Experience The Summer Night Market with Foodists Ben & Mark from The Foodists on Vimeo.

Ben and I had some fun exploring the Summer Night Market in Richmond recently, with videographers Nathan and Ryan capturing our culinary misadventure on camera. The idea was to give people who haven’t enjoyed a trip to an Asian night market a sense of what the experience is like.

We spent a few hours wandering through the crowd, talking with people, and enjoying all sorts of Asian treats at literally dozens of food stalls. But we didn’t really even capture the whole experience, with many more non-food stalls selling all kinds of knickknacks and live performances happening all evening. We just didn’t have time to capture it all!

Anyone familiar with Ben and I (and our sense of humour) knows this video has been edited so it’s safe for parents and children, but if you’d like to see a short sampling of how we really behave (on or off camera) check out the blooper reel.

You’d think with  parents who grew up in Winnipeg and so many chefs as friends and all my Jewish connections that when i was sick I’d have a go-to chicken soup recipe.  Not just any chicken soup recipe but a proper Bubbie’s Chicken Soup recipe with many years of simultaneously curing the cough and the soul.

With the right combination of hearty broth and schmaltz, chunks of moist chicken and vegetables, but not too much of anything to be challenging when you are feeling sick and pathetic, a proper Bubbie’s Chicken Soup really is Jewish Penicillin.

So I turn to my vast collection of cookbooks and lovingly hand-written recipes which turn up Chicken, Tortilla Soup, and Chicken, Corn Thick Soup, and Chicken, Tom Yum Soup, even Chicken, Ramadan Soup,  none of them will heal my sniffles.  And boy do I have sniffles.  Even my fellow Foodists don’t have a cure for me  (but do have great recipes for Mushroom Soup, Hot & Soup Soup – Matt Style, Bishops Asparagus Soup, Sinigang Soup and Jackie’s lactose-free soups)

So my friends, can you help a girl out?

I’ve throw a chicken in a pot with carrots, celery and onions.  What next?

The Canadian Chefs’ Congress is a gathering of chefs from across Canada to cook, eat, drink, share, learn, and connect with food producers who are passionate and dedicated to improving the quality of Canadian food culture. It was started in 2008 by chef Michael Stadtlander of Eigensinn Farm in Ontario, with the first congress taking place at Eigensinn. Subsequent ones will be in a different province, taking place every two years. The next congress is being held on September 11 & 12, 2010 at Providence Farm in Duncan, with a focus on seafood sustainability.

This summer, the held three Mystery Kitchen Tour fundraisers in Vancouver. Diners pay a fixed price for an evening of food and wine grazing, but would not know ahead of time who the chefs were, what dishes they were preparing or what the wine pairings were. Given the caliber of local chefs and the quality of their food, it was no surprise that the first event was a runaway success. And since the group of chefs at each tour was different, one could have gone to all three and had a different experience each time.

The first and third mystery tours were held at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA) while the second was held at the Vancouver Club.

I had the opportunity to attend the third mystery tour, and it was one of the most enjoyable dining experiences I’ve had in Vancouver. Each chef and their student helpers were set up in their own kitchen classroom at PICA, and the diners go from room to room sampling the dishes and wines as they please. For those who are interested in the culinary arts, this is about as close as a diner can get in the restaurant kitchen, and it was fantastic. How often do you get to talk to a chef while they are assembling your dish in front of you? Or talk to a wine representative for each of the matching wines?

Before the chef’s rooms were opened up, diners were greeted with a glass of Thornhaven 2008 Rose.

Julian Bond (Executive Chef and Program Director of PICA) and Robert Clark (“C” Restaurant) gave a great speech about the Congress, their goals and hopes, and reminded us why we were there. Their enthusiasm and excitement were infectious, and it’s good to remember that there’s a lot more at stake than what’s on the plate in front of you.

The chefs and wineries that supported Mystery Kitchen Tour #3 were as follows.

Chris Irving of Pourhouse
Smoked fanny bay oyster “Wellington” with Colorado porcini duxelle in phyllo pastry, Okanagan peach marmalade, watercress puree, oyster liquor gellee, chive garnish.
Burrowing Owl 2008 Chardonnay

David Hawksworth of Hawksworth Restaurant (not yet open)
Seared Albacore tuna with charred avocado puree, soy sauce caviar, radish/cilantro/cucumber salad, potato crisp garnish, togarashi powder.
Beringer 2007 Viognier

Vikram Vij of Vij’s
Stewed spicy goat in fenugreek curry, mango mint chutney and date chutney over basmati rice.
Laughing Stock 2009 Pinot Gris

Andrew Springett of Black Rock Resort in Tofino
Braised lamb in coconut curry, coriander cracker, fenugreek lamb tenderloin with Okanagan peach chutney.
Desert Hills 2009 Gamay

Jennifer Peters of Raincity Grill
Agassiz land-farmed coho two ways. Cured coho, and coho brandade croquette, with horseradish & chive creme fraiche.
Sumac Ridge Tribute Private Reserve

Brain Fowke of Kitsilano Daily Kitchen
Braised 5-hour octopus, cucumber/tomato/carrot/kolrhabi slaw, yellow plum vinaigrette, sweet yam leaf, Maldon salt.
Perseus 2009 Synergy Sauvignon Blanc

Quang Dang of Diva at the Met
Seared Albacore tuna, cucumber, elephant plum, salted shiro plum and ponzu vinaigrette, red and green nori, garnished with house made albacore tuna bonito shavings.
Chateau Ste Michelle 2008 Riesling

Chocolates by Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts
Coffee brownie shooters with raspberry marshmallow, crunchy chocolate hazelnut squares, coffee truffles, blueberry macadamia nougat with pistachios.
Vista D’oro 2007 D’oro

Any chef, cook, culinary student, or individual that is interested in the industry should learn more about the congress; it’s a Canadian cause that is well worth supporting. Tickets for the conference are $200, and culinary students get a 10% discount. It seems like a great price considering the number of events that are packed into the two days (workshops, discussion panels, seminars), plus food and drink.

Canadian Chefs’ Congress 2010: Oceans for Tomorrow
September 11 & 12, 2010
@ Providence Farm, Duncan, BC

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Ask the Butcher

Read up on cuts of lamb, beef, veal and pork either by clicking the mapped out animal or browsing a list of cuts. The summary page gives you terms and tips while subsequent pages offer recipes and cooking tips and times. Great interface and information.

Rating: AWESOME

Cost: $1.99

Sushipedia

Browse the sushi dictionary and encyclopedia by name, attribute (spicy, veggie, etc.), ingredient or season or choose the “I’m feeling lucky” option for a random selection. Sushi trivia scrolls across the bottom. Great interface and information.

Rating: AWESOME

Cost: Free

OpenTable

Invaluable for making restaurant reservations online. Plus you get points.

Rating: Great

Cost: Free

Fromage

Search for a favorite or new cheese or browse the comprehensive database of the world’s cheeses by region, milk type or texture. On the summary page you will find tasting notes and details with the option to add in your own notes and tag favorites. The information is good but the interface leaves much to be desired.

Rating: Pretty Good

Cost: $2.99

Epicurious

A huge database of recipes, photos and revirews (and sometimes wine pairings) with the ability to tag favorites and add ingredients to a shopping list. Searchable by meal, cuisine, diets, dish type and season/occasion. Good information and interface, but I still don’t use it all that much.

Rating: Pretty Good

Cost: Free

Foodict

A dictionary of food and culinary terms. It’s only occasionally left me hanging on a new term.

Rating: Pretty Good

Cost: $1.99

Urbanspoon

Shake to find a restaurant in your area (based on location services) or enter a city with the ability to lock down neighbourhood, cuisine and/or price. I almost never use it in Vancouver, because I always know where I want to go, but it’s fun and useful for travelling. Great interface.

Rating: Pretty good.

Cost: Free

Seafood Watch

Similar to Ocean Wise, the Monterey Aquarium has put together a database of seafood that is ok to eat, divided into categories of Best Choice, Good Alternative and Avoid.

Rating: Good

Cost: Free

NatDecants

This used to have a great wine and food pairing app but it doesn’t work in iOS4.

Rating: N/A

Cost: Free

iMalts

A great little app to track your scotch consumption. Search by distillery, region or whiskey or add your own with the ability to favorite and add tasting notes. Large database and good interface. I like it.

Rating: Great

Cost: $2.99

iBeers Pro

Information on 2700 beers including brewer, country of origin, bottle size and user reviews with the ability to add your own review and flag beers for Favorites, Must Try and Must Review. Search function is limited to beer and doesn’t allow searching by brewery.

Rating: Pretty good

Cost: $3.99

Although we had a late start, this has been the summer of dining al fresco. From working lunches to beach n’ Bocce dinners, I have attempted to consume this season’s bounty outdoors. Some of my favourite picnic basket offerings have included roasted Cornish hen sandwiches, Greek salad with Little Qualicum Cheeseworks’ Sunshine feta (packed in a sun-dried tomato, garlic and rosemary marinade) and spiced pecan bourbon tart. Add a well-chilled bottle or two of Unibroue’s Éphémère Apple beer and you have the perfect refreshment for beach-side tapas.

The beauty of eating outdoors is that everything tastes that much more divine, kissed by the sun and laughter of your dining mates. Start with a blanket, a bottle of wine and a surplus of edibles. I find my bike basket to be the easiest way to transport my picnic ware—it’s a personal preference whether you bring everything but the kitchen sink. Whatever ends up on the menu, I am a firm believer that outdoor dining must be accompanied by dessert. I recently made chocolate chip pecan cookies with a good dose of vanilla, and the sun kept the chocolate perfectly gooey. If you can safely transport some homemade gelato, suddenly you have whoopie pies. A serious supper showstopper, folks. Here is hoping we have an Indian summer. I am picturing a Thanksgiving bake-off picnic with myriad pies.

The first challenge was tracking down someone willing to sell me food grade lye directly. Paying six times the value of a bottle to ship it seemed rather insane. Lentia carries it, but being a food wholesaler they only sell it in 25kg packages. That’s somewhat more than I want to have on hand. Then I remembered Fight Club, and that lye is used in making soap. (Don’t mix it with an acid, that will generate even more heat; the movie got that wrong.) Turns out you can get near-pure lye from soap making supply stores in 1kg containers for around $10. Good enough for me, even if it isn’t technically food grade.

The label has a bunch of scary warnings:

Now some people say that you can use regular old baking soda instead of lye. I figured I might as well apply the scientific method and test this theory. It’s the only way to be sure. Using the recipe from the New York Times (Published: May 25, 2010) as a baseline, I set out to discover just how good of a replacement baking soda was.

I like to tinker with recipes so I rarely follow one to the letter. First was halving the recipe (there are only two people in our household) and reducing the amount of yeast to 1 tsp. The shaped pretzels where then allowed to rise for 24 hours at 10-15°C. This made four normal pretzels at 4oz each, and four knots pretzels at 2oz each.

Three of each kind were destined for the lye, and one of each would get a baking soda treatment. For the lye I used a 30:1 ratio of cold water to lye, by volume. In a well ventilated place outside, I add the lye to the water. (Don’t do it the other way around. Backsplash from a corrosive substance is not a good idea.) For all of the warnings and scary label, it was pretty anti-climatic in that it looked like water with some stuff dissolved in it. Using gloves, I dipped each pretzel for 10 seconds and placed it on the backing sheet, which the lye didn’t eat through like alien blood would have.

Then it was onto making the baking soda solution. (Alton Brown of Good Eats had a whole episode on pretzels so I followed his steps. If you haven’t seen it, the transcript is online.) This was way more exciting than the lye version. Adding baking soda to boiling water will cause the water to foam furiously. (Good thing the pot was tall.) The remaining two pretzels were boiled in a 15:1 water to baking soda solution for 30 seconds.

Before baking I could see that the lye was already changing the appearance of the dough by dimpling it a bit. The baking soda pretzels just looked wet. During baking, the lye pretzels browned faster but by the end the baking soda ones had caught up.

Lye:

Baking Soda:

The main visual difference is the bubbling of the dough. This translates into a crisper eating texture. The differences didn’t stop there, and unfortunately the Internet doesn’t have scratch and sniff. The lye pretzels just smelled better; more like, well, pretzels.

The long slow rise had produced a lovely soft and chewy inside:

Ultimately it comes down to the taste. The lye pretzels tasted more like pretzels. The baking soda ones tasted good too, but they were not as intense. The lye ones also held up better to my homemade mustard as well. (Pretzels and mustard go really well together.)

Even with halving the recipe, it it took a couple of days to eat them all. In the future I’m just going to eat them all within hours of making them. The salt on the surface starts to dissolve into the pretzel after a few hours and the texture changes. I also used too much salt thinking that some would fall off after baking, but the salt stuck on really well.

It’s fun to play with hazardous materials sometimes, and the result can be quite tasty. If lye isn’t your thing then the baking soda method gets you eighty percent of the way there. Without the lye ones to compare against, you won’t know what you’re missing anyways and they will be delicious all the same. For myself, I’m using lye from now on.

Recipe:

2 tsp dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp softened unsalted butter
1 tsp instant yeast
3 cups (about 15 ounces) bread flour
2 tsp kosher salt
Coarse sea salt or pretzel salt, for sprinkling (do not substitute kosher salt).

In a mixing bowl (or bowl of a mixer), stir together the brown sugar, butter, yeast, 1 cup of warm water and half the flour. Add the kosher salt and remaining flour and stir just until mixture comes together in a shaggy mass, adding more water if necessary. Add additional water a teaspoon at a time until almost all of the flour is incorporated.

Turn the dough out onto the counter (or attach the dough hook to mixer) and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth. The dough will be a little stiffer than regular bread dough. Divide it into 6 pieces pieces and let rest 5 minutes.

Roll out each piece into a rope about 22 inches long. Lift both ends, twist them around each other once, then bring ends back and press them at about 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock. Transfer shaped pretzels to an ungreased baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and let them rest overnight in the refrigerator.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare the appropriate dipping solution and dip as described above. The solution only has to be deep enough to submerge the pretzels so use whatever amount is appropriate for the container.

Sprinkle pretzels with salt and bake about 15 minutes or until deep brown. Remove to a rack and serve warm with mustard.

Adapted from the New York Times.

On July 27 2010, Owen Lightly of the Butter on the Endive blog took over the Sunwolf Outdoor Centre’s cafe to cook and host a dinner inspired by his recent trip to Italy. Owen is a talented young cook from Vancouver who has worked in some of Vancouver’s most notable restaurants (Aurora Bistro, West, Gastropod, Voya, Au Petit Chavignol, Market) and is currently at Araxi in Whistler.

It was a gorgeous and sunny day, the kind that makes you appreciate staying home during the summer because the season is all too short on the perpetually rainy West coast. Our little dinner group left downtown at 5:30 PM to give ourselves lots of time but it turned out to be unnecessary as rush hour over the Lion’s Gate was surprisingly light. It was my first drive on the Sea to Sky highway since before the Olympics; I’d forgotten just how breathtaking some of the views are.

An hour and a half (and some wrong turns on my part) later, we arrived at the Sunwolf. The picnic tables in front of the cafe had been set up and the smell of grilled pork hung in the air as it was being finished on the giant outdoor grills. We had some time before dinner to walk along the nearby river or sit in the shade under the giant walnut tree beside the tables.

When it was time to be seated, Owen said a few quick words thanking the owners of Sunwolf for lending the space, and his friends Trevor and Naomi for helping with the cooking and serving. Tanya, one of the Sunwolf owners, also thanked everyone for coming and informed us that there were cabins available for anyone who wished to spend the night. (By the end of the evening and several glasses of wine later I was very tempted to make use of one.)

While the first course was being finished, the guests nibbled on marinated cherries, mixed nuts and bread.

Marinated cherries with herbs & orange peel.

Over the next few hours, the first three courses were served family-style on large platters. Even though each had a central “protein” that was very tasty, my favourite part of each dish were the vegetables. So flavourful, and perfectly seasoned.

Owen, describing the first course of …

…Albacore tuna with North Arm Farm cauliflower and Paradise Valley greens.

This dish was all about the cauliflower.

Second course: Read Island mussel soup with tomato sauce and grilled Terra bread.

Third course: Free range rack of pork with North Arm carrots, organic potatoes, and apricot mostarda.

The pork loins had been cooked sous vide beforehand.

Fourth course: Panna cotta with cherries.

Time flew by all too quickly. I could have lingered for hours longer but sadly the next day was a work day for most of us. It was one of the nicest meal experiences I’ve had and I look forward to attending others in the future. The next Sunwolf supper is scheduled for Thursday August 26 at 7 PM.

Butter on the Endive
http://butterontheendive.ca/

Sun Wolf Outdoor Center
70002 Squamish Valley Road
Brackendale, BC
http://www.sunwolf.net/
Click for map

There’s something to be said about spending some time in your own backyard as a tourist, to visit places you normally wouldn’t think to, or stop in somewhere instead of passing by without a second thought. Although I spent my childhood and teenage years in Langley, my recent ventures back out have primarily been to visit my parents or to spend a morning in White Rock, with little opportunity (or let’s face it, desire!) to head out farther afield.

That all changed in May, when I accepted an offer from Tourism Langley to attend the Langley Circle Farm Tour’s 2010 Launch. Last year, fellow Foodist Karen Hamilton had attended, and the opportunity to combine my passion for food, along with some healthy curiosity about my old hometown, piqued my interest.

Krause Berry Farm, JD Farms and Erikson’s Daylily Gardens

I started my adventure at The Holiday Inn Express in Walnut Grove, with coffee and the chance to meet fellow foodies and writers before we boarded the bus and headed over to Krause Berry Farm. Founded by husband and wife Alf and Sandy Krause, Krause Berry Farm has been operating for almost 35 years and boasts acres of berries: blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries. As we arrived, Alf and Sandy had set a table for us, with fluffy pancakes, complete with strawberry jams and syrups, and plates of turkey sausage from neighbouring turkey farm, JD Farms. I was blown away by the vast selection of the farm store, and although I had already heard family members rave over the pies, the promise of home-made ice cream, jams and the newest addition, fudge, was enough for me to make a mental note to come back. Alf and Sandy also host a number of tours, complete with horse carriage rides, throughout the year and open Christmas in the Country throughout December.

Jack and Debbie Froese from family run JD Farms, as well as Pam Erikson from Erikson’s Daylily Gardens were on hand at the welcome breakfast were incredibly accommodating, with each speaking about their farms with passion and the dedication not only to their individual farms, but also the community as a whole. The philosophy behind each of these was simple, know your farmer and know your food.

Sept 18: JD Specialty Turkey Fall Festival

Thunderbird Equestrian Show Park

The next stop on our tour was the Thunderbird Equestrian Show Park. Situated over 85 acres, this park is the largest venue of its kind on Canada’s West Coast and hosts an incredible selection of shows throughout the year, attracting talent from around the globe.

Oct 29-31: Thunderbird Showpark Fall Fest & Marketplace

Driediger Berry Farms

Photo courtesy of Tourism Langley

Driediger Berry Farms was our next stop, with Rhonda jumping on our tour bus to give an overview of the farm. As one of the largest strawberry farms in B.C., boasting 160 acres, much care as possible is taken to ensure that sprays are only used if neccesary, employing bug counters who are familiar with the surrounding farms. The fruit stand is a Langley institution, serving over 60,000 customers during peak season, and you can always choose the u-pick option.

The Fort Wine Company

Pies in hand,  we were off again, stopping in to meet Ted Bowman from The Fort Wine Company. The winery produces 150,000 litres of wine made from B.C. fruit, with all 11 wines made 100% grape free. Recognizing the importance of the farm, the winery also engages a strong agri-tourism  base. Open daily, there are a number of tours and tastings, a bistro, country store selling the wines, as well as jellies, vinegars & frozen cranberries, and my favourite, licensed picnic services. Ted also hinted at some history behind some of the unique bottle designs, based on the rumours of the surrounding bogs being haunted.

Oct 9: Fort Langley Cranberry Festival

Fort Langley National Historic Park

After driving the bus through the gates and up to the Fort itself, we were then greeted by some of the volunteers in historical costume. The Fort has a rich history in Canada, after being established by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1827 where it was the only European settlement for miles. Now a historic attraction, you can still see parts of the early farms, pan for gold and get a taste of what it was like in the mid 1800′s. As part of their day to day attractions, you can also take part in fur trader weddings, just ask fellow Foodist Annika from Social Bites!

Sept 4-6: Fort Langley National Historic Site Farm Fair

Ralph’s Farm Market

By the time we rolled up to Ralph’s Farm Market, I was seeing my old hometown in a completely different light. The farm community in Langley is strong and established, with fellow farmers working together and sharing resources. With strong roots in Langley, Ralph’s is a family run business, with fresh fruit and organic produce coming from Ralph’s Farm, as well as direct from Okanagan orchards and fields. The team behind this enterprise, owners Ralph & Elizabeth Merk alongside Dianne (Ralph’s sister) and Murray Redekop, were on hand to answer questions and hand out samples of ice cream from yet another famous B.C. farm.

Dec 23: Ralph’s Farm Market Christmas Caroling

Domaine de Chaberton

And then, onto lunch! We pulled up to Fraser Valley’s oldest winery, Domaine de Chaberton, first established in 1991 by the late Claude Violet and his wife, Inge. We were treated to a mouthwatering lunch of crêpes, followed by a tour of the winery and a chance to taste some of their signature, award -winning wines.

Full of delicious food and with bags bulging with pies, wine and jams, there were only 2 stops left to go.

Vista D’Oro Farms and Winery

For me, one of the highlights was Vista D’oro Farms & Winery. Situated over 10 acres,  the owners, Patrick and Lee Murphy have created a beautful and welcoming setting for their business with vineyards, orchards and a market shop. Dedicated to producing delicious handcrafted wines & artisanal preserves, we sampled a selection of the walnut wines in the store, before heading upstairs to the kitchen to sample mouthwatering Turkish Fig with Walnut Wine, Rhubarb & Vanilla and Green Walnut & Grappa preserves.

Braving the rain that had now developed into a steady downpour, before we left we ventured out to take a look at the greenhouse which housed heirloom tomatoes and herbs that are sold to Whole Foods and other local retatilers, and wandered around the market shop, which was stocked full of Vista D’oro Culinary products, artisanal cheeses and other local gems.

Langley Community Farmers’ Market

The tour ended with the Langley Farmers’ Market, held every Wednesday from 3-7 (until Oct 6). The market hosts a selection of fresh and organic local produce, cheeses, live music and artisans. I left with my wallet much lighter after being tempted by local Chilliwack honey and a loaf of sourdough from A Bread Affair.

Sept 19: BBQ on the Bypass

Full of amazing food & wine, and with arms laden down with goodies from every stop along the way, I made my way back to the city… and all I could think of was when I could do it all again. With so much emphasis now placed on the provenance of the food we eat, the Circle Farm Tours are a great place to start, offering everyone the chance to get to know the local famers and artisans. Running in  selected cities in the Lower Mainland, the tours are easy to follow and can easily be great day out.

Foodist field trip, anyone?

Circle Farm Tours are held in different cities around the Fraser Valley. For more information about any of the farms we visited, or to plan your own Circle Farm Tour, visit the website . Special thanks to  Tourism Langley for organizing the tour for us.

Foodists on CKNW August 1, 2010 from The Foodists on Vimeo.

Foodists.ca founders Mark Busse and Ben Garfinkel were guests on The World Today Weekend on CKNW with host Randall Mark on August 1st, 2010.

This 15 minute interview covers what a “Foodist” is, the origins of the website, vegetarians, provenance, BBQ Bootcamp, grilling tips, spatchcocking vs. beer can chicken, what our last meals would be, sourcing quality local ingredients, butchering whole animals, educating kids about food, being adventurous with food, wasting time on Foodists.ca, and thoughts on owning a restaurant.

The stall was staffed by the inventor of the product, Toni Desrosiers. She gave me a thorough demonstration of how the product works. Abeego is made from a hemp/cotton fabric coated with beeswax and plant extracts. It has a very nice feel and a light scent of honey. The fabric forms easily into various shapes and clings to the tops of dishes due to the slight stickiness of the coating. It is to be washed in cold soapy water and re-used. Toni claims the product will last up to a year if treated properly.

I have yet to purchase any, but I intend to. It is a bit of an investment and represents a change in habits for sure. However, I think of it as going back to the way things should be and leaving behind the false convenience of a product that shouldn’t be used in any case.

Anyone else have tips on how to reduce the use of plastic in the kitchen? Any other products to share?

The way I remember it was like this......nestling gratefully and guiltless in my gut.

Slowfood, Edible Vancouver, Ocean Wise, and Foodists form a virtual neighborhood of like-minded responsible citizens in Vancouver that also adore great food. Where these paths cross is exactly where you want be for dinner in Vancouver.

The socially responsible Stephen Greenham made sure this happened last Sunday at his neighborly Trafalgars Bistro on 16th and Trafalgar in Kitsalano. Seems he invited all his good neighbors to sit down and enjoy Trafalgars Bistro’s locally sourced sustainable food program. What this means is that the menu is planned around what is available from his immediate neighbors rather than solely on what tastes good. This extra level of complication is preferred by chef Chris Beltrano. He makes regular trips to local farms to source fresh produce and inspiration, and then constructs his plates around those flavors.

Trafalgars Bistro is the ultimate good neighbor because they not only act locally, they think globally. After a few years of partial participation they have now officially fully embraced the Vancouver based Ocean Wise program that is flooding major North American restaurants with conscientious procurement of good fish. Originating from the Vancouver Aquarium, this initiative lists edible seafood for restaurants that, when harvested, will have the least impact on world fishing resources. It’s karmic credit value is off the chain.

Deliciously delicately breaded Manila Clam on a bed of Gremolata and tomato. The touch of lemon zest made this dish sing.

Chef Beltrano obviously trades in his karmic points for culinary talent and inspiration, teasing us first with  an amuse bouche…

Chris continued to amuse us with a shellfish trio of  Kusshi Oyster, Qualicum Scallop Ceviche and Salt Spring Island Mussel Gratin beautifully paired with the crisp apple notes of Summerhill Cepes Brut—one of the only BC bubblies I would go out of my way to purchase.

The scallop, striated with beets and infused with cherry, lemon vinaigrette, was outstanding but in the presence of the other two, it was hard to pick a winner on this plate.

My absolute favourite dish of the evening was the Rare Seared Albacore Tuna with Saltspring Island poached egg, french beans, frisee and a light anchovy dressing. A perfectly cooked beautiful twist on a Niçoise salad that I ate with relish (no, not real relish!) and a clear conscience. Kelowna’s Tantalus winery and all their kiwi-wine making talent, make a Reisling that was chosen to enhance this course with a touch of sweetness.

Next we were walloped with a Lois Lake pan roasted lake steelhead trout from just north of Sechelt (a very delicate flavoured salmon, really) served on a potato latke, “melted” leeks and béarnaise. Andrea Thorgillson paired the Joie Unoaked Chardonnay to meet the béarnaise very well and it was delicate enough not intrude on the lacey trout.

Trafalgars has built their business and reputation for 17 years on their pastries and desserts, so I was really expecting the dessert course to be stellar. The flan styled lemon berry tart featuring fresh local berries on lemon custard did not disappoint. It was actually so good, and they vanished from every plate so fast, that both Philip Solman from Edible Vancouver and I, missed the opportunity to take a photo.

The Canadian Wine Championship bronze medal winner Elephant Island Frambroise from Naramata was a natural, harmonious choice for the exquisite final pairing.

The great part about the evening is that it brought us all together. Neighborhood regulars, owners, suppliers and fellow Foodist-like organizations were all excited to be a part of the launch and we stayed and chatted about the genius of it all. Steve always encourages his patrons to not only enjoy the food, but enjoy the life and company it brings to his tables. This and the responsibly sourced ingredients are precisely what Foodists are all about.

“When strangers start acting like neighbors… communities are reinvigorated.”—Ralph Nadar

At my local grocery store in Harlem, I get a great deal on arugula – $5 for a plastic salad box literally stuffed full of spicy little leaves.

Arugula goes into salads, and sandwiches, but no matter how fast I seem to eat it, I can never get through the pile of rocket-shaped greens before they start to shrink away.

Yesterday, I was cooking steak, and remembered a delicious arugula italian-style salsa verde that used to feature on the menu at Campagnolo. Or maybe it was a cilantro salsa verde? Regardless, I decided to wing the recipe and see if I could come up with something close. It worked.

- a bit handful of arugula, finely chopped
- one garlic clove, minced
- some capers, finely chopped
- two anchovy filets, smushed
- juice & zest from one lemon

The goal is to get a paste, much like a pesto. There’s a lot of room to readjust the flavours by adding more or less of anything.

This brilliant green, slightly spicy sauce is great with grilled meats of any kind – give it a try!

Arugula photo by Chiot’s Run.

Rockin' Ronnie showing the 2009 attendees grilling tips—and then fed them the delicious results!

Foodists.ca is extremely excited to present our second annual Barbecue Bootcamp featuring BBQ Champ and author, Rockin’ Ronnie Shewchuk.

Modelled after last summer’s smash hit Foodists.ca event, we guarantee you will go home stuffed with unbelievable food, ideas, tips and a renewed passion for grilling. You will be inspired to up your outdoor cooking game after you see what Ronnie pulls off the grill! Here are all the details:

Barbecue Bootcamp

Rockin' Ronnie Shewchuk slices up his delicious lamb popsicles hot off the grill after being marinated in herbs de Provence, rosemary and Dijon, served with balsamic vinegar and fresh mint.

Join international barbecue champion Rockin’ Ronnie Shewchuk for this outdoor cooking extravaganza featuring the essentials of grilling and southern-style barbecue. The four-hour cooking and eating demonstration (actually, it’s more like a piece of smoke-infused performance art ) will include an overview of tools and equipment, rubs, sauces and marinades, techniques for quick and easy grilling and slow-smoking, plus tall tales and legends from the world of competitive barbecue. You’ll learn from Ronnie and enjoy samplings of great dishes from his bestselling book,  Barbecue Secrets DELUXE!, including:

• Smoked Oysters with Barbecue Sauce
• Quesadilla with Mango, Brie, and Fresh Basil
• Planked Tandoori Salmon with Peach Chutney and Yoghurt Sauce
• Barbecued Brisket Sliders with Slaw and Texas Red Beans
• Grilled Tuscan Game Hens on Arugula Salad
• Spice-crusted Pork Blade Steaks with Grill-Roasted Vegetables
• Grilled Pineapple Spears with Cajeta Sauce

Not only is this incredible value on its own, we will be including wine tastings, pairing each of the dishes with Vincor wines,, including the classic pairing with barbecue, Ravenswood.

All attendees will receive a bottle of Ronnie & Denzel’s Natural Champions BBQ Sauce (a $10 value) and be entered in a door prize draw, and when you register you can choose to include a copy of Barbecue Secrets DELUXE! at a special discounted price of $20.

BBQ Bootcamp promises to be a celebration of gourmet backyard cooking. If you want to seriously upgrade your grilling and barbecue skills, don’t miss this.

Ronnie will have copies of his latest book (a merging of his two previous books plus many new recipes) and sauces on hand and for sale, and there will be a door prize for attendees.

WHEN: Saturday, August 28, 2010 from 11:00am to 3pm (PST)
WHERE: Private Residence, 2762 Wall St., Vancouver, BC
WHAT TO BRING: Just your appetite and possibly a notepad and pen!
TICKETS: Click to purchase tickets.

Rare beef tenderloin steak with gorgonzola butter from last year's BBQ Bootcamp.

“And what are you up to tonight?” he asks me.

“I’m covering an event for a food blog,” I tell him. “This foundation called The School of Fish has built a dining room that is floating on 1700 rescued pop bottles in False Creek and C Restaurant is serving us up a six course dinner that focuses on sustainable seafood.”

“Blogs are getting pretty powerful these days,” he observes. “I bet you guys could shut a restaurant down if you were to write about it having rats or that the head chef had syphilis.”

“S’pose we could. Though I try to avoid such things.”

“I betcha a blog post about the cabbie situation would help get the word out. Wonder how I would go about doing that?”

“Dunno, man. Good luck with it though.”

I would love to help the guy out with his cause but I am too preoccupied with my last minute research to give it any further thought. All week long I have immersed myself in the tell tale signs of our oceans in peril: nightmarish photos of albatross chicks that have starved to death as a result of their mothers bringing back meals of plastic bottle caps, lighters, children’s toys, combs and toothbrushes; articles of how public interest in the Gulf oil spill has dramatically dropped in the last few weeks, replaced instead by Lindsay Lohan’s incarceration. I have googled “plastic addiction”. I have watched Captain Charles Moore speak of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a gyre of plastic and debris in the middle of the ocean that has grown to the size of British Columbia; I have read of factory trawlers that scrape the ocean floor with nets the size of football fields; as well as endless first hand accounts of lifetime fishermen who scratch their heads in confounded wonder and tell tales of a frightening lack of fish in our oceans today. In short, as I step out of the cab, I am determined to cover this assignment in a complete rage and with utter disdain for the human race.

Instead, I am greeted with a welcome cocktail, spontaneously named the Melville, made with local vodka, mint syrup and fresh strawberries, along with 11 utterly charming fellow dinner guests and the introduction to a story that over the course of the evening would step beyond the doom and gloom scenarios and engage us all on a level of human perseverance, passion and inspiration.

It is a rare opportunity to witness someone’s “crazy” idea become a reality. The Floating Dining Room is one of those moments. Seating 12 guests a night from now until the end of September with the goal of raising 100,000 dollars to fund a comprehensive course on sustainable seafood for culinary schools, it is the brainchild of Shannon Ronalds, co-founder of the School of Fish Foundation, who not only conceived of the idea but was also hands-on in all aspects of the construction, logistics, menu and wine selection as well as serving as sommelier and host for all 60 nights of the fundraiser. Amazingly, this whole thing came together in just 4 months. This included acquiring 14 permits, the last of which coming into fruition only 38 minutes before the City shut its doors for the weekend.

“Anyone who knew any better would have never tried to pull this off in less than a year” says Shannon with a grin.

The raft’s design resembles something out of Dwell magazine: modern, efficient and beautiful. A glass floor beneath the table reveals the bottles that keep it afloat. There is something in the fact that these are bottles that have been rescued from the sea and not simply acquired from a recycling depot, that really has an effect on me. The wood is also a castaway of our society in some regard seeing as it is all bug kill pine. In fact, everything that went into the building of the raft was either donated or sold to Shannon at cost. All of it seemingly has its own story of sustainable origins or of people doing things differently. It is these minute details that Shannon seems to have a flair for. Perhaps most notable of all the features, and the only component of the evening that could not boast of its sustainable theme is the chandelier over the table. Generously donated by The Cross, it sways hypnotically above us the entire evening, its motion relative to the size of ship that happens across our bow. But it would turn out that this too played a functional role, for as the night moved in upon False Creek, it served as a siren call to each curious passersby with its glittering effervescence.

The inspiration for this event came to Shannon when he was in Southern France and he observed waiters carrying plates of food out of the seaside restaurants and down the pier to private parties aboard the yachts out front. He thought it would be an amazing sight to have something similar occur in Vancouver and with no yacht of his own, he devised the idea of the raft. And indeed, as we sat around the 12 seat table sipping our first wine of the evening there appeared a line of waiters in whites making their way out of C, across the seawall, and onto the pier in our direction. This would continue throughout the evening with even a couple of appearances by Chef Robert Clark, co-founder of the School of Fish Foundation and students from the Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver. The results of their efforts were as follows:

1st Course
BC Spot Prawn Sunomono Salad paired with the New Zealand Mud House Sauvignon Blanc.
Wonderfully minimalist presentation juxtaposed by the flair of the dressing being added at the table via a frosted shot glass.

2nd Course
Ultra rare scallop with dashi broth paired with the Summerhill Pinot Gris.
A truly elegant broth finished cooking these beautifully

3rd Course
Farmed Tilapia with a lobster saffron cream paired with the Twisted Tree Marsane Rousanne.
I could have happily gone home after this dish. Not only was the Tilapia perfectly cooked and the lobster saffron cream sauce exquisite but it was also the best cooked spinach I have ever had in my life.

4th Course
Northern BC Wild Coho Salmon with smashed peas, Israeli couscous and chorizo paired with the California 2008 Bensinger Chardonnay.
The reason I am glad I didn’t go home after the 3rd course.

5th Course
Tiger blue cheese from Poplar Grove, romala cheese from Naramata with blueberry and apricot compotes + honey paired with the Pacific Breeze “GSM” (or Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre)
Brilliant pairings of compotes and cheeses.

(It was around this time that the fireworks began. As much as we tried, Shannon would not take credit for this component of the evening)

6th Course
Berry Fool with chocolate shavings paired with the Tinhorn Creek Late Harvest Kerner 2008 dessert wine.
Baring the appearance of a mini-bamboo steamer, a suitably light and satisfying end to a perfect meal.

Throughout the courses, Shannon played the role of impeccable host, tending meticulously to the wine and the presentation of the dishes and all the while talking about why certain fish were chosen for the meal. It became clear immediately that this was not some simple lesson in buying local: the Bensinger Wine from California for example, was chosen because it is a bio-dynamic wine whereby the growers view the vineyard as a single organism and work to eliminate all artificial crutches from the growing process. The Tilapia was previously frozen and brought in from Florida but farm-raised in a sustainable manner. Each dish and drink that was served to us had some specific lesson about alternative practices purposefully diverse so as to keep open the potential of this event and its cause floating beyond Vancouver’s harbours.

“Our goal is to spread ourselves around the world,” Shannon told us. “And end up in France because I think that would be the boldest statement that we could make, that little Vancouver is teaching the people who taught us how to cook, how to evolve.”

After the experience that we have had over the course of the evening, I don’t think there is any doubt from anyone at the table that Shannon and The School of Fish Foundation will achieve this goal. And so, upon bidding goodnight to our hosts and fellow guests, with the echoes of fireworks still lingering on the breeze, gunpowder in the air, and the last of the crowds making their way home along the seawall, I stepped once again onto solid land, inspired and satiated, and headed up to the main street in search of a cab ride home.

This event is being held every night between July 21st until the end of September, 2010 (rain or shine).
For reservations, please call 778-997-6977 or email contact@schooloffishfoundation.org.

Trafalgar’s Restaurant in Kits, best known for having the largest dessert menu in the city, is changing gears with a specially organized Ocean Wise Dinner this Sunday, July 25th. They’ve had an Ocean Wise menu for 2 years now and are celebrating with a spread of sustainable seafood and B.C. wines.

Check out this lavish menu:

• Amuse bouche
• Shellfish Trio: kusshi oyster, qualicum scallop ceviche, salt spring island mussel gratin. Suggested pairing: Summerhill Cipes Brut
• Rare Seared Albacore Tuna with soft boiled egg, frisee, anchovy dressing. Suggested pairing: Tantalus Riesling
• Pan Roasted Lois Lake Trout with potato latke, melted leeks, bearnaise. Suggested pairing: Joie Unoaked Chardonnay
• Lemon Berry Tart. Suggested pairing: Elephant Island Framboise

It’s only $52 per person, and $32 to add the wine pairings. They have a couple of seats left so get Sunday dinner sorted and support a great restaurant and a great program. You can book your table by calling the restaurant at (604) 739-0555 ext 1.