times, I have to say I was disappointed with the product. There was a tad too much tomato base, resulting in a tangy taste that didn’t complement the salty slices of meat. The crust was also sub-par – it retained its crunch, but wasn’t anything special. Having munched my way through many a pizza, I think I like my crust in one of two ways – thin and chewy, a la Famoso, or just full-on greasy, as served at Pizza Hut. The varying medium ground just doesn’t appeal to me.

 

Meat Lovers Pizza

On a side note – while I didn’t get to try the cappuccino first hand, a workmate said it was the best she’d ever had. Perhaps that would be worth a return trip.

While a work lunch is a poor way to judge a restaurant, at least I know Santo’s doesn’t meet my pizza standard.

Santo’s Pizza & Steak
10821 95 Street NW
(780) 421-1507

Food Notes

  • I’m always happy when restaurant websites actually have content on them. So much so that it’s definitely something to note – welcome, Silk Hat, to the blogosphere!
  • The Journal reviewed the random Rice Bowl Express (8926 149 Street) on the weekend.
  • There was recent chatter on Chowhound about the whether or not the west end Julio’s Barrios has closed. Based on their website, and the listed locations, it looks like it is.
  • Via Loosen Your Belt and Eat Around Edmonton, I learned that the space that was formerly Cafe Select on the southside will become a second Original Joe’s outpost.
  • On the topic of blogs, I’ve noticed that the last few local food blogs that have come up are authored by duos. I wonder if this is a trend on the writing side of things – to offer multiple perspectives while splitting a time-consuming task.
  • Sobeys is pushing consumers to think about having lobster in place of turkey at Christmas this year. I have to say, seafood just doesn’t convey the holidays to me as much as poultry.
  • I’m pretty hard on most chain restaurants (particularly those selling the “upscale casual” idea), but some do escape my wrath. Milestones (1708 99 Street), for example, does a decent brunch, which I have written about in the past. Mack and I took his Grandma there prior to a movie this weekend. The menu has changed slightly since I had been there before, but the Prime Rib Hash ($12.95) looked good to me: slow roasted and thinly sliced prime rib tossed with crispy potatoes, bell peppers, sweet onion, roasted corn in our specialty hash seasoning, then topped with two poached eggs, real hollandaise, roma tomatoes and grilled herb toast. While it was all right, I probably should have gone with the no-fail Strawberry French Toast, which Mack’s Grandma ordered, as the kitchen was light on the prime rib, and the sauce flavouring the tomatoes was much too sweet.

 

Prime Rib Hash – so much food!

 

Strawberry French Toast

Grilled Shrimp California Benedict

  • Mack and I also stopped by the Vue Weekly Christmas party on Saturday, where we met Hanne and Carlo from Supper In Stereo (Hanne is also a fellow writer in the Dish section). It’s always lovely to finally meet people you’ve been reading online for some time.

 

The spread (half eaten) at Vue’s shindig

Nothing Out of the Ordinary: Hoa An

There seem to be a never-ending stream of restaurants in Chinatown that arise out of nowhere, begging to be tried. Hoa An (9653 107 Avenue) was such a place, and I chose it for a weekday lunch destination.

It turned out Dickson had already been there, but didn’t know it until we were right in front of the restaurant. Next to the popular grocer Lucky 97, it seemed to blend in with the surroundings of the hub, with all traffic in the area seemingly drawn to the always bustling parking lot in front of the store.

At any rate, walking into the restaurant, we were immediately directed by someone to a table along one wall. Hoa An was moderately busy, with more than a handful of parties either already in the midst of their food, or waiting patiently for their orders to arrive. The overwhelmingly pink interior was an interesting color scheme, but overall, I couldn’t complain much about the well-kept dining area.

The menu, which included stir-fried dishes and a variety of noodle and vermicelli bowls, didn’t highlight anything out of the ordinary, though I likely wouldn’t have considered any dishes other than pho that afternoon anyway. I zeroed in on #35, with well-done flank ($7.35), while Dickson opted for the more interesting rare steak, well-done flank, brisket and tripe ($7.35).

In a lightning quick fashion similar to Pho Hoa and Pho Tau Bay, our orders were delivered after a short five minute wait. We both commented that the portion size seemed smaller than those served at other restaurants (notably, Pagolac), and that the broth wasn’t as hot as we would have liked. That said, I’m starting to think that trying to sway me from my current pho favourites would be next to impossible. Even though I would never be able to accurately identify, in a blind taste test, the restaurant origin of a bowl of pho, unless a serving knocks my socks off (in a good way), I doubt any new places I experiment with will replace my love of Pagolac and Hoang Long. The memories in this case of the times and meals I have had at those restaurants ultimately take precedent over the minute quality differences that may be noted in the food.

Pho with well-done flank

Pho with rare steak, well-done flank, brisket and tripe

So though Hoa An is reasonably priced and fast, I hesitate to say I’ll be back often. Hoang Long offers a closer stop from work, and the southside Pagolac a comfortably familiar setting.

Hoa An
9653 107 Avenue
(780) 425-6021

Holiday Indulgence: Unheardof

It was a little amusing to me that I hadn’t heard much about Unheardof (9602 82 Avenue), an upscale restaurant on the southside. The menu stated that it has been around for nearly thirty years, but to me, save for passing it travelling on Whyte Avenue, it may as well have been an empty storefront. I knew, however, after digging around the website that a meal at Unheardof wouldn’t be an inexpensive one, so when Mack told me we would be going there for his company’s Christmas celebration, I was happy that I would be able to give it a try on someone else’s dime.

We snagged a parking spot on the street, and headed inside. The building must have once been a house, and as a converted restaurant, it reminded me a bit of Manor Cafe and Violino. We were greeted by someone immediately, who took us to the second floor dining area. I was a little sad that we wouldn’t be seated on the main floor, as the warmth of the incandescent lights, coupled with lovely wreaths and other decorations made it a festive and comfortable room. Upstairs, though we were offered a table in a more private space shared with just two other parties, lit by an overhead fluorescent light, the room had a cooler feel to it.

Our dining area

When everyone had arrived, we took our time with the menu. Entrees were all priced at a standard $45, while starters and desserts were left without a corresponding price. The menu detailed the restaurant’s new Table d’Hote approach, where additional courses could be added to the base entree price – 2 courses total cost $60, 3 courses $70 and 4 courses $80. Feeling fairly indulgent, we all opted for at least three courses each – an appetizer, main, and dessert.

Mack went straight for the Sea Scallops (seared giant sea scallops seasoned with cumin and coarse salt served on a green lentil ragout with paprika oil and ragout), while I couldn’t resist the sound of Wild Mushroom Risotto (mushroom stock arborio risotto with Lobster and chanterelle mushrooms, fresh thyme, gruyere and mascarpone cheeses, sea beans). For mains, we both selected the Muntok Beef Tenderloin.

Mack’s coworkers were extremely accommodating of our typical dining routine, and very generously let us photograph (and with Greg, even sample) all of their dishes. We have them to thank for the extensive gallery of dishes to follow.

Between the wine and the conversation, the evening flowed smoothly. Service wasn’t notable, but was seamless. The first food item we received were complimentary “tapas”, though I considered it more of an amuse bouche. The pumpkin seed and cheddar pork pate wasn’t to my liking or Mack’s, though Greg quite enjoyed the sample (and Alina’s as well). The grainy, salty paste just reinforced what we had first expressed at Characters after having their foie gras.

Pork pate

Our appetizers arrived in a reasonable amount of time, all portioned so the majority of diners would be able to finish three whole courses. I took a risk with the risotto, particularly because my last experience with the dish at Blink in Calgary left much to be desired, but I’m glad I did. Their version is probably the best I have ever had – cooked to creamy perfection, with a good mushroom-to-rice ratio. I’m sure I could have eaten more, but with that taster size, I would consider coming back again just for the risotto. Mack thought his scallops were all right, but said the ones he had at the Wildflower Grill were better.

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Sea Scallops

After a lovely sorbet palate cleanser, our entrees arrived. The presentations weren’t particularly artful, bit the kitchen did their best to accent dull-colored meats with some vibrant produce. Our sides were hidden underneath the steak, a mix of roasted onions, sauteed mushrooms, and a crunchy potato pancake. The tenderloin had been crusted with peppercorns, adding a bit of spice to an otherwise fairly conventional dish. It is worth mentioning that both of our steaks were perfectly cooked – Mack’s was a touch more done as he had requested medium versus my medium rare.

Muntok Beef Tenderloin

Game Trio

Seafood Aqua Pazza

Duck and Quail

Herbed Loin and Lamb

Dessert for me was their Creme Brulee, which the server said was flavoured with cinnamon and rum that day. Mack opted for the Egg Nog Pie (what else?), while Mike ordered the lone White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake and Alina the only Turtle Tart. While I couldn’t taste the supposed flavour in my creme brulee, the fruit garnish and hidden inside the custard added some nice freshness to the dish. Mack actually didn’t enjoy the pie – the pecan crust was overpowering, and the filling didn’t live up to the name at all.

Creme Brulee

Egg Nog Pie

White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake

Turtle Tart

Thanks again to Questionmark for dinner! The only downside to being spoiled, however, is that any subsequent meals there will seem doubly expensive. So while Unheardof left a good first impression, I’m not sure it is worth the price of admission – I’d opt for the Red Ox Inn instead, which offers food of similar quality at a much lower rate.

Unheardof
9602 82 Avenue
(780) 432-0480
Dinner only, Tuesday to Sunday from 5:3opm

Food Notes

  • Mark your calendars: Fork Fest (Original Fare‘s version of “dine out week”) is scheduled for January 19-22 and 26-29.
  • The Journal reported that Le Table de Renoir is temporarily closed because the owner is going through a divorce. It should be back up and running in January.
  • Also in the Journal, a positive review for Bistecca, the new Sorrentino-run steakhouse.
  • The 12-year old “food critic” from New York I mentioned two weeks ago in my Food Notes will be even more famous – Paramount Pictures has acquired the rights to his story to be adapted into a movie or a television show.
  • How’s this for the intersection of food and politics: December 3 was supposed to be declared “Yelp Day” in San Francisco, in honor of the popular website, but once the Mayor’s office got wind that negative reviews of businesses that supported Proposition 8 had been taken down, the proclamation was pulled.
  • I was on the look out for this year’s incarnation of Starbucks’ “It’s Red Again” campaign, but it turns out the coffee company has decided to go the charitable route this year, partnering with the now well-known (RED) campaign: “For every purchase of a (STARBUCKS)RED EXCLUSIVE beverage – Peppermint Mocha Twist, Gingersnap Latte and Espresso Truffle – at participating stores in the U.S. and Canada, Starbucks will contribute five cents to the Global Fund to invest in AIDS programs in Africa.”

 

The (Starbucks)RED sleeve

  • May and I had a bite to eat at Ga Ya, prior to a show at the Timms Centre last week. I had been meaning to return at some point to try something other than the Bee Bim Bob (which I wrote about before), and the Chicken Teriyaki ($10.95) hit the spot. The meat was nicely flavoured with a house marinade sauce, and there was a fairly generous amount included.

 

Chicken Teriyaki

  • Needing a fast dinner option in South Common before checking out the new Future Shop, Mack and I headed to Ikea, past all of the tempting housewares and seasonal items and up to the cafeteria. I’ve written about my love for their cheap food before, but I thought it was worth noting that their quiche is pretty darn good as well. Served with a bowl of soup (or salad), it’s a meal that won’t break the bank at $4.99.

 

Vegetable Quiche with Mushroom Soup (orange juice extra)

Volunteering with Santas Anonymous

Mack, always up for informal meet-ups with local Twitter-users, was all for an informal Tweetup at the Santas Anonymous warehouse tonight, and I was more than happy to pitch in myself.

We headed to the warehouse on the west end of the city, and after filling in a quick one-page application form, were led to the bagging room. My family and I have delivered presents for Santas Anonymous before, so the mounds of presents encased in garbage bags were a familiar sight to me, but this was my first time participating at an earlier stage.

 

Bagging room

 

Tags, divided into areas of the city

We were shown the bagging process – how to identify the number and ages of the children in the household, and how to properly secure the address tag to the bag – before being set loose. With holiday music playing in the background, it wasn’t a difficult or laborious task at all. The four of us in total who had shown up managed to get through quite a few tags, but as I remarked to Mack at the end of the night – we really could have just kept going. Between the “wrapping bees” outside, and knowing that the charity is still collecting toys, it is amazing to me that they will ever be ready for delivery day. The logistical challenges of collecting, sorting, wrapping and delivering thousands of toys just boggle my mind – but bravo to the organizers for pulling it off every year.

 

Mack and Diane hard at work

I think my family and I will be delivering presents again this year – after seeing a bit of what goes on behind the scenes, I’m even more excited to do so. If you want to join in on spreading Christmas cheer, check out the details on the Santas Anonymous website.

2008 Butterdome Craft Sale

After the great experience I had at the Holiday Stop and Shop a few weeks ago, I was looking forward to checking out the 18th annual Butterdome Craft Sale for the first time. Funny how I never thought of stopping by the event during my numerous university years, but no time like the present to rectify past omissions, right?

Mack and I should have thought ahead and planned to take the bus, but it didn’t work out that way this afternoon, and we ended up parking in the zoo on campus. At a flat rate of $3.75, it wasn’t expensive, but it still added to the overall “admission plus” charges that day.

The Craft Sale charges $5 admission for adults, providing access to 240 vendors. We saw a ton of people coming out of the building, arms laden with bags and random knick-knacks purchased in anticipation of the holidays, and we were hoping to get some shopping done in a similar fashion.

 

Butterdome floor

I think what surprised me the most was the the artisans came from all over Canada – I saw quite a few vendors from Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto. And while we did see some very unique items (including Jim Nodge’s iron sculptures, and Tin House Design’s framed squares of reclaimed tin ceiling panels), Mack and I for the most part were disinterested shoppers. It took us just over an hour to walk through the entire floor, and we even took time to pause at the occasional vendor. All we had to show for our visit were two t-shirts Mack bought from Grimm (his favourite says “shouldn’t you be on a ledge somewhere”).

The Butterdome will hold its third Spring Craft Sale from May 1 – 3, but after this experience, I think I will stick with the smaller fairs, like Stop and Shop and the Royal Bison Craft & Art Fair. Though I’m glad the Butterdome helps to push handmade crafts into the “mainstream”, the overall feel is too “corporate” and not as personal as the smaller, grassroots fairs, in my opinion.