Zucchini Mama

Hi folks, Just a note to tell you they have a new menu at Wingnuts on Main and have added deep-fried Snickers and S'more bars to the Deep-fried chocolate options. I think they only offered the Mars Bars before. Zuke

Oh, god yes, I have to vent on this topic. I too, suffer from scent-induced migraine hell. The worst is on an airplane-why or why do people put these foul-selling scents on their bodies? You put that crap on your skin? I was eating at a Buddhist vegetarian restaurant once-they don't even use onions or garlic-but the woman at the next table was wearing a scent that wafted into my mouth every time I took a bite of tofu. I was in agony. I have vomited from men's colognes. We live in an old house (ventilation circa 1913) and we have tenants in the basement. They were using a shower gel that was so strong (that green apple "lime" smell so often used in bad's men's cologne's) I could smell it the minute they started the shower-and I was on the third floor. I sent them a very short explanatory note and they stopped using it right away. Artificial scent and florescent lights can basically cripple me. On the other hand, I love most Aveda products, and tolerate those smells quite well. Also at wine tastings-arghh. This woman latched onto me once at a wine tasting and I kept having to outrun her as the scent drifted into my wine glass... Help! They post signs on the door, but by that time it's too late. When I was pregnant, I was ten times worse. I could smell layers of meals on people's breath. I couldn't tolerate the smell of warm or hot food. I was so nauseous lost more weight than I gained, and almost had to take the drugs to counteract it. It was like being from another planet. So if you are sensitive to smell, and you're thinking of getting pregnant-think about setting up a support system and read up on what you can do for this condition. (I drank a lot of smoothies!) Phew! Rant over. I feel so much better now. The irony to all this is I really am a sensous monster-I love fragrance-just not frankenfragrance! Zuke

Okay, now I know where I'm going to do my Christmas Shopping. A friend from Austria has brought us a Zotter chocolate bar. (www.zotter.at) Wowza! Grammelnussn vom Waldschwein: " Lumps of lard (grated) are roasted in a crispy fashion and then caramelized"-mixed with a sweet almond nougat and covered in dark chocolate. PMS prescription medicine. And I vote it be part of our Canadian health care plan! As should the rest of the assortment of bars: Mare Milk Hot Chicken Ensemble Puss Puss Celery, truffle, and port red onions and beans and many many more... I'm putting in orders for the advent calendar for sure. Wow! Zuke P.S. I forgot to say it's fair trade chocolate-don't know about the pork fat tho.

Value Village...cheese..quince paste...I'm there! And all these years I thought you were all about the corn! Zuke

I had a funny experience eating at the bar at West, shortly after they'd changed their name. It was during a street fair and they'd decided to do lunch for this occasion to try it out. I sat at the bar next to two to guys in plaid jackets. They kidded with the female bartender: "You should call it egg Benedict, since it's just one egg!" There were only three of us in the restaurant and they didn't allow us to sit at the "real" tables. (Strange.) The waitress was cute, and she even winked at me at one point, which was cute, but a rehearsed bit of cuteness. My partner and I ate at the bar at Feenies once. I don't like it, because it's uncomfortable. I have chronic back pain from an old barrista injury (don't ask), so it's not worth it for me. I dine alone often, and have done so completely comfortably in Canada, Britain, and Europe for years. I've never felt uncomfortable, except once in Plymouth, where the waiter had just read an article about the unfair treatment of female solo diners, and so he made a really big deal about giving me "good service". (He was very sweet, actually-like my highschool science teacher) I like sitting at a deuce, somewhere where I can disappear into the woodwork and absorb the food and atmosphere. Occasionally, I have sat at the bar and chatted with the bartender, but as a mother (often oversaturated with converstation) I, like Garbo, "just vant to be alone". Having said that, there are chatty waitstaff that I grow to be very fond of, and really miss them when they change shifts or leave, along with their witty banter. I have worked with many sweet bartenders, some of whom I'd love to have taken home, but never did (honestly). Oddly enough, what I hate is going to the cinema by myself. I've read too many macabre mystery novels, I guess. Zuke

My son and I had our TGIF lunch at Memphis Blues yesterday. We shared the pulled pork meal, which comes with sauce, fries, beans, and coleslaw. It was the first time I realized they have homemade lemonade and unsweetened iced tea "on tap" in the back cooler. The meal really hit the spot. I could feel the stress and fatigue easing itself out of my achin' bones. U. has gone off anything with "sauce", so he made sure I didn't get any on his side of the plate, but we devoured the salty, spicy fries and he sucked back two glasses of lemonade, which is his new culinary obsession. We headed over to Oscar's Art books where they are selling off all their old calendars and day books for $2.50 each or 20 for a buck each. So, being a bargain hunter, guess how many calendars we bought? Whee! We use them to make collages with. We've got enough images to make collages for two years! Eat you heart out Max Ernst. Anyway we strapped all calendars to the stroller and I stuck the leftover meat in my backpack to bus it home. Later that day, my partner looked in the fridge and asked our son where we got the pulled pork. "Oh, we got it at Solly's," he says.

All good ideas, and I would add that with the mini scones you can offer both sweet and savory creme fraiche to go with them. It's nice to play on the savory/sweet edge, like the stilton or goat cheese cheesecake idea served on mini round shorcake cookies. I like the lavender garnish we had on the lemon tarts at Provence. I have a really nice buttermilk lemon filling recipe-you probably have your own favorite. I always love sugared flowers on tarts too, or just petals scattered on the serving trays. What about mini tartes au sucre? Zuke

I've got a lovely black and white post card of Purdy's Tea Room in Vancouver in my files somewhere. I'll try to dig it out. It looks absolutely gorgeous. I wonder where it was exactly? Zuke

Wow sex sex sex! Is this going to be a restaurant or a massage parlour? ? Zuke

Dessert Instead: And the end of this story is... Turns out my friend had made dinner plans :( and was to leave for Harrision Hot Springs in the morning, so we headed down to the Hamilton Street Grill Clubhaus for dessert. We managed to squeeze the rental SUV next to Neil's limo (his driver/bodyguard seems like a very nice man-longsuffering and patient). Iron Chef was playing on the tv screen and my friend Matt said "Oh gawd, this really is your sort of place!" So I had to explain to E from Austria what eGullet is (bunch of food nerds) what Iron Chef is (chefs judged by food nerds) and speed-dating (food nerds trying to meet other food nerds). She was puzzled by our culture, but impressed by the gingerbread pudding and especially the ginger ice cream. I was pleased with the wine menu-anyone who serves Nicol Pinot Gris gets the thumbs up from me. Of course, the dessert worked its way into my heart and I was bewitched bothered and bewildered, just like all the rest of you. Of course, in Vienna, where Elizabeth lives, Bohemian types have been known to become such frequent habitues of cafés that they actually received their mail at these establishments (in lieu of the garrets they were avoiding). So just keep a pile of my post at the door, will you Neil? (By the way, he's much taller in real life than in his centrefold.) Reasons to love Austria: 1) whole menus devoted to ice cream and 2) Hummers are lobsters and not the most obnoxious vehicles on earth

For those who were craving Chris Brown's chocolate cherry buns, he will be at the trout Lake market this Saturday. (Sometimes he makes them with pear instead, I think.) Zuke

My son and I often go take the seabus to the North Shore and noodle in and around the Lonsdale Quay. I'm never sure where to have lunch. I was wondering if people could give me their favorite foodie stops in and around the Quay, (within walking distance). Is Thomas Haas' new place within hoofing distance of the LQ? (I'm hoping!!!) The last time I was there, I noticed the wine store is kaput, and there is a new buffalo meat vender. Thanks! Zuke

Well if you go to Vienna, be sure to check out a restaurant near the Naschmarkt called Artner. They are connected to their own vineyard, where they also make their own cheese. They pour a wicked Zweigelt! Zuke

Ludja, That would mean taking her to the eGullet clubhaus at HSG for indoctrination. Wonder if chef Neil would wear his lederhosen to make her feel at home? And he'd have to cook that rindfleisch she's bringing me back in her suitcase! P.S. Is that an Edelveiss I see as your avatar. Are you Austrian? Zuke

Finch's Tea and Coffee House 353 west Pender @the corner of Homer if you're in a hurry you can call ahead: (604) 899-4040 Near Cassis, there is a soup and sandwich place-was called something like The Old Fashioned Café is now called Finch's. Our class went there for a working lunch break. It's a shabby chic heritage building-not much decor change since the last owners, but the sandwiches served on baguettes were made fresh, tasty, and the salads looked gorgeous. The soups got high marks. I had a full vegetarian baguette with avocado, cuke, red onion, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and dijon mayo. They even do a couple of little cheese plates, one with warm brie and the other with Applewood cheddar. Going to the loo is a bit scary, but at least they have one. I like the windows on two sides-lots of natural light. There's a little bit of revived Bohemia happening on this street-check out the Seam-Rippers gallery 436 West Pender. I think this would be a good place to write a revolutionary tract of some sort. Free-range eggs for brekky and sweets are supplied by Fratelli's on Commercial.

The lost tribe My research assistant and I were able to spot some members of the elusive eGullet tribe in their natural habitat. On a balmy, semi-clouded afternoon, after picking up some Quebec cheese from Oyama sausage, we walked along the seawall seeking sustenance. My research assistance demanded a view of the water, so we stopped at Ocean Six Seventeen. Indeed, slightly camouflaged, in a corner of the patio were what appeared to be dominant members of the lost tribe. They were slightly spooked, but as it was close to feeding time, they did not run off, but we thought it better to observe them from a distance while we sampled the food that these people go miles out of their way to find. My assistant and I shared an order of the flatiron steak, which was seared on the outside and quite bloody within. The meat was tasty and tender, the sauce citrussy. The fries were nut-brown, hot, and savory. We observed the loud laughing and lip-smacking that are known to accompany the mealtime-behavior of the lost tribe in the background. We watched the tourists kayak around the waterway, and shared an order of the cinnamon chocolate cake. The cake was served warm, liberally covered with gloppy chocolate and white "mousse" (whipping cream). This got my young assistant quite excited, but it was the contraband chocolate walnut brownie surreptitiously handed to us by a beautiful young member of the tribe that stole his heart. Apparently we had won their trust, and in the end, we even exchanged a few words with the dominant female of the tribe about the glorious day and the wonderful food. From there, we walked home towards Ontario along the industrial part of the seawall and up the hill towards King Edward. I must admit, I was dreaming of the day we have less cars and more space for strollers and bicycles in this city, but alas... it is only a dream. The whole day had a feeling of a chimera about it. Did we really see the lost tribe of eGullet, or was it all a figment of our sun-drenched imaginations?

Hey thanks Shellback! Rime sounds great for a reading. I've been connecting with all these women who write poetry about food, and thought it would be nice for us to do a reading at a place that actually serves good food! Zuke

Once in a blue moon I have to go to the Wooden Shoe and have a pannakoek with ham and that thick apple molasses goop which is supposed to be high in iron (must be a PMS thing). The decor is pure Dutch kitsch and there's a little box of toys for the kids. This is an olde fashioned kid-friendly café, that reminds me of Saskatchewan for some reason-must be all that wood panelling! Zuke

Hi folks, I've got a friend coming in next week from Austria. She loves wine-is a member of an informal "ladies wine-tasting society" in Vienna, and has gone on wine tours in Italy. Where can I take her to taste the local wines and food for $$$? Does anyone do flights of local wine? Small plates would be great. A view would be great, but I really want to focus on the wine. Zuke

Shellback, I'm interested in hearing more about Rime. My friend did a music gig there recently. What is the cross street? Is there a stage for performances? Would it be suitable for a spoken word-type reading? Merci! Zuke

"I am curious about this. I don't believe Mexican-style tortillas are common in El Salvador, so I'm wondering, was it like a Spanish tortilla -- an egg dish? Or a type of stuffed pie thing? Or were there quite a few Mexicans there and they just wanted tortillas, even if the theme was El Salvador?" Jaymes, Definitely not an egg dish. The women we sat next to were from Chile, I know there were people from Ecuador and Venezuala, but I'm not certain there were any people from Mexico there at all. Like I said, a lot of it went over my head because I don't speak Spanish. I only know how to say "I will not marry you." I also can count to ten...and dance a bit of flamenco. Olé! Zuke

The last time I was at Alka meats I noticed they have pemmican made from buffalo. It would be very easy to slip a few packages into your luggage. Zuke

Ask and Ye Shall Receive And I did receive a dinner invitation-tonight! Turns out the Cocina Latina America Collectiva (sp?) meet a block from my house the first Monday of every night. Tonight's menu was from Cena Salvadoreña: repollo guisado (garlic and cabbage cooked in a tomato sauce with a touch of cloves-seemed totally Hungarian to me!), frijoles fritos, arroz, cuajada, Plantano frito, home made tortilla, queso fresca and hot chocolate. What a lovely evening! The cooking is all volunteer and the object is to share the food and culture of Latin America. Some people want to practice their Spanish, and others, their English. The meal was free, and a great deal of time was spent at the end of the meal discussing whether or not they should have a suggested donation of one dollar. I suggested they put out a box and people could donate a dollar or more if they wanted. One of the cooks came out and showed us how to make quesa fresca- wow! I didn't understand what the tablet was she used to curdle the milk, but it worked very quickly, she added salt and it was delicious-very subtle-not as salty and briny as feta, and softer. One of the participants, Franciso, has a background in agriculture and is interested in issues of teaching people to eat inexpensive nutritious meals based on Latin American recipes. He is also interested in teaching people how to grow their own food in their gardens. Darn, I wish I spoke Spanish. I was trying to explain the Slow Food Movement to him. I think it's a shame that the Slow Food Movement seems so elitist-really expensive to join. I was trying to tell him about the Slow Food Ark-anyone a Slow Food member here? Anyway, anyone who's interested in these meals, PM me, especially of you speak Spanish, because you'd get more out of the evening. They will probably have to move to a different space eventually, because I think once the word gets out, they'll need more room. I was so moved by the passion these people had for sharing their food, and was I touched by their generosity. Zuke

Cheap Lunch Sechzuan-style at the Wing Wah The Wing Wah is one of those places I go to every few months and then forget how good it is. My son and I surprised my partner at work and invited him to join us for lunch. He works one block from the restaurant, which is on the Southwest corner of Broadway and Kingsway across from Hell'sgate mall. This is a pre-soma-gentrification restaurant, packed full at lunch. The reviews out front highlight Wing Wah specialties like the asparagus dishes (praised by James Barber), and the orange peel beef. The decor is of the ubiquitous dusty-rose and carp school, and the menus are a bit tattered around the edges, but the good quality of the food remains consistent. The menu is full of the little chili pepper symbols, so there's always a little dance around the chilis that happens when you have a child. Who gets to order the child-friendly meal and who gets to eat the chili-friendly meal? P. knows he can scrape the pepper seeds off the spicy deep-fried tofu, so he orders that lunch special with the corn soup and I order the Wing Wah chicken, because I see it at the table next to us and it looks mouth watering. Lunch specials are under six dollars, and served with the corn chowder or sweet and sour soup. I get a bowl of pearly rice, sticky and savory, and a plate of tender bite-sized chicken pieces marinated in a dark, spicy sauce: ginger, small squares of translucent onions, chili seeds and tiny pieces of the red pepper, with a touch of sweetness to balance it out. This is served on a bed of deep-fried spinach. It was hot enough to clean out my sinuses and the portion is a very good size for the price. The tofu is sizzling hot when it arrives, with salt, chili bits and seeds and pieces of green onions and sweet onions. It's crispy of the outside, and soft and silky inside. They do it just right. P's soup looks rich and sweet, threaded through with swirls of egg. This is also a good place to take a group of ten or so people to sample the supper dishes. Asparagus season would probably be a good excuse for this kind of nosh. Zuke

Tacos Mexico Rico Authentic Mexican Food 102-440 W. Hastings St. (Near Richards Street) It's been a bit of an education, reading this thread. I've never been to Mexico, and don't know much about the cuisine. I did pick up a beautiful Mexican cookbook from the library and was surprised because most of the ingredients were completely unfamiliar to me. So when an artist from Mexico asked me what she should bring up for me I said "Cajeta. I want to try this thick caramel sauce made from goat's milk." It was caramel times ten and I loved it-just ate it out of the jar with a spoon. I was very happy when dulce de leche finally showed up here in Vancouver. I don't understand why we don't import native Mexican ingredients. Sounds like we don't just need a restaurant, we need a revolution. Funny, because this weekend I met someone from central America who is very active around food issues. He and a group of friends (recent immigrants) get together every month and cook a meal that reminds them of home. I am looking forward to learning more about the food-related projects he's working on, (and hoping for a dinner invite)! Anyhoo, I'm taking a class at SFU Harbour Centre and have to catch a quick bite in the lunch break, so I discovered Tacos Mexico Rico-which is a different name from the place, same location? mentioned upthread. I will ask how long they've been owners next time I go. I tried the sopes: "Thick hand made tortillas with beans, lettuce, sour cream, guac, feta cheese and your choice..." My choice was Pastor (pork in a red spice sauce.) I had this with a sweet milky drink (which wasn't on the menu), spiced with cinnamon served over ice. I loved the milky drink with the spicy food-like a lassi with curry. The sopes were very comforting-three for $7.99. I could only eat two, and took one home for breakfast. The pork was very dry, but moreish. It was almost like a spicy dried meat. On the way out I noticed homemade cake which I could not pass up, so I got a piece of triple milk cake to go. It was milky, creamy, sopped in a milk sauce, and very similar spicing to the drink. This is home cookin'. Really nice people dishing up comfort food. Some interesting menu items: Lengua (tongue) tacos, Birria Jalisco style (BBQ lamb), Pozole Michoacan Style (corn grain with pork stock or chicken stock and a deep fried tortilla and lettuce), and Carne Tampiquena?. I will definitely go back next week to try other dishes. Zuke By the way, our local grocery shop East West makes a really good finely cut homemade salsa-red and green versions. I think the owner might be Mexican, but I haven't been able to figure it out yet.