The Cooking Chronicles: Friendship Loaf

Janice asked me about two weeks ago whether or not I would accept a bag of Friendship Loaf batter. I inquired about what it was. She told me that I would be provided with a bag of batter and a set of instructions, required to “mush” the bag every day, supplement ingredients at some point, and then on the tenth day, add more ingredients to finish the batter and bake the loaf. Before baking, the batter would form enough to separate into four additional batches for me to pass along to four friends. Essentially, it was the food equivalent of a chain letter.

Friendship Loaf Batter on Day 10

I did some digging, and as Mack would say, Wikipedia always has the answer:

“Amish Friendship Bread is a type of sourdough starter that is often shared in a manner similar to a chain letter. The starter is a substitute for baking yeast and can be used to make many kinds of yeast-based breads, shared with friends, or frozen for future use. The sweet, cake-like Amish Cinnamon Bread is a common bread that is made from this starter; it is a simple, stirred quickbread that includes a substantial amount of sugar and vegetable oil, with a mild cinnamon flavor. It has characteristics of both pound cake and coffee cake.”

The best line of the entry was this one:

“There is no reason to think that the bread has any connection to the Amish people.”

Regardless of the source, this was the most interesting process of baking I have come across so far, so I was curious as to what the final product would taste like.

I confess I didn’t “mush” the bag every day (though my Mum seems to have done it covertly without my knowledge; like watering poor neglected plants that I would undoubtedly let shrivel and die), and as Janice had warned me, the contents did start to smell quite strongly after the first few days. Bubbles formed overnight in the batter, and air did have to be let out every few days, but other than that, it just seemed like any other liquid baking mix.

On the tenth day, I added enough ingredients to divide the batter into five equal parts, and used one part to form the two loaves. I thought the necessity of a box of instant vanilla pudding was quite amusing in light of the named “Amish connection”.

An hour later, my loaves were done. They did taste very much like a coffee cake, especially in terms of texture, though a slice did leave me with a slightly sour aftertaste better washed away with a cup of coffee.

It was an interesting experience (thanks, Janice!), though my Mum and I both agreed that the product really didn’t warrant waiting ten days.

Friendship Loaf

A Tale of Two Suppers: JAROblue & Tubby Dog

Saturday was reminiscent of our two meal extravaganza last spring that saw us eating two dinners in one night: first in the sophisticated wine and tapas bar TZiN followed by supper at the eternally comfortable greasy spoon Route 99 Diner.

We started our evening at JAROblue (1314 17 Avenue SW), a tapas and lounge often recommended by Chowhounders. Seductively dark, with a cool, trendy vibe, Mack and I felt a bit out of our element. Our sever quickly changed that – patient and open to questions, he was extremely attentive at the start of our meal. I asked for wine recommendations, and based on his suggestion, decided on the 2006 Dr. Pauley-Bergweiler Riesling ($9). It was lovely – sweet and fruity, it would’ve probably been better paired with dessert, but my personal preference is always “Kool Aid” (Mack’s words) with dinner.

Menu and place setting

Tapas pricepoints were $8, $13, and $15. From Andree Lau’s post on JAROblue, I knew I wanted to try the Duck Confit & Risotto Croquette ($13). The Angus Mini Steak Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions ($15) were my second pick, and for reasons involving illusions of heath and his love of the vegetable, Mack chose the Grilled Asparagus served with an Onion, Garlic & Olive Oil ($8).

While we waited for our food, we noted the great server-to-patron ratio maintained by the restaurant, and also grew to respect our very competent hostess who not only took care of the seating, but also water and bussing duties.

When she brought us our first two dishes, her introduction of them (and suggestions on how we should eat them) were a nice verbal accompaniment to a beautiful visual display. Set on a long rectangular plate, the croquettes were almost too cute to eat. Crispy and creamy, they would make a fantastic hors d’oeuvre at a party (perhaps minus the pineapple chutney, which was a tad spicy for my taste). The steak sandwiches were even better – expertly seared and perfectly prepared, Mack and I both wished we could have a full-size steak that tasted like that. The asparagus were fresh, and thus sweet, their natural flavour enhanced with a smoky infusion. The garnish of onions had had their bite cooked out of them, and rivalled the asparagus with their sweetness.

Duck Confit and Steak Sandwiches

Grilled Asparagus

Great for sharing with friends, JAROblue is undoubtedly pricey, but worth a splurge for their creative take on tapas.

Our appetites successfully stimulated, we walked a few blocks east to Tubby Dog (1022 17 Avenue SW). At this point, I can’t remember where I first heard about this late night institution, but I can safely say I am now well acquainted with their unorthodox hot dog toppings.

Tubby Dog!

Walking in, there is no doubt that their no-frills decor signals a single focus on food alone. Two giant menus – one on the door and another behind the order counter advertise the creativity behind Tubby Dog. From the intriguing Sumo Dog (with Japanese mayo, wasabi, pickled ginger, and lightly toasted sesame seeds) to Sherm’s Ultimate Gripper (a dog wrapped in bacon, fried, then topped with ham, homemade chili, cheese, mustard, bacon, hot peppers, onions and a fried egg), we knew we were in for a treat probably not meant for the sober. I couldn’t help but think this was the Calgary equivalent to Amsterdam’s waffle and fry joints.

Interior

Menu

Hours of operation

At any rate, Mack opted for the A-Bomb ($5.75), with cheese, bacon, mayo, mustard, ketchup and potato chips, which the server said was one of the two most popular dogs (the other being the Gripper). Without hesitation, I chose the Cap’ns Dog ($5.75), with peanut butter, jelly, and yes, Captain Crunch cereal (I have to think this combination had to have originated as a drunken college bet of some sort).

A few minutes later, to the chime of a reception bell, our order was up. It was a sight to see – our dogs were as excessive as the tapas at JAROblue were dainty. As we sat agape at the task before us, three women walked by the storefront window, and after glancing at the menu on the door, wondered allowed who would eat such things. Then they looked up and saw us.

A-Bomb

Cap’ns Dog

I was a bit daunted by the Captain Crunch (the morsels didn’t adhere very well to the PB & J), but in the end, I’d say it satisfied the peanut butter lover in me – I couldn’t really taste the jam or the cereal.

Finished!

I’m sure many people have eaten much more offbeat food combinations, but Tubby Dog, in its utilization of a midway favorite as a vehicle for the unexpected, makes for an interesting and fun dining experience.

A European Lair: Caffè Artigiano

While Mack was occupied at BarCampCalgary, I played tourist and had lunch at Caffè Artigiano (Unit 100, Centrum Place, 332 6 Avenue SW). A west coast import that had coffee aficionado John Manzo, among others, excited about its first location outside of metro Vancouver, I wanted to see for myself what all the hype was about.

Occupying a rather large storefront in an office tower, the high ceilinged space resembles a European lair more than a typical café at first glance. A pedway positioned above Caffè Artigiano and its neighbours prevented much natural light from coming through – but perhaps the designers preferred it that way – the dark furniture and earth toned walls absorbed what sunlight did trickle through.

Peering into the cooler that contained an assortment of premade sandwiches, wraps and treats, I decided upon the Chicken and Brie Panino ($8.59) for my main course. A Spanish Latte ($3.59), which the clerk explained to me was a latte with a bit of condensed milk added, completed my meal.

I sat down at a large table fit for a library to await my food and drink. Lucky for me, Caffè Artigiano subscribes to a number of papers (including my favorite, The Globe & Mail), and like a library, affixes each edition onto a large wooden rod.

A few minutes later, my drink was called. Beautifully presented with an artful rosetta design, I almost didn’t want to take the first sip. I did, of course, and found that the latte walked the fine line between the jolt of a strong espresso and the creamy smoothness of milk, accented as a whole with just a hint of sweetness.

My panino, served with a small cup of coleslaw, was equally satisfying. Generously filled with chicken, cheese, then grilled, it left me full but not stuffed. While the chicken was a touch dry, the thin spread of fig jam helped alleviate somewhat parched bites.

I still struggle with the idea of having to pay nearly $10 for a sandwich in a coffee shop (granted, Caffè Artigiano is not just any coffee shop). So although I may be back for another cup of coffee, I would probably head elsewhere for something to eat first.

Rosetta

Chicken and Brie Panino and a Spanish Latte

A Tourist in Calgary

Most people would scoff at the idea of an Edmontonian visiting Calgary as a tourist, but I am not one of them. I think it is possible to be a tourist even in one’s home city; to me, being a tourist is a state of mind, being open and ready for new experiences and trials, and exploring the familiar in a different way.

As such, I don’t find our southern neighbour to be as pedestrian as some do, because besides the plethora of culinary excitements (to be blogged about shortly), there are numerous everyday sites worth visiting.

Stephen Avenue is one example. My stroll on Saturday yielded many (window) shopping opportunities, as well as a sneaky Kodak moment involving hungry bridesmaids on break from a streetside photoshoot.

“Hot dogs for everybody!”

I also ended up at Art Central (100 7 Avenue SW), though just after many of the shops had closed for the day. Opened in November 2004, the building houses a number of boutiques offering everything from art pieces to jewelry and clothing. A cafe on the top floor looked like a cozy reprieve from the traffic outside.

Art house

My personal favourite stop in the downtown core was the Devonian Gardens, housed in TD Square (317 7 Avenue SW).

Devonian Gardens

Packed with tourists and more than a few locals, the Gardens are an urban sanctuary, very similar to a visit to the Muttart Conservatory (but for free!). There is a playground for children, paths to stroll, soothing water fixtures to relax to, and benches to snack on. It took me a moment to realize that the turtles in the fish pond were real, adorably craning their necks towards the heat lamps. My sister thinks it odd that the greenhouse is situated just above a shopping centre, adjacent to office towers, but I think the designers were spot on in their placement choice – it provides an easy escape from the hustle and bustle of the business and retail worlds, a quiet place to have lunch or meditate, and in the winter, a means to maintain daily physical activity in the face of ice and snow.

Inside the gardens

 

Cascading fountain

Turtles!

Waterfall

Flowers

Reflecting Pond (open in the summer only)

The Gardens will be closing for 18 months starting on October 1, 2008 to undergo renovations (not unlike Edmonton’s Muttart) – so plan to stop by soon if you’re in the city for one last indoor walk.

With the escalating price of gas, I’m not sure how often I’ll be able to get away to Calgary, but if and when I do, I know the sights I would like to return to!

One Month with WordPress

It’s been one month since I made the switch from Blogger to WordPress, and the transition has been a bit of a mixed bag.

I think I still need some time to get used to the layout of the WordPress Dashboard, even for doing simple things like viewing and editing posts, but for the most part, the differences haven’t been too jarring. I also like the ability to have access to statistics on traffic and post views (and see, with amusement, some of the search terms that people have used to navigate to my blog – some on purpose, some by accident, such as “steve miranda eat noodles on the floor”). Lastly, the plugins that Mack helped me install when he initially set up this new site are a WordPress bonus as well.

Some things I’m not so amused with are the means by which categories are added or modified (I find typing so much faster than having to scroll down a very large list), and the inconvenience of having to log in twice to view my stats page (once into my admin, and once into WordPress itself). There’s also the very big problem of not being able to include spaces between paragraphs, resulting in my immediate download and reliance on Windows Live Writer. Live Writer has been great, but with Blogger, I never had to use an external program just to compose posts.

Since it has only been a month, I’m sure there are other quirks – both good and bad – that I will discover in the next few weeks.

Food Notes

  • Bob Mac on Chowhound was right about the rumor that the Century Hospitality Group would be renovating the space formerly occupied by Terry Vaughn’s Sports Bar, then First City Sports Lounge (10136 100 St) – the signs are up in the window advertising “One Hundred Bar & Kitchen” to be open Fall 2008.
  • Original Fare is offering their annual version of “Dine Out Week” on July 13 – 17 and July 20 – 24 called ForkFest. Check out their website in a few weeks for details on the pre-fixe $20 and $35 menus.
  • Congrats to Canadian Trish Magwood for her James Beard Award win last week. She received recognition for her book Party Dish in the “Entertaining” category.
  • Bettina and I went to the renovated McDonald’s near Heritage Mall (11007 23 Avenue). With its earth toned walls, flat screen television, fireplace, and leather lounge chairs, I had to wonder – does an upscale McDonald’s make the food taste better?

 

It certainly doesn’t look like your average McDonald’s

 

Cinnamon Melt – good anywhere

Midday Elegance: Hotel MacDonald

Like most quintessential city landmarks, the Hotel MacDonald (10065 100 Street) is a familiar presence appreciated and admired mostly by afar. It’s been a few years since I had dinner in the Harvest Room (refined but stiff), but I relished the opportunity to have lunch in the beautiful Empire Ballroom for my organization’s Annual General Meeting this week.

Empire Ballroom

Unfortunately, my group’s tardiness relegated us to a table in a room normally used for cocktails and receptions only, but as the place setting was the same, there wasn’t too much to complain about, short of not being able to hear or see the speakers up on stage.

There was no menu card at each place setting, so the lunch was essentially a surprise. It has been a while since I’ve been to dinner where so many pieces of cutlery were available on the table, but in such a refined atmosphere and setting, it was only to be expected. What wasn’t expected, however, was the cute little pats of butter with the word “butter” stamped on them! I couldn’t resist taking a picture of that.

Too cute

We started with a salad of wild greens with beets. I am not normally a fan of beets, but there were so sweet and mild that I didn’t mind them at all. The main course (served to ladies first, then men clockwise around), was a “nest” of puff pastry with chicken and mixed vegetables (or, in layman’s terms, chicken pot pie), accompanied by a wild rice pilaf and steamed vegetables. The pie was hot, buttery, and deliciously creamy – it kept me full all day. Dessert was a cake with strawberry coulis, and as it had been placed on the table before we even arrived, this was a sweet ending that could have very possibly been an appetizer for some instead.

Wild greens with beets (up close, the leaves do look like weeds, don’t they?)

Chicken pot pie

Cake with strawberry coulis

All in all, it was a nice break from the office.

Red Deer Eats

I found my hit list of Calgary eateries quite useful to look back on for reference purposes, so on a weekend where a food stop in Red Deer may be on the agenda, I was hoping Chowhound would be able to help me generate options beyond the glut of Gasoline Alley and epidemic of chains. It delivered.

  • Redstone Grill: with a menu similar in price point to Madison’s Grill, it may be too expensive for our fuelling intention, but it’s a definite option worthy of consideration in the future.
  • Glenn’s: apparently has good comfort food and pie.
  • Rusty Pelican: the name is admittedly growing on me. The reviews on Chowhound are mixed, but with entrees priced under $20 (a filet mignon for $18.95), it would be worth a try.
  • It’s All Greek to Me: no relation to the Edmonton restaurant with the same name.
  • Las Palmeras: a restaurant which one poster claims serves the most authentic Mexican food in the province, the lack of a website prevents further comment, but this would be my pick for the weekend.

The Cooking Chronicles: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

On Doug’s request (I’m always up for a “secret ingredient” challenge!), I looked for an interesting recipe that contained peanut butter. While a stew thickened with peanut butter qualified as the most intriguing, Miss Hilda’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie caught my immediate attention as something I actually wanted to eat (I’ve been wanting to give it a name worthy of Waitress, but nothing can beat her signature “Bad Baby Pie”, so I won’t even try).

I made the crust and toasted the peanuts on Sunday night to reduce the prep time on Monday, and to give it extra time to cool in the freezer. I resorted to using an aluminium cake pan instead of our only glass pie plate to lighten the load I would have to cart on public transportation, but with the help of the rounded side of a measuring cup, was able to form an edge fairly easily.

The filling was a cinch to whip up, and smelled irresistibly like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup when I was done. I let it set overnight, and even after being beaten around a bus, it wasn’t too worse for wear.

As for the taste – the crust needed at least double the amount of melted butter to set correctly – as it stood, crumbly was its unfortunate state. The filling, after having more than enough (or too much?)time to harden, ended up a little too densely sweet for my liking; I would have preferred the mousse-like consistency it had just after being freshly beaten with the electric mixer.

The best thing about the pie, of course, wasn’t the pie itself, but being able to share it with friends. Thanks again for letting us crash at your place, Anna!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

The (what else) potluck spread

Violet and Judith help themselves

Violet and Doug

Anna and Judith

All smiles!

The Cooking Chronicles: Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

Needing a quick, one bowl supper idea, I remembered Rachael Ray’s Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes, so after work, Mack and I headed to the nearby Italian Centre to pick up a few ingredients, and met with absolutely no dinner rush line ups, were well on our way to a filling meal.

Mack complained about having to grate the parmesan, but then again, that was probably the most “labour intensive” task in the entire recipe. I thought we were going to set off the smoke alarm with our sizzling tray of olive oil and burst cherry tomatoes, but thankfully, the flat stayed quiet. A handful of fresh basil (or what Mack refers to as “weeds”) some roasted mushrooms, and the parmesan finished the dish.

For a pasta without a heavy dressing of cream or tomato sauce, it was surprisingly good. More vegetables (spinach, zucchini) or meat (shredded chicken) could be tossed in, but in all, this is a great top drawer emergency dinner recipe.

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes