Zucchini Mama

It all looks very good, Canadian Bakin', especially those buns. I would never had thought to put ice cream on top of a creme caramel. It seems counter-intuitive, but heck, I'm still drooling!

This month I ended up going to a couple of places more our of nostalgia than anything else. First off, I wanted to take Little Zuke and papa Zuke to Chocoatl, so we ended up at the Yaletown Brewery for lunch. They have a children's menu and give your child crayons and novelties, which is a godsend when you just want a relaxing family meal. I guess we haven't been there for over five years. Mr. Zuke had a pasta dish from the past, and I decided to go beyond the pizza and try the duck salad. I asked to subsitute garlic chips for the other fried allium that was listed, and you know, the salad was quite good. It wasn't exactly as described on the menu, but the flavors were bright and punchy. The duck was sliced cold--it would have been amazing if it had been warm. The smell of truffle oil came wafting off the dish--after reading Andrew's review of the OC, it seems to me truffle oil might be the new balsamic vinegar of casual dining! At Chocoatl, they whipped up a very dark, bitter soya milk hot choc for my partner, who is lactose intolerant. They make their own soya milk--how dedicated is that? I had the rose (like drinking chocolate in a rose garden), and we got a bit of hazelnut for the little one. Next two stops were at Sweet Cherubim, where I have not been for years. I had the same thing I've always ordered which is a tofu rice samosa with green salsa (I would love the recipe for that stuff) and green salad with Sunshine Miso Dressing. This is quintessential Vancouver east side food to me-tasty and comforting. I also had a chai and a Chocolate Bliss Ball, which kept me buzzing for hours. A few days later I took my son there, and the samosa was too spicy for him, but he feasted on mango pudding. Sometimes it's nice to revisit old favorites!

Zucchini Mama, I saw Masa Harina (bulk in a bin/bucket) is available to purchase for $1.25/lb or $2.50 (IIRC)/kilo at La Salza Mexican Deli at 4140 East Hastings St. in Burnaby today. Their phone number is 604 299-6485. There was another item beside it in a matching bucket, but I can't remember what it was, I was concentrating on remembering the Masa. ← Thanks a bunch, cayenne. I actually found some at La Sureno on the Drive. They carry a treasure trove of Latin American ingredients. I made some champurrado with some masa harina, and am going to try tamales too.

Hey folks, I am having a lobster themed party and am desperately seeking a lobster-shaped mold (or two). Please let me know if you spy one in Vancouver at a thrift shop or bake store. Zuke

Oh, I am so jealous, Miz Bakin! What fun! Was the rosemary mushroom bread a foccacia? Wildfire does a chanterelle focaccia, but I haven't been there when it's in season.

Hey Miz Bunny Lover, I noticed Stongs has both Rangoli prepared foods and Burgoo stews in their freezer. You can also get U-bake croissants and pain au chocolat from France. Treat yourself! I'm sure they have a cornocupia of frozen delights. Urban F. might carry this stuff, too, I'm not sure. Get well soon! Zuke

Thanks, eatrustic. Apparently Que Pasa do have a deli/store at their plant in Richmond, so I've e-mailed them to see if they carry it. I've read how to make it, and I think I'd rather leave it to the pros!

Where can I get freshly ground masa in Vancouver? Thanks.

You know, Solly's comes up once in a while, but it's a great place that's easy to take forgranted. I find that lately, the quality and service has been really great at the location off Main. The new "Hot Doggel" is my new Thursday lunch standby, and there are always seasonal treats like the chocolate-filled "Babkataschen" especially for Purim. This is a cookie shaped like a tricorn hat filled with babka chocolate and baked. For PMS--I was going to say a cure, but at least a panacea--the "Bagel de Lox" is cheesy salty carbs and proteins that does the trick. It's a place that fills a really important niche in the neighborhood. Thank God for Solly's!

^Or you could dip pieces of brioche or challah in a chocolate fondue, like my son does!

Hi Baconburner, I know Screaming Mimi's and my son likes their salmon rolls. Zuke

B.C. 's French Connection at Cru We went to this Wine Fest dinner on Sunday, and had a richly satisfying meal. The highlight of the dinner was the Seared Bison Tenderloin, Cambazola Risotto, and Fig Demi-Glace. The most interesting wine was The Inniskillin Okanagan Discovery Series Malbec 2004, which hasn't been released yet. I take it we were drinking barrel samples-dark, dense and inky, black cherry, plum, blackberry--much nicer after it had opened up a bit in the glass. My MIL said it smelled of dirty socks at first, but I was catching some rose, black currant, and tea in the bouquet later on. If it had been decanted, I think it would have been really nice, and my FIL said it would have been really good paired with the bison. It did go well with the mushroom terrine course. The food was all right on the mark. Chef Reinhardt was not there, but the team did well, especially under a new chef de cuisine. The wines were all from Vincor, and Krista Lee Waters was the speaker for the evening. We started out with the 2004 Jackson-Triggs Okanangan Estate Proprietor's Sauvignon Blanc, which had lots of lemon, grapefruit and green apple flavor and elegant mouthfeel (sorry Neil). The dinner began with Dungeness Crab Cocktail and Spinach Vichyssoise which was full of the bright clean flavours of spring. I felt this was the best pairing of the evening. The wines were 2004 Jackson-Triggs Okangan Estate Proprieter's Grand Reserve Meritage White and the 2004 Sumac Ridge Estate Winery Black Sage Vineyard Meritage White. Both wines were very floral on the nose, and the JT was 85% Sauvignan Blanc and 15% Semillon while the Sumac Ridge was 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon. My FIL said that in less politically correct time, the Sumac Ridge would have been called more feminine. It was softer and rounder than the JT. I ended up liking both the "masculine" assertiveness of the JT as well as the more mellow, glycerous quality of the Sumac Ridge. The Terrine of Wild Mushrooms and Micro Greens was served with the Inniskillin Okanagan Discovery Series Malbec. It was harvested late--on Oct. 30, with a Brix of 25. It is the only one of two single varietal Malbecs in BC. As I said, it was a dense, inky wine that was a beguiling curiosity-dark, velvety and intriguing, if not complex. Of course, I'm a mushroom lover, so I could have eaten about three portions of this dish. It was served with baguette crisps, which I loaded with a layer each of the silky terrine, the pleasantly salty mushrooms and the frisée lettuce with its nutty dressing. The Grilled Lamb Chop and Braised Shoulder was served atop Parsnip Pureé. I just feel that the meat at Cru is cooked to perfection, so I was really happy there were two meat courses. This was served with the 2003 Jackson-Triggs Estate Proprietor's Grand Reserve Meritage (40% Merlot, 40% Cab Sauv., 10% Malbec, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot), the 2002 Nk' Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Meritage, and the 2003 Sumac Ridge Estate Winery Black Sage Vineyard Meritage Here's where my notes start to get a bit fuzzy--too much wine and not enough food addled my brain. The Seared Bison Tenderloin, Cambazola Risotto, Fig Demi-Glace was served with the Sumac Ridge Estate Winery Pinnacle 2002 (60% Merlot, 18% Cab Sauv, 18% Cab Franc, and 4% Syrah). It had soft tannins and a cherry-forward palate. We also drank the Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin 2003 (75% Merlot, 11 Cab. Sauv., 6% Malbec, 5% Pertit Verdot. and 3% Cabernet Franc. The bison was a lovely deep rosy pink and very tender. The Cambabzola was as creamy and rich as a savory rice pudding, and the fig demi glace really tied the dish to the wines. My overall impression was that with cellaring and decanting, these blended reds will prove to be pretty competitive with French Bordeaux, particularly the Osoyoos Larose. Once the tannins are a bit silkier, they will be very seductive. For dessert we had a Pear Tart Tatin with Cardamom Ice Cream. Fresh fruit flavors combined with more caramelized fruit sugars, which paired wonderfully with the spicy ice cream. Thanks to the staff at Cru for a lovely night.

First of all the oysters--as shucked by Oyster Guy--Mr. Zuke, Chef Neil from HSG, Chef Jeff from Aurora all presenting and cooking me oysters in a cornucopia of ways. I would be drinking bubbly--the top of the line French stuff. I had one at the wine fest tasting a few years back that made me imagine I was on the Titanic. That one. Mushroom risotto from Trafalgers as it is my ultimate comfort food, with Grey Monk Rotberger, just because I have pleasant memories of that wine. A course of several meat dishes from Cru. A salad course from UBC farm made by the Downtown Eastside Community Kitchen. Beautiful Old Sauternes. My mother in law's sour cherry pie and my mom's black forest cake. Chocolate: As many Nipples of Venus by Genevieve of Robert's Creek as I could eat. Very good port. Then I'm good to go. Of course, this would all have to be performed in Saskatchewan, as that is the only place I want to rest my soul. Too many mountains blocking the view here.

May we come over and watch you whip your wimple? ← Yes of course, you may wimple whip watch, provided you obey the guidelines laid out by in the ten page whipping wimple watching warning document, published last year, by the caramelite nuns, purveyors of celestial confections. Note especially, page nine, appendix B, which states that the wimple whipping watcher must remain four feet from said wimple, ten feet in the event of a Pineapple Express. Failure to comply to these guidelines, may cause personal injury. (I can tell you from personal experience, it is tedious to remove a gentleman's nose which has become lodged in one's wimple, requiring much time and effort and some hideous looking tools which would make even Mr. Cronenberg blanch.) But I digress...the salmon was divine. Yes, as BCinBC said, the salmon with fennel broth was another highlight of the tasting menu-brilliant to have the skin so crispy on one side and the gravlax treatment on the other, cooking the salmon on one side just to the point where it met the gravlax. I thought I overheard Chef Fowke say they used fennel pollen in the broth, which gave it a rich, aromatic depth. As for chocolate--I leave it to the pros to come up with something that satisfies my deepest darkest cravings, leaving stains on my habit, that no earthly cleanser could remove.

Way to go Junior. I think I know which building it is-where Emily's was? How do you pronounce it: wuh CHAIReeah?

I am still on a high from the meal we had last night. This is exactly the kind of restaurant Vancouver needs--our meal was a treasure trove of refined sensory delights. I will make multiple posts as the photos and menu descriptions come rolling in. Last night was the first time I'd ever wished I'd become a nun. That way, I could have whipped my wimple up over my face and plate just to intensify the scents that were rising from the plates and bowls. The play of flavor and texture made every bite a revelation of new sensory combinations. Do I dare say it surpassed my penultimate dining experience at Lumiere? The memory of the smoked sablefish, the blood orange selzer, the steelhead caviar are all very fresh in my mind this morning. The panacotta magically turned into whipped cream which was orange and floral (orange blossom honey and Tahitian Vanilla) was hauntingly beautiful. I can't wait for the next visit, but please put something chocolate in there--I'm very excited to see what you do with it. (I know it's not a local ingredient, but Sister Zucchini will absolve you for using it). Thank you for giving us the extra space to be loud and lascivious. I apologize for any rude comments or gestures my dining companions may have displayed. I did enjoy the burlesque performance by Mr. Kolachy Keith at the end of the evening. However, I think I'll keep those photos off the internet, as they may frighten the children.

The Junior I was referring to is an eG'er in Saskatoon who has opened up his own restaurant. he's probably very busy-up to his elbows in hassenfeffer stew, I would imagine.

What I want to know, is do we need to bring a change of clothes in case the quick grouting that Neil did in the bathroom cracks up under the pressure of the thirsty throng? I can do walls, but I've never attempted floors before. Break a leg guys-- I think you all should get Waiterblog to have the photographer at the WE take a proper photo of you in vintage tuxes, a la original brat pack. It would make a great cover! Zuke P.S. Are you going to be slaving away on your birthday, Chef Fowke?

Wow, thanks Shellback, that is a great tip. I have been in that place before and I didn't realize they served lunch.

Yes, I think that there could be an artisanal food-tourism/arts tourism movement on the prairies. I mean, look at us hightailing it over to Vancouver Island so I can eat Saskatchewan wheat products at Wildfire Bakery. Wild rice, chanterelles, game, free range organic meat...I love all these things. It just takes businesses that can work with the locals as well as the tourists to make it viable. This is what is tricky, but it can work. (I wonder how Junior's doing? Hellooooo Junior!) Combine this with the rich arts scene-music, theatre, crafts, visual arts, literary arts (not to mention some beautiful scenery, and great fishing) and you can make it a cultural destination. I would like to work on this kind of marketing plan. Any head-hunters out there? For instance, I love the little café at the Saint Norbert's Art's Centre. That's a destination eatery in itself, since you have to drive outside of Winnipeg to get there, and it's like going on a mini-vacation. Then you can pop into the Saint Norbert's farmer's market and buy all sorts of homemade preserves and baking.

I like the tiny café and the dining room at PICA. It's good for a quick bite--they have little lunches at the counter that they heat up, and lovely desserts to choose from as well. I like to take my parents to the dining room for lunch, where my father makes really bad jokes about frogs in his soup and mortifies the poor students with his strange sense of humour. Is it Friday when they have their seafood brunch? A group of eGullleters could probably swoop in and clean them out before the fires have been lit under the chafing dishes. You get to watch the students at work through the big windows, so it's kind of like dinner and a show.

The Zuke family headed up to North van on this snowy February Day. My mood plummeted when I realized Burgoo wasn't open yet, but as luck would have it, we discovered the Candlestick Cafe. The atmosphere is kind of like an apartment I lived in Quebec in university-powder blue and hypertension pink paint in a funky cobbled together space that is diner-like in its structure. The decor is tropical /country kitsch, with teddy bears, paper parrots and the Dreaded Purple Dinosaur staring at me from one corner of the banquette. I had a good strong cup of masala chai. It looked like the cook pulled some homemade concentrate out of the fridge and them heated it up on the stove, adding some more powdered spices. I like the gritty feel of fresh ginger in my teeth. Lots of nutmeg. It was presweetened. Our son had a grilled cheese sandwich with a side of turkey bacon. The bacon was devoured, but the sandwich was not, only because it contained the dreaded mayonnaise, which he hates. Chef volunteered to make another sandwich, as she has three boys and understands the psyche of the picky eater, but I wouldn't hear of it. Mr. Zuke had the grilled banana roti, which he liked a lot, and I had the chicken curry roti, which was lovely. Everything is obviously home made, down to the multi-layered hot sauce the waitress scoops out of a jar without a label. The roti dough is thick and flaky-very stodgy in a good way. The curry filling was soul-food rich and moreish. I loved that my green salad had apples and bananas and a lovely creamy calamansi-type dressing. There is only one cook and one waitress and the place was packed, so one has to be patient, but it's worth it! We then hit the geek stores on lower Lonsdale for comic books, art supplies and costume bits before grabbing a shuttle bus to Mountain Mardis Gras. By the time we arrived, it was snowing, and unfortunately, we hadn't dressed warmly enough for the occasion. We did check out a few ravens on stilts, performing spiders, and of, course the food tent, which was artfully presented by Edible Planet Catering. (website) We had the "purple fairy cream balls" or whatever they were called--maybe it was "purple fairy dream balls", which were little cream puffs on a shish kebab. One was iced with white chocolate, one dark, and one with purple sugar. They were tasty fairy balls, but the one covered with sugar was a bit too gritty for me. My son loved them and wants to make these for his next birthday party. The other food looked wonderful and was well-presented. I was sad that the weather didn't co-operate with the festival organizers, as it probably affected audience turn-out. I was also disappointed the media didn't give this festival more coverage.

I realize this if off-topic - but your mention of my favorite Mexican cake brings back fond memories of me and my brothers' first band - Los Tres Leches. Can you guess which is me - Whole, Condensed or Evaporated? Memo ← I've always taken you for a breast man.

I keep fantasizing about what kind of pastries these guys are going to make: anything with cajeta would be great--I wonder if you could make cajeta filled croissants? An upscale tres leches cake would have me flagging a cab to Yaletown in a hysterical frenzy--heck, add cajeta on top of a tres leches cake and you would have quatro leches cake. Cajeta ganache in truffles....sigh! Yaletowners, put out a news bulletin when the pastries arrive!

Wow--sounds like you've got a good source of lamb--maybe a sacrifical lamb for a dinner at Rare sometime? I did like the creme brulée-I thought it was a classic and what I liked about the restaurant was that it was so unpretentious. I wished there were more people in the restaurant, as would have been cozier with more people. It definitley classifies as a hole in the wall that needs people for warmth and vitality. I kept imagining we were in the middle of a Winnipeg bizzard because the ventilation system was having an asma attack that was so loud it drowned out the music. But hey, wear a black turtleneck and a beret and channel Astrid Gilberto, and you'll have fun.