newbie

So I have been asked again to do the sides for my work's annual golf tournament for the staff and faculty. I have done this the past two years and we have approximately 100 people sign up. The main entree is Grilled Steaks, which someone else takes care of, so I am only responsible for doing the sides. For last year's menu, I did a Curried Coleslaw with Green Onions and Dried Cranberries, Caesar Salad, Baked Potatoes with all the fixings (green onions, bacon and sour cream), Fresh Rolls (purchased), Tossed Salad with a couple different dressings and a pasta salad. I went with the items that we find on a typical menu for a golf tournament BBQ but tried to "spice" things up. For example, the coleslaw and pasta salads we typically find done by local catering companies are usually mayo based with not much else added. Anyways, I am working on the menu for this year and would like to change it up a bit so I am looking to you all for ideas and inspiration. Keep in mind that I am going to be making this on my own with a bit of help from my mother. Also, I will need to make items that can be made in advance with little or no last minute prep as I am also going to be golfing and will have about an hour to get all the items prepped and put out on the table.

I believe the restaurant that you are mentioning is Cimo's Meditteranean and it is still open and doing very well. I've eaten there a few times recently and really enjoyed it, especially their calamari and their freshly made angel hair pasta with shrimp. Actually, Chef Moreno is back in PG and has opened a new restaurant downtown called "White Goose Bistro". I was there for work a couple of weeks ago at lunch but wasn't feeling very well and am afraid that my tastebuds weren't working. I had the French Onion Soup and found that it tasted too sweet which I'm unsure was due to my sickness or what so will be going back to check it out again. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I ate at Go Fish on Friday afternoon prior to my shopping exhibition at GI. I was there about a year ago and have been dreaming about the fried halibut and that delicious tartar sauce ever since I've been planning my trip back.

Thanks! Yes, I did have a good race. It was my first ever and I completed it in a time of 2 hours and 7 minutes. It was a very satisfying experience to be able to accomplish it....and in the rain nonetheless.

I was down in Vancouver this past weekend for the Vancouver Marathon (I ran the half) and got to enjoy some great restaurants while we were there. We were staying at the Sheraton Wall Centre downtown so we stayed within walking distance when we ventured out to eat. On Friday night, we went to Sala Thai Restaurant and really enjoyed it. There were three of us and we ordered the Tom Yom Soup with prawns, Chicken Cashew Nuts, the special which was prawns and scallops in a green curry with some thai basil and a veggie dish that was also in a curry sauce. That soup was amazing and I really enjoyed the special, the sauce was delicious. After the prawns and scallops were all gone, I used the sauce to top off my rice. On Saturday afternoon after we picked up our race packets, we headed down Robson to find lunch and ended up at Joe Fortes. I finally got to taste raw oysters and LOVED them . We started out with a half dozen of Fanny Bays, Gorge Inlets and Stellar Bays. I only got 2 out of the bunch and had to order some more for myself and got Kumamotos, Effingham and Caraquet. I tried them a few different ways (with lemon and hot sauce, with some freshly grated horseradish and cocktail sauce) but I must say my favourite was with just a bit of fresh lemon squeezed over. I'm just salivating thinking about it. Unfortunately there are no restaurants here in ol' PG that serves them raw but we've got a great seafood shop here that sells them so I will be definitely paying them a visit very soon to buy some. The shop is owned by a couple from back east so they've got Caraquets and Malpeques along with a few different west coast varieties. Just gotta figure out how to shuck the damn things....Along with the oysters, I had the ahi tuna which was absolutely delicious. It was done a perfect rare and served alongside some roasted potatoes and vegetables. We finished off lunch with the creme brulee, cheesecake and tiramisu. The creme brulee was my favourite of the three. On Saturday night, we had dinner in. We were staying at a condo in the Wall Centre so I had done some shopping on Friday afternoon at the Granville market and picked up the fixings for our pasta dinner to get us all carbed up for the big race. I picked up some fresh pasta from Duso's and make a shrimp scampi dish and another dish with some fresh tomatoes tossed in some EVOO and fresh garlic. The Rosemary olive bread that we had was from Terra Breads and we bought some homemade dressing from The Stock Market. I loved the shopping at the market, you are all so fortunate to have such great, fresh food at your disposal. I also picked up some thai basil, lime leaves, mirin and some red curry paste at the South Seas China stall to bring home with me. I'm looking forward to doing some of my own thai cooking at home. On Sunday, I was starving and grabbed a smokie from the street vendor on the corner of Robson and Burrard before heading back to our room to toast the completing of our run with some wine before heading out on the town that night. We bought a bottle of the Joie Noble Blend which we all really enjoyed and I was wishing I had bought a few more bottles to bring home with me. We went to Capones for dinner that night. Food was not too bad but nothing out of the ordinary. Wouldn't have been my first choice but we wanted to enjoy some jazz and were there more for the drinks than the food. I started out with the calamari and had the steak which was done medium rare as per my request. I drank a few of the Tropical Splash Martinis and we also had a couple of shots of some concoction that the bartender had made up for us. Needless to say we had a great time that night. All in all, I had a great time and really enjoyed the restaurants I got to try. I'm looking forward to when I get down there next and the great food that is to be had in your beautiful city.

Love the smell of bread baking, garlic roasting in the oven, coffee (even though I don't drink it), anything cooking on the barbecue, Hate the smell of that crappy parm cheese that comes in a container and that my husband and kids insist on spoiling their pasta with, hamburg cooking in a frying pan.

I also made all of my own baby food for my two children. As the previous poster said, easy to do and way cheaper (and better tasting!) than the baby food you can buy. I also had a book called "First Meals by Annabel Karmel. It is a wonderful book to look at and has plenty of ideas for baby food and includes info on nutrition, preparation and cooking times, freezing instructions. Tons of recipes for baby food but also includes recipes for your children as they progress from pureed foods. I loved the book and used it often. I used to steam my veggies and then puree them in my food processor to the consistency needed for their stage of development. Then I would put them in ice cube trays and freeze. After they are frozen, you can transfer them to a baggie and label it. I would write on the baggie what was in it and the date that I made it. When you've got a couple of baggies going, sometimes it's hard to distinguish what's in it. Reheating was just a matter of taking out the appropriate number of cubes and nuking it. As for the oatmeal, you can try adding some pureed fruits to it, better tasting for the little one and healthier to boot.

My child's preschool encourages snacks brought in be healthy, no junk food allowed. However, on special occasions they will make or ask parents to provide treats for all of the kids. They will usually provide a sign up sheet where only so many parents can sign up for "junk food" treats, ie cupcakes, etc. and the rest is asked to provide juice, fruit and veggies. I do not let my children eat too much sweets and don't keep it around the house, I will buy or make some for an occasional treat. I don't mind the preschool offering it also as an occasional treat but would certainly not want it to be a regular thing. I agree with sugarella in that I would like to be informed if my child is going to be offered snacks other than those I will be sending with her to preschool and appreciate my preschool's policy to limiting treats brought in. I'm not against it but just like to be informed what she is eating.

The first time around was a church wedding and I can't remember for the life of me a whole lot of details about the day, let alone what (and if...) I ate. Blocking it from memory I guess. I married my current husband in September 1998 and had a lovely outdoor wedding. We had around 100 guests of family, friends and co-workers and the reception was at a hall that allowed us to do our own catering. I made the majority of the meal which consisted of chicken cacciatore, lasagna, salads and rice. My husband's family made perogies and cabbage rolls. I was very proud of the food at the time and received rave reviews from the guests. If I were to do it again, I wouldn't hesitate to cater it again, actually enjoyed the experience, However, I would definitely put a bit more thought and be more adventurous with the menu, especially since I've expanded my husband's eating repertoire beyond meat, potatoes and pasta.

Sandwich made up at an Italian deli not far from my work. They make the sandwiches to order and slice the meat and cheese when you order and serve it on fresh buns/bread made in shop. Had some soppressetta and capicolli along with a jalapeno havarti cheese on a whole wheat kaiser. Topped with some lettuce, tomato, mayo and mustard. Very tasty. Beats Subway anyday!

I had a fondue party a couple of years ago on New Years for 18 people. We had four fondues going with a selection of beef and chicken for the main course. I used a couple of cans of a fondue broth that I get shipped from New Brunswick by my parents as I can't find it where I live and also made up my own broth made with red wine, beef broth and various spices that I took from a fondue recipe book that I have. We also had a cheese fondue to start off the night with and ended with a chocolate fondue. I love doing fondues and usually have one at least once every year. This year's happened between Christmas and New Year's as a group of our friends were going out of town for New Year's. There were 9 of us and I did the broth fondue again with a bourgignonne (sp?) sauce, ginger sauce and a mustard sauce for dipping the beef, chicken and shrimp. The ginger and mustard sauce were similar to ones you would fine in a teppanyaki restaurant and turned out great.

What a great way to marinate your satays!! I usually do it in a container and the marinade doesn't completely cover the all the meat skewers. And the finished product looks delish.

I must say that I am also sad to see this thread come to an end. I have always wanted to take a course to learn some new tricks in the kitchen but alas there are no such offerings up here. I had spoken with one of the instructors with the culinary program at the college up here a while back though and hopefully one day something like this will be offered. Thanks for sharing your experiences and I'll look forward to seeing installment # 2 in April.

The only clam chowders I've encountered in dining establishments in BC has been either the cream based or tomato based versions, although my experience is limited to northern BC and am not sure if they serve it anywhere in the Lower Mainland. My preference is the clear clam chowder versions which I've only experienced in the confines of my own kitchen (and of course my Mom's back in New Brunswick from whom I got the recipe). My inlaws also love this version and are ecstatic when I make it and extend an invite for them to come by and help me eat it.

Last night's dinner was Lasagna, Caesar Salad and Garlic Bread. Started making the homemade sauce earlier in the afternoon (ground beef, garlic, onion, celery, mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, basil) which I let simmer on the oven for an hour or so. Lasagna was made with the sauce, noodles, cottage cheese, parm cheese and topped off with lots of mozzarella cheese. The dressing I made for the Caesar is my new favourite....quick, easy and tasty. Invited the in-laws over for dinner, my lasagna is one of their favourite meals. Thankfully there was still leftovers to be enjoyed during the week. I love the weekends....what with working full time and the kids busy schedules, I don't get to spend the time cooking in the kitchen as I would like. All of your meals are truly inspiring, can't imagine cooking like that during the weekdays!

My go to meal depended on who I was cooking for. Usually I tried to find out what their favourite foods were and would cook that for them. When I first started dating my hubby (who doesn't cook at all), I couldn't go wrong.

What was your family food culture when you were growing up? My mom was a very basic cook, good food nonetheless. She rarely used cookbooks and many of the meals were the same old from week to week. As a French Acadian in the maritimes, she made a few dishes that were typical for her heritage. Chicken Fricot was and still is one of my favorites and Poutine Rape (not quite sure how to do the correct accents on the "a" and "e" on my keyboard...), haven't tasted since I was young and always thought of it as a soggy potato, never liked it. Was meal time important? Meal time was very important, we always ate together as a family which grew increasingly difficult as we got older and were very involved in sports. Was cooking important? I think it was important that we ate good meals but I think that cooking was seen as a mundane routine instead of the experience that it can be when you take the time to thoughtfully plan a meal and cook it. I see cooking as a way to show my family and friends that I care about them. What were the penalties for putting elbows on the table? There were no penalties for putting elbows on the table, just reminders to sit properly at the table. We did have to eat everything on our plate though. I remember the one and only time my mom made liver as a long and painful meal. Who cooked in the family? My mom did all the cooking with my dad cooking in the kitchen on the rare occasion when he got the urge to cook up some strange concoction that he thought would taste good. Were restaurant meals common, or for special occasions? We didn't have a whole lot of money growing up and with four kids, restaurant meals were not common and eating out at even McDonald's was a treat. Did children have a "kiddy table" when guests were over? My parents didn't entertain at dinner very often. The only time we had guests over would be on holidays, like Christmas and Thanksgiving, and long tables would be set up in the living room to accommodate everyone. If we had a holiday meal at my grandparents, there would be a kiddie table set up. When did you get that first sip of wine? Neither of my parents were wine drinkers so there was never wine served with a meal. My first sip of wine was my first experience with drinking at the age of 14, some cheap red wine that tasted disgusting. Needless to say, I didn't drink alcohol again until I hit high school. Was there a pre-meal prayer? Only on holidays when my grandparents were at the table. Was there a rotating menu (e.g., meatloaf every Thursday)? Not a rotating menu on a specific day, but what was served was pretty typical from week to week. Potatoes was and is still my mom's favourite and was typically the side served with some sort of meat most days. Until I was older, I didn't know that you would serve anything else on the side. Rice was reserved for those days when she made homemade Chinese food and pasta was unthinkable as a side, it would be a main with a tomato based sauce on top. How much of your family culture is being replicated in your present-day family life? We eat together as a family and I do the cooking in the house and that is about it. I like to try new recipes and am constantly searching for new recipes to try out. I do revert back to some tried and true meals from time to time but like to experiment a lot. Unfortunately my DH is not very adventurous in eating but I have more than made up for it with my children's eating habits. They will eat pretty much everything I put in front of them. I do not force them to eat everything on their plate but they have to at least try everything that I serve them and eat "most" of their meal (I don't want to be cooking again in another half hour because they are hungry...). I also love to entertain and have guests over for dinner. Working full time and having kids who are pretty involved in extra curricular activities, I don't get to do it as much as I would like. My friends are very appreciative of my cooking and are excited when they get an invite over for dinner. They know how much I enjoy cooking and how much thought, and love, goes into what I am preparing.

Leftovers from last nights dinner - spaghetti with chicken, mushrooms, green pepper and onions in a tomato sauce. Much better than any crap that is served in the cafeteria where I work.

As my family is back in New Brunswick, I am the designated cook for all holiday meals with my husband's family. They are not big on being in the kitchen and I love to cook so it works out well. This year's feast will look alot like the ones I have done over the past couple of years as it has been very popular with the in-laws. Growing up though, my mom was a very good but basic cook with the regular turkey, gravy, bread stuffing, mashed potatoes and carrots. I like to spice things up so I take her basic menu and jazz it up and add a few more things to it. I start off with a Roasted Winter Squash Soup with Gruyere Croutons. My MIL was very skeptical when I first made it, thought that she wouldn't like it because she claims that she doesn't like squash. However, it was loved by all at the table, even the kids. The main meal is the traditional Roast Turkey with a Herb Butter and Caramelized Onion-Balsamic Gravy. I was skeptical about adding balsamic vinegar to the gravy but it tastes amazing and I have been making it this way ever since. I made sure the MIL was nowhere near the kitchen when I first made this for her and told her after the fact what was in when she exclaimed how much she loved the gravy. For accompaniments, I make a Caramelized Onion & Chestnut Stuffing, a mashed potatoe casserole, Maple Glazed Carrots, Green Beans and Fresh Buns. For Dessert this year, I am thinking of going with a Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel and Pecan Sauce but I may cop out and go for the standard pumpkin pie.

Tried out the new (and only...) thai restaurant in town and got the Tom Yam Goong to go. Was quite tasty with a healthy serving of shrimps in the soup. I don't have a whole lot of experience with thai food but I enjoyed it and am looking forward to going back with some friends and trying out a few more dishes.

Dinner last night was chicken breasts that was breaded with panko and parmesan cheese then sauteed in some olive oil for a few minutes on each side to get a nice brown crust on it. I then removed the chicken and deglazed the pan with some white wine and added some chicken broth, garlic, leftover caramelized onions, capers and lemon juice and cooked it for a couple of minutes before adding the chicken back into the pan to finish cooking. Served with some pasta tossed with EVOO, parm cheese, salt and pepper and a mixed salad. The sauce was delicious and thankfully there were enough leftovers for today's lunch. I am amazed at the meals that you are all able to prepare on a regular basis. With two young children who are active in a number of activities (soccer, gymnastics, hockey, swimming lessons....) and working full time, I don't get to cook the meals that I would like to very often.

Thanks for the very enjoyable blog. I have been thinking about me and my husband doing a winery tour of the Okanagan, in particular the Naramata Bench area, and the details of your travels has just re-inforced that for me. Living up here in northern BC, we don't have access to a Wine VQA store and therefore our choice of wines are very limited to those offered by the BC liquor Corp. I don't know how many times I've searched out a wine which I've read/heard about and lo and behold can't find it. Once in a while though, I will find a bottle of something out of the ordinary at the local cold beer and wine stores but have to pay the exorbitant prices that they charge. I know that down there in the "Lower Mainland" you have a ton of great VQA wine stores with a fantastic selection, but were there any wines that you were able to buy on your travels that you would consider a "lucky find"?

Today, I had leftovers from Saturday night's dinner. I had my sister and a girlfriend over for some wine and homemade pizzas and was lucky enough to have a couple of slices leftover to bring to work with me. We made one pizza with a pesto base and the other with a blend of roasted garlic, sun dried tomatoes with a bit of olive oil that was processed until smooth. Toppings were mozza cheese, homemade roasted red peppers (much more flavorful than the pre-made stuff!), shrimp and caramelized onions with feta cheese sprinkled on top. Both were delish but my fave was the one made with the roasted garlic and sun dried tomate base.

Thanks Dejah. So many kids subsist (and I do mean subsist) on nothing more than processed food, a fate I didn't want for my son. Our household rule is that Noah must try everything on the table once; by try, I mean chew and swallow one bite. If he doesn't like it after that, then fair enough. But if a food that he doesn't like happens to appear on the table another day, he has to try it then too. That's how Noah developed an appreciation for roasted asparagus and roasted cauliflower: through repeated attempts. And I always remember to thank him for trying. ← I am the same with my children. They eat the same meal that I cook for myself and my SO. Same rules apply in my household that they need to take a few bites and if they do not like it, they do not have to eat it. Both of my children will eat it all the majority of the time. They are both seafood fans and love mussels, clams. lobster and crab and will eat most vegetables that I cook for them. I feel very fortunate to have such good eaters when I hear from other parents that their kids don't eat very well and will want to eat the same things over and over. BTW, great blog! I was fortunate enough to meet Joie and Ian, along with a few other egulleters on my trip down to Vancouver in April. I'm looking forward to getting down there again sometime......so many restaurants that I still want to try. Although I think that HSG will be a regular stop for me when I am in town.

For Baby # 1, I had difficulty with all seafood and beef. Whenever I tried it, it tasted "off" to me. As a born and raised east coaster, I found the no seafood part quite hard. Not too much of a surprise when I became anemic later in the pregnancy.... Didn't experience any cravings. For Baby # 2, there was nothing that I wasn't able to eat and actually craved beef and sweets. Was never a big sweets fan before that. Still not a huge sweets fan but do get the occasional craving now and then. I also experienced "morning" sickness during both pregnancies, though I'm not quite sure why they call it morning when it lasts all day..... ate lots of saltine crackers for the first month or so of both pregnancies.

I made a white wine and apricot sangria on the weekend. Unfortunately the weather wasn't very hot, however it went down very well nonetheless. Here is the link for the recipe. I used apricot brandy instead of the peach brandy as that is all I could find and had cut up a couple of fresh peaches and nectarines instead of using the frozen peaches. Drank it while sitting out on a deck overlooking the lake at a friend's cabin. Thankfully I only had enough to make one pitcher or things could have gotten out of hand.