mot juste

The place you mention across the street from Patisserie Bordeaux...is that the Bean Around the World coffee shop? Speaking of good cinnamon buns, have you tried the ones at Solly's on West Broadway? I read somewhere that they are so big, and take so long to unravel, they call them the "Never Ending" bun. The cinnamon buns at Viva Bakery on Yew street are also supposed to be pretty good. As for the Savary Island Pie Co., my vote goes to the organic rhubarb pie - delicious! How come egullet doesn't come with a lip-smacking icon?

Well, yes, all of the above is certainly true. But if you are looking for good bakeries outside of Vancouver, then Fieldstone, which specializes in baking organic artisan breads, is always a safe bet. Their breads are naturally levened, in that they use no commercial yeast. I really like their “Italian Pugliese” which contains just certified organic flour from Manitoba, water, malt and sea salt. The authentic item is traditionally baked in a giant wood burning oven, but James and Ingrid, the bakers at Fieldstone, manage to get pretty much the same effect from the stem-injected, stone hearth oven that they brought over from France. The shop is on Crescent Road in Surrey. They have been there for about five years now and yes, they are open Sundays. Then another good option in Surrey (although I haven’t been to this one recently), is Straight from the Hearth. They used to have the only 100% yeast-free sourdough on the market but I’m not sure if they are still able to make this claim. Anyhow, all their breads are said to be yeast free, contain no oils and use only natural starters. And unlike most organic bakeries, they use natural spring water instead of filtered water. They are on the 2300 block of King George Highway.

Keith: If the backyard thing doesn’t work out, you could try the restaurant route. Osteria Napoli on Renfrew steet used to do special evenings where they only served whole roast pig. It was a bit of a theatrical production when the waiters all emerged from the kitchen with the porkers held aloft on trays -- and very popular with the regulars who booked reservations well in advance. I went a couple of times and it was a pretty entertaining sight, although I learned not to take the kids, who got a little freaked out by the whole thing. Now that we are no longer living in the city I haven’t kept track of whether or not the restaurant is still doing these dinners. Eatrustic: I'm pretty sure the Bearfoot Bistro at Whistler was serving Berkshire pork this winter. I think they got it from a farm in Ontario (?) but someone in their kitchen might give you a local source.

Hmmm...let me see if I have this right. I appear to be getting a thunk on the head for my impotent attempts to have a little fun with Hawaiian tourists from a guy who started this thread by thrusting the entire magnificence of his sense of humour upon the citizens of Calgary. The cattle too near the Parker Ranch may not be heritage but nevertheless, they appear to be sacred. Well, never mind.....Jamie, I’m happy to hear that you are taking the higher road to the Kilauea Crater and doing your best to promote world peace between chefs of Pacific Rim nations and all that..... But what I’m wondering is .... if you are in Hawaii with a beautiful woman (and she surely is), why are you spending time getting your knickers in a twist over what we poor shut-in spammers back home are thinking? You need to get your priorities straight, man. Or do you just need a bigger keyboard?

"Hawaiian Flights Jammed with Flying Doughnuts." No kidding! Well Keith, Calgary may have Tim Hortons but it looks like Hawaiians get that glazed look for Krispy Kremes. link to Forbes Magazine http://www.forbes.com/business/commerce/ne...rtr1331116.html

Would you like another Heineken, Jamie?

True. The quality of tourists that go from Vancouver is not exactly Hawaii’s fault. Calgarians at least have the weather for an excuse. But there are two types of Vancouverites who habitually go to Hawaii. 1) The people who go just after winning the Super Lotto and just before splurging on a new pick up truck. 2) The people who would spend thousands of dollars to go to Tuscany and sit around at Villa Delia with people they already know. And other than that, I guess there are the Iron Man marathon freaks, but we don't want to mention them.

Hest, if you are keen on visiting Temple you should maybe try to get there before October. There's a possibility the chef may be moving away some time this year.

Thanks Keith. I always find your comments to be humourous AND original and that does brighten up my day. (Jamie - Coop is right. Fresh ideas drive this board and your ideas are fine pal, but you’ve got to rotate those road worn puns you’ve been wheeling around on for at least 10 years. Lack of ram? Sound of muesli? Time to retire them and give them a pension.) As for Hawaii, I have to agree. It’s always struck me as a destination for people with no imagination. At least, its never appealed much as a good place for food. Unless you are into poi and then there ARE some imaginative things you can do with that as long as you don’t swallow it. That being said however, I’ve been under the impression that some of the food producers in the agricultural areas were doing interesting work in the way of growing fresh wasabi, raising heritage breeds of cattle...if checking out that sort of thing gets you more motivated than sand in your swim trunks then there is still something there for foodies. Not me though. For pure entertainment value, I’ve heard the seafood auction where they flog 1,000 pound albacore tunas to the sushi agents is a bit of a blast.

Yah, it's a good idea. Good for Mia. Maybe if the restaurants start getting more notice for their lunch menus, more of them will make the effort to stay open for lunch.

If you are looking for a charcuterie menu, George Szasz of Paprika Bistro does a great one.

I would be interested to know why you say that, Keith. I haven't been there for years myself. But I was under the impression it was supposed to be getting better.

zzzzzzzz...oops! Is he finished yet? Don't worry Jamie, you're always good for a laugh.

Exactly. And isn't it always the "journalists" who get involved in this kind of petty mudslinging? Just another excuse to show off, I suspect. Actually, the chefs and restauranteurs in each city think quite highly of each other. Com'on we have a lot to offer each other and more to accomplish if we take a more supportive attitude instead of squabbling over nothing.

Yarrow is a farming community with Mennonite roots near Cultus Lake in the Fraser Valley. To go there, head east on Hwy #1 towards Chilliwack and take the 104 exit. There are some large roadside farm stands about 1 mile after you turn off the highway and also some spots right in the town of Yarrow that are worth searching for, such as the Apple Farm, which I believe is organic. The Apple Farm does farmgate sales of heritage apples and homemade apple pies and in the fall they sell fresh pressed apple juice and cider. They have a website. www.applesandstuff.com Most of the farm stands are only open late spring through Thanksgiving. There is a printed guide available giving locations and opening hours to the farmgate sales in the area. Most of the stands carry it.