Tag: food

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

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

Off to Glutton-Land: Urban Diner

On Wednesday, after a rather tumultuous day at work, I joined Annie, Dickson and Mack for a round of comfort food at Urban Diner (12427 102 Avenue).

Probably my second favorite diner in the city (following, of course, Blue Plate), I quite enjoy the food and ambiance there. Typically more happenin’ on weekend mornings, the restaurant had a moderate number of customers when we were seated. Though I had initially craved their Diner Meatloaf, I was torn when I remembered they also had Fat Franks on the menu. Luckily, Mack agreed to split the latter dish with me, so off to glutton-land I went.
The food took longer than expected, which was likely a blessing in disguise, allowing me to build-up my appetite to accommodate a dish and a half. I was floored when our orders were delivered – the meatloaf was easily twice the size of Blue Plate’s offering (but with steamed, not grilled, vegetables – boo). Without tomato sauce to blanch the flavor, and the added pizzazz from the cranberry chutney and creamy mushroom gravy, I think I’ll have to admit that Urban Diner wins the meatloaf round of the “diner war.” The hot dog was also quite good; Mack wasn’t so impressed, but I found the char marks lent much flavor to the meat.
I can honestly tell you that although I thoroughly enjoyed my meals, I will never again order so much food: it turns out gluttony can be a form of self-punishment.
Restaurant interior
Diner Meatloaf
Hot Dog
Shepherds Pie
Fish ‘N Chips

The Cooking Chronicles: Everyday Lighter Macaroni and Cheese

As I have mentioned previously, I am now leaning towards recipes that can be made with what I have available in my fridge and pantry on a day-to-day basis, and after catching a segment on America’s Test Kitchen this morning, I decided to duplicate their Everyday Lighter Macaroni and Cheese recipe for dinner tonight.

Annie stayed over for supper, so she helped me put it together. Substituting mozzarella for light cheddar, and omitting the dry mustard, it was a fairly easy recipe to follow. I only realized after the fact that I only added about half of the required cheese, and as I didn’t have enough corn starch on hand, should have looked for a starch alternative to thicken the sauce with. This resulted in a sauce with a water-like consistency, but besides that, was a decent modified béchamel.

While taking a little more effort than Kraft Dinner, this macaroni and cheese from scratch has more body than its instant cousin.

Everyday Lighter Macaroni and Cheese

Second is the First Loser: Acajutla

Looking to unwind at the end of a work week, I asked May, my Mexican cuisine connoisseur friend, to choose a restaurant. She had heard good things about Acajutla, 11302-107 Avenue (which coincidently, won second place in Vue Weekly‘s Golden Fork for Mexican/Latin American), so there we went.

As indicated on the menu, acajutla translates to “a place of sea turtles and sugar canes.” The decor in the dining room was festive to say the least, with brightly colored paper decorations and lanterns hanging from the rafters, and boldly checkered table cloths covering each table. The waitresses were all wearing the same puff-sleeved blouses of the Mexican Heritage-Day variety, providing more of a (stereotypical) ethnic atmosphere to the restaurant.

The menu was more extensive than El Rancho, complete with pictures illustrating select dishes. May decided to order the Combination Plate (one each of tostada, pastel, taco, & fajita), while I stuck with my tried-and-true Chicken Fajitas (soft corn tortilla stuffed with chicken breast, mixed with tomato, onion, and bell pepper).

The restaurant was busier than I had expected, with nearly all of the tables occupied (and a large party of rather loud women situated just behind us), but it was still no excuse for the lengthy wait for our food – we were starved by the time our plates arrived. I was even more disappointed when I found the chicken in my fajita to be dry and over spiced to my taste. May’s meal was better, as she was able to sample a few of their specialties (I tried a bit of the pastel, which was very tasty). The service as a whole was sub-par, as we had to physically bring our cups up to the counter for water refills and had to ask the waitress for our bill at the end.

I’m hoping Vue was wrong in their announcement that El Rancho is closing their doors; Acajutla would be a poor replacement.

Decorations
Combination Plate (clockwise from left – fajita, taco, tostada, and pastel)
Chicken Fajitas

The Cooking Chronicles: Pizzagna

Trying to make the most of leftover dried pasta and asiago cheese left over from our mac & cheese and focaccia pizza creations, respectively, I found a fairly simple recipe in Rachel Ray’s Pizzagna. Sounding appealing enough, it combined elements of pizza and lasagna in an easy assemble-and-bake style dish.

Though we omitted the onions (more because I forgot to get them at the supermarket than anything else), red pepper flakes, and parsley, and substituted asiago for parmesan, and button for crimini mushrooms, we followed the rest of the directions fairly closely. I’m finding I really like baked pastas and casseroles, as they do have a make-ahead option available.

The final product was delicious – the ricotta and pepperoni really made the dish unique. Next time, I’d probably try to include more vegetables – zucchini and tomatoes would complement the sauce nicely.

Pizzagna: definitely a keeper!

Pizzagna

Still Unremarkable: Earls

Mack, Kimmi, Dickson and I grabbed a quick bite to eat at Earls (Tin Palace, 11830 Jasper Avenue) this evening. I really don’t have that much to say about this chain restaurant, as it is pretty well known that I would prefer not to eat at Earls if given the choice. My personal bias aside, I do understand the pull of their “Wings Wednesdays” on the greater public, and for that, I can sacrifice my personal taste from time to time.

I will admit, however, that this was the first time I remotely enjoyed what I ordered – a Margherita Pizza. While not sensational (a la Bridges), it wasn’t bad.

Until we meet again, Earls.

Margherita Pizza

The Cooking Chronicles: Strawberry Tarts with Vanilla Buttermilk Pastry Cream

For a Hawaiian-themed spring potluck we were having at work, I decided to make Strawberry Tarts with Vanilla Buttermilk Pastry Cream.

I figured it would be an easy recipe to pull together on a weeknight, as I was using frozen tart shells to begin with. After baking the shells and allowing them to cool, I combined the listed ingredients as directed on the stovetop. Surprisingly, it thickened at the four minute mark as indicated in the recipe, and with the use of an ice bath, reached the perfect consistency. A dollop in each of the shells, then topped with a strawberry, and I was done.

If you’re looking for an easy, yet elegant dessert for a dinner party, look no further!

Strawberry Tarts

The Cooking Chronicles: Frittata with Fontina, Green Pepper, Mushroom, Tomato, and Sausage

To befit the end of Gilmore Girls, I planned on making a diner-style dinner to precede the viewing of the finale. My original intention was to recreate Ina Garten’s Turkey Meatloaf, but after being confronted with the very uneconomical pricing of ground turkey breast, I decided on the more wallet-friendly Frittata.

Dickson and I decided to substitute and add several ingredients to the recipe – green peppers for asparagus, and for a more hearty base, mushrooms and cooked sausage. The instructions really aren’t that difficult, except perhaps making sure there is enough oil and butter present to prevent the egg from sticking to the skillet (we initially had excess grease from the fried sausage, so discarded some, but likely should have kept more in the pan). After dotting the diced fontina on top, then broiling the frittata for a few minutes, the dish was done.
Served with a salad, the frittata was not only satisfying, but made for a wonderfully plated meal(the green peppers and cherry tomatoes peeking out provided fabulous color). Super-easy, fast, and delicious, this versatile recipe would work for a filling brunch, lunch, or dinner course.
In the frying pan
Plated