Well…it is a little off the beaten path as far as fine dining goes, but there’s definitely some perks to be found at Perch…a new restaurant perched atop the alma mater society (AMS) building at UBC. I said that I like to discover places that are out of the ordinary but I wasn’t expecting this.
Tuna Appies
I went to the opening on a beautiful sunny afternoon yesterday where we were able to enjoy sitting outside on the roof deck patio with a view of the Northshore mountains. I rode my scooter so parking was a cinch. I was also curious about a reasonably priced upmarket restaurant on UBC’s Point Grey campus that anyone, not just students can go to.
It will be interesting to see how this restaurant makes out because of the location and it being upscale.
With decent prices students may be able to enjoy fine dining more than before. But the idea is not to limit the restaurant to only students, university staff & faculty, but to include residents from surrounding neighbourhoods. If there is any indication of the quality in general from the platters that were being served, it will be quite good.
mixing up a most unusual margarita – with toasted sesame seeds & Jimador Tequila
Overall the prices for large plate dishes cost anywhere from $13 to $24 while a similar meal downtown will run you ten dollars more.
I took a photo of a sample menu to show you below.
They’re open for private functions too as the restaurant can hold up to 300 people, 180 seated. They have a nice lounge and of course the outdoor patio and the menu is West Coast Cuisine with focus on fresh local ingredients. We were given a tour of the roof top garden where fresh produce is grown so the chef does not have very far to go to bring it from farm to table. I really like that, and some of the original ideas on the food + drink menu.Parking?? That’s another thing to deal with unless you bike, bus or ride a scooter. You will most likely have to walk a few blocks. If that’s not a big deal for you, you might want to give it a try for something unique. And if you can get your head past the fact that you’ll be dining on a university campus, especially if you come from downtown or kitsilano. But why not try something different? If anything it will make you feel like you’re back on campus but the food is much much better.
sample menu – see the bone marrow with the Flank Steak at the bottom (see what I was saying?)
A perfect dinner date is where those involved leave happier than when they first walked in
Ohh…the importance of romance. I was invited to a casually elegant little “nest in the city” the other night. A delightful evening.
Il Nido at 780 Thurlow St (just slightly off Robson) in Vancouver, BC
It may be Friday, but enjoying a romantic dinner date can be any day of the week. And it should be! It doesn’t mean you have to go out but if you do I recommend a cozy place with friendly service, attention to detail and delicious tasting food. A good wine list always helps and Italian is always high up on my list. I’m talking about Il Nido which has been around for a long time in Vancouver, a little off the beaten path.
Starters: grilled calamari in rich tomato sauce, 2 year aged proscuitto with melon & pickled garnish and meatballs in sauce. Of course, Prosecco.
Owner Franco Felice (who’s last name joyfully translates to happy in Latin) has been providing Northern Italian fare in the same location for 28 years. Sometimes we have to refresh ourselves and revisit one of Vancouver’s little hidden gems.
Grilled Salmon, homemade Gnocchi and Osso bucco Lamb with a nice Malbec.
Sure, we can try the latest crop of trendy spots which there seems to be no lack of in this city, but sometimes we want something tried and true, something with integrity and staying power. A place that won’t let us down. A place like Il Nido.
In house made Tiramisu & Torta al Cioccolato with vanilla gelato, raspberry coulis & a perfect cappuccino.
I met some very intriguing people who offered thought-provoking conversation and sampled an excellent menu there. So like I said, they were the perfect dinner dates – it doesn’t have to be just one!
Something else to consider:
an app to help youchoose your “perfect” date night or evening out with friends– https://tangoo.ca/
The Dinner Party is a weekly affair where lovely host Andrea connects fabulous singles of like minds, in Vancouver and beyond. First date stress and pressure, be gone!
Be charming, be engaging, but most importantly, be yourself. So she says!
Photo credits: Lady & the Tramp; Disney. Restaurant; d. king
Aside from Tamales, Mole (MOH-lay) is one of my favourite Mexican dishes.
my mole sauce on one of the plates I brought back from a day trip from San Diego to Ensenada (a pretty coastal city in Mexico, the third-largest in Baja California) for great Mexican seafood
Mole is Mexico’s national dish although many Mexican restaurants don’t even have it on their menu. It may simply be a sauce but one that is not so simple to make.
NEVER say NEVER!I said I’d never make it again but I did, just the other day. I made the most delicious Mexican Mole with chicken in my slow cooker. I have to brag about it because it was really as good as any I’ve had before. Wow…what a statement to make. I’m good with it though because it really was. The only other time I made mole was when a Mexican friend came to my house and instructed me how to. It was a lengthy process that I wasn’t prepared for with too many ingredients, too much assembling, washing, soaking, chopping, frying, blending, mess and cleanup involved. When I told another Mexican friend that I recently made mole she was surprised. She said, “hell, I just open up a can of DOÑA MARÍA® and serve it over chicken and rice. Too much work to make it from scratch.”
but then;
I found a recipe that intrigued me because it involved making it in a slow cooker. My slow cooker has made it out of the garage and occupies priority space on my countertop now as I’ve re-discovered some fantastic flavourful dishes to make in it. Anyway, I adapted the original recipe slightly (see my notes, it helps to be resourceful) using only what I had in house. I didn’t go out to pick up any ingredients as I had pretty much everything on hand including the chicken breasts and I felt lazy. I was ready to attempt it again. It was worth it. Here goes:
INGREDIENTS
4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12) *my notes: (I used a package of 8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut in half but gave one of them to my dog sans chipotle, so actually 7)
Coarse salt
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped *my notes (I used good quality dehydrated chopped onion instead which worked well when rubbed onto the chicken).
2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed *my notes (didn’t have ancho – used extra chipotle chile in adobo sauce instead – you can find the cans in the exotic food section of almost any store and once you open it, it tends to keep a long time refrigerated).
1 large chipotle chile in adobo sauce *my notes (see above – I used less than half a can in total).
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup raisins
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (1/2 cup) *my notes (I only had unsweetened, semi-sweet and 70% so I used semi-sweet chocolate chips but just a bit less than ½ cup since they’re sweeter). Later I added a small handful of the 70% (melted first in the microwave) to make the colour darker & add richness. “I prefer my men, chocolate, and coffee to be rich.” Ha, couldn’t resist saying that.
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled *my notes (I used good quality minced garlic from California – also rubbed on the chicken).
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving *my notes (I used chopped green onion)
DIRECTIONS
Recipe says to first season chicken with salt *My Notes (I rubbed coarse kosher salt, minced garlic, chopped dehydrated onion and a bit of *McCormick Cocoa Chili Blend “great new find” on the chicken pieces) and place in a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker.
In a blender (or preferably food processor), puree tomatoes, onion, ancho and chipotle chiles, almonds, raisins, chocolate, garlic, oil, cumin, and cinnamon until smooth.
Add tomato mixture to slow cooker, cover, and cook on high until chicken is tender, 4 hours (or 8 hours on low). *my notes (I started 2 hours on high, and switched to low for 4 hours). I added extra dry garlic & onion sprinkles to the mix to make up for the lack of fresh. This coming from someone who just finished using fresh garlic braids from Gilroy, the garlic capital of California.
Serve chicken and sauce over rice, topped with cilantro. Tortillas optional.
COOK’S NOTES
As you can see, i adapted the recipe quite a bit for what I had on hand – but it worked out fabulously. be careful to use the *right chocolate though. you can substitute semi-sweet for bittersweet but only if you must, never with unsweetened or milk chocolate. I served it over rice with tiny tortillas (warmed up in the oven) on the side. You may want to try the original knowing that you can do either.
*Substituting Chocolate
The good news is this: bittersweet and semisweet are very similar. Bittersweet chocolate is often now labeled “dark chocolate” and clearly lists the percentage of chocolate. That percentage tells you how sweet the chocolate will be: chocolate labeled “70% chocolate” contains 30% sugar, “60% chocolate” contains 40% sugar, and so on. Semisweet chocolate tends to be higher in sugar than bittersweet or dark chocolate, but there can be overlap.
The bottom line: if your recipe calls for bittersweet chocolate, you can use dark or semisweet, and when using semisweet, you can go just a little light on the sugar (for baking purposes that is).
A good but blurry beginning to the start of this week as I was invited to a media event at Secret Location in Vancouver’s trendy Gastown district.
Pouring Port
A MASTER CLASS! The event was to promote and educate those in the room about the different wines of Portugal. And I never miss an opportunity to drink learn more.
Secret Location is a concept store that offers thought-provoking fashion and food. They’ve covered all their bases. They describe themselves as one part lifestyle boutique, one part restaurant. The elegantly prepared food was excellent along with the wine pairing accompaniments. Cheers to the chef!
A lingering, mingling finish
In short: get these people liquored up, fed well and maybe they’ll write something nice. In all fairness it was a very enjoyable afternoon sitting at a fun table with exceptional food, pleasurable wines, and an informative presentation by Marta, the lovely sommelier. It’s interesting to find out how the grapes are selected, harvested and then fermented to obtain the desired body and structure – a caring, lengthy process. Well done.
We sampled 7 wines and a port. Of course we all expected nothing less than greatness from the Port, but we were a bit unsure of the wines because many people are only familiar with the pretty in pink bottle called Mateus (remember, we all drank this when younger) which has been around forever. I have a somewhat funny but embarrassing Mateus story to share at the end. “I get juiced on Mateus and just hang loose.“ – lyrics from Elton John’s “Social Disease”
Hey, I think they’ve improved it over the years.
The thing to note is that Portugal has less grapes than other European wine growing regions but they have some special ones, notably the Touriga grape which is used to make port – that’s why they’re famous for producing the finest port known to man.
In short, the wines were very drinkable and were superb with the food pairings. The price points are excellent. All cost under $20 including the Port. If you haven’t tried any of them, I recommend doing so for a change.
Of special note:
Periquita Reserva 2012 – a soft & balanced red with medium/long finish. $15.79 Quinta do Crasto Douro Doc 2013 – a fresh on the nose red with intense berry fruit aromas and elegant floral notes. $17.49
There is a lot to note about each particular wine we tested so the best thing is to write all the pairings with a short tasting note on each.
Aperitif – grilled octopus with celery hearts, fingerling potatoes, crispy wheat berry, lemon dressing. Wine Pairing: Mateus Rosé Original (it brought a smile to my face)
Appetizer – duck sausage, slowly poached egg, local carrots, black truffle puree. Wine Pairings (yes, two for this one): Vale Do Bomfim – Douro Red (fresh fruits, plum and blackberries, full bodied, fresh, good balance, length and finish) & Periquita Reserva Vinho Regional Red (intense ruby, vanilla, coffee, cassis, blueberries).
AppetizerMain
Main – stout braised bison short ribs, caramelized onion, parsnip puree. Wine Pairings (again, two): Duas Quintas – Douro Red (flavourful, concentrated, elegant, silky, long finish) & Cresto, Quinta do Crasto – Douro Red (elegant, balanced, well-structured on the palate, lingering finish).
Dessert
Dessert – chocolate & sour cherry dense chocolate cake, sour cream ice cream. Wine Pairing: Pedra Cancela Seleccao de Enologo – Dao Red (not your typical dessert wine but given the intensity of the dessert it was surprisingly perfect) Intense red fruit, ripe plum and hints of cacao, final taste is very soft, nice and long.
Wait…it’s not over just yet.Finally a local cheese platter (Smits & Co. aged gouda, Kootenay cheese company Nostrella, Farm House goat pyramid, Salt Spring Island Cheese Company Romelia paired with Sandeman Porto Ruby – Port Wine (brilliant ruby colour, full rich flavours of fresh plums and red fruits, very well balanced.
I forgot about the fruit plate. I forgot about everything else I had to do today.Local Cheese Sampling
And that was the end of my day! It was only 3:30 p.m. (it might as well have been a.m.)
there was a lineup at the bar
My Mateus story: when I lived in Montreal my BFF (at the time) and I were friends with a music promoter and he gave us tickets to some shows and then we got to go backstage and meet the musicians and sometimes hang out (it must be noted we were not groupies in any way, shape or form – they disgusted us). One evening we were invited to after party with a very famous singer (I won’t say who) and he said something about liking Portuguese wine…so the very next day we decided to send him a bottle of Mateus tied with a ribbon and a note that we enjoyed the concert and the visit. We were not so wine savvy and that was the only Portuguese wine we knew of. We may not have impressed him but I’m sure it brought a smile to his face. We meant well. We didn’t break the bank either. We were young.
What’s a FOODIE? We hear the word a lot but what does it really mean?
It started out innocently enough standing in line waiting to sample Torafuku’s slow braised ox tail and tomato ragout paired with Burrowing Owl Estate Winery’s Cabernet Franc. This was at the Chef Meets BC Grape Arts ClubFundraising evening at the Vancouver Convention Centre. My third year in a row and my sister was my date.
A new label I really like – their Rosé became a favouriteAn older label I really like
Minglingis all part of this evening and a gentleman in line ahead of me struck up a conversation or did I? can’t be sure, doesn’t matter. And then I tell this person I’m here because I’m a foodiedidn’t really want to say wino. He asks if I’ve been to the restaurant where we’re now waiting to sample food from called Torafuku. I say no, not yet. I cook at home a lot come to think of it. Then he asks if I’ve been to a few other fairly new trendy you’re nobody until you’ve been there places. I say no once again. He says “look, give me your booklet.” I hand it over and he scribbles down six restaurants all new to me, three of which are at this event (but it doesn’t count because we don’t get to choose from the menu). He then tells me “until you’ve been to all of these restaurants please do not refer to yourself as a Foodie.” So now I’m stuck because I pride myself on knowing a lot about food I think and I love to cook and thought a Foodie was someone who enjoyed good food, sophisticated or otherwise. No?
Then I looked up the word in wikipedia really?? which goes to explain:
A foodie is a person who has an ardent or refined interest in food and alcoholic beverages. A foodie seeks new food experiences as a hobby rather than simply eating out of convenience or hunger.
I don’t know what this guy is talking about….it describes me perfectly! Plus I eat out of convenience as well as being hungry!
Then I met a guy who represents “Dine Out Vancouver” and showed him my list of restaurants and asked him which ones he’d been to (restaurants seem to be popping up almost as fast as cannabis dispensaries – soon I won’t be able to keep up). He replied no, none of them so far. Ha! Sigh of relief mixed with disbelief on my part. Maybe I’m a food snob after all…which I really equated with being a Foodie all along. Here’s the real clue …I’ve been making bone marrow broth before it became a trend and didn’t even realize it.
Here were some of my favourite food/wine pairings that were at Chef meets BC Grape:
Chicha Restaurant served Coconut Scallop Ceviche on house made Amarillo Peruvian Chili Rice Crackers paired with BC VQA JoieFarm Winery Riesling 2013.
La Pentola Restaurant (the chef is really cute by the way which also garnered points for this) served Burrata with Grilled Peaches, Crispy Speck, Sungold Tomatoes, Basil semi-gel and Pickled Mustard Seeds (imagine going to the trouble of pickling mustard seeds?) paired with Maverick Estate Winery VQA Sauvignon Blanc 2014.
Tableau Bar Bistro served Pheasant Boudin blanc (oh; I scored a foodie point – I know what boudin is because I’ve been to New Orleans) with Organic Garlic Veloute (a rich French sauce), Sapphire Basil Pesto & Pine Mushrooms paired with Dirty Laundry Vineyards VQA Naughty Chardonnay 2013.
Provence Marinaside Restaurant served Lamb Sirloin slider, grey baby cheese (they didn’t say which kind only that it’s grey and I suppose real foodies would already know what kind), smoked tomato relish (imagine smoking a tomato?) & beet chip paired with Upper Bench VQA Estate Grown Merlot 2012.
The one that got away:
Lift Bar Grill View served Beet Juice Cured Wild Salmon Gravlax, Candy Cane Beets & Foraged Wild Mushroom paired with Haywire VQA Okanagan Crush Pad The Bub NV. I was told it was delicious.
Lift on Thursday evening. I picked up a generous gift certificate for the 65 Roses Gala to be held on Saturday, November 7th at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel to benefit Cystic Fibrosis (CF).
Once again; take everything with a course grain of gourmet fleur de sel (unless that’s last year’s seasalt.
A friend prepared these delicious salad rolls shown in photo. She did not have a specific recipe however I found one that you can follow and add chicken or prawns to if you like. They’ve got the three essentials – that is they’re delicious,healthy and low fat. What was really nice is how she served them with lettuce leaves lining the plate – presentation, presentation ladies and gents!
Photo: d. king
Don’t you hate it when you ask someone for a recipe and they say “I don’t have a recipe, just use whatever you have on hand – they’re so easy to make.” Said friend made the best sukiyaki (again, no recipe and who makes sukiyaki anyway – you’re lucky to even find it on the menu at any Japanese restaurant) but believe me I took mental notes and I’m making it and will follow up for you on that dish at a little later date. When it starts to get a bit cooler out maybe even tomorrow. I need to buy another appliance before doing so. For now make this & cut them up smaller for appetizers:
MAKES 4 ROLLS (regular size)
You can try different dipping sauces – why not have options? In photo the wraps are made with chicken and the dipping sauce is thai sweet chili which can be store bought if you don’t have the time to make it from scratch.
for the peanut sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce (I prefer low sodium)
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
juice of 1 lime
1 shallot, roughly chopped (1/4 cup)
1 small garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
¼ cup sesame oil
2 teaspoons maple syrup
for the rolls:
8 rice paper spring roll wrappers
1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated and washed
12 fresh mint leaves
12 fresh basil leaves
8 sprigs fresh cilantro
½ English cucumber, cut into sticks
1 small avocado, thinly sliced
About 2 cups cooked rice vermicelli cooled down (optional)
fresh bean sprouts (optional)
To make the peanut sauce, blend all ingredients until smooth.
Meanwhile, cut or tear the hard rib from each butter lettuce leaf and prep all other filling ingredients.
Fill a bowl large enough to hold the spring roll wrappers with warm water. Soak one wrapper for about 1 minute, or until just pliable, then lay flat on a cutting board. Layer in lettuce leaves, folding large ones in half, then fresh herbs, cucumber, and sliced avocado. Then rice vermicelli, meat (if using) and bean sprouts.
Carefully roll up the wrapper, leaving both ends open. Soak another wrapper and wrap existing roll inside to secure ingredients.
Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling ingredient. Then, pack in an air-proof container, layering in a damp paper towel to keep the rice paper moist.
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon red chili paste, such as sambal
Source for chili sauce: Food Network
I’ve made traditional Vietnamese salad rolls in the past using lettuce, rice vermicelli, prawns, green onion and bean sprouts with peanut dipping sauce. They’re actually pretty easy to make. At first you might break a few of the wraps because they’re so thin but when you get the hang of it they’re fun to make. It just took my friend making these to remind me that they’re a BIG HIT at parties! Everyone loved them. Everyone asked for the recipe. You’re welcome!
Upcoming Vancouver Event:
Join me at one of my favourite Fall fundraisers – the annual Arts Club eventCHEF MEETS BC GRAPE featuring up to 90 BC wineries pouring over 350 award-winning wines, delectably paired with locally inspired dishes from top British Columbia restaurants. See why BC food is designed for BC wine!
Signature Tasting
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Vancouver Convention Centre East
999 Canada Place, Ballrooms A, B and C
7–9:30 PM
Here are some basic professional techniques on how to correctly slice, dice, and chop Vegetables and Herbs by hand (even without the help of a slap chopper) from a real pro.
The pro being someone by the name of Martha, not me. God knows I’m always slicing and dicing and I’m very lucky to have never chopped off my fingers before now. I’ve been scolded about not following the correct guidelines (maybe being left handed has something to do with it) so how about going by these simple rules.
The most important being:
Always use a sharp chef’s knife, and tuck under the fingertips (oops) holding the food to keep them from getting nicked.
For julienne or very small dice, begin by slicing a vegetable very thinly lengthwise. To make julienne, stack several thin slices on top of each other, and slice them into matchsticks; to dice, gather the matchsticks together and chop them into equal pieces.
“Chiffonade” refers to very thin strips of lettuce or herbs, like these basil leaves. Stack several leaves, with the largest on the bottom. Roll them up, and thinly slice them from one end of the roll to the other.
The best way to chop an onion is to start by cutting it in half from top to bottom; then place the cut halves, flat side down, on a work surface, and slice off the stem ends. Remove the skin, and make vertical cuts lengthwise without cutting through the root end, which holds the onion together as you work. Make a few horizontal cuts from the cut edge toward the root end, then chop across the onion to make cubes.
KITCHEN AID:
I’m one of those people who have kitchen helpers. Unfortunately I don’t have a kitchen staff, but products to help make the process of cooking easier. Things like a food processor with all the attachments which I rarely use because then you have to clean the darn thing, a Starfrit Mandoline to help slice, julienne, grate and shred but it’s messy so I used it like once. I have an avocado slicer but the avocado usually gets stuck in it, a melon-baller but I rarely buy melons and when I do I forget that I have one. Then there’s the George Foreman grill which makes great grilled cheese sandwiches that I used a couple of times before becoming too lazy to take it out and so I end up using a cast iron (flipping the bread and pressing it flat with a spatula – but you don’t get the grill marks). Forget about the waffle maker (this is the most useless gift by the way) because the mix spills out of the sides all over the counter, and the Jack Lalanne juicer makes nice juice but the pulp (which is the best thing for you) separates from the juice. That recipe book that tells you how to use the pulp? Believe me, I tried using the pulp in muffins, etc. It might be good for you but it certainly does nothing to improve the taste. The slow cooker can be a great helper when you can get it together to figure out what you want to put in it and No, you can’t just throw anything in it and expect dinner in 8 hours. Now they come with a faster time slot, but isn’t the idea to s l o o w w w l y cook your dinner?
So that leaves: my vitamix which I mostly use to make amazing smoothies and it’s super easy to clean, a hand held mixer (now why is it I do not have a real kitchen aid mixer to help speed up baking?? – Oh, I don’t have any more room on the counter that’s why), a toaster (the best thing for making toast if you have one with wide enough slots – it’s one of the best inventions of all time), a microwave (for warming up leftovers), an electric braun masher (best mashed potatoes), and a variety of easy hand held gadgets to help peel and grate (I love my Ikea graters) and scoop ice cream with.
What about you? Which of your kitchen appliances/doodads do you tend to use the most?
Source: every great chef and Martha Stewart Living (for guidelines & photos)
Thought I’d share some photos of meals my friends prepared last week. Starting with Bill’s Food on Prospect Lake: It helped that we ate outside and had an amazing view but that did not overshadow this chef’s creation of: charcoal grilled wild salmon with macadamia oil, dusted with magic dust from “The Hitching Post” from “Sideways” fame, creamed corn with chanterelles, onion & bacon and hand picked wild rice from North Western Ontario. Bill, did you pick that rice yourself? It was magical!
The salad of baby arugula, beets, blueberries, goat cheese and avocado in a vinaigrette of hazelnut oil, lime juice & a drop of honey.
THEN moving over to Piers Island:
Mel’s Meal:
It started with an appetizer of Bill’s (he gave me some to take over) venison tenderloin stew with chanterelle mushrooms & gnocchi. Rich, smoky & tasty.
The star in this dinner goes to the succulent giant prawns sourced from a local supplier and barbequed with butter, garlic, s+p and crushed red dried chillies from India stuffed with yogurt & masala spice. Amazing! Again, barbequed wild salmon (you know we can never get enough of those omega 3’s) but this time marinated with olive oil, maple syrup, lemon, s+p. Green beans with garlic chunks, olive oil & shaved parmesan. Mel, you killed it!
Took’s Terrific Thai dinner:
Our Bangkok evening – oh, we’re spoiled! We helped ourselves to the most delicious home cooked Tom Ka Gai Coconut Chicken soup, Panang Curry, Thai Rice & Took’s secret sweet recipe of pork with tufu & veggies. All this while watching Thai gogo dancers, wild music & goings on in Bangkok on an IPad. Didn’t go with the view but we watched for a little while before deciding to just enjoy the quiet. We had a cherry pie for dessert but ended up having Lychee fruit instead because we were too full. Took also made a beautiful spicyThai salad with tuna for lunch.
BEST PART: I got a private cooking lesson the next day on how to make Panang Curry from scratch. That’s how much I loved it. I’ve made Thai curry pastes & curry before but not like this. Took walked me through the whole way, all the while with a watchful eye. I was tearing & chopping the leaves all wrong for garnish before this. My sister came for dinner the night I got back to sample my new creation – successful review!
Kaffir Lime Leaves
What did I make? Nothing. Well, nothing like this. My little contribution was an assortment of baked goods – cookies, muffins & a blueberry/lemon loaf. More breakfast/snack based items although we had breakfast cooked for us too. Not sure I can invite any of these people over for dinner…unless they like hot dogs. I have tons of condiments.
New Restaurant & Winery Review:Sometimes it’s nice to be among the first to try a new restaurant and sometimes it’s best to wait because they’re still ironing out the kinks. The latter wasn’t the case with the new Italian restaurant Baccano Osteria which was formerly known as “Smoking Dog.” The evening went very smoothly and the friendly service was excellent even if my server didn’t know all the pasta shapes I kept asking about from the menu. I was among the first people to show up for their soft opening last Saturday having spent the last few months walking by on my way to the gym, talking to owners (Cal & Patrick Corsi of Quattro) and observing their day to day progress. And anxious to try a good casual Italian place in my Kitsilano neighbourhood with an inviting outdoor space. Here is what we ordered:
A glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to start (not very Italian but it was hot out).
The bread is made on site and because of that it’s very fresh, nice & crusty.
Jumping ahead to Secondi: Garganelli Spinci with swiss chard, spinach, shallot, butter, pecorino pepate, bread crumbs (very Italian, rich and satisfying). I would order this one again.
Also tried Due di Maiale – Citrus scented pork belly & grilled pork loin with crispy pancetta, spring peas, faro and pork demi. The belly was more tender and it was a good dish if you love pork but I was not totally crazy about the veggies because I don’t love peas.
Dessert: I had a tough time making up my mind between 3 out of 4 desserts on the menu. I ended up going with Torta al Cioccolato (translation – Chocolate Torte, ha). Dark chocolate mousse, amarena cherries, licorice creameaux (this sounds more French), panettone cake. I like this better than regular chocolate mousse because it is a lot denser. In short – rich and decadent – just the way I like it! I promised to be back before too long and I will keep my promise. Plus, I have to try the other three desserts.
A short while before dinner:
I had the opportunity to try a special wine tasting at Village Wines (a few doors away). Don Triggs of “THE Jackson Triggs” was pouring wines from his new winery Culmina which is located in Oliver, British Columbia in the Okanagan wine region.
Don holds up a bottle of R&D
With a little help from famous winemaker Pascal Madevon (of Osoyoos Larosefame), Triggs has placed an emphasis on pure quality with these wines. The label is already picking up accolades left and right and already selling like crazy. Legendary tastings such as this one only happen once in a blue moon. He has a lot of stories as you can only imagine and was going fishing after the tasting with his twin brother Ron (on the R&D wine label with him – looks like photo was taken a few years ago).
Here is what we sampled:
Decora – Decora, which by the way is latin for pretty, accurately summarizes this straight Riesling. Perfectly balancing soft acidity with bold, bright fruit flavour, it’s a work of art.
Saignee – Sure, this is a delicious dry Rosé, blended from Bordeaux varietals and displaying unprecedented complexity, but what’s got people talking is its glass cork. Is a cork still called a cork if it’s not made of cork? Focus! This is Culmina’s hottest seller so far, and it’s easy to see why.
R&D – We trust Don Triggs with a big red blend, so we were excited to try this one, which wasn’t around for Culmina’s first vintage. A little more casual in its presentation, it’s Merlot-dominant, rich but smooth. I purchased a bottle.
Hypothesis – This Meritage is one of the many reasons we trust Don with a big red blend! Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon are handled perfectly here, bringing out as much fruit and spice as possible while remaining finely tannic. In other words, is about as good as a BC red gets.
What a wonderful ending to a sunny Saturday after a nice bike ride over to Folk Fest. Love days like this.
Baccano Osteria: 1889 West 1st Ave. (at Cypress) PH: 778-379-6920
Use rub before slathering barbeque sauce over ribs, steak or chicken.
Here are two simple but super recipes to enjoy all year long but especially now. The spices keep and if you have extra dressing you can always label it and freeze it for later.
THE RUB
This blend of spices is considered to be the Swiss Army Knife of seasonings. Use it for all your summer grilling: steak, chicken, fish & veggies. I recently used it for ribs. It has a slightly exotic flavour.
In a medium bowl, stir together:
¼ cup brown sugar (be sure to break it up if hard)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. each – ground ginger, black pepper, smoked paprika,
Store in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag for up to 6 months. Makes about 1 cup.
How much to use? It depends on how much you like but here are some general guidelines:
For 1 ½ lbs. steak , use 2 Tbsp; 1 lb. vegetables, use 1 Tbsp; chicken pieces, use ¼ cup; 1 lb. salmon fillets, use 3 Tbsp.
Traditional *Caesar Salad is so last century! Here’s a nice take on a Charred CAESAR SALAD that my guests rave about:
Grill your Romaine! Use Romaine hearts, halved lengthwise, on medium for about 4 minutes or until charred in spots, turning over halfway through. Oil the grill first or drizzle olive oil on the lettuce beforehand. Serve immediately, drizzled with this dressing which also doubles as a dip by the way. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds for something different instead of croutons. Serves six.
THE DRESSNG: in a blender or food processor puree 4 oz. feta cheese, 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/3 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt, 3 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 clove garlic and a little salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer to medium bowl, stir in ¼ cup packed fresh dill, chopped.
YUM!
*Actually I still love the traditional ways of making things but it doesn’t hurt to spice it up & do something unexpected.
a new restaurant perched atop the alma mater society (AMS) building at UBC. I said that I like to discover places that are out of the ordinary but I wasn’t expecting this.
Parking?? That’s another thing to deal with unless you bike, bus or ride a scooter. You will most likely have to walk a few blocks. If that’s not a big deal for you, you might want to give it a try for something unique. And if you can get your head past the fact that you’ll be dining on a university campus, especially if you come from downtown or kitsilano. But why not try something different? If anything it will make you feel like you’re back on campus but the food is much much better.
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
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