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

“What are our other options?” Denny’s

Edmonton has a dearth of late night dining spots, especially early on in the week (I am vainly hoping for a time when Edmonton can support late night hot dog stands a la Toronto). So after Die-Nasty, Mack and I resorted to the southside Denny’s (3604 Gateway Boulevard) for a bite to eat.

I don’t really have anything against Denny’s (unlike, say, Earls), but given the choice, I’d pick other family-friendly establishments like Boston Pizza or Swiss Chalet any day. Still, nothing beats reasonably priced all-day breakfast plates.

I can’t remember a time where I’ve ordered anything but breakfast at Denny’s, and I didn’t think to buck the trend this time, opting for the Meat Lover’s Scramble (two eggs scrambled with chopped bacon, diced ham and crumbled sausage, and topped with Cheddar cheese, served with two strips of bacon, two sausage links, hash browns and three fluffy buttermilk pancakes). Mack ordered the new Slamburger, unique for the inclusion of an egg cooked to order.

The food wasn’t anything special, but as to be expected, was reliably filling. And though I wouldn’t describe the fare as “high quality,” there’s something to be said for their consistency.

Slamburger and Seasoned Fries
Meat Lover’s Scramble

Theatre: Die-Nasty, Season 16

Die-Nasty has become an institution of sorts in Edmonton, and though I’ve always meant to give it a go (I came really close at last year’s Fringe), I just haven’t made it out. Part of the reason lies in a lukewarm experience I had watching one of the shows at the Improvaganza festival a few years ago – I came to the conclusion that unscripted comedy really wasn’t my thing. Well, Die-Nasty may have changed my mind.

Season 16 centered around a fictional 70s hockey team, the Edmonton Die-Hards, loosely based on the Oilers of the era. With outrageously-named characters, including Dr. Bueno Excellente (Mark Meer) to Captain Derrick Capilano (Jeff Haslam) and Coach Rollie Doobie (Dana Andersen), the cast really had fun creating their world. And upon hearing that Georges Laraque would be guest starring in the season finale, how could I pass it up?

It was a packed house, and a CTV cameraman even stayed to record the first half! I can tell you it was a bit surreal watching Laraque (fittingly #69, Wellen Dowed) alongside who I consider to be Edmonton’s theatre all stars – Meer, Haslam, Andersen, Sheri Somerville, Leona Brausen, Matt Alden, and of course, Ron Pederson (back in Edmonton for the summer!) up on stage. Two of my favorite things – hockey and theatre – came together for an evening.

As for the comedy itself – Andersen’s direction was spot on. The fact that this omniscient narrator was present to set up and subsequently end the scenes really allowed for some plot development, and unlike Improvaganza, wasn’t just a series of random exercises. He also ensured the audience got their money’s worth of Laraque – in the first act, he appeared in every other scene. As expected, most of the funny moments arose from ironic comments about his size, or more often than not, hyper-sexualized tension between him and whichever female cast member happened to be in his way (Laraque’s, “I couldn’t breathe!” after Brausen stuck his head between her breasts was priceless). Mack’s recap highlights some of the other memorable lines of the night, including Donovan Workun’s “I have a million dollar tool, that’s why I built the shed” response to a dig about his weight.

Though I may never understand why all of the women got to make out with Pederson, nor want to know what was actually in those bottles they were drinking out of, it was an entertaining evening all around. And really, any event that helps Mack get to the point where he can pick the theatre all stars out of a lineup is a worthwhile one in my books.

Film: “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”

Over the weekend, I watched the second of three summer blockbusters I’ve been looking forward to, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.

I don’t have too much to say, not because I didn’t enjoy the movie, but because I can’t say I really understood what was going on. Between Calypso’s heightened importance, the drudgeries of Davy Jones’ servitude, and Jack Sparrow’s dead/not dead state, I ended up throwing the details to the wind and decided to just sit back, soak up the special effects, spirited soundtrack, and marvel at the on-screen wonder that is Orlando Bloom (he’s just so darn pretty!). Though some would disagree, I was really rooting for Bloom and Keira Knightley’s characters to end up together (the hopeless romantic that I am), and so I didn’t find the post-credits scene cheesy at all. As they parted at the beach at the end of his free day, I thought their honeymoon was much too brief – the movie was definitely tipped in favor of action sequences over romance!

So though it was a fun ride, I’d be fine with Pirates ending on this note.

The Cooking Chronicles: Vanilla-Fudge Marble Cake

I had been craving cake for a while, and remembering a quote from Ricardo Larrivée that I read somewhere about how people should only eat the sweets they make themselves, decided to buck just heading to the store and bake myself a Vanilla-Fudge Marble Cake.

I really liked the use of chocolate syrup in the recipe – simplifying the chocolate additive by at least a step or two (instead of say, having to melt baking squares). The batter came out thicker than I expected, but it didn’t seem to affect the final product. As I couldn’t locate our fluted pan, I had to use a spring foam pan in its place. It wasn’t a bad choice for ease of removing it from the pan, but I would have preferred a decorative and not plain circular shape. In the end, it didn’t really matter – the cake was moist, sweet, and contained just the right amount of chocolate flavor. I can see it working quite well as a birthday cake.
I will be bookmarking the recipe for future reference.
Slice of Vanilla-Fudge Marble Cake