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barolo

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    Food at the Junos

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    I just thought of another thing that I would never ever even think of eating. 

    There is a bit of a beaver problem in Northern MB and many of the ranchers find that they water resevoirs are being damned and the cattle can't get to the water.  To solve this problem Agri Canada has allowed a cull.  All ranchers need to do is take the beaver tail to the local representative and they are given $ and they get to keep the tail.  He asked my dad and I if we were interested in some Beaver Tail stew.  At first we thought he was just kidding, but no, pulled out the recipe and said "I've got enough in the freezer if you're interested."  Needless to say, my Dad and I turned down his offer.

    I actually have eaten beaver tail (keep it clean, you guys!) at a Paul Kane dinner in Fort Edmonton back in the 1980's. The dinner was a fairly close reproduction of a December 1847 meal painter Paul Kane described in his diaries: Paul Kane dinner.

    Here's an excerpt:

    "No tablecloth shed its snowy whiteness over the board; no silver candelabra or gaudy china interfered with its simple magnificence. The bright tin plates and dishes reflected jolly faces and burnished gold can give no truer zest to a feast."

    "At the head, before Mr. Harriett, was a large dish of boiled buffalo hump; at the foot smoked a boiled buffalo calf. Start not, gentle reader, the calf is very small, and is taken from the cow by the caesarean operation long before it attains its full growth. This boiled whole, is one of the esteemed dishes amongst the epicures of the interior."

    "My pleasing duty was to help a dish of mouffle, or dried moose nose; the gentleman on my left distributed, with graceful impartiality, the white fish, delicately browned in buffalo marrow. The worthy priest helped the buffalo tongue, whilst Mr. Rundell cut up the beavers' tails. ....."

    Not for the squeamish! We didn't have buffalo hump or calf, but we did have beaver tails, moose nose, white fish and goose. Sort of gives you a different perspective on eating locally.

    "Sweets And The City"

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    The Georgia Straight reports that Ganache Patisserie has 5 new desserts out for spring. I don't have it in front of me or I'd type them out for you, but from memory there is lemon based one and a cheesecake made with goat cheese and vanilla. Some competition for the Stilton cheesecake perhaps.

    "Sweets And The City"

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted · Edited by barolo (log)

    ^I've seen that couple competing in an international pastry competition in France (on FoodTV). I looked at the website...but is the only way to get their product is having it shipped, or do they have a retail location?

    I saw some of their products for sale at Whole Foods when I was there last night; didn't buy any though so no report.

    Edited to add: it is Wild Sweets I'm referring to.

    Customers v Chefs

    in Restaurant Life

    Posted

    Hmm.

    Read the last section of this article by Steven Shaw on his experience working behing the scenes at Gramercy Tavern in New York: A Week in the Gramercy Tavern Kitchen

    I'll just add a short quote from the article here to give you their perspective: "Technically, Gramercy Tavern doesn't even offer side dishes -- but the kitchen tries hard to accommodate all customer requests, VIP or not. All night, shouts of "SOS," (sauce on the side) "All Meat," (no vegetables), and "Veg. Entree" (a vegetable plate) can be heard in the kitchen."

    I think there probably are lots of unreasonable requests, the magic is in how you deal with them and that doesn't mean acquiescing every time.

    Meals from Granville Island

    in Western Canada: Cooking & Baking

    Posted

    Looks great! Here's some of my recent Granville Island based meals:

    Let's see I did a pan roasted halibut - yes from Longliner - in (concidentally) a romanesco sauce on the weekend with roasted asparagus - I also like the fat ones and bought them from the Okanagan guys - and potatoes.

    I also bought a spinach soup from the Stock Market which I had along with Oyama sausage and Terra french epi. And then there was the shrimp salad - shrimp also from Longliner - on toasted leftover Terra challah. And the stilton - actually from les amis - and crackers. And the mussels with pesto and more Terra epi.

    I still have a cauliflower to make cream of cauliflower soup tonight.

    I went on Sunday late morning assuming, correctly I think, that most people would have finished their shopping by then. No line up at JJ Bean and not particularly busy.

    Vancouver/Western Canada Ingredient Sources Topic

    in Western Canada: Cooking & Baking

    Posted

    Great thanks.

    By the way, I agree that Whole Foods can have good deals. I also think Thrifty's (only in Tsawwassen on the mainland, but I understand they are expanding) often has good produce and prices. They have the best citrus fruit I've had here.

    It is just a location thing for me, I don't have reason to be on the North Shore often so I forget about Whole Foods unless I make a specific food/wine trip.

    Fat Burger

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    [

    Approximately 35 staffers will be employed at the site, which can conveniently seat up to 48 guests inside."

    Wow, that's an amazing staff to seat ratio. I guess they are planning for a lot of takeout.

    Do you think they're really going for Vera's clientele, or do you think they're trying to appeal to the (numerous) American tourists on Denman Street?

    I think they are going after both. After all there is Vera's just down the block.

    Good point. THen again, is that a heavily touristed area? I dunno. Gastown, GI, Robson are, but Davie & Denman? I dunno.

    Yes, as Deborah said, there are hordes of tourists on Denman in the summer. That's why there are at least 4 gelato places on that street. I'm sure a familiar looking American franchise restaurant will be just the ticket.

    Food Terms We Loathe/Misuse

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    Also, a hostess should NEVER say to a solo diner, "Just one?"  For some reason, that little question always makes me feel like a total loser.  There must be any number of nice ways to determine whether someone is eating alone.

    I enjoyed a wonderful solo dinner tonight at one of the only formal dining venues here on blustery Cape Cod.

    But it took me a minute or two to recover from having the hostess/owner pronounce loudly upon my arrival in a quiet, crowded dining room, "Ah... one? A single girl? Aww... that's too bad!".

    I would have walked out but I was so stunned that I followed her to my table and tried to stifle my shock with a mouthful of bread.

    I ordered so many dishes, though, that I think they thought I was a food critic. They were (or attempted to be) really, really nice to me. When the hostess came by to check on me and saw that I'd ordered foie gras and sweetbreads, she said something like, "Ah! A woman who eats like a man!" before scurrying away to annoy someone else.

    I think I'll write a letter. I just found that unbelievably innapropriate.

    Wow, that is incredibly insulting.

    I eat out alone a lot and I've been impressed at how civilized it has become in Vancouver for a woman dining alone. Maybe it's my age and they think I'm past it anyway but I rarely get such comments anymore.

    On the "woman who eats like a man" front, I have been warned that a dish is very rich or that the servings are large. My response is "That's OK, I'm hungry".

    Years ago in Montreal a female friend and I ordered a half bottle of wine to start a meal, then we ordered a bottle of red for the main course. The waiter tried to talk us out of the red, telling us we wouldn't be able to finish it! Needless to say we had no problem finishing the bottle.

    Those restaurants who have consistently been gracious and charming to me in my solo dining mode get my loyalty and the servers get good tips.

    The Georgia Straight Golden Plate Awards

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    Totally agree. Add in the familiarity factor and you guarantee these kind of results. How many people eat at West in a year vs Milestones?

    Of course, that's true but the familiarity factor may be more to do - in certain categories - with "brand awareness"/reputation rather than having eaten there...hence, the naming of Lumiere and Tojos to mention just two.

    [

    Yes you are right that is probably the case too.

    The Georgia Straight Golden Plate Awards

    in Western Canada: Dining

    Posted

    It's a majority rule thing with polls like that; aside from ballot stuffing, if there are 20 good candidates, the one with the most votes (however mediocre--see Starbucks) will win.

    As Kathleen Hanna puts it: Mediocrity Rules.

    Totally agree. Add in the familiarity factor and you guarantee these kind of results. How many people eat at West in a year vs Milestones?

    The Straight used to at least have some of their own writers' recommendations and commentary but each year they've cut back on this aspect.

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