Mark Donnelly

Keller's veal stock recipe is unusual. It does not use celery, madeira or (button) mushrooms. It also uses an unusually large volume of tomato paste, presumably to impart colour (but quite likely an overly tomato flavour as well). The truth is every receipe for any stock will be different. Just try several until you find one you like. Personally, I roast my veal bones and make scant use of tomato paste.

There are always two atisan bakers at the (East) Vancouver Farmers' Market at Trout Lake (every Saturday from 09:00 - 14:00. ALl-in-all a fab market.

I have been on a red wine diet for 30 years no and, sadly, can confirm that it doesn't work. Very enjoyable though!

See the attached link for some fab photos (and discussion) of BBQ pizza.

The best tool to determine whether you'r eoverweight or not is the mirror. If you look fat, then you probably are fat. Another index (better than BMI) is the waist/height ratio. Anything above 0.5 and you are probably overweight. What's you waistsize FatGuy?

Nope. Their work is their reward.

Yep. I've only ever passed through Saskatoon on my may to Queen's. Very nice city.

You could try the Ruby. I'll get my coat...

Interesting legal implications in litigation happy USA. Employee openly drinks at work with full support of company; gets in car; drives home impaired;... You can fill in the rest. Personally, even one beer gives you boozy breath. And I hate talking to someone with boozy breath when I don't have boozy breath and am stone cold sober.

Yep, I spelt Feaney wrong. But, then so did you. It's Feenie, I believe, not Feeny (sic). I haven't sold him short. By becoming the "Food Concept Architect" at the Catus Club he's sold himself short. I mean it's the most laughable title I've ever heard. Even my own title of Charlie Sheen's "Randomised Ramblings Quality Assurance Engineer" comes a distant second. But don't tell Charlie that.

I make mine with fish stock, double creame and vermouth. I use it for fish pie and (more thinly) a seafood chowder. But I don't make it that often (5-6) times a year. I use a variation on Nico Ladenis' receipe.

No idea. I too don't eat any fruit/veg out of season. All my fruit/veg comes form the farmers' market. Slim pickings at the moment but a lot to look forward to.

Vancouver is a contradiction. A vibrant Farmers' Market scene, small independent coffee roasters, Fisherman's Warf, etc, but the most bog standard restaurants. Comapred to other cities of similar (or larger) size, Vancouver's high end restaurants are aweful. There I've said it; but it doesn't make me feel any better. I mean, Rob Feaney is famous not for being a great chef, but for competing on a reality TV series on a minority, dumbed down cable channel. Tough, but true.

I love this. Sooo true. We could go further. What is the surface temperature of the egg before it goes in the water? Are the two different eggs in different locations the same size? My advice would be that if you go sticking a thermometer in the water that you boild eggs in, your GF might not stick around that long.

Arbitrage makes the world go round. It was also a significant contributor to the Great Recession; but that's another story.

Commercial TV is just that: it's a business. It's only about audience size and demographics. All I can say is thanks for PBS and the internet. One reason why better cooking shows come out of the UK is that BBC 2 and Channel 4 have public education, minority interest, etc requirements written into their charters.

Your blog is hardly a ringing endorsement of this event. Of course it's catering: there is no choice offered (other than different chefs - but they just cook one course) and 200 - 300 people attend. If that's not catering I don't know what is. Nice blog btw. I've added it to my favourites.

There is a TV series on this. Watch it and you'll quickly realise this is just mass catering dressed up as fine dinning. I understand that net proceeds go to Olympic affiliated charities, but $250 to eat mass produced catering food standing up is not my idea of a either a good time or money well spent. This event is volume over quality.

I just get my butler to drop potato chips in my mouth.

I've just purchased a whole lamb direct from the farmer (all butchered the way I wanted). Works out at $6/lb for all cuts. That's rack and legs at $6/lb as well as mince. Stunning price. Next I'm going to purchase a 1/4 or 1/2 a cow. I hope to achieve simialr savings. I believe buying direct from the producer in bulk is the best of all worlds. You build a relationship with the farmer; the middle person is cut out of the deal; it supports local food production; and you can achiebve unbeatable prices. Win win I say.

I agree with all you say. I enjoy my cycles to GI; but the market is 90% retail. Whilst Trout Lake is a summer market, Wise Hall is the East Van winter market. Some truly great organic producers of fruit, veg, bread and cheese. All local(ish) and no retail. For the avodance of doubt, and to bet back on-topic, I am all in favour of DOV. Anything that gets people out of chain restaurants and into proprietary ones is good in my books.

For me, the only attraction at GIM is Oyama. Fab sausages and chacuterie. Much better to visit one of the Farmers' Markets (Trout Lake being a particular favourite) where you can connect with actual producers. Too much of GIM is just retail.

The Railway Club is alive and kicking - an institution in Vancouver. Membership is $10/annum, so nice and light on the wallet.

Ironically you've made my point for me. I was making the point that there is no Vancouver equivalent of, say David Everitt-Matthias (Le Champignon Sauvage) who is cooking original, locally sourced food in Cheltenham (UK). And, it seems, any West Coast restuarants that are around have actually been imported from, erh, New York.

A fair point.