Mooshmouse

Indeed it does, Andrew. A true Canadian right of passage for Father and son alike. ← Oi... what's this about Father and son?! Ian likes hockey, to be sure, but I'm the bona fide sports fan in this household. Anything that Noah learns about hockey will likely be acquired from me. Back OT, just received an e-mail from the lovely Sue Sherwood that Fiction now has pay-per-view hockey. Perfect place to enjoy some top-notch food and drink while watching the game.

May the force be with you.

Just like Sablefish tastes oh, so much better than Alaskan Black Cod. And Chilean Seabass was, once upon a time, formerly known as Patagonian Toothfish. Now, if only the name could be changed back, perhaps they'd stop overfishing it to the point of near-extinction.

Stash, let's just get this straight. The years from 30 to 33 are your early thirties, the years from 34 to 36 are your mid-thirties, leaving the years from 37 to 39 as your late thirties. So, you've been in your mid-thirties decline for, oh, 10 months now? Denial will get you nowhere, young Jedi!

That's what happened to me! I was skinny as a rail until we had the first one, and after that, well, it's been all downhill. ← more specifically known as the pounds that you put on after the Happy 10 which both men and women gain during the honeymoon period of a marriage/partnership. ← Is this supposed to be per year? When does it stop? ← Wow I thought the culprit was the eG 20, but now I see it must be from my marriage. OK that makes sense. ← Oh no, Lucy, the Happy 10 is in addition to the eG 20. Nice try, but none of us can escape that sordid reality! And Brooks, it doesn't stop; rather, it changes. It increases steadily per annum until your children hit the pre-pubescent years, at which time it shifts to an inverse correlation between the age of your child and pounds gained per year versus the pounds you lose from pulling your hair out in frustration at their angst-ridden teenaged defiance.

No, you're not wrong. Canucklehead's been there once.

That's what happened to me! I was skinny as a rail until we had the first one, and after that, well, it's been all downhill. ← Brooks, that'd be the Daddy 15, more specifically known as the pounds that you put on after the Happy 10 which both men and women gain during the honeymoon period of a marriage/partnership.

Bravo, Brian... c'est très bien fait! Like Arne, I love the interior shots of Au Bec Fin. And thank goodness I wasn't looking at your beach photos on our rainy Sunday; otherwise, I would've been cursing you in cooking class last night! Can't wait to see and read more about your trip.

Lo and behold, Wes, here's the Wing Nuts website. Located on Main at 28th on the east side of the street. Monsoon and Typhoon are not owned by the same people. Remember our discussion last night after cooking class? Habit is the new restaurant going into the space formerly occupied by Typhoon; it's being opened by the owners of what was Tangerine on Yew Street in Kitsilano. Methinks you had too much vino.

Amen to that sistah! I never thought I'd take such great pleasure in the first peek after lifting the bowl on a ball of dough to find that it has risen perfectly. And great tip Irishgirl, especially for those of us who are small of hand and wrist. I'll have to try that at home.

Oooooh, snackette... for a girl who says that she can't cook, that carrot cake is pretty durn impressive! I didn't know you had it in ya'!

It was, indeed, an eGullet swarming at Stormin' Norman's Spirit Grill on Sunday evening and, I daresay, one of if not the best Burger Club outings to date... a bonus for all the first-timers who joined the ranks. Having done some advance reconnaissance work with Vancouver Lee a couple of weeks prior, I knew what to expect and came with an empty stomach, ready to tackle the condiment station to end all condiment stations. Lee and I had sampled both the Ground Sirloin and the Mixed Wild Meat burgers on our first trip; of the two, my hands-down preference was for the Mixed Wild Meat burger and that's what I ordered. Needless to say, I went a bit nuts with the toppings. Can barely remember what's on there now. Swiss cheese, sauteed mushrooms and fried onions were the hot toppings, then added lettuce, tomato, pickles, Maille dijon, relish, BBQ sauce and sriracha. The sauerkraut and capers that you see in the photo are on the side. WARNING: EXTREME BURGER PORN ALERT! The following photo is for mature audiences only and should not be viewed on an empty stomach. Viewer discretion is advised. Don't say I didn't warn you. To paraphrase Normand's words, a good burger is a two-part relationship. He grills up the best burger possible and the customer is responsible for building it. True to his word, Normand grilled my well-seasoned Mixed Wild Meat burger to a perfect medium pinkness. In talking to a couple of tablemates who ordered the Muskox, the Mixed Wild Meat seemed to be a thicker, moister patty. Meat nirvana. Me with the men of the evening: from left to right there's Sylvain (our live entertainment for the night who also happens to be a server at Stormin' Norman's), Normand Auclair and our illustrious Burger Club guru, Vancouver Lee. The kitschy, welcoming ambiance and the staff's passion for their burgers really make Stormin' Norman's Spirit Grill what it is. Can't wait to see what you have up your sleeve for the next Burger Club sojourn, Lee... it'll be tough to top this one!

Chris, there is a vast difference between the way that Alexandra Gill excoriated Diva in her 'professional' capacity and the way that we "amateurs" as you deem us relate our dining experiences at a restaurant. First and foremost, we are paid neither to dine around town nor to share our experiences in print. We eat out because we love food and, in most instances, we love to gain new inspiration for our own home cooking efforts from the dishes that come out of restaurant kitchens. When we write, our aim is not to sell publications but, rather, to share our meals in a virtual way with others who may not have had the opportunity to dine at a particular establishment. For the most part, we are not vitriolic; on the contrary, I find us to be reasonable, intelligent adults who are rather measured and honest with our remarks. If a restaurant catches our fancy, then we'll return. If our dining experience was riddled with missteps, we'll either be truthful about it or opt to 'plead the fifth' on the eGullet boards so to speak, and we may give the restaurant a second or even third chance. But, come on now. Many of us are not of unlimited budget or resource and we have to maximize the benefit of our dining dollars when we spend them. In short, we food enthusiasts congregate here because we relish the opportunity to share our collective dining experiences. And, let's face it. You post here. You take the time to read what the amateurs are saying... unless you skim through a topic until either Andrew or Jamie's or Neil's or Leonard's name catches your eye. The professionals write the reviews, but the amateurs' money pays the bills. ← Furthermore, does having a bad experience at any particular restaurant... chalk it up to an off-night, "goat rodeo", whatever... invalidate our right to discuss it with a measure of diplomacy on the boards? Or do we have to remain true to the unspoken rules of the eGullet Love-in? Methinks not.

Provolone? ← Dudes... I said that already! Read, people!

Are you sure that's not a cultural hangover reflecting Filipino eating habits? I can identify with your weight-gain issues since I was painfully thin as a kid, healthy and very active but thin and ate like a horse. It was hereditary as my Mom also had a ridiculously fast metabolism. When I finished university at 20, I weighed somewhere in the neighbourhood of 96-98 lbs, the heaviest I'd ever been in my life. Soon after, I also joined a gym in the hopes of packing on the pounds. Exercised three to five times each week to put on muscle mass. Ate a meal beforehand and a protein shake and pasta after each workout. And it worked. Really, though, all you need to do to gain the weight is have a child...

As noted in my photos from this post, I made pizza this evening as part of a "Serious Foodie" cooking class that I'm taking with some fellow eGulleters. The recipe we used did call for bread flour with the addition of 2 T semolina and 2 T cornmeal for a denser crust. I made the dough by hand. After forming my dough ball, I kneaded for approximately 5 to 7 minutes and put a lot of muscle into it, gradually adding more flour as I went along. My dough progressed from the sticky stage to becoming more firm; however, from our breadmaking efforts in the previous class, I knew to wait until the dough changed from firm to slightly tacky before I stopped kneading. We gave the dough ample time to rest after the rise, and there was no contracting once we punched it out and shaped it. End result? Absolutely perfect pizza crust.

Wes has the cooking process all squared away, so I'll cut to the chase with my own photos. Pizza before... (also shown in Wes's photo above) I jumped on the chance to make the pizza dough for our group; the kneading therapy went a long way after I had spent most of Sunday unpacking and organizing my kitchen. ...and After A bit of garlic in the pizza dough for flavour. Great texture on the crust. Toppings included freshly made tomato sauce (courtesy of Chef Tony), prosciutto, white asparagus, tomato, cambozola and fontina cheese. More than enough left over for me to bring home and share with Ian... he always feels so ripped off that he never gets to taste any of our Monday-night creations. Chicken Saltimbocca with Green Beans in beurre noisette Didn't get any notes on the white wine pairing for the first course, but the saltimbocca was served with a Mezzomondo 2003 Negoamaro Salento. Lemon Tart Tender, flaky pastry and smooth, creamy lemon curd that wasn't too tart. Delicious. Edited to add a note on the wine.

The Vancouver Courier Monday, October 17 edition Nu kid on the block – Tim Pawsey finds that "this sleek, curvaceous and undeniably sexy room" surpasses expectations. Guiding lights – Lumiere 10th birthday celebrations include An Encore Performance on November 13 and The Inspiration dinner with Charlie Trotter on November 18. What's new in Portuguese? – Manuel Ferreira slated to open Senova at year's end in the former Coco Pazzo space. Bye-bye Bis – The Miottos close up shop at Bis Moreno.

This evening's dinner was prepared at the Serious Foodie Class that a few Vancouver eGulleters are currently taking at the Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver. First up, pizza. I quickly volunteered to knead the dough for our group of three, as the kneading therapy went a long way after spending most of my Sunday unpacking and organizing my kitchen. Before... ...and After Toppings include freshly made tomato sauce, prosciutto, white asparagus, tomato, cambozola and fontina cheese. Chicken Saltimbocca with Green Beans in beurre noisette Last but not least, dessert... which I happen to be having the last bites of as I post these photos. Lemon Tart

This article from The Vancouver Courier talks about Island Way Sorbet, a newcomer to Vancouver that's based in Florida. Their assortment of fruit-shelled sorbets includes apple, lemon, pineapple, coconut and orange. I've yet to try them, but they look delicious!

Stan, I'll make the same request of you that you made of me: could Filipino food make an appearance in your blog? Perhaps a visit to Cendrillon, the likes of which is sorely absent from the Vancouver food scene? Maraming salamat!

I'll wholeheartedly second that recommendation. Once upon a time, I was not a blue cheese lover, but St. Agur is what made me develop a newfound appreciation for it.

Mmmmm. Picked papaya is known as atchara/achara in the Philippines and, as you had guessed, it's a very tasty condiment... sorry, Yetty! Click here for a recipe link.

The Vancouver Courier Thursday, October 13 edition Therapy for wine lovers – "If sitting on a deck down a rural road, overlooking Naramata vineyards with a backdrop of Lake Okanagan sounds like the perfect antidote to city stress, then (obviously) Therapy Vineyard & Guesthouse is for you, and perhaps a whole bunch of your friends." (Tim Pawsey) Tim Pawsey tallies the medal count at this year's Okanagan Wine Festival

Pinasugbo is, indeed, banana brittle or fritters native to the province of Negros Occidental in the central part of the Philippines. They're made from slices of dried, thinly sliced Filipino bananas drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with sesame seeds; other varieties use sweet potato or coconut. Sticky as all get out, murder on dental work but still wonderfully delicious. One of my favourite Filipino snack foods. Time to go out and buy some for my own cupboard. A wonderful blog, Chris, showcasing an eclectic dining week and a lovely family. Great job!