sheo

Mushroom, cheese and egg strudel in phyllo!

I love brocoli soup. I usually fry a few slices of bacon, remove and crumble. Then cook a head of broccoli in chicken or beef broth, perhaps a coarsely chopped onion, a few sprigs of fresh thyme,and a potato for the added texture, leaving, of course some of the bacon grease in the pot. Cook till tender, then puree with a stick blender (remove thyme first). You'll find it to be quite creamy at this point, but I usually add some 2% at this point, or a smaller amount of cream. If I'm lucky enough to have applewood smoked cheddar, or very aged gouda, I shred and swirl it into the soup. Don't need much because of the rich flavours. Oh yeah...lotsa white pepper is my little trick here. It's wonderful in the soup. Once it's ladled into bowls I top with the bacon crumbles, and perhaps a little more cheese. I know the stick blender isn't the most professional way to puree, but I love the texture it gives this soup - not exactly chunky but not completely smooth either. I use this same method with alot of other vegetable based 'cream soups'.

Aloo Paratha....Indian whole wheat bread, stuffed with mashed potatoes....

I made raita this weekend with Plain Liberty Mediterranean...very very hard not to eat it by the spoonful! The consistency is perfect for any kind of yogurt dip.

Those look raspberries to me...British Columbia?

Will you be posting the Rare menu on your website?

Chef Fowke, I can only speak for myself, but I would love to see what you'd come up with. My previous experiences at Rare have been stellar; indeed, my Valentine's dinner at your restaurant this last year was probably the best meal I ate all year! And I eat at least 3 very good meals every week. I am always looking for new and exciting things to eat; however, when it comes to holiday/traditional meals, I'm torn between wanting to make the best "turkey dinner" I can, in the original style, or trying something new. Usually we have some of each. I think you'd be the guy to come up a nice combination of the two - you know, familiar flavours, new textures...sage, cranberries, stuffings, pumpkin, yams, nuts, potatoes - how can one go wrong?! I'm sure if word got out that Rare would be open for the holiday, you'd have people coming by. Thank you, Barolo, for the hotel suggestions. We'll probably end up at one of those locations...(unless Rare does a dinner; that would be a no-brainer!).

My family is looking for a place to have a thanksgiving dinner with all the appropriate trimmings...my Mom's kitchen is in the middle of renovations and I'm not going to have time to do the dinner myself. Does anyone have any suggestions for a restaurant serving a good ol' turkey dinner? Price isn't an issue. Many thanks - I've been feeding my little brothers for weeks already and we all need a BREAK!

I'm reading! And enjoying.

The only time I can recall drawing the line because of fear of germs, was last summer while standing outside of my destination, reading the menu in the window before stepping in. I just happened to observe the person checking the table settings pick up a fork, see a spot or smear or something on the tines, lick her finger, rub at the fork, and put it back on the table. I never worry about eating in 'dirty' restaurants if I'm wanting something authentic; I don't worry about food falling on floors, etc; but I've never been back to that lovely little french place. I kinda miss it.

Zuchini Mama, I think the name is Euro Foods Plus. Do check it out, it's wonderful. I love the exerience of going to the Ukrainian church on 10th for their once-a-month perogie dinner....

The European deli at 818 Bidwell (just off Robson) is run by a russian family...I have purchased wonderful hot/cold smoked fish from them. They also have a wide selection of cheeses, meats, and canned goodies, mostly from eastern european location. Several shelves full of mustards and pickled things...and if you go on the right day of the week (haven't been able to figure out which day this is, seems to be hit and miss!) you'll find the most delicious fresh sauerkraut. It sells out really fast. They sell frozen perogies as well.

Simba's is in the first block of Denman, west of Robson. North side of the street.

Try the Ukrainian Village on Denman, half a block south of Robson. I've been going there for years, every time I need a perogie/borscht/schnitzel fix...Perogies are made by hand w/ a choice of 4 different fillings (cottage cheese, sauerkraut, potato cheddar, or potato onion), served with fried onions and bacon upon request, borschts are both Ukrainian and Russian in style, cabbage rolls come either rice and spinach or pork filled...just good quality homestyle cooking.

I ate at the new Chilo's last night - 3 pork tacos, and one beef. Also had a bite of the shrimp quesadilla. Everything was top-notch, including the lovely drips of fatty sauce from the pork that ran towards my elbows as I ate. These kinds of tacos are meant to be scarfed in a hurry, one after the other... Not licensed. $1.50/taco.

yuji's - my favorite late-night-japanese-tapas hit. the room is immaculate, and the food always tastes very fresh and just-prepared. toro sashimi, kiwi/scallop roll, seared black cod, swordfish w/herb puree and teriyaki butter sauce, as well as several other items. bacchus lounge - split a burger, fries, and a mushroom/goat cheese pizza with a friend. the fries were a revelation; i know where i'll be going for my grease fix late at night in the future. they were beautiful just to look at. i hope it wasn't just a lucky night, cuz i've been thinking about them ever since! crunchy on the outside, very soft and fluffy inside...you get the picture. garden terrace at the four seasons for sunday brunch - lovely and civilized after the mad throngs in the mall, of which i'd just been a part. they have a wonderful assortment of sauces and fun little nibbles; go find the chimichurri and eat it on the salmon or chicken kebabs. they serve brunch til 3:30 on sundays, unusual for a hotel.

I had the privilege of eating brunch at Lucky Diner on Saturday. I believe it was the first day they were serving breakfast, but wouldn't have guessed that at all from the friendly prompt service and nicely put-together meals. I ordered a benny w/brie, roasted tomato, and chard, served on a cheddar biscuit and accompanied by an oustanding potato rosti. The homemade ketchup was the best I've had, but then again I am sucker for the 'perfect condiment', and always appreciate the extra effort that goes into the little things! Cheers to the chef, who looked like he'd been working long and hard, and best of luck to Sean!

I love to get a great pile of fries, so hot they're burning my fingers, search out all the little crispy salty bits at the bottom of the pile, and dip them in Franks. Slowly. I often eat the crunchy ends off the fries as well and leave the rest...

Does anyone have any experience with dining at Bistro Pastis? I'm planning a special dinner....

Last Saturday brunch - Provence Marinaside, Croque Monsieur benedict, extra side of hollandaise. Love their potatoes; a little crispy, nicely browned, soft and buttery inside. Hollandaise is very nice indeed, slightly lemony and airy, not heavy at all. My new favorite brunch spot... Sunday brunch - Lolita's on Davie. Also very nice, but I find I enjoy their dinner menu more than their brunch. Nice potatoes - ask for a side of fresh tomatilla salsa to dip them in. Tuesday dinner - Tapastree, where I was pleasantly surprised. Had a few bland dinners there a few years ago, but thot we'd try it again after an aimless wander around the West End looking for inspiration. We had a crab bisque and avocado/tomato/bocconcini salad, followed by salmon gravlax, prawn wontons, and fries. The crab bisque and salad were wonderful; smooth texture, large chunks of crab, and a next-to-perfect balance of flavours in the bisque, and a very good plating of not-too-firm, not-too-ripe avocado and tomato, hint of balsamic, little bits of basil here and there, and bocconcini that didn't have the life marinated out of it. An often boring salad, very well done at Tapastree. I'd order it again any time. The gravlax was somewhat drowned in mayo/wasabi, the prawns were bland, but the fries were exceptional, as was the very light and flavourful mayo accompanying them.

Count me in - Miracle Whip on sandwiches of almost any sort, especially with tomatoes. But it's definately NOT a substitute for mayo in a lot of other things.