The Cooking Chronicles: Strawberry Scones

I’ve always been a fan of scones, but I’ve never before attempted a from-scratch recipe without the aid of Bisquick. After seeing Ina Garten’s Strawberry Scones on Barefoot Contessa, however, I figured it was time to give it a try.

Besides choosing to use a pastry blender over my KitchenAid mixer, and substituting milk for the heavy cream, I followed the recipe word for word (though really, in the face of 3/4 pound of butter, what’s a little cream?). For the additive, I used a small package of dried strawberries I had bought on a recent trip to Vancouver.

The scones baked up very quickly, browning at 12 minutes instead of the suggested 20. And because of the mass quantity of butter, the dough resembled flaky pastry more than what’s typically expected from a breakfast biscuit. I’m not sure I’m a fan of the dried strawberries, however, as they’re slightly chewier than I originally expected. I think I’d much rather use frozen blueberries or perhaps dried cranberries and a hint of orange zest next time (the latter being Garten’s idea). I did really enjoy the sweetness provided by the dash of sugar on top though – it transforms the scone into a treat in itself.

These strawberry scones would make a lovely tea time indulgence, and really are worth the extra effort!

Strawberry Scones

The Cooking Chronicles: Almost-Cutie Pies

I received my first free issue of What’s Cooking magazine last week, and though I didn’t need an occasion to make the adorable Cutie Pies, Jane’s gathering on Saturday was a handy catalyst all the same. Mack lent me the use of his kitchen and a helping hand.

The recipe seemed easy enough, simply calling for muffins made from cake mix to start, with a supplementary mixture of pudding and Cool-Whip to serve as the filling for the cupcakes. Well, the muffins themselves turned out fine, but the filling was another story. I’m not sure if we just didn’t let the pudding mixture stand long enough to congeal, or if it was the use of no-name whipped topping that killed us, but regardless, we ended up ditching the “cream” portion of the recipe all together, as spreading the water-like substance would have been counter-intuitive. We did however go ahead with the melted chocolate topping, and to dress it up a bit, I made some shavings from a square of baking chocolate.

I’m a perfectionist when it comes to cooking, and needless to say I’m disappointed that the Cutie Pies didn’t turn out. We did make the best of what we ended up with though!

Almost-Cutie Pies

Film: “Jesus Camp”

I watched Jesus Camp over the weekend. I remember Roeper and his guest critic of the week giving the film two thumbs up, but I can’t say I would have done the same.

The movie suffered from a lack of clear storytelling direction – it began with a look at a one-week Bible camp organized by an Evangelical Children’s Preacher, with some interviews with the kids attending the camp. I was expecting the directors to use this event as the main plotline of the movie, with, in typical documentary fashion, several linked peripheral stories told here and there. But this wasn’t the case, as the screen randomly jumped to Mike Papantonio, a radio talk show host commenting on the radical nature of some Evangelicals, and then to a sermon by Ted Haggard in Colorado Springs. Unlike anything by Michael Moore (arguably not the gold standard of documentary makers, but undoubtedly very good at ensuring the audience understands the point he is trying to make), the movie ended without a clear message. Perhaps the directors wanted the audience to judge for themselves, and simply wanted to capture and present a day in the life of these children, but to me, it felt as if the movie didn’t know its own purpose.

Comfortable and Without Pretension: Route 99 Diner

Like Barb & Ernie’s, I passed by Route 99 Diner (8820-99 Street) innumerable times, always remarking how I wanted to eat there. I loved the juxtaposition between upscale and “down-home,” so for our real meal of the evening, I suggested that we head to the diner. From the outside, Route 99 looks every bit like a traditional roadside stopover – boxy, bright, lined with windows, and dotted with “all day breakfast” signage. Inside, complete with cozy booths, a jukebox, working traffic light and rescued licence plates and gas station memorabilia, the space definitively screamed “diner” (I particularly enjoyed the meta Nighthawks wall hanging).

The menu contained nothing unexpected, with a mix of requisite breakfast and dinner items, including omelets, pancakes, sandwiches, and pizzas. Mack decided upon the evening-appropriate Diner Burger, while for the sheer novelty of it, I asked for a plate of French Toast and Sausages (and thankfully, no Grand Marnier in sight). We also agreed to split an order of poutine.

Our food came relatively quickly (though as Mack noted, the dishes shouldn’t be that difficult to pull together). First of all, the serving of poutine was huge! Even between the two of us, we weren’t able to finish it (photo evidence below). As for our individual orders, Mack found no fault with his burger, but I wasn’t as impressed with the French Toast. Though complete with a nice dusting of powdered sugar, the bread was a bit tougher than ideal. The sausage was prepared in an interesting fashion, however – flayed, which would not only encourage a faster cooking time, but also allow for a more even crisp on the outside. It’s a technique I will try myself sometime.

With good service and not an ounce of pretension, Route 99 is a friendly, not-off-the-beaten-track option for the hungry.

Restaurant interior
Counter (with working traffic light above!)
Jukebox
Menu
Poutine!
Mack’s Diner Burger
Condiment Stand
My French Toast and Sausages
Leftover Poutine

Pricey but Pleasant: TZiN Wine and Tapas

If you’ve been paying some attention to my blog, then you’ll know that I’ve been eagerly awaiting the opening of TZiN Wine and Tapas (10115-104 Street). Between the rave reviews and the several notable mentions in the food literature I peruse, I was foaming at the mouth to try it. So on Friday, with Mack in tow, I was excited to finally give it a go.

Anyone else who had ever visited the previous tenant would probably be wondering, like I was, how they would manage to squeeze a full-service restaurant into a space that functioned primarily as a takeout place before. Well, I’m happy to say the designer pulled it off in spades. Though the entire restaurant seats only about 20-25 patrons, the dining area is more intimate than claustrophobic in my opinion. The black and red color scheme is sleek, with the banquette along the left side making the most of the small space. I’d like to think it was deliberate, but the pulsing dance music served as a cover of sorts, allowing for some conversational privacy between tables.

The food menu is definitely not for the frugal at heart. Tapas (“small plates”) start at $8, with most in the $11-$13 range. There were some interesting selections, including frogs legs (cheekily named “Miss Piggy’s Revenge”), scallops, and raw fish. Their lunch appears to be the most economical, with sandwiches priced at between $12 and $14 (I’d order the ExBoyfriend – made with jerk chicken!). We decided to split the 4-20 Pica, a rather elaborate pizza made with artichoke, oven dried roma tomato and asiago drizzled with organic hemp seed oil.

I’m admittedly not much of a wine-drinker (especially when compared with Mack), but it would have been a waste to visit a wine bar and not order at least a glass. We went one better and chose the “Mile High Club” Heaven trio – for $12, three 2oz. samples of whites, including a 2005 Paul Zinck Pinot Gris (France), 2005 Alois Lageder Pinot Blanco (Italy), and 2005 Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris (Canada). If anything, I now know that I prefer Pinot Gris – there isn’t as much of a stinging aftertaste when compared with Pinot Blanco or (blech) red wines. Mack also ordered a fraction of Edmeades Zinfandel, but despite his raw enthusiasm for this type of red, I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy it.

Our pizza arrived after some wait (curious as there are a number of service people in the restaurant but only one cook), likely a ploy to increase drink orders between course delivery. Still, it was a fairly decent dish. I disputed the fact that the tomato was at all oven dried, but I enjoyed the arugula, asiago, and foccacia-eque bread base. It wasn’t worth the $11 charged, but I agreed with Mack’s observation that outrageous prices are necessary because of the lack of seats in the restaurant.

TZiN is not the place for a full dinner, but I can see it becoming a destination spot for an after-work drink or post-show bite.

Novel hours
Kitchen (located right next to the restaurant’s entrance!)
Menu
Heaven trio (when the waitress saw that we were eyeing the “Mile High” selections – either “Heaven” or “Hell,” she asked, “Ready to go to Hell?” then quickly countered, saying “That’s probably not the question you want to hear on Easter weekend…”)
4-20 Pica

Fringe’s New Frontier: Online Ticketing

An article in the Edmonton Journal today revealed an exciting new development for this year’s Fringe Theatre Festival. It seems the new executive producer wants to jumpstart ticket sales by releasing “100 per cent of our inventory on sale right off the bat” in a brand new online system. The rest of the piece was unclear with regards to how exactly they intend to balance between what Liz Nicholls describes as “spontaneous hustle and administrative convenience.” A meeting was called on Tuesday night to solicit the opinions of local Fringe artists, but no concrete resolutions were arrived at.

I understand the reasoning behind allowing potential audience members to surf ticket availability before heading down to the grounds, but I’m not sure if ease of use will translate directly into higher numbers. This conundrum has been talked about to death, but Fringe organizers have always had trouble luring those who go exclusively for the “free” busker entertainment, food and retail stalls, and festive outdoor atmosphere into the theatre venues. As I’m too far down the rabbit hole to know what it’s like on the “other side” (for non-theatre goers) I’d still like to think that lineups outside of random buildings scattered across the site would make some of the wanderers curious as to what the hype is all about, and potentially buy a ticket to try it out.

At any rate, I’m willing to keep an open mind about this for now, and at the very least, an online ticketing system is quite a significant milestone for our little festival that could.

Culinary Q & A with Doug

Occupation: Teacher, Facilitator of Resumes, Cover Letters and Interview Skills, Procrastinator plus anything else I feel like that day.

What did you eat today?

Morning –> pankcakes and chocolate
Lunch –> Home made chili from the night before and chocolate
Supper –> Chicken breast, corn nibblets and (for a change of pace) chocolate

What do you never eat?

Apples and asparagus – I shouldnt have any milk products but I keep forgetting until the pain kicks in.

What is your personal specialty?

I like to personalize my ordering of others to do my cooking for me – failing that I love to order in Chinese food.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

Other then my phone … spatula – only because I saw on The Hour with John Strom ,, op ,,, you know ,,, the other night that the baby naming bureau in Quebec will not allow a Quebec couple to name their child “Spatula”. Cowboy and Lucifer was also not allowed for use.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

My dad has always made breaded minute steaks and it has always been my “feeling blue with the world – run home to the family” meal that is cooked for me. The next day is the best with some Hys-salt sprinkled on top. Corn on the cob would be a must as well!

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Recently (and perhaps due to Jarets influence) – it seems to be Quiznos subs. I have no idea why we go as the staff at the Oliver Square location scares me and makes me mad at the same time. PLUS the fact that one shouldnt use their debit cards there as your entire bank number is printed on the slip. We must start a revolution and put a stop to this.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

Dadeos on Whyte Avenue. Reminds me of Pop Tate’s diner from the Archie comics.

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

I loved living in China due to the places to eat around my college. Eating communially ws an interesting idea and one that I grew to love. Perhaps it was the people and conversation I miss moreso then the food.

“Prison Break”: Season 2 Review

Based on my excitement early on in the season, I don’t think the rest of the episodes this year fulfilled the expectations that I had built up. I don’t know if I like the fact that Michael ended up, full-circle of sorts, back in prison. Nor am I sure about the descent into science fiction or X-Files territory as Megan said (if that’s what the white-light was supposed to allude to). And poor Kellerman…it took a while for me to believe that his 180 degree turn was genuine, but Paul Adelstein really sold the performance at the end.

Even more disappointing, TPTB at FOX decided to renew the show for a third season. It’s really hard to take the show seriously now when it is common knowledge that Prison Break was conceived as a 44-episode run – all subsequent material is a stretch. Though I guess I really won’t be able to judge the quality until it airs, and the creator, Paul T. Scheuring, is right to some extent about how networks tend to commodify successes, and I’m sure he will do the best that he can with the opportunity he has been given (from a recent panel interview – scroll down to 8:51pm).

The long wait until the fall begins…

Starbucks Notes

I think I’m cheating with the number of “Notes” posts I’ve written as of late, but they’re so much easier to put together than a full length post…

  • Starbucks will be offering free brewed coffee to those who bring in a tumbler on Earth Day, April 22. Too bad it falls on a Sunday this year.
  • I tried a Black Tea Latte a few weeks ago. Expecting something similar to the tea-based offerings at Blenz, I wasn’t sure what to make of the rather odd aftertaste. Has anyone else had one lately?
  • I sampled the new Dulce de Leche Latte today. It tastes like a Cinnamon Dolce Latte with a hint of caramel.
  • It was great catching up with my workmates at the 109 Street Starbucks today. Smile everyone!

Happy and mostly caffeinated

The Cooking Chronicles: Banana Fritters

Mack was insistent that we make spring rolls to bring to Megan’s potluck on Friday. As it turns out, my Mum was kind enough to “lend” us her stash of ready-made rolls to simply fry up and go, so I thought it would be a good time to try out a recipe for Banana Fritters (as we could make use of the already-heated oil).

The genesis for my excitement was the similar dish I had at Pradera Cafe a few weeks ago – crispy, sweet, perfectly fried banana morsels that didn’t seem too difficult to duplicate. The recipe was straightforward enough – the batter was easy to whip together, and once the bananas had been peeled and sliced, all that was left was to coat and fry them (my Mum taught us a neat little trick of how to test if the oil was hot enough: place a chopstick in the oil and watch for the volume of bubbles arising from the tip). We found that the smaller pieces were easier to coat, but were labor-intensive in terms of increasing the quantity we needed to fry. And we weren’t sure if it was a result of a thin batter, but the fritters didn’t end up being very crispy in the end. Though not the most appetizing-looking product (my Dad asked if what we gave him to eat was a Chicken McNugget, haha), once tossed in a cinnamon-sugar mixture and served with ice cream, it didn’t seem to matter, and most people seemed to like them just as well.

So with the slight mishap of Mack burning himself with the hot oil (chalked up to a sacrifice for the culinary arts anyway), the experiment was a success.

Banana Fritters (not plated, boo)