eatrustic
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Posts posted by eatrustic
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Wow! I thought I knew my Bay plants but this sure sounds like the California Bay. As I mentioned before the flavor is way too dominant in anything I've made to be anything but the California variety.
Oh well it's a nice looking plant. I'll just have to pick up a real Bay in the Spring.
Thanks for the info.
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I have a lovely littly Bay Laurier "tree" (about 4 ft. high). My problem is that always having used dry Bay leaves I find the fresh ones overpowering in soups, stews etc. to the point of being unusable even in smaller quantities.
I would expect fresh anything to be more intense but I get an almost medicinal quality from these fresh leaves. Should they "cure" for a few days or should I simply dry them out and take it from there?
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So here we are 6 months into the extended closing time (7pm) at G.I. Market and you could shoot a cannon off and not hit anyone after about 5:30.
Many of the vendors I have spoken to are po'd that market management has done so little to promote the new hours and wonder how long it will be before they give up and roll them back to 6:00.
Too bad, it sure is handy as I discovered this evening to do a bit of late shopping.
The vendors also wonder why the market doesn't open on Boxing Day as apparently there were tons of people trying to get in and (for the most part) the vendors that I talked to would have been happy to work - with January being so quiet.
CMHC are you listening?
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If I had known that CTV was running an identical series at almost the same time I would have combined the two networks when I started this. Although CTV isn't giving out 10 dinners for two to a lucky winner their series seems to focus on lesser know but worthy chefs and their fav places to dine.
Last night was Andrea Carlson the talented chef of Raincity Grill and her dining choice Annapurna (vegetarian Indian cuisine on W. 4th near Burrard). Tonight's CTV pick will air again around 11:40 or so tonight.
Ian Hanomansing's diss of West (when he heard they were featured as some magazine's top ten in N.America) was something like "oh a snowboard magazine?" Seemed more ignorant than a diss.
I think both series go to the end of the week.
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I agree with Mostaccioli as the culprit. I just returned from a trip to Campania and they sell them everywhere, both plain and covered with chocolate.
As usual the ones made in the smaller local bakeries were superior to the prepackaged versions from larger producers. They ranged in texture from firm but chewable to almost rock hard.
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Tonight was Rob Feenie. After a quick tour of his new kitchen (Lumiere) he went to Wabi Sabi (W. 10th) where they demo'ed garlic prawns and another dish in the kitchen. More interesting food than the night before but no family shots, just a kitchen demo where Feenie was trying to squeeze the secret ingredients to his favorite dishes from the chef.
Tomorrow (6:40 pm) is John Bishop and I believe that he goes to "East Meets West" a little place on W. Broadway.
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The show came on at about 7:40 (so tonight's chef should be on around 6:40). It gave an overview of Vikram (looking quite rogueish with his chest hair and gold chain!) at work and some really tasty looking Rangolli dishes before he took his family to one of his favourite comfort food places (I think it's called the Wooden Shoe). The owner is, I believe, the guy who used to own the "Da Dutch" restaurants.
They showed him making one of the bigass crepes with the owner and that was about it.
(The owner had one of those lousy moments that only one shot takes can give when his crepe fell to pieces before the camera. It looked great at the end though.)
At the same time on the Shaw Cable channel Feenie was shilling his new book and on CTV the Kolachy Shop was being featured with HSG Neil (who looks just like comedian Michael MacDonald's love child) as a local chef out for a bite.
All in all fun local food coverage.
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Starting tonight (Monday January 9) the CBC evening news (TV) will be featuring five well known local chefs and where they and their families go to eat on their days off. Tonight is Vikram Vij and family.
The news starts an hour late tonight at 7:00 pm - after the debate.
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Sad to say but the corner of Balaclava and Broadway will be home to a Tim Hortons in the next while.
It's funny with the economy being in such an upswing that this part of the Broadway corridor has so many empty spaces that could be put to so much better use!
The Hola Churros space next to Parthenon is still working away at getting open. It's a big space and I'm curious to see what else they plan to offer besides fried dough.
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Are all Cippolinis created equal? Our local Whole Foods has two kinds that are sold as Cippolinis: red and yellow. Both are fairly large (basically a medium cooking onion size squashed flat).
Anyone know if this have the more delicate flavor I associate with the Italian versions?
........or are these just lookalikes?
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Still not sure why a Japanese specialty store on Clark and Venables with a smaller downtown branch would have any affect on Stongs- a higher end mainstream grocery store on Dunbar, not too far from 41st?
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I had a damn tasty Garganelli with braised veal cheeks at Cin Cin recently. I requested oyster mushrooms instead of Shitakes and it really was one of the best pastas I've had in a long time (in Vancouver). Along with a nice glass of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo it made the perfect lunch on a chilly, drizzly Vancouver day.
Mind you for $18.00 (pasta only) at lunch time it better be stellar.
I'm sure that Pino is putting out some tasty pastas at Cioppinos as well.
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Thanks for the suggestion Zuke but I tried two slices and threw the rest in the garbage! I wouldn't demean great quality products like the Tiger Blue with a poor "platform" It really is over the top sweet and I felt ripped off by the pretense at making the real thing.
On the other hand the Andy's Bakery version which I didn't find great by the standard of Thomas Hass is fine to nibble on as it is simple and subtle.
The Marco Ropke pastry site looks really interesting and I would love to try his Stollen but I think it is a bit late as I'm Christmasing out of town.
Who is Marco Ropke? I have never heard of him but his stuff looks great.
Merry Christmas to all !!
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I must be nuts to keep on the Stollen trail but I was up on W. 10th and decided to try the Stollen from Pane Formaggio. Bad idea.
It looks very nice, costs $17. and is claimed to have homemade marzipan inside. After trying it I guess it must be homemade because any commercial producer would not be able to call it marzipan. It is almost pure icing sugar in the shape of a nice big eye of almond paste. It totally dominates an otherwise bland and uninspired piece of work.
I should have tried Mix instead! At least their product line doesn't look like an exact copy of another bakery in town.
Thanks for the recipe links!
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So......off I went to Andy's on Commercial. (Ive been feeling guilty about not doing any Christmas shopping yet so now I have a great excuse to put it off some more!)
The place is tiny with not a lot of particularly interesting baked goods, although there were a couple of authentic looking rye breads.
I picked up the 1 lb. Stollen $9.50 and home I went to give it a try. As it lacks the powdered sugar on the outside it looks a sugar donut that has been wrapped in plastic (which this was). Kind of sticky with granulated sugar.
Although the style is authentic this was not that inspiring. There were lots of raisins in a somewhat dry dough and a tiny eye of almond paste that was almost definitely commercial grade and not very tasty (unlike Thomas Hass' which is homemade) . Overall kind of bland and third behind Choices and T. Hass.
That's it, I go into production next year!
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I guess that's it for the Stollen hunt. Popped into Four Seasons today to pick up one of their Stollens.
Thought I had died and gone to heaven when I was told that they were just cooling off in the kitchen and one of the staff offered to go get one for me.
Alas, back she came with the news that everything left was spoken for and there will be no more this year! I was able to taste a tiny slice that had been set out for sampling and it was good ..... but I need at least a half log to be sure! It was more like the Thomas Hass version with a slightly bitter flavour.
Oh well, perhaps I'll make my own next year.
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I picked up a Stollen from Choices today on the above recommendations and it is very good value for the $$ (as far as Stollens go). The small size is $6.50 and the large is $11.50 (or close to that). They are currently 10% off as well!
The Stollen from Thomas Hass is still the better product. Somewhat more refined in taste and presentation but the Choices Stollen for less than half the price is definitely worth buying. Thanks for the suggestion.
Next will be Four Seasons version.
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I'll definitely give Choices version a try as well as the Four Seasons mini.
The Polonya poppy seed pastry sounds like a different animal (but a tasty one!).
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After having my fill of Panettone and Fruit Cake I've settled on Stollen as my favourite Christmas "cake".The dry, stale kind you buy in the European delis were all I ever tried and until I had a fresh one I never understood their appeal.
So far Thomas Hass' version with a layer of homemade almond paste down the center has been my hands down favourite.
This year though the small size (not quite the size of a pound of butter) is $17. (ouch) at Senses. It's probably a bit cheaper from Thomas' shop in North Van but I don't get over there much this time of year.
Patisserie St. Moritz on W. 10th makes a fresh one but they use electric red candied cherries as an ingredient, not a good sign.
I've heard that the Four Seasons makes a mini version for $10. that might be good but are there any other artisan versions in Vancouver worth checking out?
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Not open yet but soon (i guess) Hola Churros right beside Parthenon on Broadway. Don't know if it's the same guys from across the street but the space is much bigger. God help them with all the Churro experts ready to pounce!
Also on W. 4th in the block before Maple (going West). The old Chinese Restaurant across from the Dollar Store ( that has been closed and for lease for quite a while) is going to be a Kebab place.
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Katie : What is the cut of beef you use? And does using meat tenderizer the same day really make a difference for such a thick cut or is it just wishfull thinking?
At this moment (inspired this thread) I have a 3 lb. Chuck Roast simmering in the oven that was browned first and then surrounded with sauteed onions, fresh fennel, roma tomatoes, garlic, a touch of red wine and enough water to bring it to the 2/3 mark.
I will probably save it for tomorrow, as with anything braised it's always better the next day. This will make a dynamite pasta as leftovers!
I had not realized that the Chuck Roast cut is the same as for beef short ribs.
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....Not just Ming Wo. There are a number of "houseware" stores in Chinatown that sell good quality steel woks and probably cheaper than Ming.
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I'm willing to bet that the soon to open Saltlik on Alberni will fill that niche.
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Slightly o/t but as I was sitting and waiting for my take out (Thai) last night I was looking at (I believe) the Saturday business section of the Sun and there was an article about the artificially high pricing of cheese in Canada.
I was astonished to read that the average profit to one of the major pizza delivery companies on a $13. pizza is .43 cents and with the next round of increases by the dairy board scheduled for Feb. this may push a number of them over the top.
Apparently frozen pizza manufacturers benefit from a discount on their cheese purchases that the retail places don't receive.
Always figured that pizzas were a gold mine at that level.
Fresh Bay Leaves: The Topic
in Cooking
Posted
Hmmmm.....Now I'm back to being confused because the links to the Bay pictures above indicate my Bay is the Lauras Nobilis which is what I thought it was originally.
The reddish branches and less elongated leaves do not at all resemble the California variety.
It looks Turkish and cooks Californian!