Daddy-A

On Global news this morning ... Local Chef Karen Barnaby has chimed in on the recent debate over "junk food" in our schools. She's offered to work with school boards and the government to create a new "healthy" school lunch programme to help wean kids off sugar. In the feature on TV this morning, she showed the reporter a pizza made with a chicken & brown rice crust, all veggie sauce, and some sort of cheese (she didn't describe it), a casserole made from spaghetti squash, and a sheppards pie type thing. BC Education Minister Shirley Bond commented that while she welcomes any ideas, the "Jamie Oliver" concept may have worked in the UK it may not apply here. PRESS RELEASE on the government's latest stand on junk food in schools. Thoughts? Is Karen Barnaby the person to do this? Would your kids eat a spaghetti squash casserole? Please keep the discussion on the LOCAL aspects of this issue ... e.g. Karen Barnaby. A.

Here's a thread we did a while back on Best Places to Read a Book. I assume people still read when they study?? A.

Unfortunately, you have missed it. It was November 9 & 10 at The Landing in Gastown. A.

Doug, What a really stoooopid question! Welcome to eGullet! As far as Bis Moreno's old spot, I wiwh I knew. I'm also interested in what Moreno is up to now that he's out of the bis ... er biz. A.

[host] Sounds like you guys are pretty excited about the class ... and you should be. Just not here. Let's keep the discussion on the Foodie Class ... and the soon to be added Advanced Foodie Class. Discussions of a personal nature need to take place via email or PM. I'll be pruning OT discussion in the near future so as to make this thread more useful and readable. Thanks! A. [/host]

Honestly, I would have rather been down at Moderne with you guys. But a family dinner beckoned and I, being the good cousin, answered the call. However, I did a little recon work for the club on Friday ... Burgers, Etc. on Hastings @ Gilmore in North Burnaby. AWESOME burger, cooked medium well and served with cheddar and mushrooms. Terrific flavour with a nice amount of messiness to it. Fries were good but not great. Washed down with a pretty good chocolate shake ... it needed a little more chocolate syrup IMO, but the quantity was good ... real ice cream etc. They also serve pulled pork and smoked brisket for the burger-shy. Needless to say, vegetarians should stay away. There's also a plasma screen for Canucks games ... now that the Lions are done Only downside ... not open on Sundays. Still, worth adding to the Must Visit list. A.

We most certainly are! Provided of course that: a) Andre provides us with sushi-plate women for any eGullet gathering , and b) Participates on eGullet to help promote the food scene in Whistler in general, not just Bearfoot alone. I for one am very pleased to have another voice from that end of the Sea-to-Sky. Welcome to the madhouse Andre! Now, back to that Gill person ..... A.

I dunno about that None of us EVER said "rock on" Tony will be well prepared ... just be sure not to disturb the other students. A.

My dog Gromit (jack russel terrier) crosses her paws all the time! Must be a PNW thing. Yay! San Juans!! A.

We just picked up a copy at our local VQA Store - Kensington Square Wines. Others might look to their local VQA's as well A.

TREACLE???? Abra's also talking about that in her BLOG. A.

[host] Just want to remind everyone that this thread is about sourcing this mandoline in Vancouver, and not about the mandoline iteself. There's a thread on Benriner mandolines HERE and HERE Generic mandoline discussions HERE and HERE Thanks A. [/host]

Deborah, the soup your team did totally made the combined dish! Parsnips? What was Chef thinking? At least the squash was roasted. Without the deep squashy-garlicky flavours (awesome little croquettes too!), I would have been really bummed out by our efforts in the soup department. Together, not only do they look wonderful, they tasted wonderful. Let me add my thanks to Chef Tony et al. What a great way to gain weight on a Monday night! I especially want to thank my beautiful wife "J" who gave this course to me as a gift for my 40th birthday this year, and to all my classmates, eGullet and otherwise, who made this class so much fun. See you all in April! A. ps. Time to quit lurking Dan! Sign up!

Don't worry Laura, Tony made all the inept students clean out the deep fryers, so you at least get to learn a skill! I can't speak for everyone in the class, but I don't think anyone felt pressure to perform. It was a great learning environment, so if you needed to work on your knife skills there was plenty of opportunity. The assistants were always there to answer questions, and Chef Tony worked his way around the class giving demos as needed. If you're at all interested in improving your cooking repetoire, I really encourage you to take the class. A.

We're not worthy! We're not worthy! Now I know why I like the coffee culture so much ... all those shiney chrome things. It's the next best thing to automotive chrome! A.

The very first eGullet Recipe Cook-off was Cassoulet HERE. Check it out ... I made a pretty good cassoulet from Les Halles and it wasn't dificult at all. Must ... visit ... Oyama ... soon A.

Based on the episode I watched last night, the budget has been changed. It is as bigdaddy said^ ... $20K from the restaurant and $20K from the show for a total of $40K. They were at the restaurant for 6 days this episode. 3 labourers x $40/hour x 10 hour days x 6 days = $7200 ... call it $7500 in labour. That leaves $32.5K in material, which will be purchased at builders' cost or less. I'm thinking a LOT could be done for $40k (assuming nothing major needs to be done in the kitchen), especially when you consider that tweeking a menu doesn't really cost anything. A.

Yeah ... it's a real shame you don't know any designers ... I'm watching the show right now, and I swear I would have gone balistic on "top designer" Sherry Stinson within the first 5 minutes! Jeez what a prima dona ... Igor the contractor puts up with A LOT! Speaking as a designer, some of the rooms I frequent that I would like to see changed are: 1) HSG. I don't think I'd change the layout, just colours & materials. (I already have a home for a few of the posters.) I'd go quarter-sawn white oak in a combination of natural and bark brown (various parts of the room). Oxford brown leather to match for the banquettes, Capri Limestone (Silestone) for the bar. Black slate floors. 2) Shiro Sushi. I'm here at least once a week, so I've had time to form an opinion. I wouldn't make too many changes, but I'd re-do all the millwork as it looks like it was done cheaply to begin with. 3) Rangoli. Change the frickin' chairs! Easiest makeover ever! 4) Diner. Lower the ceiling. The whole 16' ceiling thing make the room sound too cavernous which IMO is the wrong vibe for a diner. I'd also beef up the springs in the banquettes ... minor issue. Another room I would have changed is Pear Tree in Burnaby, but they beat me too it! Anyone else? A.

I don't think so Geoff ... but I haven't looked closely at IKEA cabinets lately. The problem comes with the drilling for the hinges & slides (i.e. how they are attached to the doors and/or cabinet). It may not match the Blum hardware, and you'd end up with what we refer to as the "Swiss cheese effect". Besides, by the time you've switched everything over I think the time & money you've invested will make those IKEA cabinets a lot more than you think. Have you been to Home Depot? They carry a line called "Thomasville" in-stock in a few doorstyles. Price point was pretty good IIRC and they're well built. To save money in other areas, I usually suggest to my clients that they can remove the old cabinets, tile the splash (attend a DIY seminar at Home Depot ... very easy) and do the paint. Keep us posted! A.

Neil, Think $30K would do HSG justice? That's the bill ... 15K from the show, 15K from the restaurant. I like the show, and honestly, you only need the physical upgrade ... although the plasmas are a nice start. They also "upgrade" the menu, which IMO you don't really need. Now ... Monsoon on the other hand ... they would get my vote. I used to love that place. Now I just find it tired and predictable. A.

It's called Kansas City Bar-B-Q Shack. Haven't been, but it's in the Lougheed Lanes ... aka Rev's Bowling Alley ... 5502 Lougheed Highway. Apparently they have an all-you-can-eat BBQ on Thursday. Anyone brave enough? A.

Thought I'd bump this one up after a really good lunch at Pho Thy (Victoria @ 39th)with the intrepid Lunch Mafia. Pho & Bahn Mi for everyone (6 ppl in total) came to $39!! And my son & I even came home with a whole bahn mi for a late night snack! A.

Been a busy last couple of months in the Daddy-A household ... not a tonne of time for dining out (in the evenings at least with the lovely "J"). Of course heading into holiday season that will all change. Time to get out the elastic waisted pants Wednesday: Lunch at Pondok Indonesian with Mooshmouse. Really good all round ... Tahu Sayur Isi (stuffed, deep fried tofu) and the Laksa were standouts. Perfect place to sit inside and eat spicey food on a rainy day. Thursday: Lunch at Mui Gardens on Main with canucklehead. I'm not a huge fan of Sweet & Sour Pork (the "red sauce" always kinda scares me ) but the dish at Mui was very good. I'll be enjoying leftovers for lunch today Friday: Dinner at Cru. What can I say about this place that hasn't already been said? We missed the intrepid Mr. Taylor as he was up partaking in the debauchery known as Cornucopia, but we were well looked after. Took the lovely "J" and my brother and his wife (their first visit). Started with an amuse of beef tenderloin served on a "slaw" of some sort. My brother was cusious as to why we were getting something we hadn't ordered. I suggested he not question the gift and just enjoy. Prix fixe's all round - Standouts were the Tenderloin Carpaccio w/ the Caper Berries (who knew?) and the Herb-Crusted Lamb (all entres were excellent, these were just the best IMO). Wines were the '03 Quattro (forgot the vineyard - will edit later when I can look at the bill) and the '03 Yalumba Old Vine Granche. Desserts were the Bitter Chocolate Torte for my brother & sil, Goat Cheese Cake for "J", and the Almond Cake for your truly. A couple thoughts on Cru ... Easily one of the best values in Vancouver. The more I eat here, the more I love the room. I was commenting last night that the "feel" of the room was the same that I wanted for our dining room at home. Classic yet comfortable. Perfect portion sizes. Nobody felt over-stuffed nor under-fed. The sauces, in particular the cabernet mushroom demi served with my beef tenderloin, really add to that feeling of being "satisfied." So much flavour. Highlight of the evening ... counting cougars. A.

[host] Interesting conversation ... really. But we need to bring it back to the original question, which was: Why is it that diners in Vancouver require insentives to dine, even though the city has the third least expensive dining scene in North america? The current line of discussion, although interesting, could apply to any dining scene in the world. Let's focus the discussion on what applies here. Thanks. A. [/host]

Geoff, From a quality POV, I'd seriously suggest you rethink the IKEA route. I've been a kitchen designer for 15 years, and I've lost count of the number of IKEA kitchens I've taken out. It seriously has nothing to do with the doors (which are really nice I agree) but the hinges and slides they use. I've been dealing with BLUM hinges and slides for years. They come with a lifetime warranty and in 15 years I've replaced 1 hinge due to defect. I wish I had a designer in TO to send you to. What I'd suggest is visiting the NKBA Web Site (National Kitchen & Bath Association.) On the main page is a "FIND A PROFESSIONAL" section where you can enter your postal code and find a certified designer near you. Hope this helps A.