eatrustic
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Posts posted by eatrustic
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I second El Pulgarcito. Simple, good and fairly authentic food that I wish was in Kits instead of Hola Churros.
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Which one is Buddy's Farm? Hopefully not the one across from Lee's Donuts. They're my favourite G.I. greengrocer.
As for Stuart's I've unfortunately seen lineups fairly recently (sad to admit).
It is a pretty weak assortment of baked goods (breads especially) but I doubt they're going anywhere unless pushed by the market.
I noticed that Lonsdale has given the heave ho to a couple of vendors, with new spaces under renovation, so maybe there's hope for G.I. (as long as they make sure that whoever they choose to terminate is actually replaceable, unlike the wine shop.)
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And then there is the Jenn Air Attrezzi toaster. Incredibly stylish and priced from $169. - $200. for the two slice model (price is based on finish).
The whole Attrezzi line of mixers, blenders and toasters are so design looking that you can't imagine they are any good and yet they are Jenn Air and close examination shows very well made equipment. I've heard almost nothing about them though exact for one friend who loves her mixer despite the glass bowl.
Anyone else seen or tried these?
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Just wanted to give people the head's up that we are at the very tail end of Alaskan King Crab season at Chinese Restaraunts. Jade in Richmond is serving them ala carte for $13.88 a pound or as part of a set menu.
On Friday, I had the Jade menu for 10 people....
Wow Lee! We know that you can give Ling a run for the money when it comes to culinary grazing but you outdid yourself there!
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The masses (or the ballot box stuffers) have spoken.
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Thanks for the info.
As far as drinking it up. I have many different whiskeys and as long as they are at least 3/4 full and/or unopened there should be little or no degradation. Some of these are one of a kind and I would rather appreciate them over time then finish them off.
Obviously, once I get past the half way mark things get dicey and then I make it my go to whiskey!
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I have a couple of bottles of Springbank 12 yr. 100 proof that I've had for about 10 years or so. These were known as the "Dark, dark" I believe and there was some conjecture at the time that they were actually much older but through some bottling error had been mixed with 12 and thus had to be called that. Who knows for sure.
Anyway....these two bottles (one open and the other untouched) have been stored in a cellar for the last couple of years and I noticed when I pulled them out that they are developing sediment. Is this normal? I've seen it with wine but never with spirits.
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Marlene: How is it for "dinner plate" grinding? Does it work for smaller amounts? I wonder if the salt grinding version is the same?
You said you found it larger than you thought, again would it be awkward at the dinner table? I'm hoping for an all round mill!!
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My money is with Andiesenji, the lack of an acid to combine with the soda will give an unpleasant taste.
There's always the off chance it was some contaminant but you seem to have covered that base.
....it is interesting that the bread rose as usual. I would have thought that it would have risen little at best.
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Thanks, I have to run a couple of errands so if I can find the Stout I"ll pick some up otherwise I"ll go with my draught.
Of course if the Stout ends up being bottled here in North America I may well be better off with the draught.
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oopps! I meant Stout not Porter, but they specifically state not draught. If I thought it was a case of the draft being just a bit weaker I'd still try but otherwise I'll see if I can track down some Stout.
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I was just settling down to try a couple of cake recipes using Guinness when I noticed that they specifically call for the Guinness Porter and not the Guinness Draft.
Guess which one I have on hand?
Anyone know what the difference is? Too weak? Or does the added carbonation cause a problem? If so I could just heat the draft until it went flat.
I'm not even sure if my local liquor store carries the Porter and although it might be appropriate today I can't see myself running out of a pub with a pint in my hand!
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If you subbed cream for the buttermilk you would have to use baking powder instead of soda as there would be no acidic element to trigger the rising process....thus it wouldn't be a "Soda Bread".
Perhaps try half cream, half buttermilk.
When you finally make it back to your cooking library to verify all this, ressurect the thread and let us know where the truth lies!
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The recipe that Woods gave you is the only Soda Bread recipe in the TL Breads book. The demo (photo) section uses whole wheat and white flour while the recipe in the back uses white flour only but ....sorry no cream soda bread in this book.
Perhaps it was another book?
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Fresh ground masa is hard to find around here. When Que Pasa was on W. 5th there was a day or two every week when you could order some from them. I don't know what the deal is with their new location.
You can always make it, there are threads back in the archives that talk about this.
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The Basketball player is Michael Jordan a little known athlete from the 90's who was known more for his business acumen than his skill on the court
All the fancy restaurants in Grand Central never really appealed to me as there was sooo much more to see in the big city, but the fast food vendors in the lower area are amazing. The space itself is amazingly well restored.
It seems the fancy restaurants in G.C.are tourist destinations while the fast food vendors are for the commuters. It would be nice to have a similar split in amenities.
I would hope that any food service operation going into such an important space would represent Vancouver in it's best possible light, with seafood as a main feature. A certain Kit's Beach restaurant comes to mind as a sellout to the highest bidder at the cost of this city's culinary reputation!
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Yeah, I agree about the potatos in the Butter Chicken, cut so that they blend with the chicken (and still they charge a supplement for it!). Portion sizes are skimpy as well. Like I said most of the fast food on that side is underachieving.
They need to open up a Kent's Kitchen there, (Chinese of course, not Indian) even with the higher rent they would rock.
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A recent visit to Granville Island with visiting family members made me realize how few places I've tried besides market food-court stuff and Go Fish.
Go Fish, the destination that day (Tuesday) was closed and my sister did not want to fight for a table in the market so it was up to me to find something simple and pleasant on or in the immediate vicinity of the island.
I thought it would be helpful to locals and visitors alike to start this thread and for us to give current impressions of the various food establishments on G.I.
Cat's Meow:
As the weather was not great outdoor seating wasn't an option so we decided to try Cat's Meow (normally the name alone would send me running but the menu suited the visitors).
The food is the usual mix of burgers and casual fare in a fairly cozy room right near the water park and the bike path. We had burgers, quesadillas, and a fish and chips. The Burgers were fine (not worth a burger club but did the trick) and the fish and chips was a bit odd as the filet seemed to be breaded rather than the expected freshly battered. The service was friendly and a food service problem was taken care of very nicely by the server and the manager to boot.
Go Fish:
What more can you say? A little "shack" just off the island, near the fishing boat dock, it is the current (and world class) standard for local (fresh fish) made to order "fast" food. Sandwiches, fish and chips, soups, salads. (check for days closed)
In the market:
Market Grill: my fav for their grilled chicken burger "Grill Special" a nice juicy grilled chicken breast with chunky fries.
Stock Market: Great hot cereals with fresh fruit compotes (before 11:00) and a nice rotating selection of hearty soups. Anything with snapper is great.
Rubina Grill: Great spicy Okra and Potatos, bland but tasty Butter Chicken.
After that I find many of the places in the market underachieve with adequate but not really top quality fast food offerings. Any other great picks?
Outside the market I've tried the Dockside at the Granville Island Hotel. I find that it's a great out of the way spot on a sunny day. I like to sit on the waterfront patio with one of their house brewed beers, alas the food is the usual (relatively) "pricey for what you get" hotel fare.
What about places like Tony's Fish and Oyster Cafe or even the Pacific Culinary dining room, Sandbar, Bridges etc?
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I'm working my way through the second of two 16 year blue tops I bought a few years ago. (A glass in honor of this post as we speak!)
I still have an unopened bottle of the 20 year old that I picked up about 6 years ago and will keep for a rainy day. That's the beauty of whisky over, say, a fine wine. The clock doesn't wind down and it will be as good years from now as when it was bottled.
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I have Handmade Loaf and I think it is great. Lots of different, eclectic kinds of breads, crackers etc. with great pictures.
He has a website: www.danlepard.com where you can check out what he is up to as well as a discussion forum on his book with his replies to reader baking issues. (For those of you who have his book he also has a small list of corrections and typos for the Handmade Loaf.)
I would be interested in checking out his previous book as well.
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I recently was asked if I refrigerate my soy sauce to which I replied no and then was shown (on the Kikkoman bottle) that refrigeration is recommended.
I've also heard this is true of mustard, in my case Dijon. I have always left these items (once opened) at room temp in my kitchen for months at a time with never a hint of fermentation or off odors.
So what is the scoop in or out? My fridge is not that big and the absolute minimum of long term rentals the better!
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Yes, I've been to the "Bean" a couple of times and the food is good but somehow I end up going to Mexico Sabroso more often. They are both pretty authentic (or what passes for that in Vancouver). Sabroso is open evenings (and I don't think the Bean is) and seems to have a bit more depth in their selection. Sadly neither one has Cervaza.
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Eatvancouver..... Are you slagging Steamrollers or Steamworks ??
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To make handling a bit easier you can shape the biscotti logs and refrigerate them for a couple of hours or overnight. This helps the problem of spreading too much. (It works better with recipes that use baking powder over just plain soda.) You may have to adjust the exact log shape a bit but it shouldn't take more than a couple of tries to get it right.
Once the logs are baked they can also be refrigerated (once cooled) wrapped with some plastic. This makes them much easier to slice, with a minimum of crumbling as they have a bit more moisture. Just remove the log from the fridge and let it warm up slightly before slicing. Although it's a matter of taste I find that a sharp, thin straight blade works better than a serated one for slicing. I use a chef's knife that is not too hefty for this.
Finally, if at all possible, convection ovens are way better than standard ovens for the second bake.
Granville Island Quick Bite Guide 2006
in Western Canada: Dining
Posted
As my flow of visitors continues I get to try a couple of G.I. eateries off my normal beat.
Railspur Alley Cafe and Bistro:
After hearing about this place upthread I looked forward to trying it and have since gone twice. The first time was solo, mid afternoon. I like the space, half-way down the little craft alley (Railspur), it is bright and fairly spacious with an open kitchen and an upstairs, balcony style seating area as well.
I asked for a recommendation for lunch and the special- Jambalaya with Cornbread was suggested over something else on the menu. Unfortunately it was as far from Jambalaya as you can get, more like a dry Paella. The cornbread literally crumbled in my hands. Luckily my pint of Storm IPA (beer) was excellent as usual. To their credit the Jambalaya was taken off the bill when I was "quality checked" at the cash.
The second time, with visitors, was again mid afternoon. We had the Chicken Quesadilla, Asparagus and Pepper soup and a Tuna Nicoise and a plate of their fries with roasted garlic aioli. The Quesadilla was ok with too little salsa/sour cream. The Asparagus soup was way too thick. The Nicoise was a nice piece of seared tuna on mixed greens with a really vinegary dressing. The fries (tried both times) were not crisp enough.
I still have hope for this place as everything is made from scratch, they just really need cooks who pays attention to detail things like overly thick soups, vinegary dressings etc.
Docksider Restaurant - Granville Island Hotel
A new chef doesn't appear to have changed much so far. The setting and in house brewery is the reason to go. The relocation of the bar (which sat squarely in the view window) several years ago makes it worthwile to sit inside on a cool day with a nice view over False Creek. On a warm day (or night) outside on the waterfront terrace is the place to be. (Way more of a local feel than the zoo on the deck at Bridges).
We had a good burger, a tasty pint of Pale Ale, a soup of the day that tasted like powdered base was used and nice seafood salad.
As usual the prices for anything fancier are hotel based so judge accordingly.