And I mean the “perfect” scoop of ice cream with the best homemade waffle cone I’ve ever tasted. I’m not just saying this. You can trust my expertise as a pretty good judge of mouth watering delectables such as this – but everyone else who tried it agrees. Everything is made locally on the premises including the waffle cones. I tried the salted caramel and London fog but was torn between that and the blueberry balsamic, honey lavender & coconut chocolate chunk. Guess I’ll have to go back.
The good news: it happens to be conveniently located in my neck of the woods here in Vancouver. The bad news: I have virtually no willpower!
Did you know?
Rain or Shine (that really is their name) ice cream is made here in Vancouver using fresh, natural and sustainable whole ingredients sourced locally, seasonally, and organically whenever possible.
Everything is made from scratch because they know that everybody loves ice cream and they believe it tastes better that way – it does! So eat up Rain or Shine!
Located in beautiful Kitsilano (Vancouver) – 1926 W 4th Ave.
Crudités anyone? I love that word!Okay you guys, we’re in the midst of summer now. This is where we okay, I tend to get lazy. Maybe I’m just speaking for myself but I don’t really feel like cooking until Fall. Well at least nothing major and nothing that involves turning on the oven. This is the time when I start to throw things together last minute or just barbeque.
So how about those party platters? You know…the usual cheeses, dips, olives, nuts, cold cuts. I had deviled eggs at one barbeque – an almost forgotten but welcome addition. Doesn’t everyone have a party finger-food specialty? How about arranging a great cheese platter? Here are some photos that will give you a few arrangement ideas. Don’t forget the grapes.
Here we go again….cooking with chickpeas. Chickpeas (otherwise known as Garbanzo beans), like most legumes have long been valued for their fibercontent. Do you know that people who consume garbanzo beans on a regular basis have better blood fat regulation including lower levels of LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides?
Orecciette pasta is much easier to find nowadays (I don’t remember how many stores I went through trying to find it years ago) – it has a tiny ear-shape look to it. It really means just that: from orecchio (ear) + etto (small). There, now you can speak some Italian!
This recipe is from Everyday Food by Martha Stewart and it is a very simple but tasty dish. So very Italian!
Then it becomes more
Ingredients to Serve 4:
12 ounces Orecchiette
1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ cup of Kalamata olives, pitted
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 6-inch sprig of Rosemary
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
¼ tsp. red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1 ½ ounces), plus more for serving
2 cups baby arugula (about 2 ounces)
Combine pasta, chickpeas, olives, tomato paste, garlic, rosemary, oil, pepper flakes, and 4 cups of water in a large straight-sided skillet. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente and liquid is reduced to a sauce that coats pasta, 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove skillet from heat, discard rosemary, and stir in arugula until just wilted and cheese to coat. Add more water only if needed to thin out sauce, a few tablespoons at a time. Divide pasta among bowls and serve immediately, drizzled with oil and sprinkled with cheese and pepper flakes.
Party on a STICK! If you can slide it on a skewer, you can GRILL it. These simple KEBAB combos make them foolproof. Just match a marinade or glaze to meat and/or veggies and your barbeque just got a lot more flavourful.
Kebab Confidential: they can be tricky since different meats and veggies cook at different times. The key is to make single ingredient skewers. If combining ingredients (which I like because they look prettier) choose those with similar cooking times. It makes sense that peppers will take a bit longer than cherry tomatoes, etc.
Marinate chicken, beef, lamb, or pork 8 to 24 hours for best results. Before marinating the meat, reserve some marinade to brush over the kebabs while they cook. Discard any remaining marinade. For fish: 20 to 40 minutes is enough, since doing so for any longer could “cook” the fish kind of like a ceviche. Marinating shrimp can make them tough.
try chunks of tofu.try cut up corn-on-the-cob.
Adding vegetables – skewer them all in the same direction so that they cook evenly. Brush marinade or glaze on while cooking: don’t marinate them.
All grilled: heirloom tomatoes (feta was grilled on tinfoil) on crusty french bread. Delish!
Bread – I’m talking about hearty, crusty bread (not sandwich style) …it toasts beautifully on the Barbie. As with veggies, brush marinade/glaze on while grilling. You can add cubes to your skewers too.
A few good Marinades:
In a liquid measuring cup, combine ingredients. Reserve ¼ cup and pour remaining marinade into a zip-lock bag. Add 1 ½ pounds of meat (for 4 people) and toss to coat. Refrigerate. Use reserve to brush over meat and vegetables while grilling.
Buttermilk-Dill: great for chicken or lamb. Combine ¾ cup buttermilk, 3 garlic cloves (crushed with a press), ¼ cup chopped fresh dill, 1 tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper.
Balsamic-Rosemary: great for beef, lamb or chicken. Combine ½ cup balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil, 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary, 1 tsp. salt and 2 tsp. pepper.
Lemon-Oregano: great for chicken or fish. Combine ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup lemon juice, 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano, 1 tsp. salt, and ½ tsp. pepper.
Orange-Coriander: great for pork, beef or chicken. Combine 1 Tbsp. finely grated orange zest plus ½ cup juice, ¼ cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp. toasted coriander seed, coarsely crushed: I Tbsp. toasted fennel seed, coarsely crushed: 1 tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper.
Quick & Easy BBQ GLAZE:
In a small bowl combine all ingredients. Liberally brush on meat and veggies throughout grilling.
Combine ½ cup ketchup, 3 Tbsp. cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp. each brown sugar & Worcestershire sauce. 1 tsp. salt, and ½ tsp. pepper. Add a dash of hot sauce & garlic if you like.
I almost forgot – prevent your wooden sticks from catching fire or burning by soaking them in water for half an hour before grilling.
This is what I made for a “celebration of life” pot-luck dinner last Saturday.
adding the reserve mixture
Edna (the lovely woman who passed away) had quite the reputation for her love of cooking, doing it amazingly well and of course, she had a repertoire of recipes, many of them Indian. We were requested to cook & bring one of her recipes.
rinsed & waiting
I love Indian but hadn’t made a vegetarian Indian dish in a long time. I must admit that this one didn’t sound especially appealing at first but trust me, the end result was so delicious….especially when all the flavors from the spices melded together. The end result was more like a chickpea stew and you could taste the ginger and lemon which I love. It’s healthy too! I served it alongside cut up pieces of Naan bread. I didn’t change a thing about the recipe (as I wanted to re-create it exactly as she had) but I think it would look nice with a few sprigs of cilantro sprinkled over top for garnish. Oh, when I went back to the buffet table for a second platter (remember, they were mostly her recipes) it had vanished. So Enjoy!
After a bit of research I found out that the origin of this recipe is Delhi street vendor style.
Ingredients:
Use either ¾ lb. of dried chickpeas or 1 x 16 oz. can. If using dried, cover them with water and bring to a boil, and let sit for an hour. If using canned, rinse well and soak them overnight.
3 pints water (6 cups)
3 or 4 very finely chopped onions
2 ½ tsp salt
1 finely chopped hot chili
3 or 4 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
4 tbsp lemon juice (from two small lemons)
1/3 cup cooking oil (preferably coconut, or canola)
2 or 3 chopped tomatoes
1 ½ tbsp ground coriander
1 ½ tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
3 tsp garam masala (see recipe below)
½ tsp cayenne pepper
Bring peas and water to a boil, and let simmer till beans are tender, approx. one hour. This is for both dried or canned.
The reserve mixture should look like this.
Meanwhile, mix 2 tbsp chopped onion, ½ tsp salt, chili, ginger and lemon juice in a small cup or bowl. Set aside.
Heat oil in heavy pan on medium heat and add remaining onions, stirring and frying till they have reddish brown spots (about 10 minutes). Add tomatoes, stir and fry another 4 or 5 minutes. Add coriander, cumin and turmeric and stir and cook for about half a minute. Add drained chickpeas, about a cup of the cooking liquid, 2 tsp. salt, the garam masala and cayenne, stir and simmer very gently for about 20 or 25 minutes.
Add the reserved onion mixture and stir to mix. Serve hot or lukewarm.TIPS: onions should be soft & nicely browned. It should turn out quite lemony & very well cooked. I used a 19 oz. can of chickpeas for this and 1 red thai chili (but you can use any hot chili).
I made my own blend Garam Masala (a warming spice mix) from an Indian cookbook so I used that, but of course they sell it already packaged. I just thought it would be cool to make my own. Should you feel so inclined I’ll share the recipe:
Garam Masala from scratch:
8 Cardamon pods (remove the seeds from the cardamon pods).
2 Indian bay leaves (cassia leaves) – break them into small pieces.
1 tsp. black peppercorns
2 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tsp. coriander seeds
5 cm. (2 in.) cinnamon stick
1 tsp. cloves
Put everything into a spice grinder (or pestle and mortar) and grind to a fine powder. Store in a small airtight container until needed.
You want to keep things easy, breezy but still want to impress your guests? With this non-recipe recipe you can feel like you’re dining in a little village somewhere in France or Italy. I’m talking a delicious “one-pan” dinner using any meaty white fleshed fish. Here’s what you do:
Place the *fish (already sprinkled with salt, pepper and any other spices you want) atop cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced onion, artichoke hearts, pitted Kalamata olives, caper berries, and lemon slices in a pan.
Pour in some white wine and olive oil. Put the pan on grill, cover the grill, and cook just until the juices bubble and the fish is cooked through (roughly ten minutes or so).
end result
Serve it from the pan – with lots of crusty bread to sop up the sauce.
*For the fish I prefer halibut but you can use monkfish or cod. I used sole fillets once & it worked out fine.
Do you ever throw food away prematurely? The packaging tells you it’s time to chuck it, but it still seems okay.
Confusion over food dating has led 91 percent of us to throw food away too soon according to a 2013 report from Harvard Law School and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Some foods can stay fresh well past their “expiration” dates. Here, SIX ITEMS YOU SHOULD NOT BE SO QUICK TO TOSS.
Eggs: Pay no attention to the SELL BY date on your carton – it’s meant to help retailers manage turnover and is not a measure of freshness. Eggs should keep for three to five weeks in the refrigerator.
Cereal/Granola: Boxes typically come printed with a BEST BEFOREdate, but it’s a conservative estimate set by manufacturers for peak quality. Those Cheerios can stay fresh for up to three months if you refold the inner bag tightly. I make my own granola and it keeps (if I don’t eat it beforehand) placed in a glass container in the fridge for a few months without compromising the quality or taste.
Apples: Store your favorite reds in the fridge (place them in a plastic bag; poke a few holes to allow air to circulate), and they’ll still be good to eat three weeks later.
Deli Meat: you can keep unopened packages of sandwich meat in your fridge for two weeks – even if the SELL BY date has come and gone.
Bread: ignore the BESTby or SELL BY date. Placing your loaf in the fridge can extend freshness by two weeks. I end up freezing mine and taking out what I need which can extend the life for a few months.
Milk/Cream – if you buy it in a glass bottle instead of a carton the life can be extended for at least one more week.
Also, a good way not to waste food is to not buy too much at once….but we already know that.
Food trucks are becoming increasingly trendy on the streets of Vancouver. This was evident last Sunday (for Father’s Day) when 20 blocks were closed to traffic on Main street for Car Free Day.
Store “FRONT” window
I couldn’t believe the amount of trucks with their ethnic diversity on every block considering how many varieties of restaurants there already are on Main.
What would a street festival be like without Cotton Candy? Soooo cute!
And, like many other cities right now we’re not talking hotdog & philly cheesesteak Okay, maybe a grilled cheese but most of these provide culinary quality and some of their prices match that of going to an actual restaurant. Here are some of my photos of the ROW’s.
Vij’s IndianZe French FoodHave you ever tried Korean tacos?
Lebanese
No shortage of food
AsianWest Coast
…restaurants, street vendors and food trucks (even some of the restaurants have their own food trucks).
I’m enjoying experimenting with different kinds of salads. While I always love a classic green or Cobb salad, these two are a fresh and tasty change.
If you’re looking for a cool and refreshing salad recipe for this summer, look no further.
This salad is light and sweet, with a perfect balance between fruit and vegetables. Not only is it delicious, but it also features two extremely hydrating foods – watermelon and cucumber, making it perfect for the summer. Serve it up at barbecues or throw it together at lunchtime. Either way it’s a winner.
As far as the herbs, freshness is key. If you don’t have mint on hand, you can easily substitute basil, for a dish that will be just as delicious.
Ingredients
1/4 watermelon, diced into bite-sized chunks
1/2 cucumber, diced into bite-sized chunks
2 ounces feta, crumbled
1 lime
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4-5 fresh mint leaves, chiffonnade (cut into thin strips)
freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Toss the watermelon and cucumber together in a large bowl. Sprinkle the cheese on top and season with olive oil, lime juice and black pepper. Sprinkle the chiffonnade of mint leaves over the top of the salad as a garnish.
The colors of the salad look best before tossing, so if you’re making this for company, I recommend serving like this and tossing at the table. Alternatively, you can toss the watermelon and cucumber with the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper and then add the cheese and mint at the end. Or, you can slice larger pieces of watermelon and place large thin slices of feta over top which gives this an elegant look.
For this one you must love cooked beats (not pickled), artichoke hearts, sweet onion & prosciutto (Italian word for ham that is cured & very thinly sliced).
Ingredients:
Sliced cooked beets
Sliced Artichoke Hearts
Thinly sliced sweet onion
Good Quality Feta Cheese (I always ask for the “Barrel” sheep Feta from Minerva’s Greek)
Top with torn crisp Prosciutto. (Cook in frypan on medium-high heat (turn once) until done – should only take a couple of minutes).
Just arrange on the plate to your liking and drizzle with organic olive oil, a splash of lemon juice & balsamic vinegar (I used one with fig & dates). Simply delicious!
Leafing through the pages of this gorgeous book brings home the diversity of Vancouver and makes me appreciate it more.
Whether you live in Vancouver or are here just visiting, this stunningly photographed coffee table book by Claude Duke will remind you of all the good things that Vancouver has to offer.
Of course there’s the natural scenic beauty but the book also showcases the talent of local fashion designers and our multi-cultural foodies. It even comes with 24 detachable postcards. It would make a great gift.
Claude’s event (he is originally from Chile) was held at the Art Institute of Vancouver on Wednesday evening and it was totally multi-cultural and absolutely Fabulous. A generous number of consulates (Canada, U.S., Chile, Equador) were there to take part in the festivities.
Sexy Samba DancersCuban band Brisas Palmar with Flamenco Dancer/SingerIndoor/Outdoor event at *The Art Institute
There was an abundance of food, wine, entertainment, fashion show and of course….books!
The man – Claude Duke & me
*The Art Institute of Vancouver is one of The Art Institutes, a system of over 45 educational institutions located throughout North America, providing education in design, media arts, event management, fashion and culinary arts.
JQi & Katelen (visiting from São Paulo)Individual Ceviches with mango.marvelous macaroons
turning on the oven. This is the time when I start to throw things together last minute or just barbeque.
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
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