Ling

Wow, that's so cool! My very own customized oyster knife! I sent the pics of my adventure (and the knife) to my friends and they are GREEN with envy! Thank-you, thank-you for everything! I will ship you and your staff some baked goods!!

^Thanks, Megan! You are welcome anytime. I will feed you well. I was in a bit of sour mood b/c I was unhappy about the Portuguese tarts (they tasted OK...I still had four of them! ) so I just pulled a pan of brownies out of the oven. Did the usual Valrhona ganache, and then I melted a bit of goat milk caramel with some heavy cream and drizzled them over top. I felt a little better after I had a few brownies.

Sorry...I misunderstood.

"Cooking molasses" is in between "Fancy" (mild flavour) and "Blackstrap" (robust flavour). I have all three types in my pantry for different recipes. I forgot to mention this earlier, but some freshly ground black pepper is great in a ginger cake for that extra bit of kick.

I haven't had KD in years, but I made it occasionally when I was a kid. I did a separate pan of bechamel, and added the cheese powder to that. If I was in the mood for something with more zip, I just omitted the milk and mixed the butter with the cheese powder.

Made my own puff pastry using MobyP's demo. Baked pain au chocolat this morning using Valrhona Guanaja. These were incredible! Best pain au chocolat I've had to date. Here are my Portuguese custard tarts. The taste of the wheat flour in the custard is different. I messed this up though...they souffled too much in the oven. These are crappy (fault of the baker, not the recipe!)

I made the portuguese custard tarts today...I made a lot of mistakes. Not happy with them. You can see how they souffled up too much in the oven. ARGH....crappy. I'll try them again filipe. I really like the taste of the wheat flour...very different.

I made my own puff pastry last night using MobyP's demo in the EG cooking class. This morning...fresh pain au chocolat. Two of the Valrhona Guanaja fevres is the perfect amount of bittersweet-chocolate sin. Best thing to come out of my oven in awhile! I ate as many as I could when they were still warm out of the oven.... (Now I'm it's almost time to take my Portuguese tarts out of the oven!)

^ Mmm yum. Wish I could eat the last quarter!

I defrosted a brownie from the freezer...that was good. Also had an apple turnover from Costco...bleah. Now I'm eating a handful of those Valrhona fevres.

^Wow! That is beautiful!

The originals look more appealing to me--so soft and custardy!

Isn't the salmon jerky available in the GI market? With the Sparkle cookies, you should definitely use the recommended chocolate (Valrhona Guanaja) or Thomas says they will spread too much in the oven. They are awesome.

It was fabulous! I'll always remember it! Chris--can't wait for my own oyster knife! OK last picture...my friend just sent over a few more pictures of our trip. Here's the oyster I shucked!

^That sounds great! Thanks for the tip! Yesterday...after an 8 hour eating extravaganza, I'd have to say the raw oyster platter at The Bearfoot Bistro really stood out for me, especially since they were shucked by EG's Oyster Guy. (And to be more specific, the European flats and the Effingham Bays were my favourites.) Today--had a great dinner at Parkside restaurant. Tastiest thing was the chicken/rabbit/foie gras terrine with cranberry chutney, avocado puree, and celeriac remoulade. (I had foie gras three times in two days. )

West DOV last Friday -I wrote about that here My friend and I had the entire menu, except for the sablefish. We are piggies. Bearfoot Bistro Friday pictures begin here, scroll down for more -a selection of oysters -Kobe beef tartare -black cod and pickled cucumber salad -Sumac Ridge Stellar Jay Brut -martinis (Tuscan Sun and Cosmo) -tuna sampler (tuna 3 ways) -a Chocolate Tasting dessert (chocolate mousse, chocolate jelly, white chocolate terrine and blood orange compote and chip) -peach cobbler served in a tiny cast-iron pan, with brittle and ginger -a couple glasses of Frangelico for a total of 8 glasses of alcohol consumed by yours truly. I had THE WORST hangover this morning, but it was definitely well worth the fun I had yesterday. Thanks again to the staff at Bearfoot...that was a day to remember! Elements after the Bearfoot...(Friday) -foie gras and apple, toast -pork tenderloin -the best fries I'd had in recent memory--potato and sweet potato, both thinly sliced and crispy, nicely salted. I've never had such incredible sweet potato fries before! Served with curry aioli. -seared duck with some sort of fruit compote...(I drank way WAY too much yesterday...so I apologize for the lack of details) Needless to say, I was stuffed yesterday. Whistler sure knows how to have a good time! Parkside DOV Just a quick write-up since Parkside's DOV menu has been covered so many times already. I took my parents here tonight. Service over the course of the evening was great (linen refolded, we were not charged for the second bottle of water as we left it largely untouched). My mom and I were waiting for my dad for over half an hour b/c he got lost trying to find parking, so we wondered if we should just go ahead and order. The server assured us that it would be OK, and we were not rushed in the least. Very nice. I had a glass of the Blue Mountain chardonnay and my mom had the blood orange/carrot/ginger juice while we waited. Neither of us cared for the juice very much--lots of carrot, and it lacked the tang I was hoping for in a blood orange drink. Wild mushroom soup--my parents both enjoyed this immensely, and I agree that it was one of the best dishes of the night. I had the chicken, rabbit, foie gras terrine with the winter fruit compote (contained cranberries), avocado puree, and celeriac remoulade. This terrine was not overly fatty and very nice on its own, but was elevated by the tart sweetness of the fruit and the crunch of the toasted bread and remoulade contrasted nicely with the smooth puree. Outstanding. My dad had the short rib with savoy cabbage and mash. It was OK, but we both felt that the short rib (while very tender) lacked flavour. (My mom was too full from the duck to taste this dish.) My mom and I had the duck confit with cassoleut beans, Toulouse sausage. The sausage has a nice chew to it, owing to its relative leanness. The confit was also quite nice, and not overly rich as some of the skin had been removed. There is an acidic element to the sauce that I found enjoyable, as it cut through the hearty richness of the plate. I drank the Blue Mountain pinot noir with this dish. My dad and I both had the sticky toffee pudding with ginger rum ice-cream. I love this dessert--the cake itself is just a bit gooey and underdone, and the accompanying sauce and ice-cream were both delicious. I mentioned in a post somewhere that I had my first sticky toffee pudding at Parkside two years ago, and having it again tonight reminds me that I haven't made it in quite a few months now! Must bake sticky toffee pudding this week.... As someone else noted in their Parkside write-up, the little touches like the biscotti is still there with your coffee. (My mom recognized the biscotti too--"Look! The cookies you make at home!" She doesn't know the name of the cookie...but she is so cute. ) It is amazing how Parkside can offer this type of menu for $25. Seriously, such a great deal. My mom had the dark chocolate pots de creme with brandied cherries. She remarked, without any prompting from me, that the chocolate used in this dessert is the same that I use at home. Yay mom! I didn't really have room, but you know me--gotta get that extra dessert. Raspberry, mango, and marscapone sorbet (all good, with the raspberry and mango being my favourites)

I had dinner tonight at Parkside in Vancouver. I took my parents out for dinner, and we "shared" 4 desserts--2 orders of sticky toffee pudding. (My parents left most of the desserts for me, knowing how much I love sweets. ) Sticky toffee pudding with ginger rum ice-cream (my favourite of the three) Chocolate pots de creme with brandied cherries Sorbet (mango, raspberry, marscapone)

Peninsula Grill coconut cake I'll have to try the lime in the cake next time, ludja! That sounds great!

Thanks for the clarification--sorry if I misinterpreted TFA's comment. I haven't had a full dinner at The Bearfoot for awhile, but I would be interested in seeing Melissa put out a book, just based on the dishes she offered last night. She is a very talented young woman who has the respect, love, and admiration of the staff there.

I eat a cookie quickly. And then I eat six or seven more. I break a soft cookie in half, then bite. I bite hard cookies (messy crumbs). I bite brownies. Mmm...brownies. Must have one now.

^Hi! My friend has the dessert pics, but if you would like to read more about my experience at The Bearfoot, here is the link. lots of pictures including pictures of me shucking oysters! (I got to saber a bottle of bubbly and got treated to all this fabulous food and oysters!)

Continuing with the pictures...I've decided to post all the food from our first visit to BearFoot (we also hit up another restaurant, and then came back to BearFoot for dessert yesterday) here, since we were dining at the bar and chatting with Chris and Trevor the whole time. I'll link this post to the "Last Three Places" thread where you'll find the rest of my pictures from Whistler very soon! Chris at work...the bar gets swamped during Happy Hour for the dozen oysters at $9.95! This is the Sumac Ridge Stellar Jay Brut bottle I sabred in the wine cellar--we drank this with the oysters. I got to keep the bottle (which we all signed!) and the cork, along with a signed abalone shell and we both got those really cool Moet & Chandon stemless glasses that they use at the bar (not pictured.) Trevor fixed us two cocktails--a Tuscan Sun (gin-based) and a Cosmo for the man (vodka-based) and here's part of his bar I had the honour of meeting Melissa, the young chef at the Bearfoot. She's one of only three women in BC to have won the Black Box competition! She sent a tuna sampler out to us... tuna tartare seared with shallots, shiitake and blood orange caviar (this was my favourite) fried abalone? (I had about 7 or 8 drinks yesterday...that's like 6 drinks over my limit!) then we moved onto the Kobe beef tartare...deliciously seasoned, and served with crisped bread, cornichon and chips As good as the tartare was, I was won over by the black cod dish. The buttery fish was paired with a barely-pickled, crunchy cucumber salad. This has been on the menu for five years, and is one of the signature dishes at Bearfoot. The main event...Chris treated us to a thorough lesson on the different types of oysters on the plate, including how and where they are grown and cultivated, and how each oyster tastes. This was my first time having such an extensive selection all together, and it was such a revelation noting the distinct characteristics and textures of each oyster. The oysters were served with freshly grated horseradish, mignonette, lemon, and orange. Now I'm going to test myself and try to name all the oysters correctly. Starting from the top left, we have the BeauSoleil, which I've read about but never tasted before yesterday. Chris said that they are produced by La Maison BeauSoleil, in floating trays (or nets?) close to the surface. Next to the BeauSoleil are the Effingham Bay (sp?), cultivated on 20 acres on the island (argh...forget which one!) What makes these oysters distinct is their deep cup, which is also characteristic of the Kusshi oyster. However, the tumbling method that forces the Kusshi oyster to grow in such a deep cup (the tumbler chips away at the external growth of the shell, forcing the oyster to grow deeper) results in a 40% loss in product yield. The loss on the Effinghams are only 3%. These oysters also feed on plankton (or was it phytoplankton?) unlike many oysters which are vegetarian. The Effingham Bay oysters are carried in three oyster bars in Toronto, Bearfoot, and Joe Fortes. They were one of my favourites on the platter...very long finish. Next to the Effingham Bay are the Stellar Bay oysters, cultivated by hippies with PhD degrees on Cortes Island. The Stellar Bays have placed first in...some sort of oyster competition? recently. It is small, but very meaty. I've been a fan of these since I had them at Aurora. The oysters to the right of the Stellar Bays are the Penrose. They have a thicker shell, which makes them easier to shuck. You definitely get the metallic finish a few seconds after you eat one, and it is best with mignonette (red wine, shallot, mint, bit of honey) to temper some of that metallic taste. These oysters are relatively inexpensive, and taste great! The oysters you see with the oranges are Kumamotos--one of my favourite oysters. These were extremely plump, creamy, and sweet. A squeeze of lemon would ruin the taste of such a delicate oyster, so just a touch of orange is the way to go. In front of the Kumamotos are the Kusshi oysters. These definitely tasted of cucumber and lettuce...very fresh and delicious. Like I noted earlier, the Kusshis have that deep cup because they are forced to grow deep when some of the exterior shell is chipped off in the tumbler. The last oysters are European flats (not Belons! ) These must be weighted down to prevent moisture loss when the shell gapes open. Chris threw away quite a few of these before settling on the two on the plate, as he was dissatisfied with the amount of oyster liqueur in the shell. (He does not serve anything that he wouldn't eat himself.) Like the Penrose, the European flats have a metallic finish and so they should be served with mignonette. The texture of these oysters were chewier than the plump and creamy Kumamotos. This was my first European flat and also one of my favourites on the platter! After this platter of oysters, we also tasted the Caraquette? (Caraquet?) oyster and the Chef's Creek. Here's the picture of the Chef's Creek. I just wanted to thank everyone at Bearfoot again for giving me such an incredible opportunity. I especially want to thank Chris for teaching me--I'm now a bit less nescient of oysters, and have much more respect for the animal and the people who grow them. Learning about each variety before tasting them definitely enhanced the experience! The sabering bit was so exciting, and what a great surprise! The hospitality and generosity of the restaurant was nothing short of overwhelming. It was wonderful to witness the close friendships among the staff--Melissa even gave Chris the rest of the night off to spend with us as soon as we got back from Elements! Can't wait to go back...

That would've earned me an extra 30 seconds in a competition!! (See? I learned so much yesterday! )

Today I got treated to this incredible "Chocolate Tasting for 2" and another peach cobbler and ginger ice-cream dish at The Bearfoot Bistro. Those desserts brought a nice end to our 8 hour eating extravaganza!! The chocolate tasting comprised of a dark chocolate mousse and a white chocolate terrine with dark chocolate base. I'm not normally a fan of white chocolate, but it was served with a blood orange compote and blood orange chip that lent bitter/sweet/sour tones to the terrine and it really worked for me. The peach cobbler was served in a tiny cast iron pan. You could smell the vanilla and butter as soon as the plate hit the table. Oh man...that was so good! My friend took pictures and I'll get them from him soon.

I was utterly spoiled at the Bearfoot Bistro today--somehow my oyster shucking lesson stretched on from 2-10:30 p.m., with only a brief respite at Elements for more food! I had a great time with Chris, Andre, Trevor, Melissa, and Kurt today. I took a lot of pictures and I'll be uploading the oyster ones in this thread over the weekend with a few comments, but I thought I'd start by a few pictures that need very little explanation. Here's my first "real" oyster shucking experience under the master himself. Prior to today, I've shucked a few oysters--perhaps prying oysters open with a rookie knife is a better way of describing what I was doing before. If I got the oyster open in, say, a minute without too much shell, I claimed success. Chris can shuck a dozen in something like 54 seconds!! You can see a shot of their $30 000 cooler here. This is the view if you snag a prime seat in front of Chris' station. Chris chose a Penrose for me as those are apparently the easiest to shuck. Here I am trying to clean it up a bit...Chris said I did a good job. My friend has more pictures of the oyster I shucked and he'll upload that soon. Stay tuned for more pictures...