jtcookie

I used the stove-top method for smoking; use a pot large enough to hold your duck, and keep the bird off the bottom with a cake cooling rack. The mixture should be smouldering first, put a tight fitting lid on quickly, and keep over the lowest heat you can for about 1 hour. Maybe experiment with chicken first; they are delicious prepared this way also, and you'll be 'pro' when the time comes for smoked duck! The mixture ratio varies, but we used 2:2:1 rice, tea, sugar (by volume) Don't use your favourite stock pot or Dutch oven, as the burnt mixture is difficult to clean off afterwards. John

We used a method similar to this, but boiled the duck longer, and instead of giving it a roasting took it out when cooked but still firm, and then smoked it over a combination of black tea leaves, rice and brown sugar. Tealicious! John

I second the Choices nomination; they look very much like the real deal to me, and have the prerequisite coating of butter to keep the icing sugar on! John

Could this be the under-the-radar fly-by-night Chez Jim that was closed down by a consortium of VPD Vice Squad, Narcotics Squad, and HazMat Team over the weekend? My Kits informants (sorry Jamie, I've sworn never to reveal my sauces) tell me that there was a raid in the early hours of Sunday morning. Several party-goers were forcibly removed from the premises, and left cooling their heels on the sidewalk, while a very animated host, possibly a certain M Chatters, discussed procedings with several of Vancouver's finest. "I tell you" exclaimed Chatters, "that I'm cooking crap. That's crap, not crack, officer". "Not according to reports we've gathered, sir. There have been several reports of a steady stream of undesirables frequenting these premises" the officer was overheard to say, pointing at the motley crew being processed in the cold rain. Eye-witnesses inform that several members of the Chatters clan were assembled, included Morris's brothers, Arfamo', Gizamo', and sister Waitamo'. Also present was Chinese mob boss Gang Hay, rumoured to be the new owner of Kung Pow Phat Soy, and his consort Gang Ho. As they were packed into the paddy wagon, an officer was heard to order "Hay, Ho, off we go". Quite a crowd gathered to watch proceedings, including some late night restaurant staff, who seemed to be encouraging the police to use maximum force, and who wanted Mr Chatters to review their middle fingers, whatever that means. After the premises was cleared for entry, Hazmat team members removed several items of interest, including a still smouldering piece of unidentified meat, several cameras and a laptop computer. Yellow police tape and curbside garbage, left by the patrons of the nearby Hammy hotdog cart, (Hanger Banger is their dog du jour ) is now all that remains of the episode. Kits residents can sleep safely again, knowing that another unlicensed chop-shop has been taken down.

Good morning Jamie, This has been the most wonderful trip around our lovely province. I know you've previously mentioned unveiled threats and menaces from disgruntled owners/chefs in response to less than flattering notice they may have received from reviews of their business, and the topic has been well covered in other threads, but do you conversely restrain your enthusiasm on occasion when you may have been blown away by a dining experience, knowing from your experience that the increase in trade your recommendation bestows would seriously compromise the culinary or staffing capabilities of that operation? Kind of a double edged sword; getting glowing notice, but unable to satisfy the increase in business! Has this happened on your watch? How was the lamb, and when are you sleeping?!! Eagerly....... John

What she says! An experienced restaurateur, who didn't really need the extra business, was only too happy to allow me to bring a special bottle, not available in BC, when I called and explained that the wine would complement his wonderful food, that we would buy from his list as well, and that I was only too happy to pour a glass for him, and pay whatever corkage was appropriate. Regardless of the law in this province, that's what I'd do as a matter of course. This is another one of those wowserish, archaic laws that has to change. I'm suprised that we don't hear more from BC wine makers and VQA about this. John

In a previous life (10 years ago) I was involved with a Hot Food program for Eastside elementary schools. The rationale was that a hungry child can't learn, and we contracted with the VSB to supply 1500 mainly hot (Friday was sandwich day) meals every school day. Menu choices were set from month to month, and the children, where possible, would pay the school $1.00 per meal. We had lots of fun moving this amount of food, but there were some obstacles that Ms. Barnaby and others should to be mindfull of. Because we were supplementing the work of the cafeteria staff, they chose to put up roadblocks where ever possible. The favourite was food temperature, and they would constantly report supposed infringements of their newly learnt, but poorly understood HACCP program. The food itself was under surveillance non-stop. The meat sauce was too red; the meat sauce wasn't red enough (hang on! its marinara sauce today!); the soup is under/over/not-at-all seasoned; the chicken fingers are too soggy; no, they're too crispy etc. etc. There was no pleasing these staff. The VSB is not a great client to have to deal with. The inter-office, inter-departmental squabbles were not a thing of beauty, and derailed several improvements we wanted to make. The food? It had to be hot, it had to be customer-friendly. Considering the client profile, if it wasn't something that was readily recognizable it wasn't eaten. We were very aware of the nutritional requirements at play here. For many kids this was the only square meal of the day. Monday and Friday were the biggest dispatches for us, framing a weekend that might not involve much of substance or goodness on a plate. I believe the schools provided for those students not able to afford the meal. Cost was a major factor in the tendering and delivery process. The VSB didn't have any budget for 'frills', and I'm sure they've less now than back then. Is Ms. Barnaby the person to do this? Not if she thinks elementary school children are going to stuff themselves with brown rice crust pizza and spaghetti squash. John

^Visually it's not the greatest, as the breast is somewhat beige on the outside. I prefer to finely (about 8 cuts) angle slice the breast, and shingle it on one side of the plate. The sauce I used has very much the same colour, so I keep that off to the side of the meat. Sliced and shingled onto a warm plate, the rosiness of the medium rare meat is all the other colour you have to work with, so don't mask it with sauce. A couple of fresh orange segments and some flat-leaf parsley gussied the plate up sufficiently. We had a Pay d'Oc Syrah alongside; only to ameliorate the excess fats, of course! The rest for the breast started once I took the pan off the heat; 15 minutes off to the side in a butter hot tub and you'd be relaxed too!! John

I took your butter poached magret suggestion to heart this weekend, and came up with a very acceptable version that used an all-butter "broth" for poaching. Cook 250g salted butter with 3 or 4 sections of orange rind and 6 crushed cloves of garlic. Let the butter cook slowly until the moisture has evaporated and the solids are turning beige. Pour the butter off, straining out the aromatics, and return it to a pan. Reheat the fat to have it at a medium heat (sorry, no thermometer in my kitchen!) for the skin-free, fat-free breasts. I popped them into the butter which bubbled crisply around the meat, gave them 2 minutes on each side, and took them off the heat. I lidded the pan, and kept them warm for about 15 mins, while the sauce finished. Sauce was a simple OJ, butter, cream, beef essence and Grand Marnier number. What was most appealing was that the breast meat was still pink, but much lighter in colour than our usual grilled med-rare breasts, and the fact that once off the heat, they do need to rest and gather up, but they stay nice and warm in the butter. These were not very heavy magret, so you would have to allow longer for mature birds. Aforementioned butter is now the cooking milieu for the confit for next weekend's lunch! John

It was a Dark and Stormy Night, or so the pre-dinner cocktail I chose last Saturday at Nu was called. 2 of the 3 advertised ingredients were present, but it was lacking the lemon wedge, and all the poorer for it. The missing wedge turned up on a side plate, to accompany a double espresso ordered with a twist, at meal's end. Citrus missteps apart, our foursome enjoyed the food immensely. Prerequisite oysters were gulped along with their lager shot, and other courses arrived in short order, which was to the kitchen's credit as business was brisk all evening long. We shared scallop ceviche, melted cheese puffs, fried olives, and stuffed chicken wings, followed by oxtail soup, duck croquettes, mushroom pithiviers, and bone marrow salad. The soup was a big protein hit, the pastry case contents were inhaled, and the croquettes very well received, though the meat-to-foie ratio is certainly higher than the melting moment we enjoyed so much at C last summer. The salad alongside the bone marrow was a perfect foil for the rich innards of 2 good sections of bone, my only quibble being that the marrow was too mealy, having been well dosed with fine breadcrumb to absorb the molten marrow. Main plates arrived in good time, and were all declared winners. Rare flatiron steak was just that, on a bed of wilted baby watercress tattooed with sweet tomatoes. A cordon of bearnaise gave the dish a comforting familiarity. Delicate halibut troncon was nicely poached, but somewhat overwhelmed with the addition of chorizo to the fond. Duck confit was crispy and generous, and the pork belly finished off our host, who had already got through the oxtail soup! Tarte tatin, creme brulee, and a couple of small cheese plates rounded out a very satisfactory meal. A couple of non-food observations come to mind. There are some very well defined dining philosophies at play here. Nu is promoting dining gallantry with the deliberate count of some food items. Its been mentioned before, but why else would you serve 5 portions of any item to be shared other than to stimulate conversation and manners - "You have it!". "No, I insist you have the last one!" The seating and the pricing (read; low backs, low bucks!) policy suggests that this is designed as a more casual, one-of-a-few-stops rendezvous. The speed at which the food appeared was not that of a long evening affair either. After cocktails, the courses mentioned above, with 3 bottles of wine, we were out of there in under 3 hours! The pacing was subliminally accelerated by the background music, which I couldn’t hear much of in the restaurant, but away from the hubbub it was clear the house sound track was intended to clear the house! The fast, monotonous beat is not at all relaxing or conducive to lingering over coffees, but then I’m sure that is not what management want on a Saturday night! After several comments upthread regarding the slow pace of service, our experience was quite the opposite. One aspect of service that should be addressed however; don’t use the table as a base for swiveling the wine bottle you’re opening! The “waiters best friend” with a two-stage lever works really well, and might have added a little extra polish to otherwise good service. Nu is not all about style, as it functions very well, but it has it in spades, and is a great addition to the Vancouver food scene, adding several new hues to our dining palette. John

Given the news this morning http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=77900&hl= maybe the Normandy is a suitable candidate! John

He was chef tournant there I believe, turning his hand to any section as required, as well as taking over in lieu of the chef. Mrs. Cookie remembers like yesterday how strong the "perfume" of his soup was! John

The chef sounds like Daniel, a lovely Portugese guy I knew some years ago, and if it is he, the food is guaranteed to be good! One of the surest hands with seasoning I've seen in a kitchen, with a masterfully masculine approach to everything he prepared, Daniel's talents were not fully realised when we shared kitchen space. He made a simple garlic, cilantro and egg (drop-style) soup that blew me away then, and makes me want to return to his kitchen, soon! Thanks for the posting on this one, vancouver, and for re-kindling the memories! John

Your 'pooter, tho' attempts to apply acutes, circumflii, et al result in the usual squared off thingeys. Quote from Maze review; "It is in the nature of a waiter to act in a way that persuades clients that, but for their attention, the meal would have been less enjoyable". Surely one of the most succinct lines written to describe modern restaurant service! John

Oh!, and bring cash. Telus hasn't got them wired yet for Interac. John

Took Mrs. Cookie and the 2 crumbs to Diner last evening, pre-football in the 'den'. At 5:00pm we were the sole occupants, which was fine for them as there was still lots of mise taking place. The service was very relaxed and personable, as well as effusive about all the menu items. One of the brews (Red Devil?) was not available, so we plumped for the Fire Truck Amber, from the vats of Mark James. Fabulous ale, very well balanced, with a vanilla-orange note playing counterpoint to a mellow hopiness. Great drinking for an overcast fall evening. M.C. and I shared a Fig and Onion tart to start, which was more galette than tart. A freshly baked, very thin pastry base had a generous smear of sweet onion, several fresh fig slices, sprinkle of fresh rosemary and crumbled mild goat cheese. The topping may have benefitted from being heated ensemble for a moment, but that's not a criticism, so much as a reflection on my own "common-heat-for-common-food" fussiness. Crumb #1 had Fettucine Carbonara, and polished off the whole bowl of lightly coated al dente pasta. Not a lot of sauce in evidence, but that's a common theme at Diner. Crumb #2 went for grilled cheese, a dish he has vast experience with and appetite for. The only stumble of the evening was the burnt exterior to said sandwich. Hey! its got to be easy getting this one right, but for some reason they didn't bother replacing it. (we didn't ask them to, but would expect that conscientious staff not let something like that see the light of day) Over cooked deep fried curly fries, from the McCain's bag, and a nice cole slaw spiked with grated apple completed the plate. M.C. chose Chicken Schnitzel, which was coated with an eggy dredge instead of the usual flour/egg/breadcrumb combo. Succulent chicken breast, spatzle and chard combined well. I like the lightness the egg batter gives delicate white meat - a very smart pairing. My lamb shank was great. The moisture was provided by the sweet braising vegetables smothered over the top of a falling-off-the-bone shank that was sitting on a bed of baked Hubbard squash. The pepperiness of the sliced chard leaf was a perfect foil to the rich squash compote. I'm not a big dessert fan, but I'll return many times if the chocolate souffle is a menu staple. Wow! What impressed me was the confidence of the baker putting a dollop of whipped cream on top of the souffle. The texture is smooth, the structure delicate, but it still had the strength to hold the cream. Top marks also to the cheesecake. This is minimalist food, in the main executed well, in spare space that will become a neighbourhood favourite. Don't expect saucing, garnishing or frou frou, the prices don't allow for that. I hope the crowds build slowly, as the staff still need to get the measure of the room. John

It always amused me how the end of year bash would reflect the financial vagaries of the industry my wife was in for a number of years. The travel business has been through some very tough times recently, but it wasn't always so. The first time we went to her company-hosted event, it was to a wonderful Italian restaurant on Commercial. My apologies for forgetting his name, but the chef/owner had a pastry shop on the other side of the road. Great food, and the standard litres of house wine on the table, all compliments the employer. And of course the 'stayers' went on afterwards, disco-ing the night away. Then came those memorable December evenings at Hy's Mansion. Ties for all the gents, ladies gorgeous in their not-trotted-out-often-enough finery, and a visit from the carolling group that really got us into the the Christmas spirit. Literally, as it was open season on the host bar, with many gallons of B-52's et al turning the disco floor into an early version of a mosh pit! Our hosts also provided taxis all round to make the blurred trip back to the burbs, as designated drivers weren't yet a social vocation. All good things come to an end, and Hy's Mansion departed one year prior to the last bun-fight we enjoyed in that building. The halcyon days of the travel industry were also numbered, and the parties took a notable turn down market. We suffered a couple of hastily arranged prix fixe debacles in ma 'n pa-type properties, where I had the distinct impression that ma might have shot through with the head waiter a while previously, taking her recipes with her! Nevertheless, many refreshing libations flowed, dulling the ignominy of our fall from grace. The final straw was the pot luck dinner in the office. How many versions of a 7-layer dip can you imagine? Not as many as the cheese ball/log varieties lining up forlornly on the staff lunch room counter! "Darling, it's time for a career change!" John

Stephen, I'm happy to pay reasonably well for a properly made cuppa. Sure, provide a high end range, including bags (before you dismiss this convenience out of hand, try the Might Tea bag range - superb!) and loose. Where the real value comes is with the storage and preparation of the tea, and support of the program. I'm sure you need no help in determining correct tea preparation, but along with that I know that most local restaurants require thorough training and support. China teapots, maybe even a "cozy" or blanket of sorts, matching ancillary crockery, dedicated hot water, and please, no frikkin' dairy portions, would have me happy to pay a premium price. If the standard charge is $2 to $3, I would gladly pay $3 to $6. John

I'm a huge fan of the Unibroue products we have available in Canada. 750 ml dark brown glass, corks held in place with wire enclosures, and alc/vol of 7 to 10.5% - what's not to like?! Maudite is the most approachable in the range, I find, but others, including Terrible are fabulous examples of the brewers craft. I picked up a bottle of theirs a little while ago that had a gorgeous label, and a beer that had notes of green apple. Brilliantly refreshing on a hot Vancouver pm! Anyhoo, last 3 were aforementioned Maudite, Philips Brewing Company "Amnesia" which is a mind-blowingly bitter double IPA! Its cloudy, as most of the Philips range that I've tried are, and hoppy in the extreme! I've been trying to come up with a food match for this beer, and figure that it could take the place of malt vinegar with ones fish and chips! Sleeman's Amber Ale is my house beer of the moment, but only because they've discontinued making Steam, which in my book was the best beer in Canada. Missing the Steam! John

John, Has Illumine opened yet? Any early reports? Care to take one for the team? Jamie ← Papered-over windows and very little illumination when I went by last night Jamie! Very timely that you should be following up this evening though, as I hear from employees-to-be that the call up was issued tonight, and that the doors will be opening next Friday. Menu and first impressions to follow soon. John

My bolding! Sorry, but that's much more a reflection on your friend than on the food at Tojo's! "and now am going to indulge myself in a chariman-Kaga-like-gourmet-nothing-is-too-expensive eating fest" Given your mission, Manuel, I'm sure you will be well served by a visit to Tojo's. There may be better value Japanese in Vancouver, but a seat at the bar gives you front-row participation in a well deserved Vancouver culinary legend. If you find you're not sated, order more!! John

"Glimmer of light" is very appropriate, as the name of the new European (Tuscan and French) resto to come to South Delta, is Illumine! My apologies to the chef, featured in last week's Delta Optimist, whose name escapes me, but he is indeed a Menghi alumni. He's taken over, and added some really nice features to, the old Reo's and Johnny O's (short-lived) Roadhouse stall on Tsawwassen's "restaurant row". (for "row", read fish and chips, pizza et al, and Chinese)! We were at Southside Grill last Saturday, which was, sadly, a bit tired culinarily, and not at it's previous form at all. Lets hope the new competition gets them back on their game. Illumine is slated for opening mid-September. A well constructed seasonal menu should overcome some of the seasonal aspect of business in this 'burb, as I'm sure 95% of diners are locals, with the occasional group of golfers coming back from Point Roberts, and visiting family members, making up the balance of diners-out. John

We had exactly the same experience this summer - looking for multi-generational dining for visitors - and did quite well for views without having to dine with all the tourists flocking into the "view properties". The exception was Bridges Bistro, where the meal, service and ambience was certainly good value for our food dollars. It seemed to me there were loads of locals lining up for a seat; certainly outnumbering the tourists from where I sat. High seating capacity, multi-turns per shift, higher than the already atmospheric rents for view location, the seasonality aspect and Vancouver's lack of culinary tradition and heritage amongst the front- and back-of-house staff all conspire against great food in our "big box" properties. Until such time as owners and investors are prepared to dedicate more acreage to back-of-house, and not squeeze a table into every last inch of floor, food and service will continue to underwhelm. Are there any willing to take out an extra row of tables so as to allow the kitchen staff room to move and work their magic? Apparently not, as long as the price point remains accessable to locals. Can owners afford to hike their prices? Not without losing a fair chunk of their local fan base off-seaon. See gerald's Catch-22 below! Coming from the kitchen end of things, I always felt it incongruous that we expent so much sweat and talent on the food and its canvas, all the time playing second fiddle to the bloody scenery! I would hate to have the Parks Board at any way involved with the food establishments on its property. Catering by committee is guaranteed to piss the professionals right off, and its their hard won clientele that suffers. The landlord should make sure that services are in places (gas, hydro etc) and the property is presentable. Otherwise, stay the hell away! If, however, the Parks Board is looking to appoint a Food and Beverage Inspector, who might I send my resume to?! John

Abalone is one of a growing number of marine edibles that has virtually disappeared from our plates, internationally. We would gather a few from the close-to-shoreline rocks on the coast of the South Island of NZ. Out of their shell, cleaned, and bashed once on a smooth rock with a '4x2' by way of tenderizing them, they were thrown onto onto a sizzling hot plate beachside, with a dollop or two of butter, for about 30 seconds each side. Some liked them unsliced, served 'burger-style', but we usually sliced them and included them as part of our local assiette de fruits de mer which would also feature blue mussels and pipis, which are a native inter-tidal sand clam. The abalone (paua is its Maori name) was sweet, saline, and oh! so succulent! Jon's description above is right on the money, and the pairing with shittake is sublime. Back then restrictions were in force, and we would only take what we would be eating that evening, and then only shells longer than 7". Sadly these were not enough to halt the encroachment into native stocks, and when I asked on a visit last year, friends said that they hadn't had a good feed of paua for some years. John

Wow, what a deluge of memories this topic has released! I grew up in NZ, where, in the late 60's, the Galloping Gourmet was king of the black and white airwaves! That anyone could have so much fun in the kitchen, be so enthused by his milieu, and have so many "little slurps" in front of the camera was groundbreaking stuff for many of that boomer generation. His market share was indeed enviable, but consider that there were only 2 TV stations in NZ at the time, and you get a better perspective! His on-camera antics were infectious, and strangely appealing not only to the myriad of housewives with little domestic stimuli other than Womens Weekly, but also to many husbands who were emerging from post-WWll deprivations to enjoy the limited bounty of native produce and protein. My father loved the show, and it was GG's liberal pours and obvious delight with wine that turned Dad's tastes to the fruit of the vine. Graham Kerr was in the RNZ Air Force, having migrated from England. He came to television after leaving RNZAF, well grounded in the London City and Guilds methodology and having had exposure to some of the finer foods of the times (olive oil was not to be had in any stores we visited at the time!) in the Officer's Mess. His flair was mold-breaking in those days, NZTV of the day being a staid version of the BBC! He was imitated ad nauseum in years to come, and only one other TV cook came close, a down-to-earth, matter-of-fact housewife called Alison Holst. The first thing I wanted to do upon leaving school was join the RNZAF! I was sure that was the path to fortune and good food. I didn't, but nevertheless followed a culinary career, due in no small part to the antics of the GG. There were several in my college class who were similarly influenced, and coincidentally had strong predilections for that "little slurp". I admire the healthy approach Mr Kerr has adopted to his food, though its not my market. The message is great, but the delivery lacks that Kerr flair! Vive the Galloping Gourmet! John