Foul Weather Friends

[jamiemaw]

Foul Weather Friends

I’ve been traveling a bit these last few weeks. London in late November was pea-soup gloomy, the light never brightening past battleship grey. I was glad for the company and the cosseting food at Racine, The Savoy and The Wolseley. This week, the Okanagan smelt like snow, but only occasionally would the clouds part and allow a weak sun to spotlight the whitecaps in the lake. From Treetops, our cottage high above the orchards, we looked out as the wind scudded down the valley fast and cold as a steel machine, the naked apple trees dangling lone fruit. It was the week Pierre Berton died.

I returned to Vancouver last night. A big Pacific storm rolled through; sheets of rain drenched us. We put a serious fire on for the first time this year and ate some good soup. P, a white cat of ironic disposition, wrapped herself around my ankles. She was trying to keep me home.

Our thoughts soon turned to winter dining, to those rooms that invite us off the street and into their bosom and hearth, there to warm up and lie back. The season calls for stews, roasts and braises and fulsome flavours, roasted roots and steaming fricassees. Or the veal cheek garganelli and ruby trout that we ate a few nights ago at Cin Cin, breathing in the forno.

So where will you find those deep flavours of winter? Will it be from Lee Parsons’ new menus at Bacchus—perhaps in a bowl of his unctuous white bean soup with truffle oil? The cinnamon-noted osso buco at Villa del Lupo? Crab crêpes or duck à l’orange at The Smoking Dog?

I want food that I can pull around me like a shawl, that blankets and unfolds, that’s as big as a love affair of acceptance and truth, and as intimate as what comes later.

This winter, where will you go?

[Chocoholic]

I find myself in my kitchen a lot during the winter. On a cold, rainy day I will spend some time making a good pea soup from a smoked ham hock, the kind that the spoon will stand up in on its own. I like to eat it with dark rye bread that I will use to clean the bowl. Today after coming back from a frigid walk around Jericho beach I grabbed a bag of beef stock, some anchos, a dried chipotle, a bit of pasilla powder, some chorizo sausage and a couple of sweet peppers. The resulting soup is deeply flavored, spicy and intensely warming. Later I will mix some milk, chocolate, coffee and brandy, light a log in the fire place and curl up on the sofa to read a book or watch a movie.

When I do venture out to a restaurant I seek places that serve simple comfort food. A bowl of Pho or soba noodle soup always does the trick. A visit to Memphis blues never fails to warm the old bones. Some braised beef shortribs and a good glass of Port are also very welcome during cold times. (Any places in Vancouver that do good braised meat?)

[DameD]

We are inside diners too alot during winter. esp. as we have a 2 year old and to bundle her up and get her out is alot of work. But I just made a big pot of French onion soup, with my onions carmelizing slowly for over an hour and some sweet port to caremelize it even more. And then some Stock Market Broth and other goodies,I can't wait to eat it for dinner tonight with the best part of mozza and crusty bread.

[Foodie in Vancouver]

We came home from the eGullet cookie exchange and had pea soup from The Stock Market, a bottle of Blue Mountain Gamay Noir, a selection of cheeses from Les Amis and a sourdough baugette from Terra Bread. And followed it all with cookies from eGullet. A made-in-BC dinner, perfect for a chilly Sunday night. No fire but we made do.

[KnifeSkills]

When the weather gets cold and the skies are grey for days on end, I get cravings for soups, hearty stews, and spicy foods.

Today I had some Indian food (we prepared a banquet of different curries, condiments, Chai tea, chappatis, samosas, and fragrant basmati rice at school). It made me realize that it's been far too long since my last visit to Vij's--it's on my list of must-do restaurant visits this winter.

On a recent rainy Saturday I treated myself to a big bowl of Pho. During the winter months, whenever I go to a Japanese restaurant I usually order a bowl of udon or ramen soup instead of cold sunomono or soba noodles. My favourite place for ramen is Ezogiku Cafe on Robson right across from the Library.

Another great wintertime favourite of mine is cassoulet--a one-pot wonder of beans, sausages, and duck confit. I'll probably go to Cafe de Paris sometime this month or in January just to have their cassoulet, (are there any other restaurants in the Lower Mainland that serve cassoulet??) or I might try and make my own at home instead.

-Christine

[Daddy-A]

Another great wintertime favourite of mine is cassoulet--a one-pot wonder of beans, sausages, and duck confit. I'll probably go to Cafe de Paris sometime this month or in January just to have their cassoulet, (are there any other restaurants in the Lower Mainland that serve cassoulet??) or I might try and make my own at home instead.

Christine,

I am a recent convert to the cassoulet club ... knew about it but never had it. The cassoulet we had at Big Night was amazing (is it a regular item Neil? should be!). I'm going to be trying the recipe from Les Halles soon. Just need to find time to make the confit ...

A.

[Coop]

The Lumiere Light cookbook has a very user friendly recipe for Cassoulet. I doesn't include the confit, which you can buy at Oyama if you are not up to rendering duck fat.

[jamiemaw]

The Lumiere Light cookbook has a very user friendly recipe for Cassoulet. I doesn't include the confit, which you can buy at Oyama if you are not up to rendering duck fat.

←

Very interesting that this thread has embraced home cookery (versus restaurants) so convincingly. Perhaps that describes the proficiency of our upstanding local members, our rainy night demographic when sitters might be scarce, or simply our proclivity to cocoon during this dark season weather regime.

No doubt this is best answered by my favourite in-house executive sous chef. Although very talented in matters of mis en place, she maintains that "the kitchen is not my best room," which clearly supports the undercurrent of our conversation here. In turn, it's likely a good thing that I know my place in the scheme of things.

Coq au vin it is then.

Jamie

Edited December 7, 2004 by jamiemaw (log)

[Daddy-A]

The Lumiere Light cookbook has a very user friendly recipe for Cassoulet. I doesn't include the confit, which you can buy at Oyama if you are not up to rendering duck fat.

But where's the challenge in that??

Yah know ... if someone told me 5 years ago I would be discussing "rendering duck fat" I'd have said they were mad. I'm either getting older or wiser ... or both.

A.

[ssherwood]

Another great wintertime favourite of mine is cassoulet--a one-pot wonder of beans, sausages, and duck confit. I'll probably go to Cafe de Paris sometime this month or in January just to have their cassoulet, (are there any other restaurants in the Lower Mainland that serve cassoulet??) or I might try and make my own at home instead.

Over at Fiction, Chef has been simmering a fantastic cassoulet to serve with his leg of duck confit and english pea stuffed marrowbone. I feel like I'm sneaking in the back door of a french farmhouse kitchen when I dig in!

[Daddy-A]

Over at Fiction, Chef has been simmering a fantastic cassoulet to serve with his leg of duck confit and english pea stuffed marrowbone.  I feel like I'm sneaking in the back door of a french farmhouse kitchen when I dig in!

Hey! Welcome back Sean! No more gastropimp I see. Cassoulet while sitting by the fireplace in Fiction sounds kinda nice about now.

A.

[nwyles]

Another great wintertime favourite of mine is cassoulet--a one-pot wonder of beans, sausages, and duck confit. I'll probably go to Cafe de Paris sometime this month or in January just to have their cassoulet, (are there any other restaurants in the Lower Mainland that serve cassoulet??) or I might try and make my own at home instead.

Over at Fiction, Chef has been simmering a fantastic cassoulet to serve with his leg of duck confit and english pea stuffed marrowbone. I feel like I'm sneaking in the back door of a french farmhouse kitchen when I dig in!

←

Wow, I think Chef Brian Fowke and I might have to pop over and have some tonight after work. Nice to see you on the board Sean ,

Cheers

Neil

[Mooshmouse]

Cassoulet while sitting by the fireplace in Fiction sounds kinda nice about now.

←

Not to mention their lamb tagine. Absolutely killer good. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

[jamiemaw]

Over at Fiction, Chef has been simmering a fantastic cassoulet to serve with his leg of duck confit and english pea stuffed marrowbone.  I feel like I'm sneaking in the back door of a french farmhouse kitchen when I dig in!

←

Welcome to these hallowed boards, Sean.

Jamie

[ssherwood]

Wow.

Great welcome. Thanx.

I'd love to meet chef Fowke, I'm just finishing dinner expo at Lucy's and I'll be heading down to fiction after service myself.

Yes Arne, the pimp is dead, got your note btw, thanks.

[DameD]

The Lumiere Light cookbook has a very user friendly recipe for Cassoulet. I doesn't include the confit, which you can buy at Oyama if you are not up to rendering duck fat.

←

Coq au vin it is then.

Jamie

←

Aaah forgot about coq au vin, how I could I do not know and osso bucco.. 2 winter favorites, but now i think i will go down to fiction to try thier cassoulet, in front of a fire .. can it get better!

[Coop]

So Sean was gastropimp? Did not know. I had two great meals at Fiction this summer. Have to try thier winter fare.

[jamiemaw]

The Lumiere Light cookbook has a very user friendly recipe for Cassoulet. I doesn't include the confit, which you can buy at Oyama if you are not up to rendering duck fat.

←

Coq au vin it is then.

Jamie

←

Aaah forgot about coq au vin, how I could I do not know and osso bucco.. 2 winter favorites, but now i think i will go down to fiction to try thier cassoulet, in front of a fire .. can it get better!

←

DameD,

When you've finished your cassoulet, head over to Villa del Lupo for their excellent lamb shank osso buco. Hints of cinammon and a relative bargain to boot.

[DameD]

The Lumiere Light cookbook has a very user friendly recipe for Cassoulet. I doesn't include the confit, which you can buy at Oyama if you are not up to rendering duck fat.

←

Coq au vin it is then.

Jamie

←

Aaah forgot about coq au vin, how I could I do not know and osso bucco.. 2 winter favorites, but now i think i will go down to fiction to try thier cassoulet, in front of a fire .. can it get better!

←

DameD,

When you've finished your cassoulet, head over to Villa del Lupo for their excellent lamb shank osso buco. Hints of cinammon and a relative bargain to boot.

←

Jamie you are right, I have been to Villa del Lupo and have had their excellent osso buco, all this wonderful food makes up for these cold rainy nights. AAh and to have a full bodied glass of merlot to pair with it would make it perfect, but that is going to have to wait as I am pregnant.. aaah only a few more months!

[Daddy-A]

DameD,

When you've finished your cassoulet, head over to Villa del Lupo for their excellent lamb shank osso buco. Hints of cinammon and a relative bargain to boot.

←

Jamie you are right, I have been to Villa del Lupo and have had their excellent osso buco, all this wonderful food makes up for these cold rainy nights. AAh and to have a full bodied glass of merlot to pair with it would make it perfect, but that is going to have to wait as I am pregnant.. aaah only a few more months!

←

Would you guys cut it out!! I just had dinner at Boston Pizza with my kids and am fealing depressed about a missed dining opportunity (albeit a great parenting opportunity!) Osso buco indeed! Try gristly steak sandwich and warm salad.

Congrats on the impending addition Danielle! A eGullet baby! How terrific!

A.