The Lemon Meringue Tart From Hell
French lemon tart is, naturally, more complicated than your average lemon tart. It’s a four-component dessert: sweet dough, almond cream, lemon custard, Italian…
Meditations - Enlightened gastronomic insights
Beets’n'Blue
I was walking by beautiful bunches of organic young golden beets when a stark realization hit me that I’d never cooked beets. Ashamed of myself, being a foodist and all,…
Used Cookbook Haul
Yesterday I wandered the rainy streets of Kits sipping my first taste of Thomas Haas chocolate and ended up at the Salvation Army. I always look for used cookbooks that…
Dave’s Vancouver Beer Guide 2010
It started innocently enough. “Who owns Okanagan Spring Brewing?” asked my wife one evening last week. “Sleeman, I think.”
But then I…
Ready, Set…Drink
Not too long ago we received an unsolicited copy of the book Drinking Vancouver, 100 Great Bars in the City and Beyond by travel writer John Lee. As far as credentials go,…
Home is where the food is
I can’t count the times I’ve heard Mark say, “There’s something about being creative and loving food that goes hand-in-hand.” On top of that,…
Eating Provenance- My family’s “weird diet”
Some of you know that my 2010 resolution is to not eat or drink anything of which I don’t know the origins. It is a ton of research. It seems impossible to eat at a…
The Eternal Yogurt
When I found out how to make my own yogurt, I got excited. Not so much about the making of the yogurt, but more about the idea that my first batch will continue to breed…
Cookies! Share your recipes… please
At a very early age my mother taught my brothers and I how to bake. Instead of getting sweets in our lunches for school, the three of us each had to bake a batch on Sunday…
The Beer Geek’s Guide to the Alibi Room’s 100th Beer List
In December, beer geeks (enthusiasts?) lined up early at the Alibi Room to celebrate an auspicious event – the Alibi’s 100th Beer List. Nigel Springthorpe…
Guidance - Recipes & tips that will convert you
Project Palate: Veganism
I’m not entirely sure how I slid into it so swiftly, but going vegan was a decision that solidified itself with little disturbance despite the sudden shift in my…
Robbie Burns Day: the Haggis
What’s Robbie Burns day without haggis? If you can’t have haggis, you at least need whisky. I’m a traditionalist, so I like to do both if I can and I…
Robbie Burns Day: the Whisky
When I was young, Robbie Burns Day meant highland dancing in some sort of festival, but now that I know better, it has come to mean whisky. Robbie Burns day is the closest…
After Dinner Coffee Dessert
There’s something amazing about the yin yang nature of Vietnamese coffee – hot coffee and cold condensed milk, dark and light, bitter and sweet. The Chocolate…
Mussel Chowder with Parsnips and Tarragon
Mussel Chowder with Parsnips and Tarragon
1 Large Leek, diced
1 Small fennel bulb, finely diced
1 Shallot, minced
4 Parsnips, peeled and diced
Spiced blueberry and orange olive oil muffins
It is Sunday morning, one of those rare, sunny January days where brunch plans have been cancelled last minute and I haven’t made it out to do my grocery shopping. A…
My grandmother’s Yorkshire Pudding
We had a nice little dinner of Braised Venison with Pureed Squash and Cranberry-Red Wine Jus. A request for Yorkshire Pudding from Sarah reminded me I had just found my…
Dear Gruyere – I think I love you
Tonight I had a wonderful date with a block of Gruyere. It was romantic yet rustic, gourmet yet approachable, subtle yet incredibly sexy.
I had forgotten that I…
Adraki lamb chops with spiced potato mash
This was really great. The lamb was cooked in the oven, just a little more than medium rare. The chops were organic with a good amount of wholesome fat on them. Also now…
Salmon and ginger fishcakes with sweet-and-sour salad
This was the first time I have ever made fishcakes, so I thought I would download a recipe online. With some small alterations it turned out rather well.
Here is the…
Worship - Feasting at the temples of others
Designer Eating in Vancouver
Travel is often defined by memories of food. Perhaps it’s the multi-sensory aspect of the experience, but it’s often the meals and snacks we try when on an…
Simply French
The marquee at 3742 West 10th Avenue says it all – “Simply French”. The classic yet down-to-earth feel of Vancouver’s newest European inspired café offers…
Discoveries and Destruction in East Van
Last week was filled with food experiences for me. Some good, some rather horrible. I will briefly describe two for you.
Discovery
A few weeks ago, food writer…
Brunch of Champions
Sometimes you want eggs for brunch and sometimes you want the kind of brunch that goes on for hours and involves special tools, a leg of decadent Jamón ibérico.
Artisanal Authenticity at Salt Tasting Room
The entrance to the cellar at Salt Tasting Room in Vancouver.
Last night I was pleased to attend the first Salt Cellar Tasting Series of 2010, featuring Oyama…
Bao Bei’s a Chinatown Gem
Chinatown got a little bit cooler last night. With the exception of the Alibi Room on one end and Campagnolo on the other, the dining and drinking establishments are not…
Refuelled
Refuel opened in early December 2009, and like Gastropod’s Maenam and Parkside’s L’Altro Buca, it’s the reincarnated version of Fuel. In its…
Offally Pretty 2: Lampredotto and Trippa Carts
The biggest bummer about wandering the markets while travelling is not having a kitchen to cook the enticing ingredients in. My eyes sparkled when I saw the lovely…
Mad Science and the Mix-Mistress
A refinery, by definition, is a place where crude substances are purified and changed into something else. Not surprising, then, that The Refinery is a place where organic…
