The Cooking Chronicles: Quesadillas

Guided in part by a recipe I picked up at Save-On Foods a long time ago, Mack and I made Quesadillas for supper yesterday.

We decided to try Maple Leaf’s Fully Cooked Chicken Breast Strips, though after opening the package, I wouldn’t recommend it. It was just enough for two quesadillas, and when an entire rotisserie chicken could be purchased for a few dollars more, even the ease of thirty-second preparation wasn’t worth the expense. In addition to the meat (salami was our other base), we added provolone and marble cheeses, tomatoes, green pepper, green onion, and (for Mack) sour cream. After a light brushing of olive oil and 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven, they were done.

Crispy, filling, and a great way to use up leftover meat and raw vegetables, the quesadillas are a quick lunch or supper idea that’s definitely worth a try.

Quesadilla (cool shot by Mack)

Film: “Knocked Up”

I went to watch Knocked Up with Mack late Thursday afternoon. In the weeks since it premiered, the movie has received surprisingly positive coverage, and not just because of its directorial connection to the also-critical darling The 40 Year Old Virgin.

A story about two strangers deciding to try to make a relationship work after the titular consequences of a one-night stand, Knocked Up was well-done on many levels. The situations, dialogue and acting all seemed so natural, quite an accomplishment on the part of the filmmakers. Nothing (except possibly the ending, but more about this later) seemed staged, and the conversations and crises faced by the characters would be ones expected in the real world. Katherine Heigl put in a strong performance, but I thought (echoing many critics) that supporting cast members Paul Rudd and the hysterically energetic Leslie Mann stole the show. As for the ending, while I can appreciate the desire to cap a supposed “romantic comedy” with a happy conclusion, I am of the opinion that the real struggle for Ben and Alison would begin when they realize that their relationship must exist outside of the bubble created by a child (an assessment that the hopeless romantic Mack disagrees with).

Knocked Up is a good, funny alternative to the bloated summer blockbusters in theatres now.

The End of an Era: Mr. Rice Retires

I took the afternoon off from work on Thursday for a trip back to my alma mater McNally High School. When Mack and I found out that Mr. Rice, our principal during our school years, was retiring, we decided we needed to do something to express our gratitude for his support throughout our time as students, Students’ Union presidents, and after graduation.

So a few weeks back, I bought one of those large farewell cards with the intent of collecting as many alumni signatures as possible. With Mack’s tireless milking of Facebook as a connectivity tool and flexibility in meeting up with alumni, and my sister Felicia’s current McNally student status, the card was filled to the brim with well wishes from graduates as far back as 1997.

Though I’ve returned on numerous occasions since moving on, it was never as formal as it was in this instance. Megan, at present teaching at McNally, invited Mack and I to their year-end staff meeting. It was a bit surreal walking in upon her introduction, and I could swear that a few of the teachers gasped at the sight of us – probably just an unexpected “blast from the past.” Mack expressed the unquantifiable impact Mr. Rice had on him, we presented him with the card, and I gave him a hug. And yes, Mr. Rice re-told the story that would have a better ending if I were actually teaching at the moment.

The attachment that I have to my high school, the teachers, and the principal may be strange, but I never forget that the fond memories I accumulated during those years were because of the people and the leadership(!) I came into contact with, and the confidence they had in my abilities that in many ways encouraged me to continue my work in the community.

I am happy to report, however, that this isn’t the end of Mr. Rice’s public service – he will be running to be a school trustee next year! Best of luck with the election, and thanks again for all of your guidance and support.


Megan, Anna, Mr. Rice, Mack and I

Theatre: “East of My Usual Brain”

After dinner, Mack and I watched the new charmingly-titled Stewart Lemoine play East of My Usual Brain at the Varscona Theatre. From the website:

“East of My Usual Brain sets forth the utterly unexpectable tale of young bookstore clerk Eric Thaw (Ryan Parker), whose perceptions of life in an unremarkable city undergo an extraordinary transformation when he accepts a position as the research assistant to tempestuous European author Istvan Madaras (Ron Pederson). Istvan has himself been completely untethered from his moorings after a chance encounter with the alluringly pensive Bianca (Belinda Cornish) one afternoon in a public garden. Inspired, amused, and occasionally horrified by this romantically tortured pair, Eric must broker a resolution in a suddenly unfamiliar landscape that grows more peculiar and more beautiful with every scene.”

Let me just preface this review with the advice to never attend a show tired. That said, it was no fault of the play itself that I missed most of the first half due to, well, a lack of caffeine in my system. From what I did gather, it was a typical Lemonian-exercise of a verbally shy courter, with Pederson for the first time cast not as the yuppie bystander, but as the starry-eyed would-be Romeo. Pederson did great, pulling off both a mustache and accent without falter (his silent struggle with low table seating in the tea shop was a notable comedic moment). Parker was a seamless addition to the Teatro family (as this was his Teatro debut), and I can see why Lemoine reacted with a “You–get in the car” comment after seeing Parker’s spoof of the 80s duo Wham. My only lukewarm reception was towards Cornish – noticeably older than Pederson, her inclusion in this role appeared mainly to be because of her English accent. She was as upright, mysterious, and transcendent as her character demanded, but I wasn’t entirely sold that both Eric and Istvan would fall for her. Moreover, whoever’s decision to allow Bianca the number of costume changes that would rival an Oscar host’s should regret it – Maggie Walt‘s designs were flashy and ultimately distracting. Bianca’s wardrobe superseded the focus that should have been on the words.

The set deserves its own praise as well – both beautiful and functional, the red lanterns hung behind the paper screen were a nice touch. However, I am still wondering whether designer Mike Takats deliberately chose to use low tables, despite its alignment with Japanese and not Chinese culture.

All in all, it was an enjoyable play, with the expected poignant metaphor (in this case, excuse my mangling, but of the orientation necessary in love and in life), charming characters, clever dialogue, and laughs.

Mass-Produced Comfort Food: Chianti’s

My sisters and I used to play a game called Edmontonopoly, a spin-off of the popular board game substituting local companies for properties up for sale. Two such properties were restaurants Chianti’s and Fiore’s, and I remember always wanting to go there in typical childhood idealization fashion. Well, I’ve been there numerous times since, but it has almost always been underwhelming.

Mack and I chose Chianti’s (10501 82 Avenue) on Tuesday for its proximity to the Varscona Theatre (where we were heading to see a show afterwards) and its Pasta Frenzy deal, when over forty of their pasta dishes are priced at $7.99.
It was surprisingly busy, with about a ten minute wait for a table, despite the weather being drizzly and cloudy. With the number of large parties inside, it seems Chianti’s is hard to beat in terms of accommodating all types of tastes and budgets. Their menu never ceases to amaze me – though I would imagine the A + B + C ingredient substitution formula is likely heavily utilized, I’m sure the cooks in the kitchen don’t necessarily appreciate the variety. As an unfortunate result with such menus, quality is most often the first casualty, and Chianti’s is no exception.
Mack ordered the Alla Marchese (veal filled noodles with pepperoncini in a cream pesto sauce), while I opted for the Cannelloni (rolled pasta stuffed with veal, vegetables, topped with mozzarella then baked in tomato sauce), if not only to compare it to Moxie’s version. The wait for the food was long, despite taking the large crowd into consideration, but was tapered with our cesar salad and baked onion soup appetizers. The pastas themselves were all right – my cannelloni was on the dry side, and I preferred the sweetened tomato sauce found in Moxie’s equivalent to the more tart sauce used by Chianti’s.
Chianti’s isn’t a bad choice (especially dining al fresco during Fringe season), but in particular during Pasta Frenzy, you get what you pay for.
Insalata Di Cesare (Cesar Salad)
Zuppa Di Cipolla (Baked Onion Soup with Cheese)
Alla Marchese
Cannelloni

The Cooking Chronicles: Spinach Stuffed Tomatoes

As a practice run before my (fingers crossed) dinner party this month, I decided to make Giada’s Herb Stuffed Tomatoes for my Mum’s birthday potluck this weekend.

Guided by many user comments that indicated that parsely was too strong, I substituted the recommended spinach instead. But who knew spinach was so hard to wash? Besides that challenge, I found the task of hollowing out the tomatoes more time-consuming than anticipated, and likely ended up with less pulp simply due to my ill-experience.
The final product was all right – the dish was presentable, but I received mixed reviews on the amount of provolone I included. As well, the breadcrumbs made the filling a tad dry, so I’d be sure to pour in some of the excess tomato juice (seeds strained out, of course) next time.

Not a bad vegetable side dish, but one I’ll have to play around with a few more times to get right.

Spinach Stuffed Tomatoes

“Studio 60”: Post-Mortem Commentary

When NBC announced their fall line-up a few weeks ago, it was no surprise that Studio 60 wasn’t among the returning programs. The flailing Aaron Sorkin vehicle had been touted to be one of the must-see shows of the 06/07 roster, but ended up not only with weak viewership, but critical dis-acclaim for reasons I’ve touched on before.

Though they axed it, the network decided to show the unaired episodes starting May 24 that were originally shelved. After watching both “The Disaster Show” and “Breaking News,” I think NBC made the right decision in pulling the plug – the quality really was heading down the tubes.

Something about Studio 60 just didn’t feel right, or as right as its West Wing predecessor. Whether it was the casting (Kari Matchett as an Ainsley Hayes/Amy Gardner hybrid last episode just didn’t work for me), the political situations (the abduction of Tom’s brother in Afghanistan felt hollow; Justin Walker’s redeployment to Iraq in Brothers & Sisters had a stronger resonance), or the storylines (the B-plot about the importance of ratings was exhausting to follow), the show had degenerated into an all-out vanity project for Aaron Sorkin.

The show did have its moments (Allison Janney as herself, and Sarah Paulson was a light throughout), but I’m of the opinion that Studio 60 had to die in favor of better projects Sorkin has yet to dream up.

Like “Quizno’s for pizza”: Famoso Neapolitan Pizzaria

Having been introduced to Famoso Neapolitan Pizzaria (11750 Jasper Avenue) by Where Edmonton, Mack and I decided to give it a try on Friday. Claiming to produce authentic Neapolitan pizzas, training with the Associazione Verce Pizza Napolentana, an Italian organization dedicated to preserving the standards of “True Neapolitan Pizza,” and using only imported Italian flour and San Marzano tomatoes, Famoso seemed like a good bet for quality food.

Upon reading the restaurant’s description in the magazine, both Mack and I were expecting a dining room aligned with a European bistro – quaint decor, bustling but quiet – but instead, we got, in Mack’s words, “Quizno’s for pizza.” While the self-serve seating and ordering at the counter concept was fine, the white booths and LCD TV seemed out of place, as was the baritone order announcer, who could easily be slumming as a nightclub DJ in the evenings.
That said, their menu was filled with a great selection of pizzas, sandwiches, and sides, making it difficult to narrow down our choices. In the end, I couldn’t resist the classic Margherita (fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, cherry tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil), while Mack opted for the Siciliana (fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, Italian sausage, Italian ham and baked prosciutto).
Our orders were up fairly quickly (though celebrity spotting Edmonton Rush’s Jimmy Quinlan distracted us a bit). The pizza crust was like none I’d ever had before – soft, chewy, and very much like fresh pita bread, it probably was better suited to being eaten as they recommended, folded as a sandwich. The pizza itself had a bit of a sour, tangy after taste, likely attributed to the uncooked sauce used. Lastly, I would have preferred roma tomatoes in place of cherry tomatoes (and really, it wasn’t worth the extra $1.50 for the four tomatoes on my pizza). Mack was similarly underwhelmed with his dish.

Though most of their ingredients are imported, the franchise nature of Famoso ultimately cheapens the feeling of authenticity somehow. The pizza was decent, and I may return (in particular for their Nutella dessert pizza), but Famoso will not be replacing my delivery standbys anytime soon.

Margherita
Siciliana

Queen Elizabeth High School’s Night of Music

Dickson and I headed to Annie’s school of Queen Elizabeth High for their annual Night of Music event. It seems I’ve been so far removed from the school environment that I had to be reminded of the positive, infectious energy young people exude when they are focused on achieving a goal. In this case, it was musical performance.

The students did better than I expected, and I enjoyed in particular the rendition of the always charming Barenaked Ladies’ song “If I Had A Million Dollars,” and the vocally-challenging Elvis Presley number “A Little Less Conversation.” Before the acapella group HOJA closed out the concert, the audience was treated to a version of the “Evolution of Dance” (check out the original on YouTube; the guy is now paid to perform his act all over the U.S. at various conferences and events).

Thanks for the invite, Annie!

The Cooking Chronicles: Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries

Hands down my favorite back pocket, make-in-advance dessert, Giada De Laurentiis’ Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries is a saving grace when striving for easy elegance. I started experimenting with it last summer, and have been cooking up batches ever since.

Needing a red-and-white themed dish for a potluck at work in celebration of Anna’s new status as a Canadian citizen, I thought individual servings of panna cotta served with raspberries would be perfect. Using disposable plastic wine glasses purchased at a dollar store, I allowed the mixture to cool overnight in the fridge. Though transporting the glasses to work on the bus was a bit of a challenge, they remained thankfully in tact come lunch time.
Great with raspberries, blueberries, and even sliced strawberries or kiwi, this is a no-fail recipe that I will be making for years to come.
Panna Cotta with Raspberries